Riley’s McMaster Children’s Hospital Video Game Drive honours late teen

10 years ago, a Hamilton family lost their youngest son to a rare but severe chronic illness. This year, they’re looking to raise $20,000 for McMaster Children’s Hospital.

They plan to donate it in a way that honours their son’s favorite hobby – video games.

Riley Berryman was in-and-out of McMaster Children’s Hospital from when he was a year old, to his death 10 years ago at 14. He was diagnosed with chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction, a rare but, in his case, severe chronic illness.

His brother Mike says Riley would spend all the time he could playing the games Fallout or Red Dead Redemption on the hospital’s Xboxes and PlayStations.

Every year since, his family has donated a few consoles and games to the hospital. This year marks a decade since his passing, and the family wanted to do something bigger. They launched a GoFundMe page in hopes of raising $20,000.

Mike Berryman said, “It’s very special to us to give back to the hospital because they took care of Riley for so long and so excellently. Part of his legacy is that we’re helping other children in a way that would be so special to him.”

They’ll make the donation on November 20th on Riley’s birthday.