'He Just Lights Up': Tinley Boy With Special Needs' Love For Halloween Sparks Family's Massive Display

TINLEY PARK, IL — It would be easy to assume that the Halloween display Ryan McCarron has inspired made him pretty popular.

But actually, he was already quite beloved.

The Tinley Park 6-year-old with special needs is known at his school as "the mayor," where teacher's aides jump at the chance to work with him daily, his mother Kelli told Patch.

"He literally brings everyone he meets joy," McCarron told Patch. "He makes this world such a better place."

The collection of countless—"I couldn't even tell you how many," McCarron says—Halloween animatronics filling the family's yard, then, is just another sign of Ryan's impact on the world: one of whimsy, passion and glee.

The "Ryan's Scareground On Silverside" display at 20028 Silverside Dr. has been fueled by love and built from Ryan's zeal for Halloween figures that started—somewhat unexpectedly, McCarron said—last year.

"This time last year, he took a liking to Halloween, became fixated on it," McCarron said. "It was a way my husband saw to bond with Ryan."

It all started with a 7-foot-tall Costco-sold, mythical wolf-man hybrid he spotted in a neighbor's yard.

"It was literally the werewolf," McCarron said, bluntly. "Ryan made us drive by it every single day. We were on a mad hunt for this damn werewolf."

They didn't know, though, that Costco rotates and largely discontinues most of its specific Halloween animatronics each year, treating many of them as limited-run or one-off items rather than permanent inventory.

They were undaunted in their search, though, leading Ryan and his father, Patrick, on what came to be lovingly known as "Halloween hunts" over the last year.

A professional photographer with ties to the local special needs community, McCarron took to social media to share their mission and was touched when many tried to track down the werewolf.

"You post it, people start sharing it—before we knew it, we had thousands of people trying to find this werewolf for this kid," McCarron said, laughing.

Throughout their efforts, Patrick would discover other figures Ryan liked and scoop them up, often on Facebook Marketplace. Then they widened their search to include a Jack Skellington.

They eventually found a werewolf in Indianapolis, and the father-son duo made the drive to bring it home. A small price to pay and distance to travel for the joy it brings Ryan, McCarron said. (They found the Jack Skellington, too.)

"They’ve driven up to seven hours there and back just to get these animatronics," McCarron marveled.

When the werewolf made its way home on Nov. 1, 2025, Ryan insisted they leave it up on the lawn the entire month; he often sat cross-legged staring up at it.

That creature spawned a collection that now includes an estimated 150 figures. If not found at Home Depot or other stores, they're often bought used and come with failing wiring or faulty parts. It's no problem for Patrick, who is adept at such repairs. Soon, the discarded characters become starring features of the display that nearly fills the family's front yard and wraps around to the side. Hundreds flock to see the product of Ryan and Patrick's imagination.

The effect it's had on Ryan has been most remarkable, McCarron said.

"The crazy thing about Ryan is he was non-verbal up until about two years ago," McCarron said. "He didn’t walk until he was 3.5 years old. When he does talk, it’s hard to tell him no to anything, because we’re so happy he’s talking.

"He has so much to say—he knows every single animatronic’s name, what year they were released, what store they were released from."

'One tough little dude'

Conceived through in vitro fertilization, Ryan was born in 2020.

"Everything was fine from the get-go," McCarron said, "until it wasn't."

Something appeared amiss with Ryan around 18 months old, McCarron said. Early symptoms were extreme lack of muscle tone—he couldn't lift his head and didn't sit up by himself until he was 18 months old. Obtaining a diagnosis was difficult at first, she said, as lockdowns were in place amid the pandemic.

"It was hard to diagnose Ryan via FaceTime," McCarron said, "because he needed a blood draw."

Ultimately, though it was a complicated diagnosis, McCarron was shown to be missing a portion of his 16th chromosome, and was diagnosed with 16P11.2 deletion on Halloween. The syndrome can lead to developmental delay and intellectual disability, characterized by impaired communication and socialization skills, as well as delayed development of speech and language, according to MedlinePlus.

