Meet the 'Face' of the Annie Ryan Run: 'He's Way Stronger Than We Are'

In January 2012, Lindsay Slovey got the news no parent ever wants to hear. Her 10-year-old son, Riley, has a an inoperable brain tumor.

He has come a long way in the past year—and he's been selected as the Junior Ambassador for the Annie Ryan Fun Run, which will be held this Sunday in Elmhurst.

But those early days were tough for Riley's family, and their journey is not over.

"We kind of found it on a fluke," she said. "He was having headaches, so we went to Elmhurst Clinic and they scheduled an MRI."

She and her husband thought they would get some migraine medication and it would go away, she said.

"But then they called me and told me there was a lesion on his brain and we had to go see a neurosurgeon," she said. "I was freaking out."

He had his first biopsy the day before his 10th birthday and has undergone more than a year of chemotherapy at Advocate Lutheran General in Park Ridge. He's doing well, Lindsay said.

"He's gone through eight rounds of chemotherapy so far, and we're waiting for an MRI in June to figure out what the next step is," she said. "It's stable. It never shrunk, but it's not growing either."

The doctors have not given Riley a prognosis, and they don't know what caused the growth, but it's a Level 1 tumor and his outlook is good. The next steps are uncertain, but since the tumor is not growing, Riley is hoping to take some time off from chemotherapy.

"He wants to watch and wait," Lindsay said. "He wants to be a normal kid for a little while. He said, 'I don't care if I have to take it again, I just want a few months off.' He's got a full head of hair again."

Ironically, even though the tumor is still there, Riley doesn't have headaches anymore, she said. In fact, the doctors don't think the headaches have anything to do with his tumor because of where it is located. So it was really a "fluke" that they found it, Lindsay said.

"Who knows what would have happened (had he not had headaches)," she said.

Riley, who attends Southwest Christian School in Oak Lawn, missed 56 days of school in fourth grade and 66 days in fifth grade, but with the help of a tutor he is making up the work and is scheduled to start sixth grade in the fall at Timothy Christian School in Elmhurst, she said.

"He's kept up, and he does really, really well," Lindsay said.

Lindsay graduated from Timothy Christian in 1995. The family currently lives in Lombard but is moving to Elmhurst soon. They also attend Elmhurst Christian Reformed Church.

Riley and his 9-year-old sister, Emily, are excited to start at Timothy.

"We know people there, his cousins all go to Timothy," Lindsay said, adding that the support from the community has been wonderful. "Our church, our friends and family have been awesome."

And how has Riley been through all of this?

"He is way stronger than we are," she said.

The Annie Ryan Run begins at 9 a.m. Sunday, May 19, at York and South streets. A 1-mile kids' dash begins at 9:45 a.m.

Annie Ryan, the daughter of former Illinois Attorney General Jim Ryan and his wife, Marie, died in 1997 from a brain tumor. Over the past 13 years, the run has raised nearly $600,000 for brain tumor awareness and medical advancements for people like Riley.

"The enthusiasm shown in Elmhurst for this event is nothing short of inspiring," Marie Ryan said in a prepared statement. "Though it bears Annie's name, the race is now about the children and families suffering from this disease. So many families are grateful that they are not on this trip alone."

All proceeds from the Annie Ryan Run go directly to the Midwest Children's Brain Tumor Center.

"All year long (our family) is in contact with the center, and they guide us to who needs help," said Ryan. "For those who do survive, there may be residual effects, and funds raised also help kids and their teachers adjust, as well."

As Junior Ambassador, Riley will start the run and hang out as the "face" of the event. His sister, Emily, plans to do the kids' dash, and his family members will participate in the 5-K.

"I'm going to be hanging out with Riley all day," Lindsay said.

She is pleased to be with others who can relate to what they're going through. While diagnosis of a brain tumor in a child seems overwhelming, Lindsay says the focus remains on moving forward.

"Your whole world drops out, but then you realize, it's there. You've just got to keep on going and get rid of it," she said.

Registration the day of the run is $30 for the 5-K and $15 for the kids' dash. For more information, visit www.annierun.com.

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