WITH joy in her eyes and an infectious smile that melted the hearts of very many people, Riley Ann Moss from Coa, Ballinamallard spent her short life enriching the lives of all those who met her.
The six year old who suffered from congenital heart disease died in the early hours of Sunday morning after a battle that she handled with great strength from the moment she was born. 
‘Smiley’ Riley, which means valiant, lived up to her name, smiling right up until the very end.
While her parents Sean and Teresa and sisters, Caithlin and Enya must grieve the loss of their “precious angel” they say they take comfort in how far their daughter had come, everything she had faced, all the battles she had won and the fears she had overcome. 
“She was the little girl with the massive heart. We hoped we would have had a lot longer with her but her heart was too tired. She went to sleep on Friday night and took her last breath on Sunday morning,” Mrs. Moss told The Impartial Reporter.
“She had so much strength and was one of the strongest little people I have ever known. Despite her medical issues she was amazing. 
“It never affected her personality and even when she was unwell she was never one for crying, she was never one for tears. She never lost her smile.”
The last fortnight was particularly difficult for the Moss family as Riley’s health deteriorated. 
“Her heart got more and more tired and things just snowballed. Over the last two weeks we knew what was coming but it didn’t make it any easier. This was about Riley and it was peaceful. We were scared that she would have a lot of pain but she didn’t.”
As she lay in hospital, Riley’s family yearned to see the fun loving girl who enjoyed attending Willowbridge School back home “doing her thing” or in her power chair “putting holes in the kitchen cupboards, just one more time.”
The youngster received 24 hour care at her home and was cared for at Horizon West, the NI Children’s Hospice’s in Killadeas. She spent most of her life between Clark Clinic in Belfast and South West Acute Hospital where she passed away.
“It was her smile that really endeared people to her, she had this personality and loved being the centre of attention. She loved an audience and her level of understanding was amazing, even on Friday evening she was playing games with the teddies.
“Even though her body and her heart were getting tired her personality was there, right until the end. At 11 o’clock [just hours before she died] she was smiling, pulling herself up in the bed.”
Even before she was born, her family knew she was going to have serious heart disease and did all they could to support her every need, including adapting their home around her. 
“We came across the name Riley which means valiant; courageous. She so lived up to that name, she has been so courageous her whole life. Smiling and laughing was part of her, her laugh was infectious. 
“The amount of people she came into contact with, who never forgot meeting her. We could be going down the street and she would wave at a stranger and they would wave back, she could change someone’s day. 
“Even her relationship with other children was lovely to see; they were really drawn to her. They would have chatted away to her, they treated her like one of them,” she said. 
Around 500 mourners attended Riley’s funeral, conducted by Johnny McKeegan, at St. Mary’s Church in Coa on Tuesday.
“It was hugely emotional but beautiful,” said Mrs. Moss yesterday. “It was amazing how many people knew her and how many lives she had touched.”
The family say they will cherish their memories of Riley forever and have no regrets.
“Everything we did was for Riley, everything we did we wanted to do for her. She was our baby and we loved her,” said Mrs. Moss.