Riley Nieves and her family need your help.....
Donation protected
THE BEGINNING.......
Riley’s problems began back in January 2018 soon after she turned 11 years old. After many, many doctors appointments, tests, scans, medications, ER visits, hospital stays, multiple diagnoses, pain, suffering, frustration and worry Riley was finally diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in February 2018 during her 27 day hospital stay. She had to have emergent surgery at that time due to the fact that she had quickly become a very sick little girl. The surgery she had was called a Subtotal Colectomy with Ileostomy.
AFTER SURGERY and NOW......
The months immediately following her surgery Riley slowly began to heal and get her strength back. She was learning to accept and live with an ileostomy bag and things finally seemed to be headed in the right direction. Unfortunately, a few months later in October before she had the chance to fully recover and regain her health, she started having problems again. She continued experiencing various problems over the next few months until things got so bad and the pain so intense that she ended up in the ICU on a ventilator for 16 days, which brings us to present day.
WORRIES.......
There have been so many requests from friends, family, acquaintances, etc. to help Riley and her family during this time. It has been difficult, not only emotionally, but financially as well for them. Sara, as always, is Riley’s fiercest advocate and loving protector and has continued to be at Riley’s side day and night since she was admitted to the hospital on February 23rd 2019. It’s simple, Riley needs her mom more than ever and Sara will remain at her side until she doesn’t. Unfortunately even though time seems to stand still for us when something tragic like this happens to our child, it doesn’t. Bills still come in, including previous medical bills and expenses associated with prior stays in hospital, due date’s come around, insurance co-pays need to be paid, food needs to be bought, etc. These expenses have started to mount and will continue to do so for many months or even years to come. In light of this, we have set up a fund to try and relieve the stress of the financial burden on Riley’s family. They will then be able to focus all of their energy and attention on whatever it takes to get Riley healthy, back in school and doing everything else that 12-year-old girls in middle school do.
LONG ROAD TO RECOVERY........
Any help or support you are able to give will go towards any medical and living expenses that have incurred in the past 14 months including her 16 day stay in the Pediatric ICU and continued current stay in the Special Care Unit (a step down from ICU- moved to Wednesday, 3/13) at hospital. As of Saturday, March 16th doctors have given no indication or time frame of when they believe Riley will be ready to leave hospital and continue her recovery at home. Although looking forward to the day Riley is well enough to leave the hospital, she will have a long road to recovery ahead of her once returning home as well as at least one additional surgery in her future.
MORE SURGERY???.......
The surgery that still awaits Riley is called
J-Pouch surgery, which is when they will close up her ileostomy and create a pouch so she will no longer require the need for an ileostomy bag. She was originally scheduled to have the surgery over this past Christmas break (12/17/2018) and then again this past week (3/11/2019). However due to the many, many complications that have occurred beginning back in October (10/2018), and the latest and most frightening being a perforated bowel and continued stay in the ICU, she has been unable to have the surgery as planned. This is a surgery that Riley has been VERY, VERY patiently and anxiously awaiting but with all that has transpired over the last 6 months it is unclear at this time if or when she will be ready for it. More importantly is whether she will still want and choose to have this surgery after all that she’s been through....
PRAYERS......
Even if you are not able to make a donation towards helping Riley and her family financially at this time, all we ask is that you please continue to support them through your thoughts, prayers and encouragement.
Thank You SO VERY Much on behalf of
Sara, Riley and Sidney
& eric
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT RILEY’S STORY and ANY CURRENT UPDATES (please see website link below)......
A CaringBridge Site was created for Riley.
It‘s a caring social network to help people stay connected with family and friends during a health event.
