WATCH: From pain to purpose: Ryan Ellapan’s journey of faith, illness and hope

For most teenagers, adolescence is a time of self-discovery, friendships and preparing for the future.

However, for Ryan Ellapan, it was years of doctors, diagnoses and life-threatening complications with no clear answers.

Now 26, Ryan stands not as a victim of his circumstances but as a man transformed by pain, grounded in faith and determined to serve.

His health struggles began when he was 12. What started as occasional stomach aches quickly progressed into something far more serious.

According to Ryan, he did not speak up at first because he thought it was part of growing up. However, by the time he received medical attention, his gall bladder was already severely affected.

“Scans revealed thick sludge, and my body weight had dropped dramatically due to a loss of appetite caused by constant pain,” he said.

From that point, his condition took a relentless turn.

By 2014, Ryan was undergoing routine surgeries to insert stents into his bile ducts to control the build-up of gallstones. The procedures were invasive and repeated every two months, removing up to 30 stones each time. He frequently missed school due to pain, sleepless nights and recurring infections.

Ryan said doctors considered removing his gall bladder but feared complications because of his unusually thin bile ducts.

In a last-ditch effort, his family flew to India in search of a safer, robotic surgical option. However, specialists there concluded that the procedure was too risky and recommended conventional surgery, which would require a prolonged stay.

Ryan and his family decided to return to SA, opting for treatment closer to home.

In 2016, doctors finally removed his gallbladder, but reached no conclusive diagnosis.

Ryan’s liver had already started showing signs of damage. Following the operation, he was readmitted because of a severe wound infection and put on heavy antibiotics.

“Even after the surgery, the problems didn’t stop. The pain returned, and the doctors weren’t sure what to do next,” Ryan recalls.

By early 2017, his case was transferred to the hospital’s liver transplant unit. His condition was complex; his liver was now functioning poorly, and his blood tests were erratic.

He was placed on a demanding medication regimen, taking about 18 tablets daily. The side effects were severe, including rapid weight gain and skin issues. At one point, there was a concern that prolonged use of the medication could increase his risk of cancer.

Adding to the challenge was that this was all happening during his matric year.

“It was a constant back and forth. Good results one week, bad the next. I was exhausted,” he said.

Then, in mid-2017, a chance visit to a church with a cousin marked a turning point.

Ryan does not describe what happened there as a miracle but rather a moment that gave him the mental strength he desperately needed.

“A visiting pastor appeared to know about my condition without ever speaking to me. Whether coincidence or something more, it helped me reframe how I saw his life and my future,” Ryan said.

That perspective became crucial in the years that followed.

Despite some improvement in stability, new challenges emerged. He was diagnosed with cholangitis, an acute liver infection. His liver function had deteriorated so significantly that he was listed second in the country for a transplant.

His mother was willing to be a living donor, but a sudden infection just before the surgery made Ryan medically unfit.

In an unusual and emotionally draining step, he was referred to a mental health facility because, after learning he had an infection, he shouted at everyone in the medical facility, as he had hoped his life was about to change for the better.

“What made me angrier was that my mother had already gone to theatre for liver removal surgery, but little did I know that they had not started the surgery as yet,” he said.

By the time he was cleared of the infection, his mother was no longer eligible to be a donor due to her age.

Finally, a suitable match was found. After eight hours of surgery and nearly a month in the hospital, Ryan woke up with a new liver and a new lease on life.

The recovery was not perfect. He lives with hepatitis and requires lifelong medication, but is now stable.

Ryan also got married and has since returned to work on the NPO he founded at 21, the Salvation Foundation.
He said it is not a charity in the traditional sense but a ministry rooted in community service, delivering aid, support and spiritual care to those in need.

“We go out three times a week – Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday – to offer our services to locals between Alberton and Joburg south,” he explained.

“I’ve spent half my life fighting for my health. But now, I’m using my background and experience to help others and be better in life,” he concluded.

To support Ellapan’s NPO or learn more about his work, call 072 822 6106.