| Riley |
Riley and his sister Brynna enjoy the new ThermoSpa at night. 
Riley and Byrnna smile as they use their ThermoSpa for the first time.. 
Riley gives the Triton Elite two thumbs up! Riley Receives an Extraordinary Gift From ThermoSpasWHO: 12-year-old Riley has Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), a genetic disorder in which bones break easily - often from little or no apparent cause WHAT: For Riley and 11 other relatives with OI (a hereditary disease), bone breaks unfortunately happen far too often. His mother broke her leg bones more than 40 times as a child alone. One of the best treatments for OI is warm water therapy. While his family desperately wanted spa treatment for Riley (and his grandmother, mother, sister, uncles and cousins with OI), they simply could not afford it. But today, Riley and his extended family will be able to experience the benefits of warm water therapy every day right in their own backyard. WHY: Despite his extremely debilitating disorder, Riley is a very talented violist and has been playing since the tender age of 3. According to his mother, “The day before his very first recital at age 4, he broke his leg really badly, but he insisted on playing in the recital. We put two chairs together and propped up his legs and he played his tune. Now he is 12 and has a scholarship from UC Berkeley for violin. This summer he broke a bone in his left hand, but despite his pain, he played his piece on stage and soaked his hand afterwards.” While pain is a constant, the inability to participate in “kid stuff” like running in the yard, playing little league and roughhousing with friends can be even more heartbreaking for a child with OI. “Riley would love a hot tub for his pain and for physical therapy, but it would also be a wonderful and safe social place for him, his friends and cousins,” said his mother. A hot tub provides Riley with proven therapy:
"Dear ThermoSpa, I want to thank you all so much for giving us this hot tub. It is helping the family so much and my knees already are moving and feeling much better. This is such a tremendous blessing for you to give this to us. I cannot describe the feeling that I had when I first got in to the hot tub. It was like all the pain that I had was just easing away. My legs feel like that every time that I get into the hot tub. I'm sure it helps my mom too. My grandmother has come over here to get in it with us every night since we got it going and she says that it helps her knee, her foot, and all those jets on her back. Everyone in the family is enjoying it so much, and it is helping them with the pain. My mom made an appointment with my physical therapist to get some water exercises and I can't wait for him to show me how to get stronger using the hot tub. I just wanted to thank you and everyone else at Thermo Spa for giving us this blessing. God Bless you all," Riley F. ThermoSpas donated a Triton Elite hot tub, which has 46 therapeutic jets and the “Ease of Use” commendation from the Arthritis Foundation. |
