Ryan Leslie, a former UBC Thunderbirds football player and New Westminster Hyacks coach, underwent surgery last week to remove an infection near his spine.
The procedure, however, ended with unfortunate complications which saw Leslie paralyzed from the chest down.
Ryan was a member of the original coaching staff at NWSS, from 2003 to 2006. From 2007 to 2014, he was in charge of running the Royal City Youth Football Club, which saw unprecedented growth under his leadership. In 2015, Ryan accepted a position with Amazon in Seattle, where he and his family have since been living.
He will be in a rehab hospital for several months.
The Leslie family home will need to be remodelled to accommodate a wheelchair and they will also need to purchase a different vehicle. It’s unknown what insurance will cover and what type of long term care will be needed.
If you want to help Ryan, his wife Amy and their sons Liam and Casey, you can do so by clicking here to access a newly-created Go Fund Me Page.