During his short life, Ryan spent a great deal of time in Women and Children's Hospital enduring tests, treatments and surgeries. He was known personally as a patient by more than a dozen surgeons and specialists who practiced there. Fortunately for Ryan, he was blessed with parents who vowed to never have him experience a moment alone in the hospital. When he wasn't under the direct care and supervision of hospital staff, someone he knew was with him in his room - all day, everyday, around-the-clock. Ryan never opened his eyes in his hospital room without seeing a familiar face. Obviously, most of the time it was mommy and/or daddy, but grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends also chipped in to help out when needed.
The overnight stays (and there were many) were handled by Ryan's mom and dad - and they know firsthand how physically and emotionally draining those stays can be. For that reason, a special initiative has been established in cooperation with the hospital's memorial gift division for contributions made in Ryan's memory. All such contributions are placed in a fund to purchase special "sleeper chairs" for children's hospital rooms. These chairs are designed to fold out into a flat bed for parents or others who are staying through the night with a sick child. Parent's are actually able to get some comfortable sleep, however little it might be, without leaving their child's side.
Contributions to date total over $5000 and five chairs have been purchased and placed in children's rooms. The goal is to have a sleeper chair in every inpatient room in the children's wing of the hospital.
If you would like to make a donation to this cause, you may do so through the Remember Ryan Foundation or directly to Women and Children's Hospital. Direct donations to the hospital should state "In memory of Ryan A. Bertini" and be sent to:
Memorial Gifts Division
Women and Children's Hospital
219 Bryant Street
Buffalo, NY 14222
Ryan's Garden
ADVOCACY FOR THE ARTS
THE
RYAN A. BERTINI
MEMORIAL MEDITATION GARDEN
Thanks to the generosity of Wegmans Food Markets Inc., the Ryan A. Bertini Memorial Meditation Garden is a featured space in the Adam Gondek Memorial Botanical Gardens Park located on Sweeney Street and the Erie Canal in North Tonawanda, New York. The garden was constructed by Wegmans management personnel along with Ryan's relatives and family friends.l
The garden was designed by Joy Kuebler, a prominent local landscape architect, who also directed the construction. All construction work was done by hand using shovels, picks, hammers, etc. Wheelbarrows were used to move soil, stones and large plantings.
The stones that form the inner circle of the garden were imported from the Bruce Peninsula near Red Bay, Ontario, Canada--Ryan's favorite vacation spot. A series of
stepping stones that feature laser-cut images of Ryan's hand prints also came from that area. In the photo at the right, Ryan's parents hold one of the stepping stones.
Getting the stones out of Canada and into the United States turned out to be a more complicated process than originally anticipated as delays at the border were encountered at U.S. Customs. However, thanks to the patience and persistence of Cambria Construction Company, which donated the use of a truck /trailer and two workers for the transport, the shipment arrived in time for the scheduled installation. Ryan's family still vacations annually in Red Bay and during the stay, his brothers, sister and cousins each collect a river rock to add to the garden pool when they return home. .
This photo of Ryan with his parents and brother, Gavin, was taken on what would be his last trip to Red Bay in June 2005. Despite all he was going through physically at the time, his smile was still there.
A photo of Ryan highlights a bronze plaque mounted on a large boulder at one end of the garden. This photo was taken in the evening when the garden was decorated for the holidays.
The plaque reads:
RYAN A. BERTINI
MEMORIAL MEDITATION
GARDEN
Established in Loving
Memory of Ryan A. Bertini
April 7, 1997 - November 2, 2005
Through the generosity and efforts of
Wegmans
Joe Kuebler Landscapte Architect
The Remember Ryan Foundation
Ryan's Family and Friends
City of North Tonawanda, NY
Dedicated August 2, 2008