He’s been in therapies, including speech, physical, occupational, developmental and eating, since he was three months old. He was nonverbal until he was nearly 5 years old, and used an electronic device to talk to his family. He attends Dr. Julian Rogus School in Summit Hill District 161, where he works hard and is a staff favorite.

"His doctor told us that Ryan will eventually catch up to what his peers are doing, but everything is going to be a little harder to achieve for him," McCarron said. "And that’s pretty spot-on for Ryan. He’s definitely a few years behind his peers, but he puts in the work to catch up."

The diagnosis was daunting at the time but has since come into clearer focus.

"It’s been a ride," McCarron said. "But like I said, Ryan puts in the work and is one tough little dude. He never complains, ever.

"... I tell everyone I see now, I wish I could go back and tell myself, 'He's going to be your easiest, funniest, most laidback kid,'" McCarron said. "It’s so true. He literally brings everyone joy."

As his display runs nightly, visitors stop to see not only it, but also Ryan.

"He just absolutely lights up," McCarron said. "I wish everyone could see his face. He’s just the happiest kid alive when he sees people there, just to be able to share it with them—it’s great. It’s bringing everyone together."

McCarron wouldn't necessarily describe the display as "scary," she said, but definitely entertaining. There are no live "scare" actors, but plenty to see. Patrick spent a year mapping it all out, McCarron said. There's a graveyard scene, a pirate ship, witches and Ryan's favorite: a circus featuring 40-50 animatronics.

"We want to keep it viewable for all the kids," McCarron said. "I think it has a little bit of everything for everyone."

McCarron, whose photography company Allie Hope Photography works with Down syndrome achievement center GiGi's Playhouse in Tinley Park, has found the display only deepens her family's connection to the special needs community.

"We’ve met so many people who have brought their children with special needs," she said. "They get to meet Ryan, share their stories—it’s really great."

Ryan dresses in costume most nights, and fights sleep to see all the guests. Last weekend, McCarron found herself encouraging him to turn in for the night as exhaustion closed in.

"He kept saying, 'Everyone’s comin’, everyone’s comin'," McCarron said.

He didn't want to miss a thing and insisted on staying up. McCarron eventually found him dozing in his chair.

"He’s seriously just the greatest," McCarron said.

Patrick's latest addition to the display? A giant "Sloth" from the 1980s cult-classic movie "The Goonies." He's perched on their roof, right next to the couple's bedroom window, McCarron said.

"'Ryan wanted him,'" McCarron recalls Patrick telling her bluntly, when she discovered the newest feature.

"He’s so loud with his, 'Hey, you guuuuuuys!" she said, of the character's quote immortalized by the movie.

Ryan is the third of four children for the couple, with siblings Allie, 13, Paislie, 12, and Michael, 4.

"They’ve all been onboard," McCarron said. "The 4-year-old has been the most onboard for it. Anything for Ryan in our family—that’s how it goes for everyone. You simply can’t say no to him."

Patrick will certainly keep adding to the collection—the family has a giant storage unit now to house them in the off-season, McCarron said.

"He has friends who constantly tell him, 'We still see some grass over here you can fill,'" McCarron joked. "Next year Home Depot will release 30, and we'll probably buy all 30."

Still, McCarron has one ground rule.

"I did give him the limit of one on top of my roof," McCarron said, chuckling. "We’re not now traveling to the roof because we’re out of space on the lawn."

The display at 20028 Silverside Dr. runs nightly, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. They tried to cap it at the usual time last weekend, but attendance nudged them to keep it going a little later.

"There’s so many people—way more than we anticipated, we kept it open until 11," McCarron said.

McCarron is partnering with the Tinley Park Police Department to raise funds for Special Olympics Illinois. A QR code is available below and at the display for donations, or via website. To-date, the family has raised $1,200 toward the cause.

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