HD Warriors: Remembering My Angel, Penny Riley

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 For my next story, I want to share about someone who has had a huge impact on my life through the Huntington’s disease community. Her name is Penny Riley, and I met her at one of the Swisher golf tournaments not long after I was gene tested.

Penny was a firecracker of a woman! She worked as the Area Director for Northern California and Nevada and was in charge of marketing and fundraising for HDSA. Everyone loved her because she was personable, friendly, and so much fun to be around. But more than that, she had a way of showing up for families that was unmatched. She drove and flew all over to meet people, making sure no one felt alone in this fight.

From the moment we met, she took me into her life and family. After that first event, I was hooked. I started attending everything, basketball shoots, gala dinners, walks, bowling nights, baseball games, local conventions, and national conventions. Penny became my guide and mentor. We traveled together, shared rooms at events, and built a bond that quickly grew into something so much deeper.

Since my own mom had passed away, Penny became like a mother figure to me. She showed up for every major life moment, my birthdays, my horse shows, my wedding. She never missed a single one. We talked often, and she always made me feel supported. She was the one who asked me if I wanted to start the Sacramento walk, and she walked me through every step of the planning. For five years, I poured my heart into that walk, and she was always right by my side cheering me on.

When I was honored for my work, Penny was there standing with me. Even during my college years, when I studied communications, I asked if I could intern for her at HDSA just to see if it was a path I wanted to follow. I did not end up working there after graduation, but those experiences with her are ones I will always treasure.

Penny is one of the most special, strong, and beautiful women I have ever met. She is truly an angel in my life. I am so grateful she took me in all those years ago when I was just eighteen, and I will carry her love, her laughter, and her example with me forever.



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