33^rd Annual Miracle Tournament and Celebration Dinner

Treated at Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare in St. Paul, MN.

Kate and Ben are twins with a close bond and very different personalities. They shared a tough journey from the start when they were born prematurely at 23 weeks, weighing just over 1 pound each. After nearly six months in the neonatal intensive care unit, they began to receive ongoing care and therapy from specialists at Gillette Children’s. Kate and Ben were both diagnosed with cerebral palsy (CP), a condition affecting the parts of the brain that control muscle tone, movement, balance and coordination. Kate has physical signs of CP that are more visible, while Ben is working to build muscle tone and overcome speech and processing delays. They are both thriving with the help of their care team at Gillette Children’s and their supportive family. Ben is the family jokester who loves to show off on the playground. Kate is a sweet, determined girl who loves unicorns and works hard in therapy. They are now 7 years old and living life to the fullest.

Treated at Johns Hopkins Children's Center in Baltimore, MD.

Emme started learning to walk shortly after her first birthday, but she never took more than a few steps at a time. Her parents thought she just wasn’t ready to walk yet. Months went by, and Emme eventually stopped trying to walk and resorted to scooting. When her parents noticed tremors in her hands and legs, her pediatrician ordered an MRI of her brain. The scan revealed a large tumor on her cerebellum, which had likely been there since birth. Emme had emergency surgery at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center — eight hours later her skilled neurosurgeon had completely removed the tumor. After a week of recovering, Emme went home, but when a fever spiked a day later she was readmitted to the hospital with meningitis. She was so sick she couldn’t leave her hospital room, but she eventually responded to antibiotics. When Emme recovered she learned to walk and talk with the help of intensive therapy. Now a bubbly 7-year-old with a contagious giggle, Emme makes everyone smile. She loves dinosaurs and playing with her sister.

Treated at The Children's Hospital of San Antonio in San Antonio, TX.

One day Nolan’s mom noticed something strange in his eye. By the end of that week, 3-year-old Nolan was diagnosed with retinoblastoma, a type of cancer that develops in the retina. Doctors concluded that he was likely born with a microscopic tumor undetectable to the naked eye. In order to remove the entire tumor, Nolan’s left eye was surgically removed and an orbital implant was placed to keep his eye muscles in shape while he healed. “We went from a normal Sunday afternoon to finding out our child was going to lose his eye, just like that,” says Nolan’s mom, Dr. Courtney Smith. “I’ve cared for children going through cancer throughout my career, but it’s entirely different being on the other side.” Eight weeks after surgery, Nolan was fitted for a prosthetic eye — his “superhero eye,” as he likes to call it. Nolan also started chemotherapy at The Children’s Hospital of San Antonio, where he completed his six-month treatment just in time for his fourth birthday. Now cancer-free, Nolan is a dynamic 7-year-old who loves reading, T-ball and hanging out with his little brother.