THE FATHER of a football-loving little boy who feared he may never play again after a rare stroke is embarking on a 95-mile bike ride to raise money for his son’s junior football club.
Seven-year-old Riley Hall suffered the stroke after falling ill in February last year.
After two trips to the GP, he was referred to Barnsley Hospital for a scan, and subsequently transferred to Sheffield Children’s Hospital.
The numerous scans revealed Riley had suffered a stroke at the back of his brain which was prohibiting his blood flow.
Doctors were even in talks with specialists at Great Ormond Street Hospital because they suspected vasculitis - which is where the immune system attacks health blood vessels causing them to become inflamed.
But it was eventually determined Riley had suffered a ruptured artery in his neck. He now takes aspirin every day to thin his blood, and may have to do so for the rest of his life. He also has regular scans.
His dad Chris, 39, of Galway Close, Royston, has now set himself the challenge of riding from Thornwick Bay on the east coast to the Redfearns JFC club house at Monk Bretton. Riley has played for the club for almost two years and Chris said the support it showed to the family was invaluable.
He said: “Riley loves football and when he couldn’t play, his first question to the doctors was always ‘when can I go back?’
“He would go to the games and watch, and coach Chris Chapman made him an assistant coach and would ask him who he should sub. Even away from football, Chris was visiting him in hospital. The help the club gave to us all the way through, they are unsung heroes.
“I just wanted to say thank you.”
Riley is now doing well. He suffers cramps and gets tired easily, and sometimes gets words mixed up, but Chris said to look at him, you’d never know he’d been so poorly.
And although he fell behind at school, his teachers are amazed with his progress.
Chris said: “Riley’s ok physically, you’d probably never know he’d had a stroke. It’s more the cognitive side of things, but even his teachers can’t believe how well he’s doing.
“He’s back at school full time, we’ve just had parents evening which was really positive. His teacher said they’ve got SATs coming up, and it was the first time since the stroke that he managed to pass the test she did.
“We hope that things are going the right way for him.”
Chris said what happened to Riley was so rare that doctors in Canada are writing a journal about what happened to him.
He will be joined on the ride by Chris Chapman, another coach and his workmates. They will set off early from the coast on July 14 and are estimating the ride will take about six hours. A fun day has also been organised at the club on the same day to welcome them home.
The money raised will be used to refurbish the club house, and to help make it available to community groups and for parties and events.
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