DANA POINT : Ad Agency Plans Rally for Riley

Rick and Tracy Morgan are still praying for a miracle.

The Dana Point couple found out in April that their 3-year-old daughter, Riley, had a malignant brain tumor.

After two surgeries, they thought their prayers were answered.

This week, however, the Morgans found out that Riley could need a third operation because doctors suspect a portion of the tumor may still remain.

As the family faces the possibility of another surgery, medical bills are mounting to more than $400,000.

But a miracle of another kind has come their way.

A fund-raiser is planned Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Mile Square Regional Park in Fountain Valley, hosted by the Practice Builder advertising agency.

“I’m overwhelmed and very gratified they’re doing this,” said Rick Morgan, 39, a free-lance artist for the Costa Mesa agency since 1991.

The event, “A Rally for Riley,” will feature games, contests, a raffle and auction.

Tracy Morgan, 36, a flight attendant with Delta Air Lines, said the agency’s interest in Riley’s fight against cancer is a “true show of support and love.”

“The money will be much appreciated, but it’s the union that has formed over this that is the most important thing,” she said.

Rick Morgan said his daughter is covered under medical insurance through his wife’s company, but the coverage is limited.

“This rally is a situation to attempt to raise money to offset medical emergency situations that may arise,” he said.

It was on Easter, April 11, when the Morgans took Riley to the hospital and found out that there was a mass on the front left lobe of her brain.

She had complained of headaches and had episodes of vomiting.

After six hours of surgery the next day, a portion of the tumor--the size of a small orange--was removed.

Chemotherapy treatments followed the surgery to reduce what was left of the tumor.

Riley lost her brown hair, thick eyebrows and long eyelashes.

A second operation was performed Aug. 18 to remove the remainder of the tumor.

Now the Morgans are waiting to find out whether a remaining spot on her brain is cancerous.

“Unfortunately, the only way to find out is to go in,” Tracy Morgan said. “It’s very scary . . . but we’ll do whatever is best for Riley. We’re going to have to weigh all the pros and cons.”

The Morgans said their daughter has been a trooper.

“She’s very tough,” Rick Morgan said of Riley. “Unless you saw the scar on her head and the lack of hair, you’d never know anything was wrong with her.”

The Morgans said their lives have taken on a new meaning since their only child became ill.

“It hasn’t been easy,” Tracy Morgan said.

But their families and friends and their faith have guided and supported them through the tough times, Tracy Morgan said.

“We just never thought something like this would happen--it was kind of a wake-up call,” Rick Morgan said.

“But as bad as it is, on the oncology floor, there are other children worse off. We’ve been lucky.”

The couple said that despite the unknown in battling cancer, they remain optimistic that their daughter will be a survivor.

“She’s the light of our lives,” Rick Morgan said, adding, “and we still got her here with us.”

Donations may be made to the Riley Morgan Fund, c/o Rally for Riley, 2755 Bristol St., Suite 100, Costa Mesa, Calif. 92626.