A Mother With A Mission
Continuing Ryan's Life with a Legacy
Ryan was the only child of Paula Whitaker and his death was the greatest loss in her life. However, his legacy of helping others lives on through the Ryan Paul Whitaker Memorial Foundation which was started by his mother, Paula Whitaker, in 2008. The Foundation was established to leave a Legacy for Ryan’s life and thousands of people have already benefited from his generosity through his mother’s desire to Leave the Legacy that he was unable to complete.
Ryan’s, Life With A Legacy, has come to fruition through the many projects in Tomball and even as far as African Missions. The Ryan Paul Whitaker Memorial Foundation has been the Benefactor and Donor.
When he unexpectedly passed, even before his funeral, Paula contacted Lone Star College,
Tomball and set up the Ryan Paul Whitaker Memorial Nursing Scholarship Endowment, to provide nursing scholarships each year to students who wanted to help people*. In 2018, Ms. Whitaker will donate funds for 5 more nursing scholarship endowments which will provide 6 scholarships a year to nursing students in perpetuity in memory of Ryan Whitaker.
Ryan Paul Whitaker had a heart as big as Texas and his generosity over flowed in his desire to help people. Unfortunately his life was cut short at the age of 25 and he passed away on Jan. 29, 2007 and thus his personal desire of helping others was not able to be accomplished due to his untimely death.
As Paula, his mother has shared, “I thought he would be in the Ministry one day but little did I know it would come after his death.”
From a Mother's Heart to Her Son
My Promise - by Paula Whitaker, Ryan's Mother
You were the light of my life even before you were born. I planned my life around your coming and your growing. My plans did’t always work out, but all of my intentions for you were meant for good and to Honor God.
When you went to Heaven on January 29, 2007, you took the heart of your Mother with you and I will never be the same until I join you in Heaven with our Lord.
You had such a giving, loving, and caring heart. If you had only had the time to grow into the adult you were supposed to be, you would have given of yourself to help others as you had planned and to become a nurse in order “to help people.” You had a kind, loving, and tender heart for those that needed you. You had empathy and sympathy for others in need.
My promise to you is that I will carry on the ministry you wanted to do yourself in helping others. Your inheritance will help others go to nursing school and do what you wanted to do…helping suffering people. Your inheritance will help to build a church and clinic in Africa to bring medical assistance and the Word of God to those who have never known about Jesus. Your inheritance will help to build a medical clinic to help those in need who cannot afford to have medical care. Your inheritance will send many children to Christian school—and for the next 100 years will have a Christian education because of your kind heart and for loving your family.
You did more in your short 25 years that most people will do in several life times. THIS IS YOUR DREAM, RYAN.
Your dream of helping others will be carried out as you would have wanted and that will be my mission for the rest of my life…I will do my best to honor God and to do these things in your memory…I am only doing the work you wanted to do and could not complete yourself.
I will love you forever and for eternity and I will see you soon…