33^rd Annual Miracle Tournament and Celebration Dinner

Treated at UC Davis Children’s Hospital in Sacramento, CA.

Isaac was a healthy baby, but as a toddler, he became lethargic and stopped eating. His low energy and recurring fevers meant multiple trips to the doctor’s office with no answers. When his skin became pale in November 2016, Isaac’s mom advocated for a blood test despite being told it was likely a virus. The staff ran a Complete Blood Count. That afternoon, a nurse practitioner called and told Isaac’s mom to pack a bag and take him to UC Davis Children’s Hospital. The family got the official diagnosis: acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Isaac’s treatment began right away. He spent his second birthday at the hospital and his cancer treatment continued for years at the pediatric infusion center at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center. Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy programs like music therapy and interactions with the facility dog made the treatment much more tolerable. Today, Isaac remains cancer-free and loves to play football, watch sports and go to the ocean.

Thanks to support from Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Isaac was able to receive customized cancer treatments so he could live a healthy life in remission.

Treated at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children in Orlando, FL.

During their 20-week ultrasound, Akosua and Fernando learned that their baby had spina bifida. Determined to explore all options, they reached out to the Fetal Care Center at Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies after learning the hospital offered in-utero surgery for babies with this diagnosis. Within a week, Akosua started an evaluation to see if she and her baby were suitable for in-utero surgery, and thankfully, they were. At 25 weeks into her pregnancy, Akosua underwent surgery to correct the defect in Celeste’s spine. Seven weeks later, Celeste was born, weighing 4 pounds, 10 ounces. After a short stay in the neonatal intensive care unit to ensure her health, she was able to go home. Now, at five years old, Celeste is thriving. She walks on her own and enjoys gymnastics, swimming and playing with her sister. Celeste is smart, playful, determined and kind. Celeste goes to weekly physical therapy, and as she grows, she will continue to receive care at the Spina Bifida Clinic at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children.

Donations to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals helped fund the fetal surgery program and the state-of-the-art ultrasound machine used to detect spina bifida in kids like Celeste.

Treated at Kentucky Children’s Hospital in Lexington, KY.

At ?rst, eight-year-old Lucy’s parents thought she’d caught strep throat, or maybe the ?u. But as her symptoms progressed to a high fever and an upset stomach over the course of the week, they realized their daughter was dealing with something worse. Lucy’s pediatrician tested her for something called Multisystem In?ammatory Syndrome in Children, or MIS-C: a rare syndrome associated with COVID. “We were just ruling it out” was the mindset behind running blood work that led to Lucy’s diagnosis. “[Our pediatrician] said, ‘We’ve already called ahead to Kentucky Children’s Hospital, and they have a room for you. You need to go immediately.’” MIS-C can lead to major in?ammation of the organ systems, skin, and brain, and most children with the condition arrive at the hospital in bad shape. When Lucy was admitted, her blood pressure was low and her heart was beating way too fast. Lucy’s doctors and her parents quickly made the decision to transfer her to Kentucky Children’s Hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). After several days in the PICU, Lucy’s condition began to improve. Soon she was discharged to recover fully at home. Lucy’s family is deeply grateful to the medical professionals at Kentucky Children’s Hospital for ensuring their story has a happy, healthy ending.

Thanks to donations to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Lucy had access to lifesaving care at Kentucky Children’s as she recovered from MIS-C.