The “how it started/how it’s going” trend has brought many touching stories to light, but few are as heartwarming as the love story of Molly Gorczyca and Ryan Smith.
These two young athletes found love while battling the same rare type of cancer, acute myeloid leukemia (AML), and their journey has captured the hearts of many on the Internet.
Molly Gorczyca, from Hackettstown, New Jersey, was diagnosed with AML in April 2019.
Just four months later, Ryan Smith, from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, received the same diagnosis.
AML, a cancer affecting the bone marrow and blood, is typically seen in adults around the age of 68, making their cases particularly unusual for their age of 21.
Their shared diagnosis led to an unexpected connection. Molly reached out to Ryan on social media after learning about his battle through a mutual acquaintance.
At the time, Molly was receiving treatment at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, while Ryan was being treated across the street at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Molly recalled: “I was scrolling on Instagram which is when I saw a basketball player who was my age with the same cancer.”
“And he was cute! I sent him a message from one student-athlete with cancer to another. This type of blood cancer rarely affects young people so I thought it would be good to connect with someone who understands what he is going through. I didn’t expect it to progress to a romantic level but we hit it off.”
After one month of talking online, Ryan from Pennsylvania, US, went to visit Molly twice whilst she was recovering in hospital, which was only a short walk away from his.
Molly’s sweet tweet about the pair’s relationship included a screenshot of a text she sent to a friend, where she jokingly said, “There’s a boy my age with the same cancer in the hospital right next to me… Imma date him.” Little did she know that this joke would turn into reality.
When they eventually met, the pair sparked a supportive friendship that soon turned romantic in March 2020.
“I never thought I would actually end up dating him!” Molly said of her “cute” basketballer boyfriend.
Ryan revealed that his mother was a key catalyst in their partnership, frequently reminding him that Molly was “really pretty” and encouraging him to talk to her.
The couple made their relationship official right before Ryan had a bone marrow transplant.
Molly said: “When Ryan had his transplant, I knew what to say as I had already been there. I understand more than someone else so I could tailor how I interact with him and support him because I have experienced it.
“We both have an understanding and experience so it is easier to talk about it and offer support. We have a mutual understanding that it is a really tough time – we knew what to say and what not to.”
On his transplant date, Molly drove to Philadelphia and waved a sign outside his room that read, “Happy Transplant Day.”
Discussing their whirlwind romance, Molly added: “We definitely made the best out of a bad situation, we’ve now been together for seven months and couldn’t be happier.”
Since sharing their love story on Twitter, the pair has received over 1.7 million likes and tens of thousands of supportive comments from across the world.
“I didn’t expect it to progress to a romantic level but we hit it off,” Molly shared.
Now, seven months into their relationship and both in remission, Molly and Ryan are looking forward to a happy and healthy future together.