Riley McKenna Skougard was born on May 8, 1997 in Las Vegas, Nevada to an incredibly loving family with a very large (and very close) extended family. She grew up in a 'normal' family (whatever that means) as an only child until her adorable brother, Gavin came along 5 years later and then lil' Sidney, who is now 2 years old. She absolutely adores her family, including her dog Roxy and her not-so-little cat Junior. She is spunky, loves animals and the ocean, enjoys playing dress up, is very creative and has a passion for art (her favorite color de jour is...you guessed it....purple).

So What Happened?
In November 2009, she began suffering from headaches, double vision, dizziness and nausia for about a week. She's 12 afterall, and just got new prescription glasses, so there was no real cause for concern. Then one evening, she suddenly lost consciousness. Rushed to the hospital, she was admitted to undergo an emergency brain surgery, during which she went into cardiac arrest for approximately 30 minutes before finally being revived. The doctors said she wouldn't make it throught the night.

But she did. She is valiant, and our faith is strong.

The doctors best diagnosis was that a very rare condition called Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM), may have caused a rupture in her brain (similar to an aneurysm). But they aren't sure. More simply, she had a bleed in her brain. Since then she has endured a series of brain surgeries (5 total) and has been in a coma since she first lost consciousness.

Although she is at home now, she is confined to a bed, has to be fed through a tube and cared for around the clock. It is with this understanding that we humbly proclaim that we cannot do it alone. We need your help.

Prognosis
Traditional doctors aren't able to give a real or acceptable prognosis. However, at The Institute For The Achievement of Human Potential (IAHP) in Philadelphia, there is a great amount of hope.

The Institutes proven state of the art rehabilitation techniques have helped families from all diversities, covering a vast spectrum of brain injuries realize a great success rate. Please take the time to click on the Success Stories link and review for yourself why this has given us such great hope.

How you can help
Your contributions will help ensure that Riley receives the professional care she needs for rehabilitation as well as expenses for daily medical care. These expenses include (but are not limited to):

• Personal hygene / medical supplies
• In-home rehabilitation professional care
• In-home medical and rehabilitation equipment
• Travel costs associated with visiting the Institute (IAHP) in Philadelphia
• Travel costs associated with visiting The Advanced Hyperbaric Center in Canada
• For her future...only God knows her purpose

A portion of your contributions may be allocated towards spreading awareness about this rare condition, including marketing material and information for victims and their families. There is currently no real resource for brain injuries, and it is our hope that we can provide a discussion group and support system for those families.