When Tracy Ryan first cradled her newborn daughter Sophie, she envisioned a life filled with milestones and celebrations — not medical charts and prognosis reports. At eight-and-a-half months old, Sophie was diagnosed with an optic pathway glioma — a rare, slow-growing brain tumor with a devastating persistence. Doctors offered no cure, only a revolving door of chemotherapy, invasive surgeries and soul-crushing uncertainty.
Tracy refused to accept that prognosis. She didn’t collapse under the weight of fear, she rose to the calling. With Sophie’s father Josh by her side, this couple was determined to overcome the impossible. “I co-created this beautiful child and held her in my womb,” Tracy said. “I refuse to believe that anyone has more say in her outcome than we do.”
As test results came in, the diagnosis was documented as a low-grade brain tumor with a 90% survival rate and an unfortunate 85% recurrence rate. With minimal developments in childhood cancer therapy over the last 40 years, chemotherapy was the only treatment option.
Her immune system was compromised, and a growing cyst in her brain was affecting her motor function. High-dose carboplatin was the next conventional recommendation, a treatment known for its toxicity and harsh side effects. The Ryans knew they needed to find a toxic-free option for treatment; at nine months old, medical Cannabis was Sophie’s first safe, pain-free option for therapy. The benefits were vast, including leading the Ryan family toward a global pediatric Cannabis advocacy journey. In 2013, Sophie was asked to star in the Netflix documentary “Weed the People.”
After bravely enduring more than 75 MRIs, 11 surgeries and eight failed chemo protocols, it became clear that Sophie’s journey toward health would embark on uncharted territory.
With a deep-rooted mother’s intuition and a fierce commitment to Sophie thriving, Tracy stepped out of the conventional medical current and into disruptive scientific territory. Her passion for curing Sophie eventually led to the launch of NKore BioTherapeutics, a cutting-edge biotech company advancing a new class of immune therapies called NK (natural killer) cell infusions.
She launched the effort alongside co-founder Dr. Anahid Jewett, M.P.H., Ph.D., a UCLA scientist whose breakthrough research in immune deficiency therapy has disrupted the medical industry. The Ryans made a brave choice to embrace the new NK cell therapy, holding faith that it would be the answer to their prayers.
In December 2023, Sophie became the first pediatric patient in the world to receive NKore’s experimental therapy, NK101. The infusion had no adverse side effects, and the results were almost immediate. Sophie’s vision improved for the first time in years, allowing her to read from 20 feet instead of just 12.
Between January and June 2024, her tumor volume appeared to grow by 60%, but the increase was small — just millimeters in dimension. The clinical team recognized this as pseudoprogression, a sign that immune cells were infiltrating the tumor and causing temporary swelling. By December 2024, scans showed clear signs of necrosis — cell death inside her once “incurable” tumor. Her immune system was revitalized, and for the first time in over a decade, Sophie’s childhood joy and vibrant energy returned.
Was this a scientific miracle? Tracy would say it was an act of unshaken faith, a mother’s tenacity, an unwillingness to give up. “Her brain tumor is crumbling. Her immune system is thriving. This is not a miracle. It’s the future of cancer care as we know it,” she said.
As Sophie’s immunity continues to thrive, Tracy and the team at NKore have started to work with other patients facing life-threatening diagnoses. One such patient is Jamie Grooms, a 64-year-old man with chronic lymphocytic leukemia who endured three years of targeted chemotherapy at the Mayo Clinic without ever reaching remission. Standard treatments had left his bone marrow with 20% tumor infiltration and debilitating side effects. In December 2023, Jamie received a single low-dose infusion of NK101. Two months later, his tumor cells had dropped to 5%.
Following a second infusion in July 2024, Jamie’s tumor infiltration was reduced to just 0.23%. CT scans confirmed up to 70% reduction in lymph node size. His immune function rebounded, and his cancer entered partial remission. Most importantly, he felt alive and vibrant again.
These clinical stories are not isolated cases. They are data points in a growing body of evidence proving that NK cell therapy is not only safer but potentially more effective than traditional chemotherapies for certain cancers. In fact, these discoveries have forced some outdated therapies to the sidelines, paving the way for an era of less toxic, immune-focused treatment — especially for children.
Tracy’s advocacy didn’t stop at the clinic. Through her nonprofit, Saving Sophie, she became a national voice in pediatric cancer policy. She now speaks annually at the Congressional Pediatric Cancer Caucus, collaborates with Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, and has made multiple visits to the White House to advocate for equitable funding.
In 2025, as a result of the current presidential administration, federal grant funding for pediatric cancer was cut from $160 million to $60 million, a huge deficit. This increases the need for community advocacy and donations to nonprofit charities. Please consider donating to Saving Sophie to help families in need.
You can learn more about Tracy and Sophie’s journey by watching the upcoming documentary, “Saving Sophie: The Road to a Cure” — a visual testament to love, science and revolution. It will be available for public viewing in 2026.
Their journey reminds us that the fight against cancer isn’t just in the labs or hospitals, it’s in the hearts of families. It’s in the decision to say “no” to limitation and “yes” to possibility. The journey of healing starts with a liberated mind that does not put blind faith in the system but instead stands in bold defiance of it.
Today, Sophie is not just surviving; she is thriving. Her life has catalyzed a world reimagined.
One mother’s choice to challenge the commercialized medical system that has long since been broken will continue to shape the legacy of immunotherapeutic medicine for the treatment of cancer in patients of all ages. This is a true American story of impactful disruption, a reminder, OGs, that with our voice and determined action, we can usher in a world renewed in faith.
Side Bar: In the spirit of elevated healing I offer a prayer of gratitude for the evolution of healing underway.
Great Spirit, Divine Mother, Friend Beloved God,
We give thanks for the radiant souls of these warrior children, born into battle yet destined for brilliance. May every cell in their bodies remember its divine blueprint and rise in harmony with healing. Wrap their families in grace, their communities in strength, and their futures in the promise of longevity, joy, and vibrant life. We celebrate the miracle already unfolding, and trust that the light of recovery is not only possible — it is inevitable.
