33^rd Annual Miracle Tournament and Celebration Dinner

Treated at Baylor Scott & White McLane Children's Medical Center in Waco, TX.

Identical twins Audrey and Ella were born nine weeks premature, and each weighed two pounds. They spent several weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit at Baylor Scott & White McLane Children’s Hospital. Despite their early arrival, the twins were healthy, and their early interventions were very minimal. However, when they were one year old, a routine doctor’s visit led to a referral to a plastic surgeon at McLane’s Children’s Hospital who found both of their skulls were developing in a triangular shape. This condition, Metopic Craniosynostosis, happens when the bone plates that make up the skull fuse too early and can lead to vision, learning and behavioral issues. Audrey and Ella required a Cranial Vault reconstruction/reconstructive surgery at 17 months old. After their ten-hour procedure, the doctors confirmed that they did not need any additional surgery. Today, the twins are six-years old and are growing and thriving. With their scars hidden beneath their hairline, you would never know of their condition.

Donations to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals helped to purchase the equipment used for Audrey and Ella’s Craniosynostosis Cranial Vault reconstruction/reconstructive surgery.

Treated at University of Michigan Health at Sparrow Children's Center in Lansing, MI.

At 17 weeks pregnant, Ryan’s mom, Becky, was diagnosed with a subchorionic hematoma. Soon after, Becky was placed on bedrest for 6 weeks until Ryan was born via an emergency C-section at 23 weeks.

Ryan weighed one pound seven ounces at birth. In the University of Michigan Health at Sparrow Children’s Center’s Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (RNICU), he was supported by a team of neonatologists, nurse practitioners, nurses, respiratory therapists, phlebotomists, and many others. Ryan’s time in the NICU was marked by underdeveloped lungs and bronchopulmonary dysplasia, multiple infections, intraventricular hemorrhages, necrotizing enterocolitis, and advanced retinopathy of prematurity.

After discharge, Ryan required regular follow-up appointments with many subspecialists, therapists, medical equipment providers, and others. He was readmitted that first year into the pediatric intensive care unit for breathing difficulties, and additional surgery.

Today, Ryan is a 14-year-old who exemplifies perseverance. He loves to build things, ride his bike and hoverboard, and play in the band!

Thanks to donations to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Ryan had access to a team of lifesaving specialists in the neonatal intensive care unit after being 17 weeks prematurely.

Treated at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in Philadelphia, PA.

Porter was born with Down syndrome at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), where the care team helped his family understand the medical, cognitive, and social complexities to ensure he could have the best quality of life. From the beginning, specialists provided education through their Trisomy 21 Symposiums, which helped Porter’s family build a support network of other families going through similar experiences. During the medical procedures and hospitalizations for respiratory illnesses, Porter’s family was grateful for the opportunity to participate in a few clinical trials through CHOP, helping to build a body of research that will pave a positive future for other individuals with intellectual disabilities. “Porter is thriving today because we’ve got a team that sees him as a person with a bright future,” his mom says, adding that “the team at CHOP has always been by our side.” Now 12 years old, Porter plays drums in the school band. He loves horseback riding, baseball, Tae Kwon Do, and Special Olympics swimming.

Thanks to the support of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Porter and his family received incredible care and support, including music and art therapy.