A Gift of Gratitude

Riley Hospital for Children helped Joyce and Tim Detterline gain control of their son’s asthma, enabling him to live a full, active childhood. The couple, longtime donors to Riley Children's Foundation, recently planned a gift to the foundation in their will.

The trips to the doctor started soon after Joyce and Tim Detterline brought their newborn son home from the hospital. Eric’s chronic congestion was caused by bronchitis, the doctors always said, but his symptoms persisted through numerous rounds of antibiotics. For months, the Detterlines were in and out of the pediatrician’s office. When Eric’s breathing became labored in the middle of the night, there were visits to the local emergency room, too. The family had made at least eight trips to the ER before the night, just after Eric turned 2, when things took a turn for the worse.

“The ER doctors tried all the things they normally did—the steroids, everything—and nothing worked,” says Joyce. “They admitted him, which they’d never done before, and put him in an oxygen tent. The next morning, even after being in there all night, his skin was almost purple. It was then I knew something was really wrong.”

Less than an hour later, Tim and Joyce were on their way to Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health, where Eric had been rushed by ambulance. By the time they arrived, Eric was out of danger, sitting up in the bed and playing. Except for all the tubes, Joyce says their son looked perfectly normal. The pulmonologist explained that Eric’s symptoms, which included dark circles under his eyes, were signs of asthma.

For more than a decade, Joyce and Tim have donated to Riley Children's Foundation in appreciation for the care their son, Eric, received, even sponsoring a Red Wagon in Eric’s name.

The Detterlines were relieved to finally have answers from specialists at Riley.

“I remember on our drive to Riley—as scared as we were—our faith sustained us, and we felt at peace knowing Eric was going to get the best care possible,” Tim says.

Eric spent the following week in the hospital as Riley doctors stabilized his blood oxygen level. The staff taught Joyce and Tim how to give Eric treatments using a nebulizer, which the Detterlines affectionately called “Mo.”

Riley pulmonologists treated Eric for the next six years. With the nebulizer treatments, medications and regular checkups, Eric’s asthma was well controlled. As a young boy and teenager, he played sports, ran track and even completed a mini marathon.

For more than a decade, the Detterlines have donated to Riley Children's Foundation in appreciation for the care Eric received, even sponsoring a Red Wagon in Eric’s name. Recently, Tim and Joyce decided on a planned gift, designating a gift to Riley in their will. Their contributions are unrestricted, allowing the funds to go where the needs are greatest.

“When we were with Eric in the hospital that week, we knew he would get better and come home,” Tim explains. “But when we heard the emergency calls over the PA at night, we knew there were kids at Riley that wouldn’t be going home. The most important thing to us is helping any child who has a serious illness so more kids can go home.”

“The most important thing to us is helping any child who has a serious illness so more kids can go home,” Tim says.

Eric doesn’t remember much about his time at Riley. But today, as the father of two young children, he can relate to his parents’ motivation for wanting to put Riley in their will.

“When your kid is hurting, you’re hurting,” says Eric, who with his wife, Kelsey, are also Riley donors. “Because Riley was such a big part of helping me live a full life, I understand it, and I’m glad they’re blessed with the means to do it.”

Your planned gift to Riley Children's Foundation helps people like Eric receive the expert pediatric care they need to go on to live full lives. Contact Alexandra Beach, J.D. at 317-624-2675 or ABeach@RileyKids.org to learn more.