Nancy and Bill Riseman

Riseman family makes annual giving to cancer research for young adults a recurring reminder of their son and brother, Ryan

Nancy and Bill Riseman have shaped a decades-long career constructing and renovating houses in the Dallas area, building modern spaces for families to call home.  

And for the last six years, the closing of each project has been a reminder of their son, Ryan.  

Since 2017, the couple, inspired by a colleague’s generous giving to Children’s Health, has donated a portion of each home sale to a fund benefiting pediatric cancer research for adolescents and young adults at Children’s Health. The gift is made in honor of Ryan – who loved to learn, play golf and had plans of a career in finance before he died at the age of 28 after completing years of treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.  

The couple’s giving has inspired their daughter, Rachel, who works as an account executive for Google, to follow a philanthropic path, making a generous annual gift matched by her employer to support cancer research targeted to improve outcomes for young adults.    

“Because our giving is recurring, it’s not one-and-done. It’s part of our lives. Part of our thoughts, just like Ryan is always a part of us,” Rachel said.  

In 2021, more than 200 active pediatric cancer clinical research trials were sustained and grown because of donors, helping improve the understanding, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of childhood and young adult diseases. Philanthropic investments in research remain critical to continue offering the best treatment options for these cancer patients.   

“When Ryan was in treatment, he always said, ‘Someday, I want to be one of those donors on the wall,’” Nancy said of the names of generous supporters featured at Children’s Medical Center Dallas. “When you lose a child, you search desperately for a way to make yourself feel OK. So much of our lives are work. We decided if we donated proceeds from each of our projects, slowly but surely, we could become one of those donors for Ryan.”  

Ryan was a senior at Tulane University interviewing for his first accounting job when he initially visited student health with complaints of trouble breathing, stopping to rest at benches on the way to the appointment.  

Worried he had a collapsed lung, a nurse rushed him to a local emergency room, where doctors discovered 7 liters of fluid-filled tumors on his lungs. Nancy and Bill flew their son by CareFlight back to Dallas for further testing, hoping it was a case of pneumonia.  

But a biopsy confirmed leukemia.  

“From the minute that cancer word was spoken, Ryan said, ‘Mom, I'm going to be okay. I don't want you to get upset,’” Nancy recalled. 

Ryan underwent a year of treatment at another hospital before transferring his treatment closer to home at Children’s Health. There, he entrusted his care to Naomi Joan Winick, MD – a Pediatric Hematologist/Oncologist studying cancer in young adults for the Pauline Allen Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s Health and a Professor at UT Southwestern Medical Center.  

A leader in patient care, treatment, research and training in pediatric oncology and hematology, the Gill Center brings national and international expertise through its affiliation with UT Southwestern and the Harold C. Simmons Cancer Center, setting it apart from other sites for pediatric cancer care in the region. 

Under Dr. Winick, Ryan served on a board alongside fellow young adults who were spearheading research efforts to improve care and outcomes for older pediatric populations.  

A growing number of patients served through the Gill Center are adolescents and young adults. Experts at Children’s Health such as Dr. Winick are determined to make life better for this unique patient population that oftentimes has distinctive medical and psychosocial needs but are frequently underserved and understudied.  

Our experts have been working to improve care for this specific group, from promoting privacy, comfort and age-appropriate offerings and amenities while in the hospital to preparing youth to enter the adult care system and even addressing fertility considerations.  

Over the years, support of research conducted by Dr. Winick and faculty members of the Gill Center has been integral to improving the lives of countless patient families served in Texas and those who benefit from our clinical research around the world. 

“Ryan trusted Dr. Winick with his life and thought she was a brilliant doctor. And he really believed in the research underway for patients like him,” Rachel said.  

Six years after receiving his diagnosis, Ryan completed his graduate studies in accounting, adopted a beloved cat named Koo Koo and finished his cancer treatment. He even attended his 10-year high school reunion, catching up with friends he’d missed for years.  

A few days later, he became sick with a high fever and a cough that escalated to something more serious. Within two days of admitting him to the hospital, Ryan had died.  

“He had made it through his cancer treatment and fought so hard to live,” Nancy said.  

“The only thing we could think to do was to help protect other families so nobody else has to go through this. And the only way to do that is through research, and that takes donations,” she said.  

And with each home built, Nancy and Bill have donated a portion of each home project to support cancer research for young adults, hoping to find a cure to help other young adults like their son. 

“Over time, these donations make a difference. We don’t have to be the hare. We can be the turtle,” Nancy said. “Slow and steadfast is OK. It’s all about resolve, and Ryan had such resolve.”