33^rd Annual Miracle Tournament and Celebration Dinner

Treated at Levine Children's Hospital in Charlotte, NC.

At nine years old, Gracie found a bump below her ribs. After an ultrasound and an MRI, the doctors didn’t think the bump was cancerous, but they did a biopsy just in case. It took over two weeks to receive a final diagnosis: a rare soft tissue cancer called CIC-DUX4 sarcoma. Since there had been less than 200 reported cases to date, there was no definitive treatment plan. Over the next six months, Gracie underwent surgery, intensive chemotherapy, and IV infusions at Levine Children’s Hospital. Now in remission, 11-year-old Gracie helps other kids fighting cancer and lights up every room she enters. She returned to school as a fifth grader and is back to her favorite past time: playing soccer.

Thanks to the support of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, the Child Life program at Levine Children’s Hospital has the resources needed to give kids like Gracie the best and most comfortable care.

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.

Treated at CHOC Hospital in Orange, CA.

Cash was 13 years old when he was playing football in a park and collapsed on the field. He went into cardiac arrest and the paramedics arrived within minutes. After repeated shocks and IV medication in the local emergency room, he was transported to CHOC Hospital to receive care from a recently formed collaboration between CHOC and UCLA Health pediatric heart specialists. The specialists diagnosed Cash with an anomalous left coronary artery (ALCA), a rare condition that disrupts the flow of blood to the heart. Since only one percent of the population is born with it, sudden cardiac arrest during exertion may be the first sign of ALCA and that’s what happened to Cash. He spent 33 days at CHOC Hospital before he was stable enough to go home. Now 15, Cash manages his condition with medications to support optimal heart function. Cash does his best to stay positive, spends time with family and friends, and enjoys traveling to new places.

Thanks to support for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Cash was able to receive life-saving surgery and highly specialized care.