Help Riley fight Leukemia

TLDR: This past summer, sweet little 3-year-old Riley started experiencing leg pain and stopped walking. After many doctors appointments, specialists, and tests over several months, they eventually found the problem: B cell acute lymphocytic leukemia. This was shocking, terrifying news that no one was prepared for.

The AMAZING news is that it is a treatable disease and we are praying for a full recovery. Praise the Lord! But the treatment journey will take 2+ years and will be very difficult, emotional, exhausting, and expensive.

In addition to unexpected medical costs, Laura has put her business on pause to take care of Riley, and Andrew has needed to take a lot of unpaid time off. Please help us ease the financial burden for Laura & Andrew as Riley continues to bravely fight this cancer.

There are some donation suggestions at the bottom of this page :)

-------

Riley’s Story

Riley is a sweet and silly three-year-old girl. She is normally (when she’s feeling well) full of energy and excitement. She loves playing with her little brother Elijah, spending time with friends, dancing, and doing art projects. She loves cheering people up and making people laugh, and is always making sure “everybody okay.” She knows that God is bigger and stronger than anything else and that he is watching over her, always.

In June 2022, Riley complained of pain in her legs, and on July 2nd, she stopped walking altogether. That started a journey of numerous hospital visits, ER trips, X-rays, bloodwork, & specialists, as well as several treatments for things that did not turn out to be the problem at all.

Finally, in late August, she had an MRI and special blood tests, which revealed the likely presence of leukemia. Further bloodwork confirmed the diagnosis, B-cell acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), and we started treatment the next day, August 30, 2022 at MGH in pediatric oncology.

The good news is that B-ALL is the most treatable type of Leukemia, and over 90% of patients Riley's age make a full recovery. But, Riley's treatments will last 2+ years, they will be difficult and painful, and they will involve regular hospitalizations and procedures. This will impact every facet of their lives.

Riley was supposed to start preschool in September, but wasn’t able to because of her compromised immune system. Laura (Mom) has had to put her home organizing business on hold indefinitely in order to be at home and care for Riley. Andrew (Dad) had just recently started a new job prior to Riley’s diagnosis. Following her diagnosis, he immediately used up all vacation days, took unpaid time, and temporarily reduced his schedule to part-time hours so that he can be more available for appointments and care-taking. In this initial sprint to get Riley started on treatments, it has been difficult for them to manage everything, including figuring out how much this is all going to cost.

Riley completed her first phase of treatments on September 29, which included a central line (port) placement in her chest, several spinal taps, weekly chemo treatments, and several transfusions. A lot of the month was spent in the hospital.

The weeks following have been a journey of two steps forward and one step back. For example: Everyone rejoiced in the amazing answer to prayer that there was an undetectable amount of cancerous cells in her bone marrow after phase 1 of treatment!!! ... only to hear that the next phase would involve a spinal tap procedure with anesthesia and chemo into her spinal fluid every week. Riley finally took her first steps since July 2nd and everyone was over the moon!!! ... only to stop walking again a week later because she was too weak. They are able to be at home now, which is huge!!! ... but anytime Riley spikes a fever or doesn't feel well (which is often) they have to go to the ER and often end up back in the hospital for a while.

This has been and will continue to be a very difficult journey. We are praying for strength, courage, and for a full recovery, and we are so incredibly grateful for your support.

-------

Ok, co-author Chris here (Laura's brother). Now that Laura and Andrew have been in this for more than a minute, the reality of the next 2 1/2 years is starting to set in. We also have a clearer understanding of the financial implications. The average total out-of-pocket cost for this sort of cancer treatment is $150,000. We’re grateful that Laura and Andrew have good insurance, and while they have yet to receive their first bill, we’re hopeful that it will offset some of the other hidden costs such as $15 parking 2-3 times per week, or takeout meals during hospital stays. Based on the loss of income they’ve already experienced, which will likely continue for quite some time, as well as unexpected bills and new types of expenses (like therapy)- these next few years will be a lot. Compared to Riley's health and recovery, money is the least of their concerns, which is why it's been hard for them to ask for help. But the financial burden is real and significant. They have already tapped into savings/emergency funds, and they are living on a fraction of the income they need due to the lost work/wages. They could really use some help. We've set up this goFundMe to raise as much as we possibly can to ease the financial burden for Laura & Andrew as Riley battles this Leukemia over the next few years.

$120 covers for hospital parking for one month

$250 covers groceries for a week

$500 covers medical copays & gas for one month

$1,000 helps to replenish their emergency fund, so they are able to handle things like

car problems (which happened all too recently).

$2,500 will help cover unexpected expenses for one month

We chose goFundMe because almost 100% of your donation goes to Laura and Andrew. The only fee is a minimal processing fee to handle credit card and bank transactions. Your gift will mean the world to Laura, Andrew, & Riley.

Read more about Riley's journey on Riley's CaringBridge site

See videos of Riley on instagram