Georgetown boy who suffered medical emergency in NYC to finally return to Texas to continue treatment in Austin

GEORGETOWN, Texas (KWTX) - A boy from Georgetown is about to return to Texas after spending the last month-and-a-half in two different New York City hospitals after an insurance provider initially denied a request to cover the cost of his transfer back home, his family told KWTX.

Since the medical emergency in New York, Riker Stippick’s parents have had to alternate between spending time with him in the Big Apple and their hometown of Georgetown, where his two sisters are.

Last month, a birthday trip for Riker, 10, turned into tragedy when he suffered a brain aneurysm at the 9/11 memorial.

”He really had this shriek of pain, which we probably understand now as the moment where the aneurysm burst,” Riker’s father, David Stippick, said.

Riker was taken to Bellevue Hospital in New York City where his family found out it was a condition called arteriovenous malformation.

”So it’s arteries and veins tangled up in his brain in a way that they shouldn’t be,” David said.

Riker was then transferred to Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital in New York City.

”He’s also had a tract tube placed to help with his breathing and a g-tube to help with feeding in his belly,” David said.

David later asked his insurance provider about transporting Riker closer to home. The insurance provider denied two separate requests, Stippick said.

”In their estimation, it would be a medically necessary or lateral move because he’s receiving better medical care at the facility he’s currently at than compared to where we want to take him,” David said.

The next step was to contact people with political power.

”We really started calling our state representatives and anybody who knew anybody to make a request on our behalf,” David said.

The good news finally came on Monday. Riker will be transported to Dell Children’s Medical Center in Austin, closer to his family of five.

”We also know that all of the medical research data shows that positive patient outcomes come with having peer social family support and we don’t have that here,” David said.

Riker will be flying back to Texas on a medical air transport on Thursday. His family said he will remain in the ICU at Dell Children’s Medical Center and later be moved to a rehab center. They aren’t sure yet when he’ll return to his home.