Ryan Woods, a 30-year-old Vancouver man who has been fighting terminal cancer for more than a year, died Wednesday.
He died two days after an impromptu candlelight vigil at Compass Church, 1812 Main St., where nearly 200 came out to sing in support of Woods in his final days, said friend Chris Chapin.
“It was emotional and uplifting just seeing so many people care about Ryan,” Chapin said.
Woods was diagnosed with Stage 4 brain cancer in May 2011. Doctors were unable to fully remove a small tumor on his spinal cord and the cancer multiplied.
A story about Woods was published Sunday in The Columbian.
At the vigil, Chapin said family and friends each shared a single word that reminded them of Woods: Inspiring, compassionate, amazing, present, friend.
Woods had been maintaining a blog, Musings From the Ground Up, about faith and his experiences with cancer. A YouTube video featuring Woods and his family titled “My Last Days” has had more than 51,000 views.
“The thing is, I think you never feel more human than when you are dying,” Woods wrote on his final blog post Oct. 24. “And that’s an emotional and painful place to be.”
