Robert Riley McClanahan

If we put our problems in God's hand, there is nothing
we need understand. It is enough to just believe that
what we need we will receive.

Helen Steiner Rice

What's Happening with Riley
January 17, 2006 - From Riley's Public Information Officer, Michael Keck, to the Pleasant Valley Church Family: Church family: [We just] marked the seventh birthday of Riley McClanahan. HAPPY BIRTHDAY RILEY! Few young men have had the opportunity to influence people for the kingdom of God as Riley. Riley's dad is one of my best friends. While working here at St. Vincent, I happened to be around the morning that Riley was born. I am almost certain I managed to see Riley before most of the family. He was one of the most beautiful babies I had ever seen that did not have the name "Keck" attached to it. In spite of an illness that nearly took his life and disabilities that were a result of that illness, Riley continues a smile and exudes an inner-beauty that I cannot fully describe. He is the first seven year old ladies man I have ever seen. Introduce Riley to any person of the female persuasion and you will soon see her melt. More importantly, Riley has a way to bring out the good in people. For Riley, people have prayed, prepared meals and stretched themselves beyond their comfort zone to meet the needs of children with disabilities. Because Bob and Michelle have shared their struggles so openly, they can also share the overwhelming amount of love that has been shown to them and their family. In a few days, time will mark the seven years since Riley became ill. It is a day that I know will cause more than little reflection by Bob and Michelle. Yet, this year, I want to send out this e-mail marking Riley's 7th birthday even though I am a little late in doing so. Riley's life is filled with laughter, smiles, lots of books and special memories. Memories of a church family rallying behind a young boy and his family, of the imprints that knees leave on the carpeted floor of the chapel at AR Children's Hospital, of the joy and celebration that comes with good news and progress and of lives that changed because of one little boy. Happy Birthday Riley McClanahan! Thank you to you and your family! In Him, Michael Keck II Chronicles 20:15
July 3, 2005 - Riley is enjoying his first summer out of school since he was an infant. Easter Seals goes to school year 'round, but public school lets out during the summer. His aide, Amber, comes just about every day to help him with his daily routine. Many days, Riley and his siblings escape to Wild River Country to play in the water. Riley absolutely loves to play in the pool!
April 18, 2005 - The Riley's Warriors 2005 Golf Classic happened today. One-hundred-eight golfers in twenty-seven teams turned out for Riley's 1st annual fundraising golf tournament. Apart from a few sprinkles, the weather was absolutely perfect. You can view all of the details on the Golf Tournament section of the Riley's Warriors website. Riley rode around the course with his Aunt Cindy and Tammy Belin of Tammy Belin Photography, shooting photographs with each team. Even though he was absolutely worn out by the time they finished, Riley had a fantastic time. He charmed all of the golfers and made a bunch of new friends. The photos can also be viewed on the Riley's Warriors site.
March 20, 2005 - Riley has been able to attend the last couple of Arkansas RimRockers basketball games. In spite of all of the noise and excitement, he had maintained his composure and had a great time. The dance team, the support staff and everyone made a big deal about him (which is why he enjoyed it so much!). We sat courtside, so he was able to see all the action. At the game last Friday night, Riley's Warriors was the featured charity. Riley got to go out to center court during the 3rd period, while Cary Martin spoke to the crowd about Riley's Warriors. Then the dance team passed through the crowd with buckets and collected over $2900! We were blown away by the generosity of the crowd. Our thanks go the the Arkansas RimRockers, the Crain Team and Emily Wade, in particular. She's works for the RimRockers organization and is a big fan of Riley's. She's gone way out of her way to make all of this possible.
February 26, 2005 - Planning for the Riley's Warriors Golf Classic is going exceptionally well. As of yesterday, we filled all of our top-level sponsorships! If you are interested in joining us, please check out the information under the "Golf Tournament" link on the Riley's Warriors web site. Riley continues to do well in Kindergarten. He and his aide/buddy Marinda are having great fun. He adores her and I'm pretty sure that she feels the same about him.
February 7, 2005 - We just celebrated two key events in Riley's life: His 6th birthday and the 6th anniversary of the bleed. One is exciting and the other difficult. One tells us that he's been a part of our family for 6 special years and the other that we've had him 6 years longer than we thought we would in January 1999. While the past 6 years have been filled with uncertainly, here are some things that I'm absolutely certain of: I would have never, ever - in a million years - chosen for this to happen to a child, mine or anyone else's Riley is second only to his Mother as the greatest earthly blessing in my life Riley is capable of showing love in ways that few people I've ever met can do Riley is perfect in God's eyes God has a plan for Riley God has a plan for our family God has a plan for me God has charged us with an awesome responsibility to share His love and compassion with others in similar circumstances, something we've responded to by establishing Riley's Warriors, Inc. God has a plan for Riley's Warriors I have been blessed with a church family unlike any other I have been blessed with friends beyond compare I have been blessed with the most wonderful wife in the world Riley has been blessed with the greatest Mother in the world Please continue to pray for Riley. He's done exceptionally well over the past several months (except for the seizure), but there he faces significant risks every day. I also ask that you pray for Riley's Warriors and the efforts that are underway to minister to children with special needs and their families.
January 13, 2005 - Wow! It's 2005 already. Time flies, especially when you have 4 kids in the house. Our family had a great Holiday break and are now struggling (as everyone is) to get back in the swing of things. This weekend will be Riley's 6th Birthday! How did he get to be 6? Seems like this whole journey began only yesterday ... but then again, it seems like it was an eternity ago. Anyway, my big boy will be 6 years old. We had a bit of a scare last Friday. I decided to take the day off to help Michelle get the house cleaned up after the holidays, since the kids would all be in school. However, our best-laid plans did not quite work out (seems like something always crops up when we try to take advantage of a day by ourselves). When I went back at 6:30AM to get Riley up for school, he was in the middle of a seizure. We have no idea when it started, but a quick round of Diastat (a form a Valium for rectal application ... you had to ask!) brought the seizure under control within 5 minutes. Riley was zonked out, mind you, but that nasty ol' seizure was no more. After a bit of haranguing over the phone with the Neuro clinic, we finally just took him to the ER around 10AM. They did CT of his head and complete series of X-rays of his shunt, just to make certain that it wasn't a problem with the shunt. The best guess by all involved is that he simply outgrew the dosage of his anti-seizures medication. The boosted the dose substantially and now we're back to watching and waiting ... and watching and waiting ... and watching and waiting some more. It had been 13 months since his last seizure, so we are extremely thankful for that. We have faith that the new dosage will take care of the problem and that we won't have to worry for a while. And it is VERY comforting to see that the Diastat works as fast and as well as it did. Since we keep that on hand, we should be able to arrest any future seizure. Our Riley's Warriors ministry is moving forward. We have a Golf Tournament coming up in April that is looking like it will be a great success. Our first-ever change collection fundraiser will kickoff this month. And we are moving forward with our vision of establishing a special needs school program. Please keep Riley, our family and Riley's Warriors in your prayers. God continues to open doors and make His purposes known. May He bless you and yours richly in 2005.

