Riley Champion Inspires Smiles At Lincoln Elementary
February 3, 2018 at 5:50 a.m.
By David [email protected]
But those who know the 12-year-old Lincoln Elementary School fifth-grader say he not only regularly wears a smile on his face, he goes out of his way to put one on others’ faces.
Friday afternoon, Price was smiling big and crying tears of joy as his school and the city celebrated him being a 2018 Riley Champion. He was among eight children honored at the Riley Children’s Foundation annual luncheon Nov. 17 as a Riley Champion.
Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer proclaimed Friday, Feb. 2, 2018, as Drake Price Day.
The Riley Champions program, presented by Kroger, honors patients from Riley who have inspired communities with their bravery and commitment to help others despite overcoming medical challenges. The children serve as advocates and ambassadors for Riley by sharing their stories and participating in special events throughout the year.
Miles Price, Drake’s father, said in February 2017 Drake was diagnosed with super mass craniopharyngioma, basically a tumor about the size of a fist which sat on his optic nerve. A large portion of it was extracted during a 13½-hour surgery, with the left rest for radiation.
Three weeks into his recovery from surgery, Miles said, Drake took his first 100 steps, then his first 500 steps, then said his first words.
But Drake suffered a massive stroke. He was paralyzed on the right side, and he couldn’t walk, talk or do “nothing,” Miles said.
Once he was ready, he was moved from an ICU unit to a rehab unit, where he spent several weeks learning to walk and talk. He went home on April 27. In June, he was back for surgery.
It was then discovered Drake had Moyamoya disease, which is a cerebral arterial disease characterized by constriction of certain arteries at the base of the brain.
Normally Moyamoya doesn’t set in until after radiation, but Drake’s was different. Miles said the doctors told him and his wife, Charity, that the Moyamoya before radiation combined with the craniopharyngioma was very rare – 1 in 1 billion.
Drake was taken to Chicago for more radiation – five days a week for six weeks. He lost his eyesight in his left eye, and he has no peripheral vision in the lower and upper parts of his right eye. He can only see forward.
Doctors say it’s very likely Drake won’t regain his eyesight in his left eye, but he told his family that at least that wasn’t his aiming eye. He dreams of being a police officer.
Back in second grade for career day, Drake said he wanted to be a cop. Miles’ sister, whose husband is a police officer, posted on Facebook that they wanted to make a quilt of police department patches for Drake. The patches began to flood in from all over the United States and beyond – Australia, Germany, Iraq special forces and more.
Miles said they have 2,741 patches, with new packages coming daily. So far, two quilts, three pillows and a set of curtains have been made for Drake’s room. There will be more quilts because all the patches haven’t been used yet.
While he was at Riley, Drake was “adopted” by the Indianapolis Police Department. He was adopted by the Warsaw Police Department, and the Chicago PD as well. Numerous city and county law enforcement officers have come to see him in their police cars, Miles said.
For his Make-A-Wish Foundation wish, Drake and his family went to Florida to visit Disney World, Busch Gardens and Sea World.
It takes nine months to see if a tumor is dying or still growing after treatment. On Feb. 28, Miles said they will find out what the tumor is doing.
On Friday, Drake said he was more “nervous” and “scared” about the school assembly to honor him for being a Riley Champion.
Sixth-grade teacher Scott Sterk kicked off the event by talking about how Drake inspired him. He said Drake would have all the reasons in the world not to smile, but “this guy goes out of his way to make other people happy.” When Sterk asked for applause from anyone who was ever inspired by Drake, the whole school clapped enthusiastically.
Warsaw Community Schools Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert, who also sits on Riley’s regional board, said the Riley Champions program has been in existence for 10 years. Drake was the third student from WCS to be one, but its first elementary school Champion.
He then told the school about a banner announcing Drake as a Riley Champion that will be hung at Lincoln. Sterk and special education teacher Amy Staton unveiled the banner.
WPD Sgt. Chuck Hodges then spoke about how Drake inspires him to go to work every day.
“I will always, always remember the young man who not only said I can, but I will. Thank you, Drake, for being an inspiration to all of us. Congratulations on becoming a Riley Champion,” Hodges said.
Thallemer then surprised Drake with the proclamation, telling him he was so popular he should run for mayor.
“You’re so popular here, look at all the votes you would get if you ran for mayor,” Thallemer told Drake as he called him to the podium. “So what do you think, mayor or policeman?”
“Mayor,” Drake answered, drawing laughs and applause.
Citing reasons for announcing Friday as Drake Price Day, the proclamation says, in part, “Whereas, Drake Price has inspired many people by his courage, positive attitude and determination to follow his dreams, and whereas Drake is an outstanding young citizen of Lincoln Elementary School ... whereas Drake was named an honorary officer of the City of Warsaw Police Department, and whereas Drake was recently honored as a Riley Champion for inspiring our community with bravery and commitment to help others despite overcoming medical challenges.”
