Remembering Riley
Father and daughter alumni create a fund to support pediatrics research and clinical initiatives
By Stacey Bomser
Photography by Colin Lenton
Riley photo courtesy of Riley’s Dance Fund
Riley Nathan
R
iley Kogen never got the chance to realize her legacy of becoming a University of Miami Hurricane and follow in the footsteps of her mother, Ali Nathan, B.Sc. ’03, and grandfather, Bob Denholtz, B.B.A. ’71. Riley passed away a decade ago, at only five years of age, from panhypopituitarism, a rare condition that affects the production of hormones in the pituitary gland.
Hoping to prevent other families from experiencing similar heartbreak, her family created Riley’s Dance Fund, named in honor of the blue-eyed little girl who loved to twirl. It supports neonatal genomic research and clinical palliative care initiatives in the Miller School’s Department of Pediatrics. These are two areas of interest they chose to focus on after a generous gift last year to support five divisions within the department.
“As proud alumni, we gravitated toward our roots to make an impact,” said Denholtz, who serves on UM’s Presidents Council. “We want to honor Riley’s legacy and have her name mean something on campus.”
Their philanthropy supports the groundbreaking work of Pankaj Agrawal, M.D., chief of the Division of Neonatology. He has dedicated his career to understanding the genetic basis of rare diseases like Riley’s and discovering treatments that can be offered in some situations before the baby is even born.
“We like what Dr. Agrawal is doing with genomics and where he’s headed with his medical research,” Nathan said. “Riley was born with a rare, congenital condition, so this is something we can relate to and appreciate the advances he is making.”
“Riley’s Dance Fund will help us uncover the underlying genetics of rare and orphan diseases,” said Dr. Agrawal, Project New Born Distinguished Chair in Neonatology and professor of pediatrics and genetics at the Miller School. “With a better understanding of the mechanism of disease, we can try to find treatments and help families desperate for answers.”
That aligns perfectly with Riley’s Dance Fund’s mission.
“Our ultimate goal is to create a brighter future for families,” Nathan said. “We want to see other children dance again, just like Riley.”
To contribute to Riley’s Dance Fund, visit the giving page here. 
