The inaugural Riley’s Run for Aortic Health 5K race will raise funds for the John Ritter Foundation.
When Riley Espinosa meets new friends, she tells them about her heart condition early, then they move on to the typical pursuits of most 12-year-old girls.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
The Corona resident said she doesn’t dwell on it much. She just lives her life.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
“I don’t really notice it,” said the seventh grader at Cesar Chavez Academy. “Sometimes I might get chest pains but only because I exercise too much. I might get nauseous when it’s hot outside.”googleoff: allgoogleon: all
While it is not something she typically focuses on, the preteen has been making a few speeches lately about it in preparation for an upcoming event her mom Tracy Espinosa and family are helping plan.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
The inaugural Riley’s Run for Aortic Health
Tracy and Riley Espinosa
Age: 37; 12
Residence: Corona
Occupation: Tracy Espinosa teaches biology at Santiago High School; Riley is a seventh grader at Cesar Chavez Academy.
Notable: Riley's family has organized a 5K race to raise money for the John Ritter Foundation and work to increase awareness of the heart condition Riley shares with the late actor.
5K race, set for March 28 at The Shops at Dos Lagos, will raise funds for the John Ritter Foundation -- named for the late actor who died in 2003 of acute aortic dissection. It’s a condition Riley shares.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
Tracy Espinosa, 37, said she was online researching her daughter’s heart condition when she found the John Ritter Foundation. She contacted the organization and found out it was one of the charities associated with the New York Marathon. The Santiago High School biology teacher told foundation officials that if they ever planned to do something in Los Angeles, she would like to be involved. They encouraged her to put on her own race. So last summer, Tracy said she set up the nonprofit and began planning for Riley’s Run.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
“We would like to make it an annual thing,” she said.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
Tracy and her husband Javier recently ran the Los Angeles Marathon for Team Ritter as well, she said. She elicited donations from family, friends, local businesses and community members to put on the Riley’s Run event, but all proceeds raised from the entry fees will go to the John Ritter Foundation, Tracy said.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
Riley’s condition is something the Espinosas have been grappling with since she was a baby.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
“They heard the heart murmur the day she was born,” Tracy said. “The murmur didn’t bother me too much. The doctors said it’s very common.”googleoff: allgoogleon: all
Riley began seeing a cardiologist at only a week old. She was diagnosed with bicuspid aortic valve at age 2, a condition 1 in 50 people are born with, according to the Bicuspid Foundation website.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
The normal heart has three flaps that open and close with each beat, but those with bicuspid aortic valve have two, causing blood to leak backwards with each pumping action, making the heart work harder.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
At age 10, her doctor noticed that Riley had a change in the size of her aorta near her valve. She was subsequently diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm, a swelling or dilation of the aorta that could tear if it grows too large, Tracy said. This is the same condition that caused Ritter’s death.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
“The aneurysm scares me a bit more because it could happen suddenly,” Tracy said.googleoff: allgoogleon: all
Riley will have to have open heart surgery when the valve or aorta grows larger, and once repaired, will have to go back on the operating room table approximately every 10 years after that, according to Tracy. She takes medication to keep her blood pressure low and can’t participate in any activities that might increase it.
Riley's Run for Aortic Health
When: 8 a.m., March 28
Where: The Shops at Dos Lagos, 2780 Cabot Drive, Corona
Information: The event is a 5K for all runners, with proceeds to be donated to the John Ritter Foundation. All runners, walkers and strollers are welcome. Participants will get goodie bags, medals, and t-shirts. Participants can pre-register or sign up on race day. Visit RileysRun.org for more information on registering for the race or donating.