But those who know the 12-year-old Lincoln Elementary School fifth-grader say he not only regularly wears a smile on his face, he goes out of his way to put one on others’ faces.
Friday afternoon, Price was smiling big and crying tears of joy as his school and the city celebrated him being a 2018 Riley Champion. He was among eight children honored at the Riley Children’s Foundation annual luncheon Nov. 17 as a Riley Champion.
Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer proclaimed Friday, Feb. 2, 2018, as Drake Price Day.
The Riley Champions program, presented by Kroger, honors patients from Riley who have inspired communities with their bravery and commitment to help others despite overcoming medical challenges. The children serve as advocates and ambassadors for Riley by sharing their stories and participating in special events throughout the year.
Miles Price, Drake’s father, said in February 2017 Drake was diagnosed with super mass craniopharyngioma, basically a tumor about the size of a fist which sat on his optic nerve. A large portion of it was extracted during a 13½-hour surgery, with the left rest for radiation.
Three weeks into his recovery from surgery, Miles said, Drake took his first 100 steps, then his first 500 steps, then said his first words.
But Drake suffered a massive stroke. He was paralyzed on the right side, and he couldn’t walk, talk or do “nothing,” Miles said.
Once he was ready, he was moved from an ICU unit to a rehab unit, where he spent several weeks learning to walk and talk. He went home on April 27. In June, he was back for surgery.
It was then discovered Drake had Moyamoya disease, which is a cerebral arterial disease characterized by constriction of certain arteries at the base of the brain.
Normally Moyamoya doesn’t set in until after radiation, but Drake’s was different. Miles said the doctors told him and his wife, Charity, that the Moyamoya before radiation combined with the craniopharyngioma was very rare – 1 in 1 billion.
Drake was taken to Chicago for more radiation – five days a week for six weeks. He lost his eyesight in his left eye, and he has no peripheral vision in the lower and upper parts of his right eye. He can only see forward.
Doctors say it’s very likely Drake won’t regain his eyesight in his left eye, but he told his family that at least that wasn’t his aiming eye. He dreams of being a police officer.
Back in second grade for career day, Drake said he wanted to be a cop. Miles’ sister, whose husband is a police officer, posted on Facebook that they wanted to make a quilt of police department patches for Drake. The patches began to flood in from all over the United States and beyond – Australia, Germany, Iraq special forces and more.
Miles said they have 2,741 patches, with new packages coming daily. So far, two quilts, three pillows and a set of curtains have been made for Drake’s room. There will be more quilts because all the patches haven’t been used yet.
While he was at Riley, Drake was “adopted” by the Indianapolis Police Department. He was adopted by the Warsaw Police Department, and the Chicago PD as well. Numerous city and county law enforcement officers have come to see him in their police cars, Miles said.
For his Make-A-Wish Foundation wish, Drake and his family went to Florida to visit Disney World, Busch Gardens and Sea World.
It takes nine months to see if a tumor is dying or still growing after treatment. On Feb. 28, Miles said they will find out what the tumor is doing.
On Friday, Drake said he was more “nervous” and “scared” about the school assembly to honor him for being a Riley Champion.
Sixth-grade teacher Scott Sterk kicked off the event by talking about how Drake inspired him. He said Drake would have all the reasons in the world not to smile, but “this guy goes out of his way to make other people happy.” When Sterk asked for applause from anyone who was ever inspired by Drake, the whole school clapped enthusiastically.
Warsaw Community Schools Superintendent Dr. David Hoffert, who also sits on Riley’s regional board, said the Riley Champions program has been in existence for 10 years. Drake was the third student from WCS to be one, but its first elementary school Champion.
He then told the school about a banner announcing Drake as a Riley Champion that will be hung at Lincoln. Sterk and special education teacher Amy Staton unveiled the banner.
WPD Sgt. Chuck Hodges then spoke about how Drake inspires him to go to work every day.
“I will always, always remember the young man who not only said I can, but I will. Thank you, Drake, for being an inspiration to all of us. Congratulations on becoming a Riley Champion,” Hodges said.
Thallemer then surprised Drake with the proclamation, telling him he was so popular he should run for mayor.
“You’re so popular here, look at all the votes you would get if you ran for mayor,” Thallemer told Drake as he called him to the podium. “So what do you think, mayor or policeman?”
“Mayor,” Drake answered, drawing laughs and applause.
Citing reasons for announcing Friday as Drake Price Day, the proclamation says, in part, “Whereas, Drake Price has inspired many people by his courage, positive attitude and determination to follow his dreams, and whereas Drake is an outstanding young citizen of Lincoln Elementary School ... whereas Drake was named an honorary officer of the City of Warsaw Police Department, and whereas Drake was recently honored as a Riley Champion for inspiring our community with bravery and commitment to help others despite overcoming medical challenges.”
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