Ryan Bonneau underwent his first heart surgery when he was around five months old.

He had his second procedure the summer before his fourth grade year, and another surgery after eighth grade.

Number four took place the fall of his junior year at Barrington High School.

Four surgeries in less than 17 years.

"I was born with a heart defect," Ryan said.

Two of the surgeries were significant, serious, and probably a little bit scary, if not for Ryan than for his parents. He mentions the two other surgeries like they were no big deal, like removing sternal wires holding your chest together is hardly worth discussing.

All of it — the doctor's visits, the pre-op meetings and the post-op recoveries — are just part of his personal landscape. He does not dwell on the surgeries in conversations with other people and he barely gives them a second thought inside his own head.

"I'd say the only frustrating part is the physical part," he said, referring to the days and weeks spent recovering from surgeries.

"The mental part — that's a mental edge. It's a mind-set. Just get through it."

That mental edge has made Ryan fearless, unable to be intimidated on a basketball court. He plays without hesitation and with a steely resolve to make the right pass at the right time, finding a teammate cutting for an open layup or an uncontested three-pointer.

Will Rywolt, Ryan's best friend and longtime teammate, loves the way Ryan plays.

"No one is tougher than him. No one," said Will. "He'd go through a wall for me."

In a quiet gesture, Will typed up a letter nominating Ryan for the Rhode Island Basketball Coaches Association's Courageous Award — the award honors a player who has overcome injuries or other challenges while participating in high school basketball.

Will submitted the letter without Ryan knowing.

In mid-March, Ryan's parents received a phone call from a high school basketball coach in another part of the state. He broke the news — Ryan had won the award.

"I had no idea" about the letter, Ryan said. "I was speechless."

A short while later, the Bonneaus received a copy of Will's letter. Ryan's parents read the letter aloud, choking back tears for as long as they could. They reached the end and emotions too hard to hold back swelled to the surface.

"My parents and I started crying," Ryan said.

The letter was unexpected and overwhelming, and served as a beautiful tribute from one teammate to another, from one friend to another.

"Ryan truly represents everything the Courageous Award is about," Will wrote toward the end of the letter. "He has overcome serious heart issues that would have sidelined most people, yet continues to play at the highest level. He is a great candidate for this honor."

Henry Coleman, the president of the RI Basketball Coaches Association's Courageous Award, said it was an easy decision selecting Ryan.

"We thought as a committee that Ryan's incredible journey of perseverance was most worthy of being selected as winner of the Rhode Island Basketball Coaches Association's Courageous Award after reading his story through his teammate Will Rywolt's nomination," Mr. Coleman said. "It shows a lot about Ryan's love for the game of basketball and more importantly his love for life the way he has faced this challenge head on over and over again. Hopefully his story will inspire others to continue to battle their own hardships no matter how difficult they may be."

Barrington High School Coach Greg Graham said no one is more deserving of the award than Ryan.

"I can’t say enough about Ryan and what he has meant to our program and to me personally, as he was identified early that this kid would someday be running this team," Coach Graham said. "He is a coach's dream in having him play the point guard position. He controls tempo, makes sure everyone is in the right position, calling plays when we need a basket or simply having the ability to take over a game in scoring if he had to but most importantly he was my leader and an extension of coaching staff.

"Ryan receiving this award with all he has dealt with in his personal life and overcoming those obstacles has made him the person he is and I couldn’t think of a more deserving person for this award… He is the ultimate teammate but he is an even better person, and this recognition exemplifies his character and courage through it all."

Season cut short

Ryan Bonneau's best game may have been his last.

The Eagles' senior point guard played brilliantly in the Division II state championship game. He scored a game-high 33 points and converted countless key plays against the top-ranked Portsmouth team. But it is hard to get excited about a loss.

Ryan and his teammates were hoping to erase the bitter taste of that defeat with a strong finish, and maybe a rematch against Portsmouth, in the open state tournament. But officials canceled those games as concerns grew about the spread of the coronavirus.

Ryan and Will were sitting in class just hours before the Eagles were set to tip off against Smithfield in a first-round game when they heard the tournament had been canceled.

"It was a weird way to end it," he said.

It was not how Ryan pictured his senior basketball season ending. The Eagles entered the season as one of the top teams in the division, loaded with returning talent. Ryan and Will joined a roster packed with upperclassmen including Jon Adamson, Brendan Conaty, Ben Batting, Matt Peecher, Ben Proulx, Nate Camera, Cole Reed, Connor Sullivan and Nick Ptaszek.

"We knew coming into this year we had high expectations," Ryan said.

A lot of the kids on the team had played together for more than 10 years. Ryan and Will were in first grade when they first took the court together, "playing up" with a team of third-graders.

Will said Ryan's passing set him apart from other players on the court. He also found a way to step up in key situations.

"He can do it all," Will said.

Ryan said he is not sure where he's going to college next year — he's considering URI and UMass among other schools. He said he will probably play intramural basketball.

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