Lucy Beyers: 2025 Riley Champion
Lucy Beyers likes to energize people, whether she’s cheerleading at her Creekside Middle School football games, participating in Riley Dance Marathons or even interacting with the cardiology team at Riley Children’s Health. But just a few years ago, she didn’t have the energy — or the pacemaker — to do any of this.
Before Lucy was born, she was diagnosed with heterotaxy, which impacts the arrangement of internal organs and causes malrotation of the intestines. She spent her first seven months of life at Riley Hospital for Children in downtown Indianapolis, undergoing three surgeries including open heart surgery. She had her pacemaker placed three years ago, and everything changed.
“Pre-pacemaker she was just so tired, blah and lethargic,” said Courtney Beyers, Lucy’s mother. “She had a really low heartbeat. We just kept putting (the surgery) off to try to get her to be a little bit bigger. Fast forward to now, it is still amazing to me to watch her cheering. The energy she has and the ability to keep up with it and do it all would not have happened pre-pacemaker.”
Anne Farrell, M.D., a pediatric cardiologist at Riley Children’s, has been with Lucy since Day One, even taking care of her prenatally. She continues to manage medications and monitor Lucy’s heart, including watching an abnormal valve Lucy has had since she was born.
“Lucy got tired quite a bit with just routine activities even though she was trying to push herself to play some sports and do some things,” said Dr. Farrell. “And once she got her pacemaker a few years ago, it’s like the switch flipped on and she’s like a completely different child. She’s one of the most extroverted children I’ve ever seen.”
The Beyers family is actively involved with Riley Children’s year-round, including serving dinner at the Ronald McDonald House Charities and fundraising for Riley Children’s Foundation in different ways, such as an annual hot chocolate stand on Lucy’s birthday.
“It’s just really the hope that can happen in that building,” said Courtney. “I can’t think of a better place to give our time, efforts, our monetary donations, than to someplace that truly impacts the state of Indiana and further than that. They don’t treat you as a number. They treat you as a patient who they’re really going to transform.”
Lucy, who served as the 2023 Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals Indiana Champion, says she’s excited to share her story as a Riley Champion to kids and families, especially those who might face her same rare condition. She doesn’t plan to slow her energy down any time soon, sharing that she wants to be a heart nurse when she grows up.
“When I think about Riley, I think ‘When I go there, I know that the doctors and nurses are going to take good care of me no matter what happens,’” said Lucy. “If it wasn’t for them and I didn’t have such a good care team taking care of me, I wouldn’t be here doing some of my favorite things today.”