Don't feel sorry for Riley Stevens.

The 11-year-old balked at the idea of being the subject of a newspaper story. He doesn't want anyone thinking of him as "the sick kid," but he knows that if his story is shared, it might help raise awareness about the rare and serious blood disorder he's battling.

Riley and his mom, Katie, sat Friday on the couch in the family's Hayden home, and with Riley's blessing, Katie told her son's story.

The Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy sixth-grader was diagnosed last month with aplastic anemia, a condition that occurs when the bone marrow stops making enough red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets for the body. Only 900 new cases of aplastic anemia are diagnosed in the United States each year.

"There weren't any signs, except in late July, he started bruising," Katie said.

The marks were mainly on Riley's shins and elbows, areas commonly scuffed on healthy, active boys. Katie said they pointed the bruises out to Riley's physician in August, during a routine visit, and he said they could run some blood tests. Since Riley didn't appear to be ill, there was no urgency attached to the tests.

A few weeks after school started, Riley participated in a local middle school rite of passage, the Trail Creek camp experience. Katie said when Riley came home, he had a large bruise on his back. Holding her hands up, Katie illustrated the mark's size, about that of a large grapefruit.

"He said he got hit in the back with a kickball," Katie said.

That concerned her, so they went to get the blood work done. Shortly afterward, she said Riley's face began to look blue. She called the physician and later, she and her husband, Riley's dad, Josh, took Riley to the hospital emergency room. The boy was found to be severely anemic and required immediate hospitalization. He was admitted to the children's oncology unit at Providence Sacred Heart Hospital in Spokane. Katie and Josh were told Riley would have to be tested further to positively nail down a diagnosis, but it was either leukemia or aplastic anemia.

"The doctor said, 'I'm not seeing white cells, but I am seeing damaged red cells,'" Katie said.

Riley's white blood cell count was just a fraction of what it should be.

They immediately began testing Riley's immediate family members, his parents and younger siblings, Olivia, 9, and Ethan, 6, to see if any of them could be bone marrow donors for Riley, None of them were a match.

In the meantime, Riley's medical team began to prepare him for a first course of treatment - immunosuppressive drug therapy, a course of powerful drugs that would prevent his immune system from attacking his bone marrow, allowing stem cells to grow back and raise Riley's blood counts. The middle-schooler had to have surgery to install a port in his chest that medical professionals would use to draw blood from for lab tests, for transfusions and to give some medications. Riley received two blood transfusions and three platelet transfusions to get him safely through the surgery. That's an example, Katie said, of how blood donations save lives.

It took three tries to complete Riley's drug therapy by drip. He had adverse reactions, including huge hives and burning skin, during the first two attempts. The final administration took 90 hours.

Riley continues to take cyclosporine, one of the drugs, twice a day.

"What do you think of cyclosporine?" Katie asked Riley.

The boy grimaced, and said: "It smells like skunk."

Katie said that now they wait to see if Riley will respond positively to the treatment.

"It's not a cure. It will be a remission, but it can be a lifetime remission," she said.

Should Riley need a bone marrow stem cell transplant, they have found a donor, Katie said. That will require a lengthy trip to Seattle for Katie and Riley.

Katie said that through it all, Riley has marshaled on. Members of the oncology unit staff at Sacred Heart often remark, she said, on how calm Riley is as he's subjected to all the tests and procedures.

Riley has been completing his school work at home and staying on top of getting through sixth grade.

For a class "Good Deeds" project, Riley chose to make five blankets for other children being treated in the oncology unit at Sacred Heart. He selected a blanket with a monster design on it to give to a little boy he saw with similar pajamas.

Later, the boy's mother thanked Riley, and said that she uses the blanket herself sometimes, and it comforts her.

"That inspired me to keep making blankets for the kids in the hospital," Riley said.

Katie was heading out Friday afternoon to pick up more fabric.

Riley is also hoping to get back to running. He participated in his first school track meet just before his diagnosis. He ran his first 5K in March, and is planning to do another this spring.

Katie said he also loves to backpack and recently completed a trek with a 32-pound pack on his back, five more pounds than Katie was able to carry.

"He's going to power through this," she said. "He's a tough kid."

In addition to the emotional strain of dealing with the illness, there is a financial toll. Josh was laid off for a period of time in 2009, and the family had to move several times. Things were just beginning to stabilize again financially for the family. Katie said they don't yet know how much the full cost of Riley's immunosuppressive therapy will be, but they know it will be significant.

The price tag for his first six-day hospital stay was about $20,000. The tests to determine if Riley's younger siblings could be bone marrow stem cell donors cost $17,000. The monthly co-payment for Riley's medication is $225.

There is insurance, but there are caps on how much is covered, and there will be ongoing medical expenses through the years. The costs will skyrocket if Riley ends up requiring a transplant.

Riley is helping out. He and his grandmother produced and sold 40 T-shirts. The shirts, designed by Riley, say "Riley's Warriors" and are emblazoned with an Ancient Greek soldier's head.

The shirt sale covered the cost of Riley's medication co-pay, Katie said.

All five members of the Stevens family wear their Riley's Warriors shirts every Friday, a show of solidarity as they support Riley and each other.

Friends have set up a trust fund for donations to help the family with the mounting medical bills.

"We're blessed," Katie said.

Donations can be made to U.S. Bank c/o Riley Stevens, 6376 Government Way, Coeur d'Alene, ID, 83815.