What's Happening with Riley

January 17, 2006 - From Riley's Public Information Officer, Michael Keck, to the Pleasant Valley Church Family:

Church family:

[We just] marked the seventh birthday of Riley McClanahan. HAPPY BIRTHDAY RILEY!

Few young men have had the opportunity to influence people for the kingdom of God as Riley. Riley's dad is one of my best friends. While working here at St. Vincent, I happened to be around the morning that Riley was born. I am almost certain I managed to see Riley before most of the family. He was one of the most beautiful babies I had ever seen that did not have the name "Keck" attached to it. In spite of an illness that nearly took his life and disabilities that were a result of that illness, Riley continues a smile and exudes an inner-beauty that I cannot fully describe. He is the first seven year old ladies man I have ever seen. Introduce Riley to any person of the female persuasion and you will soon see her melt. More importantly, Riley has a way to bring out the good in people. For Riley, people have prayed, prepared meals and stretched themselves beyond their comfort zone to meet the needs of children with disabilities. Because Bob and Michelle have shared their struggles so openly, they can also share the overwhelming amount of love that has been shown to them and their family.

In a few days, time will mark the seven years since Riley became ill. It is a day that I know will cause more than little reflection by Bob and Michelle. Yet, this year, I want to send out this e-mail marking Riley's 7th birthday even though I am a little late in doing so. Riley's life is filled with laughter, smiles, lots of books and special memories. Memories of a church family rallying behind a young boy and his family, of the imprints that knees leave on the carpeted floor of the chapel at AR Children's Hospital, of the joy and celebration that comes with good news and progress and of lives that changed because of one little boy.

Happy Birthday Riley McClanahan! Thank you to you and your family!

In Him,
Michael Keck
II Chronicles 20:15

July 3, 2005 - Riley is enjoying his first summer out of school since he was an infant. Easter Seals goes to school year 'round, but public school lets out during the summer. His aide, Amber, comes just about every day to help him with his daily routine. Many days, Riley and his siblings escape to Wild River Country to play in the water. Riley absolutely loves to play in the pool!

April 18, 2005 - The Riley's Warriors 2005 Golf Classic happened today. One-hundred-eight golfers in twenty-seven teams turned out for Riley's 1st annual fundraising golf tournament. Apart from a few sprinkles, the weather was absolutely perfect. You can view all of the details on the Golf Tournament section of the Riley's Warriors website.

Riley rode around the course with his Aunt Cindy and Tammy Belin of Tammy Belin Photography, shooting photographs with each team. Even though he was absolutely worn out by the time they finished, Riley had a fantastic time. He charmed all of the golfers and made a bunch of new friends. The photos can also be viewed on the Riley's Warriors site.

