Help Riley Get a Life-Saving Bone Marrow Transplant
Donation protected
Riley, at just 20 years old, was excited to start his career as a lineman and see what this next phase in his adventure of life would bring. Graduating from Northwest Lineman College, he had just started his journey as an apprentice lineman for a small company in Montana. Shortly after putting a down payment on his first home, Riley became incredibly ill. What looked initially like a bad stomach bug turned out to be an unknown virus/infection that would shut down his liver. Riley spent the next few months undergoing extensive testing and supportive care. He finally was able to return to work after extended leave and was excited to be once again working toward his dream. A short time after returning to work, things again took a turn. He returned for routine blood work to ensure his liver was continuing to improve, only to find out that his bone marrow had shut down.
Over the last few months, Riley and his family traveled to Mayo in Rochester in order to obtain answers and hopefully find some treatment. After extensive testing, including multiple bone marrow biopsies, they discovered that due to the inflammation in his body from the infection he had just recovered from, he developed autoimmune aplastic anemia. His body attacked his own bone marrow, leaving him profoundly anemic, without the white blood cells to help protect him from other infections, or platelets to give him the ability to stop bleeding even from minor cuts. Since his diagnosis, Riley has returned home to his family in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where he is having to receive frequent transfusions just to keep him able to do basic daily activities. He is unable to return to work as even a minor trauma, such as bumping his head, could be catastrophic.
There is hope, as treatment for aplastic anemia is a bone marrow transplant. Mayo is hopeful that a match will be found soon, but the next step will bring challenges for Riley and his family. He will need to relocate to Rochester once a match is found for the planned transplant, requiring time for testing to ensure he is healthy enough to undergo transplant, extensive time in the hospital for the transplant, as well as the need to remain close to his medical team after he is released from the hospital (likely at least 3 months). He will also need to have a family member with him as a care provider during that time to help care for him as he recovers. His mom, Alysha, and dad, Shay, are incredible support for him, but will also have to take extended leave in order to be there with him and help care for him while in Rochester, while balancing traveling back and forth to care for Riley’s younger brother, still in school in Coeur d’Alene.
Any funds raised will help support medical costs, travel, and the cost of relocating to Rochester for treatment.
Please consider donating blood at your nearest Red Cross to help support Riley, as well as others needing frequent transfusions.
Organizer and beneficiary
Nikole Shepherdson
Organizer
Coeur d'Alene, ID
Riley Cremer
Beneficiary