Home Runs for Life: Riley Olmstead
June 12, 2025A 9-year-old from Clinton keeps beating the odds with the help of MercyOne Genesis Bettendorf Pediatric Therapy
Riley Olmstead has come a long way since being diagnosed with brain cancer on the Fourth of July at the age of six years old.
Before starting his treatment at MercyOne Genesis Bettendorf Pediatric Therapy (GOPEDS), the bright-eyed little boy could not get out of his wheelchair, sit without bracing his hands on the floor, or move around.
Riley, 9, from Clinton, Iowa, suffers from medulloblastoma, a type of cancerous brain tumor that primarily affects the cerebellum, the part of the brain responsible for balance and coordination. Although there is no known cure, Riley’s parents, Tracy and Jason, remain hopeful.
The initial resection of the tumor located in the oblongata next to his brain stem caused Riley to get posterior fossa syndrome (PFS).
“The PFS reset his whole nervous system, which is why he is in therapy at GOPEDS,” Jason, Riley’s dad, said.
PFS symptoms include loss of speech and coordination, as well as emotional and behavioral changes.
“He had to start from scratch,” said Emily Vickers, a pediatric physical therapist, who works with Riley. “Before he arrived at GOPEDS, he had spent nearly a year at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN, undergoing intensive treatment for his cancer.”
With the assistance of the MercyOne Genesis GOPEDS physical, occupational, and speech therapy team, Riley’s quality of life has improved. He can now navigate the room independently, and his energy and abilities have increased. On a good day, Riley can transfer in and out of his wheelchair.
Jason describes his son as a bright kid who loved playing soccer and swimming. “He used to dress like a ninja and do backflips off the couch.”
His diagnosis changed everything. However, GOPEDS allows him to work towards, hopefully, a fraction of what he was before cancer. They give our family a small glimmer of hope that he can regain those fine motor skills.
“Can he walk yet? No, of course not. But that’s the nature of PFS. For some of these kids, it takes seven to 10 years before they can get back on their feet.
“He can hold a fork; he can feed himself. These are things he couldn’t do two years ago. So GOPEDS has helped him,” said Jason.
Despite the obstacles, Emily says Riley has big goals.
He wants to walk. He wants to return to where he was before, and he wants to be at school with his friends.
Riley has been selected as the June 2025 Home Runs for Life honoree. He and his family will be honored during an on-field ceremony on June 13 at the Quad Cities River Bandits game at Modern Woodmen Park in Davenport. Please come out and support Riley as he runs the bases.
Homeruns for Life recognizes the success stories of MercyOne Genesis physical therapy and rehabilitation patients. Since 2016, MercyOne Genesis and the Quad Cities River Bandits have partnered to recognize these heartwarming success stories of children and adults who have overcome significant challenges with the help of MercyOne Genesis. Three times a year, honorees and their families are recognized during a heartwarming on-field ceremony at Quad Cities River Bandits game.