Visit Riley's Site: https://caringbridge.org/visit/rileynieves Site Name: rileynieves
*If anyone is looking for other ways to help there is a sign up to deliver a meal to hospital on Riley’s website above. Go to website and click on -Ways to Help tab
Riley’s problems began back in January 2018 soon after she turned 11 years old. After many, many doctors appointments, tests, scans, medications, ER visits, hospital stays, multiple diagnoses, pain, suffering, frustration and worry Riley was finally diagnosed with ulcerative colitis in February 2018 during her 27 day hospital stay. She had to have emergent surgery at that time due to the fact that she had quickly become a very sick little girl. The surgery she had was called a Subtotal Colectomy with Ileostomy.
AFTER SURGERY and NOW......
The months immediately following her surgery Riley slowly began to heal and get her strength back. She was learning to accept and live with an ileostomy bag and things finally seemed to be headed in the right direction. Unfortunately, a few months later in October before she had the chance to fully recover and regain her health, she started having problems again. She continued experiencing various problems over the next few months until things got so bad and the pain so intense that she ended up in the ICU on a ventilator for 16 days, which brings us to present day.
WORRIES.......
There have been so many requests from friends, family, acquaintances, etc. to help Riley and her family during this time. It has been difficult, not only emotionally, but financially as well for them. Sara, as always, is Riley’s fiercest advocate and loving protector and has continued to be at Riley’s side day and night since she was admitted to the hospital on February 23rd 2019. It’s simple, Riley needs her mom more than ever and Sara will remain at her side until she doesn’t. Unfortunately even though time seems to stand still for us when something tragic like this happens to our child, it doesn’t. Bills still come in, including previous medical bills and expenses associated with prior stays in hospital, due date’s come around, insurance co-pays need to be paid, food needs to be bought, etc. These expenses have started to mount and will continue to do so for many months or even years to come. In light of this, we have set up a fund to try and relieve the stress of the financial burden on Riley’s family. They will then be able to focus all of their energy and attention on whatever it takes to get Riley healthy, back in school and doing everything else that 12-year-old girls in middle school do.
LONG ROAD TO RECOVERY........
Any help or support you are able to give will go towards any medical and living expenses that have incurred in the past 14 months including her 16 day stay in the Pediatric ICU and continued current stay in the Special Care Unit (a step down from ICU- moved to Wednesday, 3/13) at hospital. As of Saturday, March 16th doctors have given no indication or time frame of when they believe Riley will be ready to leave hospital and continue her recovery at home. Although looking forward to the day Riley is well enough to leave the hospital, she will have a long road to recovery ahead of her once returning home as well as at least one additional surgery in her future.
MORE SURGERY???.......
The surgery that still awaits Riley is called
J-Pouch surgery, which is when they will close up her ileostomy and create a pouch so she will no longer require the need for an ileostomy bag. She was originally scheduled to have the surgery over this past Christmas break (12/17/2018) and then again this past week (3/11/2019). However due to the many, many complications that have occurred beginning back in October (10/2018), and the latest and most frightening being a perforated bowel and continued stay in the ICU, she has been unable to have the surgery as planned. This is a surgery that Riley has been VERY, VERY patiently and anxiously awaiting but with all that has transpired over the last 6 months it is unclear at this time if or when she will be ready for it. More importantly is whether she will still want and choose to have this surgery after all that she’s been through....
PRAYERS......
Even if you are not able to make a donation towards helping Riley and her family financially at this time, all we ask is that you please continue to support them through your thoughts, prayers and encouragement.
Thank You SO VERY Much on behalf of
Sara, Riley and Sidney
& eric
TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT RILEY’S STORY and ANY CURRENT UPDATES (please see website link below)......
A CaringBridge Site was created for Riley.
It‘s a caring social network to help people stay connected with family and friends during a health event.
Visit Riley's Site: https://caringbridge.org/visit/rileynieves Site Name: rileynieves
*If anyone is looking for other ways to help there is a sign up to deliver a meal to hospital on Riley’s website above. Go to website and click on -Ways to Help tab
Co-organizers (2)
Chris Roberts
Organizer
Oviedo, FL
Sara Nieves
Beneficiary
Michelle Engel Spelman
Co-organizer