A long journey: Pendleton Heights’ Hays overcomes adversity to run, graduate

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PENDLETON — Riley Hays is a distance runner.

That seems appropriate.

The recent Pendleton Heights High School graduate and member of the Arabians’ cross country and track teams has had quite a long journey from her first day as a freshman to graduation.

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Just like a cross country course, Hays’ path through high school as a student-athlete had its obstacles to climb and weathery conditions to overcome.

As early as her seventh-grade track season, Hays started having trouble breathing during her runs. She began passing out during meets and in workouts.

“She would pass out, then get back and finish her workout,” Nicole Hays, Riley’s mother, recalled. “You would watch her in a race, and it would look like someone shot her with a tranquilizer.”

From primary care to cardiologists and other specialists, the Hays family went from doctor to doctor to see what was wrong.

It was determined, after a chest x-ray the summer before her freshman year, Riley had Pectus Excavatum, defined as a congenital chest wall deformity that produces a concave, or caved-in chest. It was interfering with her heart. It didn’t have room to beat.

“I was born with it, but it was something that you sometimes don’t realize you have until you get older,” Riley said.

So, just as Riley was set to become a high school student, she came upon the first of multiple obstacles she would deal with throughout her time at Pendleton Heights.

She would have four surgeries. Twice, once as a freshman and again as a junior, she missed a month of school. When she would return, she had a period when she would be allowed to go only half-days.

“She was just so good about it,” said Kathy McCord, Riley’s high school guidance counselor. “When kids have time out like that, it’s so hard. She was just awesome on contacting her teachers and staying on top of things. Not a lot of kids do that. They aren’t always proactive like that. She was just wonderful about all of it.”

Those around her said Riley never complained; that didn’t mean things were simple, especially for an incoming freshman.

It wasn’t easy at all.

Riley was only in school for a couple days before leaving for surgery and recovery. She didn’t have time to get to know anyone and now, trying to get caught up on school work, she had the task of reaching out to people she didn’t know.

“I was new to high school and scared,” Riley said. “I was too afraid to ask for help, and I didn’t know my way around, but my teachers turned out to be so nice and helpful.

“I was worrying over nothing. They were all so nice and friendly.”

Riley said she received “mostly B’s” during her freshman year.

“I was pretty proud of myself after missing that much,” she said.

Riley was able to catch up on her school work and by her sophomore year, she was back running again. In fact, she made the varsity lineup for the cross country team.

Everything seemed like it was getting back to normal; unfortunately, it didn’t last.

“I was starting to have chest pains again, but I was ignoring it,” Riley said. “I was on Cloud Nine (running varsity cross country) now, and I didn’t want to tell anyone, but it kept getting worse and worse.”

It got much worse during track season. She started passing out again.

Doctors determined the initial surgery did not fix the problem. The second surgery, in July 2017, prior to her junior year, included the addition of two temporary titanium bars and a titanium plate she will have forever.

“The hardest part was when we were told it was worse when we thought it had been corrected,” Nicole said. “We always wanted to stay positive. We told her during times she would be down that it was OK to be down, but you have to pick yourself back up.”

Since she had been through this before, Riley admitted it was a little bit easier, though “It was still pretty awkward.”

“(After having two surgeries) I told her there are no expectations, no goals,” cross country head coach and assistant track coach Melissa Hagerman said. “Every day she competes is a miracle, but she did it Riley’s way and she ran varsity.”

Hagerman, who first noticed Riley as a middle school runner, said she has continued to be amazed at the Class of ‘19 grad.

“I consider myself a fighter, but I don’t know if I would have still been able to continue running and competing,” Hagerman said. “Then, you add that through all of this, she stayed up academically.”

Her coach, like her guidance counselor, also recalled how proactive Riley would be when she was catching up on her school work.

“We talk a lot about academics on our team. She reached out to several girls on our team: ‘Hey, you’re good at math, can you help me?’”

Nicole said along with her daughter’s determination, Pendleton Heights couldn’t have been more accommodating during Riley’s time out of the classroom.

“The school has been nothing but wonderful helping any way shape or form,” Nicole said. “To miss that much school, it was hard on her.”

The final two surgeries were out-patient procedures, the last coming over the most recent Christmas break. Each one removed one of the titanium bars.

It put an end to the surgery portion of her long run through high school.

“My senior year has been so great,” Riley said.

The 2019 portion of the school year was finally what she envisioned. She wasn’t missing class and she was back to running — for the first time without the bars.

“She’s just very mature and never let any of this discourage her,” McCord said. “Riley always has a smile on her face. After not only the physical pain she went through, but just everything else, to be able to endure all that has been an incredible journey for her.”

Another journey will begin soon.

Next up for Riley will be classes at the University of Southern Indiana in the fall. She plans on majoring in elementary education. She said she won’t be running at the collegiate level, but plans on joining a running club or just running on her own.

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