33^rd Annual Miracle Tournament and Celebration Dinner

Treated at Dayton Children’s Hospital in Dayton, OH.

At the age of three, Carah was diagnosed with childhood-onset fluency disorder (also known as stuttering). While most children outgrow a stutter by the age of 5, Carah did not. In 6th grade, a substitute teacher mocked her in class, leaving Carah spiraling with her self-esteem and confidence plummeting. She mentally and emotionally struggled and didn’t want to go to school. