The Backhaul Direct Golf Outing is our largest annual philanthropic event– helping raise $35,000+ annually for Riley Children’s Foundation. A portion of the funds allowed us to name a red wagon in honor of Lee Johnson, a founding Backhauler who lost a hard-fought battle with brain cancer. The red wagons are used to take Riley patients to appointments throughout the hospital– helping families navigate the facility, while bringing a little joy to the kiddos during what can be a stressful and scary time.

     We are thrilled to announce that the Backhaul Direct 2023 Golf Outing will raise money to support a Pediatric Pulmonary Hypertension and Cardiology fellowship. The Riley Heart Center is partnering across clinical areas and in clinical research on a novel research project to better assess reasons for cardiac failure in patients after Fontan surgery. The project is being led by Dr. Michael Johansen, Dr. Larry Markham, and Dr. Mark Payne. Fontan surgery is performed in all kinds of single ventricle patients, and Riley follows over 400 such patients in their system. In Fontan patients, the single ventricle is used to pump blood to the aorta and body, while blood flow to the lungs is passively draining from the veins without actively being pumped. If or when the resistance in the lungs increases over time, this can frequently result in heart failure and may eventually require heart transplantation. The long-term goal of this project is to identify a treatable cause that could lead to a major impact on the long-term well-being and survival of this patient population.

     Dylan Murphy, COO, and his wife have spent roughly six months in the Heart Center at Riley Children’s Hospital with their son Bryce. He was born with a rare heart condition and has undergone two open heart surgeries at Riley under the care of Dr. Michael Johansen and Dr. Mark Turrentine. They have received overwhelming support from the entire Riley cardiology team, including Dr. Larry Markham, who would participate in many of Bryce’s care conferences and become a crucial asset to his long-term care. Through Bryce’s time in Riley, the Murphy family has developed close relationships with nurses, doctors, specialists, and especially other patients and their families. Supporting families like this is what Backhaul Cares is all about. We care about the families battling congenital heart disease and whose children may be born affected, tomorrow, next week, next year, and beyond. Backhaul Direct wants the Heart Center to have everything they need to give other families the same level of care and outcome that Bryce had at Riley.