Meet River
The little warrior behind Hearts With River
River had a near drowning accident when he was 14 months old that caused an anoxic brain injury.
Since then, his journey has touched so many people, through his strength, his little victories, his music moments, his artwork, and the love that surrounds him every day.
If you are just meeting River, welcome to Hearts With River.
Music Video
The Greatest Love
Music has always been part of River’s world, and he is the inspiration behind this song. When I wrote the song, I was sitting at the piano with River on my lap. When we recorded the song in the studio, River was present at every stage. When I was singing, River was right in front of me. And when we filmed this music video together, it became an experience I will never forget.
River’s Story
In his father’s words
If you want to learn more about River’s story, here are two videos where I share it.
River’s Story, Part 1
River’s Story, Part 2
Ways to Support River
Walking with River
So many people support River with prayers, kind comments, shares, songs, encouragement, and love.
Some people also choose to support River’s journey financially through the fundraiser. There is no pressure. We are grateful for every person who walks with River in any way. You can donate via:
More from River
Join us in the adventure
Daily moments, photos, reels, and the community walking alongside River. Come say hello!
59K followers
Friends, here is an important video. A lady named Trisha sent us a study which explains a lot about how aware brain injured kids can be despite how much they can express due to their injury. Thank you so much Trisha! Here is the message and more about the study:![]()
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Yes, brain injury survivors after drowning—particularly those with severe anoxic brain injury (ABI)—are frequently aware. Medical research indicates that many survivors who are unable to speak or move remain awake, alert, and fully aware of their surroundings, a condition commonly referred to as locked-in syndrome or Conrad Syndrome.” [source chip: UT Health Sa]![]()
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The research is led by Dr. Peter Fox, a neurology and radiology professor there, and the big study was published in the journal Pediatric Neurology in November 2023. His team used MRI, functional MRI, and PET scans to look at the brains of children who survived drowning — 154 of them in the larger study.![]()
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What they found. In about 60% of the children, the injury was focal — concentrated in the motor pathways (the wiring for movement and speech) — while the networks for vision, hearing, touch, cognition, and language were largely preserved. In plain words: the part of the brain that lets a child move and talk is damaged, but the part that lets them see, hear, understand, feel, and be aware is often still working. Dr. Fox's own words: "Even in the most severely affected of the children, we have evidence that at least the machinery for awareness of themselves and others remains functioning." And: "This is a new syndrome. It's not taught in medical school. This is all new neuroscience."![]()
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Why it's called "Conrad Syndrome." It's named after Conrad Tullis of San Antonio, the first child the institute imaged. He survived a drowning in 2004 and lived to age 20. His mother, Liz Tullis, pushed this research forward through a parent group and the Conrad Smiles foundation. Her line is the heart of the whole thing: "The fact that these children are 'in there' has never been communicated to the medical community." That phrase — "they're in there" — is the rallying cry of this research.![]()
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Sources: UT Health San Antonio — locked-in syndrome predominant outcome (2023 study) • UT Health San Antonio — "My kid is in there" MRI studies • Conrad Smiles — Pediatric Non-Fatal Drowning Research • MedicalXpress coverage of the study![]()
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#heartswithriver #riverthephoenix #anoxicbraininjury #lockedinsyndrome #conradsyndrome
I love to play ball with Daisy and River. Daisy gets so into it and goes get the ball and hands it back to River. She loves games and I love to see her have fun with her brother ❤️![]()
#heartswithriver #jamesmonroetv #riverthephoenix #daisyjune #playball
We got our blue check!!! Thr heartswithriver page is now verified on Facebook! Yay! 🌞![]()
#heartswithriver #thankyou #BrainInjuryAwareness
![Friends, here is an important video. A lady named Trisha sent us a study which explains a lot about how aware brain injured kids can be despite how much they can express due to their injury. Thank you so much Trisha! Here is the message and more about the study:
Yes, brain injury survivors after drowning—particularly those with severe anoxic brain injury (ABI)—are frequently aware. Medical research indicates that many survivors who are unable to speak or move remain awake, alert, and fully aware of their surroundings, a condition commonly referred to as locked-in syndrome or Conrad Syndrome.” [source chip: UT Health Sa]
The research is led by Dr. Peter Fox, a neurology and radiology professor there, and the big study was published in the journal Pediatric Neurology in November 2023. His team used MRI, functional MRI, and PET scans to look at the brains of children who survived drowning — 154 of them in the larger study.
What they found. In about 60% of the children, the injury was focal — concentrated in the motor pathways (the wiring for movement and speech) — while the networks for vision, hearing, touch, cognition, and language were largely preserved. In plain words: the part of the brain that lets a child move and talk is damaged, but the part that lets them see, hear, understand, feel, and be aware is often still working. Dr. Fox's own words: "Even in the most severely affected of the children, we have evidence that at least the machinery for awareness of themselves and others remains functioning." And: "This is a new syndrome. It's not taught in medical school. This is all new neuroscience."
Why it's called "Conrad Syndrome." It's named after Conrad Tullis of San Antonio, the first child the institute imaged. He survived a drowning in 2004 and lived to age 20. His mother, Liz Tullis, pushed this research forward through a parent group and the Conrad Smiles foundation. Her line is the heart of the whole thing: "The fact that these children are 'in there' has never been communicated to the medical community." That phrase — "they're in there" — is the rallying cry of this research.
Sources: UT Health San Anto](https://www.heartswithriver.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed/img/placeholder.png)
River’s Art & the Shop
A piece from River
With our help, River paints, and some of his artwork has been turned into greeting cards, mugs, shirts, canvases, and other meaningful items. The shop is one more way people can carry a piece of River’s journey with them and support his therapies.
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