Riley Carter Family

Meet darling 5-year-old Riley Carter. On July 6th, Riley was taken to the ER due to signs of a stroke. That night, she was life-flighted from Logan to Primary Children’s Hospital, where doctors attempted to remove the clots, but were unsuccessful. Later that night, her brain began to swell. To prevent further damage, a large part of her skull was removed. The clots originated from a bacterial infection on her weakened mitral valve, which she was scheduled to have surgery on in July. Doctors then discovered additional blood clots throughout her body, and Riley was put into an induced coma to help her brain fully rest and recover. She was given blood thinners to help eliminate and prevent blood clots, but after being on a small dose, Riley experienced a brain bleed in the right frontal lobe. The blood thinners were stopped, and she was closely monitored. After a few days, Riley was taken off the coma medication. As she woke up and became more alert, the effects of the stroke and brain bleed became apparent. Right now, she cannot speak or move the right side of her body. Riley still has a long road ahead of her. She still needs open-heart surgery to replace her mitral valve and will require months of rehabilitation. Therapy has helped her relearn how to sit up and swallow and continues to assist her in relearning how to dress herself, communicate her needs through pointing or flashcards, and transition from being right-handed to left-handed.This past week, Riley was supposed to start Kindergarten and go to school with her older sister, who is in 2nd grade. They were both so excited for school to start, but now Riley is stuck in the hospital, learning how to walk and talk again. Despite everything, Riley is still her spicy little self and has been working incredibly hard to overcome all the challenges she’s been given.