Blakey’s Blessings Chapter

Cheer Guild Chapters all start in different ways and for many different reasons. Typically, they get started because someone has been impacted by Riley and/or the Cheer Guild. Blakey’s Blessings was established in 2005 in memory of Diana and Ryan Richie’s son, Blake. Diana shared a few thoughts and memories of Blake when asked about the history of their chapter. She stated, “Blake was a happy and outgoing 2 year old. He was always laughing and smiling. He touched the lives of everyone that he came in contact with. He adored Elmo and loved his books, a favorite was Goodnight Moon. He loved learning and caught on to things so quickly. The day Blake passed away was the day our lives changed forever. In June 2004, he was airlifted to Riley, which is about 3 hours from us, and that is where he passed away. The drive back home was horrible…we didn’t have our son.

While at Riley, Blake received a blanket and a teddy bear to keep. So my husband and I clung to those on the way home. Neither of those could compare to having our son, but it gave us something to hold. Two of the last things that Blake touched. That bear and blanket helped to bring us some comfort.
Because of our son, and the caring staff at Riley that day, we decided to start a chapter. This way we could honor our son, and hopefully provide some comfort to parents like ourselves. To us, Blakey’s Blessings helps keep Blake’s memory alive, and he gets to touch the lives of the children at Riley. Blake has been our inspiration for all we have done since his passing and we are proud to be his Mommy and Daddy.