Riley's Story
Meet 12-year-old Riley!
Riley’s Mom wasn’t too concerned when their Well Visit at the pediatrician was delayed slightly in 2020 due to COVID. Riley was healthy, happy, working hard at school, and looking forward to volleyball season. When the pediatrician noticed her weight had dropped quite suddenly, she wanted to double-check for diabetes and thyroid issues just to be cautious.
What no one expected was that the extra cautious “check” would ultimately show dramatically low blood count levels. Riley was admitted to the St Joseph’s Children’s Hospital on October 30th, and on November 3rd, Riley was diagnosed with Pre-B Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.
We met sweet Riley via Zoom, and as her family friend had described her, she is vibrant and creative.
She loves animals. We met her bunny, Izzy, her lab, Molly, and heard all about her new puppy (coming soon) named Sammy. (Spoiler alert - she’s a dachshund!)
We learned that Riley loves plants, too. She spent a lot of her time gardening and learning about different plants and how to grow them, while stuck at home in quarantine. Riley, like many other kids battling cancer, has to quarantine not just because of COVID, but due to her suppressed immune system. COVID added an extra layer of isolation, meaning it was virtually impossible for her to have visitors as well. We wanted to incorporate a lot of greenery and bohemian accents to bring some of the outside beauty inside.
We selected a beautiful neutral light color and boho pattern in the bedding and rug to bring everything together. Because there was so much greenery in her accent pieces, and we still wanted the room to feel open and fresh, we chose simple white and wood furniture with a mid-century modern vibe. Thanks to the generosity of our partners at Finn’s Fighters Foundation, we were able to pay to install flooring throughout Riley, Emory, and Payne’s rooms. The vinyl flooring wasmade possible by Du Chateau Flooring. Removing carpet whenever possible in these rooms is a huge help in reducing allergens and creating a healthy space for easy cleaning. We are so glad we were able to remove the carpet in these spaces and replace it with this beautiful wood-look floor.
Home schooling is an important element for many kids battling cancer. Since Riley attends Zoom classes and works online, we wanted to create a study sanctuary in her new space.
Riley also needed a closet refresh. Closet Art kindly donated a closet system with new shelving and drawers, making it so much easier for her to put all her clothes away. Thanks to The Neat Method Tampa for creating an easy to maintain system to organize everything!
Dave Varney did an amazing job installing the jungle’s leaf wallpaper. We tied it all in together by incorporating more leaves around her bed frame and shelves. We wanted this to be a plant-lovers’ haven with a bungalow vibe!
Payne is Riley’s nine-year-old brother. He was ecstatic to see his new makeover as well. His parents joked about him probably never leaving his room now. His space-inspired ceiling and gamer-friendly room were a huge hit.
Thanks to our friends at Painters on Demand, his walls got a fresh coat of light and dark blue paint. We added glow-in-the-dark stars to his ceiling so he could stargaze at night. Thank you to Erwin Electric for installing new lighting in all of our rooms!
We decided on all black furniture to accentuate a masculine feel. We kept blue accents throughout his room with his desk chair and the LED lighting behind his bed frame. That was one of the best touches!
We were thrilled to have the help of a guest designer for Riley’s little sister, Emory’s room. Lisa Gilmore and her team at Lisa Gilmore Design created a dreamy and inspiring room with magical touches. By look on Emory’s face, you can tell she loved her room. Her fairytale garden encapsulated everything she dreamed of.
Lisa incorporated a lot of pinks, greens, purples, and unicorns to bring everything together. The stick-on leaves were a great idea. Easy to apply, and when she outgrows it, easy to take down. Her simple bed frame became a playful and whimsical accent!
Special thanks to Amanda Calta of Reloved Home for refurbishing and painting Emory’s desk and creating a beautifully monogrammed chair to match. We want to thank Sherman Williams for also donating paint for the rooms. A fresh coat never felt so good.
Of course, we ended this special reveal with a sparkling juice pop! We want to thank all of our sponsors, including City-Wide Self Storage of St. Pete, for helping us make these kids’ dreams a reality.
Check out our story covered by Great Day Live Tampa Bay!
Photography by Elizabeth Dugan Creative
