I ride to give hope to Children’s Hospital Colorado patients like Riley. This is his story.
Riley’s name means “valiant and courageous”. We chose his name before his diagnosis, but after he was diagnosed with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS) at 23 weeks of gestation we knew we had to keep it. HLHS is a condition in which the left side of the heart is underdeveloped to the point of dysfunction. To survive, Riley will undergo three open heart surgeries resulting in a heart reconstruction. After this, his prognosis for a normal life is really good! His first surgery was at 6 days old. He was in the in the hospital for 7 weeks to recover, which included a second minor procedure to address an infection in his chest. His next surgery will be at the end of the summer. Between now and then, he is undergoing home monitoring and frequent doctors appointments to make sure his condition continues to improve. We will be living on the front range until after the second surgery due to the complexity of his status during this interstage period. His third surgery will be between the ages 2-5 years old.
When we get back to Montrose, we are excited to share our community and the beautiful place with live with our baby boy!
The Courage Classic is an opportunity to support positive outcomes and healthier futures for kids like Riley!