Bert Babb Memorial CMN Golf Classic
Meet a Miracle!
Riley - 2026 CMN Local Champion
Living in Bend, Oregon, at just eight weeks pregnant, Riley's mom Katie learned she had a severe subchorionic hemorrhage, a condition that placed her unborn baby’s life at serious risk. After praying and hoping for this child, she and her family were devastated to be sent home on strict bed rest and told to prepare for a likely miscarriage.
Yet, against all odds, Katie did not miscarry. Instead, she continued to experience dangerous bleeding, repeatedly losing large amounts of blood. Each time doctors warned that they might need to deliver the baby to save her life, the bleeding would unexpectedly stop, buying them precious time.
At 22 weeks, the hemorrhage grew so large that it caused Katie’s water to break. Doctors discussed inducing labor, despite the baby’s strong heartbeat to make sure Katie was not in danger. After two agonizing conversations, Katie was sent home once again on bed rest to wait. Miraculously, she did not go into labor and made it to 23 weeks, at which point she asked her doctor, "If I was your wife, or your daughter, where would you want me to be to deliver this baby?" They immediately said she should go to RiverBend where she could be monitored and cared for by the Maternal-Fetal Specialist team and prep the NICU team for an early delivery. She spent six weeks hospitalized at RiverBend for intensive monitoring, fighting to keep her baby growing.
At 29 weeks, Katie’s placenta abruptly detached and she was rushed into emergency surgery. Riley was delivered by C‑section weighing just 2 pounds, 11 ounces. He was born with collapsed lungs, the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, and in immediate need of resuscitation. His first week was critical. Despite ventilators, an oscillator, and chest tubes, his oxygen levels remained dangerously low, and the family was once again told to prepare for the worst.
Refusing to give up, the neonatology team attempted one final, unconventional approach including a blood transfusion and specialized intervention in hopes of stabilizing Riley’s failing oxygen levels. Remarkably, his oxygen levels began to rise and from that moment, he never stopped fighting.
After three months in the NICU, supported by Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) funded resources like specialized respiratory equipment to stabilize his fragile lungs, Riley came home healthy, strong, and full of life. Riley’s story is a powerful example of how CMN funds directly impact the lives of children and families in crisis, providing hope, healing, and a bright future!
