Hey everyone! My name is Riley, and I am SO excited to be your CalTHON Morale chair! I am a first year here at UC Berkeley double majoring in Molecular and Cellular Biology and Theater and Performance Studies on the pre-med track. CalTHON is a branch of Children's Miracle Network Hospital Dance Marathon program. Dance marathon is essentially a huge dance party for anyone and everyone to participate in where we have a goal of raising funds for our local CMN hospital(s) so that children and their families can receive the care they so desperately need, in our case, we specifically raise funds for Benioff Children’s Hospital here in Oakland.

Naturally, when I first arrived at Berkeley, I was SO excited to be able to raise funds for such an incredible hospital, but never in a million years did I think that the staff at Benioff Children’s would save my life.

On October 4th, I too became an occupant of one of the 191 beds at Benioff Children’s Hospital, fighting for my life. 

I was rushed to Children’s ICU in cardiogenic shock and multi system organ failure. I went into acute systolic heart failure and my kidneys and liver also began to fail. My heart rate dropped into the teens & blood pressure into the 30s. My lungs filled with fluid & I became severely hypothermic. I went into complete heart block, & had repeated cardiac arrests averaging 7 seconds. Within seconds, over 20 doctors, and nurses were in my room, placing IVs, central and arterial lines, emergency dialysis catheters, and a pacemaker. (By the time they were done, I had 13 separate lines.) I fought with everything in me to stay awake as long as I could because to be incredibly honest, I really thought that I may not wake up again if I closed my eyes.

The PICU team at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital saved my life. For over 120 minutes, 25+ incredible doctors and nurses were at my bedside fighting for my survival. I truly would not have survived had I not been in the presence of such unbelievably gifted and compassionate caregivers. 

I’ve never been prouder to be a part of UC Berkeley’s CalTHON and to be raising money for such an amazing place. 

 All donated funds stay local. In addition to our huge dance marathon event itself, we work throughout the year, continuing our efforts to support our local CMN families. I have set a goal of raising $750.00 for UCSF Benioff Children's hospital by the time it's time to dance in March. Absolutely anything helps, no matter how small! If you are not in the position to actively donate right now, that's okay! Sharing this with even a few people would be incredibly helpful! THANK YOU SO MUCH, in advance, for your time and consideration!

If you are located here in the Bay Area, ask me about registering! It's only $1.91 to register to dance- so much cheaper, and so much more rewarding than a cup of coffee or boba!

Hey There!

I'm participating in Dance Marathon to raise funds for my local Children's Miracle Network Hospital to help provide life-saving care to kids in need. Together we can change kids' lives and change the future - but I need your help!

Here's how it works

	Student-Led Movement Miracle Network Dance Marathon is a student-led movement supporting Children's Miracle Network Hospitals. All year long, we raise funds for kids at our local children's hospital.
	Dedicated to supporting kids I'm joining other students, faculty and community members who are dedicated to supporting kids and families in need by asking for donations from friends like YOU!
	Donations stay local to help kids in our community Donations stay local to ensure that all kids get the care they need. YOU can be a hero for patients at your children's hospital

We need you to be a hero for local kids!

Your donation is tax-deductible and will make miracles happen for families who desperately need them. You can click the "Donate" button at the top of this page to make a safe and easy online donation. 

Thank you for supporting me! Together, we can change kid's health and change the future.