March 20, 2005 - Riley has been able to attend the last couple of Arkansas RimRockers basketball games. In spite of all of the noise and excitement, he had maintained his composure and had a great time. The dance team, the support staff and everyone made a big deal about him (which is why he enjoyed it so much!). We sat courtside, so he was able to see all the action.

At the game last Friday night, Riley's Warriors was the featured charity. Riley got to go out to center court during the 3rd period, while Cary Martin spoke to the crowd about Riley's Warriors. Then the dance team passed through the crowd with buckets and collected over $2900! We were blown away by the generosity of the crowd.

Our thanks go the the Arkansas RimRockers, the Crain Team and Emily Wade, in particular. She's works for the RimRockers organization and is a big fan of Riley's. She's gone way out of her way to make all of this possible.

February 26, 2005 - Planning for the Riley's Warriors Golf Classic is going exceptionally well. As of yesterday, we filled all of our top-level sponsorships! If you are interested in joining us, please check out the information under the "Golf Tournament" link on the Riley's Warriors web site.

Riley continues to do well in Kindergarten. He and his aide/buddy Marinda are having great fun. He adores her and I'm pretty sure that she feels the same about him.

February 7, 2005 - We just celebrated two key events in Riley's life: His 6th birthday and the 6th anniversary of the bleed. One is exciting and the other difficult. One tells us that he's been a part of our family for 6 special years and the other that we've had him 6 years longer than we thought we would in January 1999.

While the past 6 years have been filled with uncertainly, here are some things that I'm absolutely certain of:

I would have never, ever - in a million years - chosen for this to happen to a child, mine or anyone else's
Riley is second only to his Mother as the greatest earthly blessing in my life
Riley is capable of showing love in ways that few people I've ever met can do
Riley is perfect in God's eyes
God has a plan for Riley
God has a plan for our family
God has a plan for me
God has charged us with an awesome responsibility to share His love and compassion with others in similar circumstances, something we've responded to by establishing Riley's Warriors, Inc.
God has a plan for Riley's Warriors
I have been blessed with a church family unlike any other
I have been blessed with friends beyond compare
I have been blessed with the most wonderful wife in the world
Riley has been blessed with the greatest Mother in the world

Please continue to pray for Riley. He's done exceptionally well over the past several months (except for the seizure), but there he faces significant risks every day.

I also ask that you pray for Riley's Warriors and the efforts that are underway to minister to children with special needs and their families.

January 13, 2005 - Wow! It's 2005 already. Time flies, especially when you have 4 kids in the house. Our family had a great Holiday break and are now struggling (as everyone is) to get back in the swing of things.

This weekend will be Riley's 6th Birthday! How did he get to be 6? Seems like this whole journey began only yesterday ... but then again, it seems like it was an eternity ago. Anyway, my big boy will be 6 years old.

We had a bit of a scare last Friday. I decided to take the day off to help Michelle get the house cleaned up after the holidays, since the kids would all be in school. However, our best-laid plans did not quite work out (seems like something always crops up when we try to take advantage of a day by ourselves). When I went back at 6:30AM to get Riley up for school, he was in the middle of a seizure. We have no idea when it started, but a quick round of Diastat (a form a Valium for rectal application ... you had to ask!) brought the seizure under control within 5 minutes. Riley was zonked out, mind you, but that nasty ol' seizure was no more.

After a bit of haranguing over the phone with the Neuro clinic, we finally just took him to the ER around 10AM. They did CT of his head and complete series of X-rays of his shunt, just to make certain that it wasn't a problem with the shunt. The best guess by all involved is that he simply outgrew the dosage of his anti-seizures medication. The boosted the dose substantially and now we're back to watching and waiting ... and watching and waiting ... and watching and waiting some more.

It had been 13 months since his last seizure, so we are extremely thankful for that. We have faith that the new dosage will take care of the problem and that we won't have to worry for a while. And it is VERY comforting to see that the Diastat works as fast and as well as it did. Since we keep that on hand, we should be able to arrest any future seizure.

Our Riley's Warriors ministry is moving forward. We have a Golf Tournament coming up in April that is looking like it will be a great success. Our first-ever change collection fundraiser will kickoff this month. And we are moving forward with our vision of establishing a special needs school program.

Please keep Riley, our family and Riley's Warriors in your prayers. God continues to open doors and make His purposes known. May He bless you and yours richly in 2005.

This Our Special Kids Net Ring
site owned by The Life of Riley.

[Go to Next Site]
[Go to Previous Site]
[Go to a Random Site]
[List Previous 5 Sites]
[List Next 5 Sites]
[List All Sites]

Would you like to JOIN this ring?

Ring Stats

Children with Special Needs	by mickyashley
[ Join Now \| Ring Hub \| Random \| << Prev \| Next >> ]

Families with Special Needs Children	by julesincanada1978
[ Join Now \| Ring Hub \| Forum \| << Prev \| Next >> ]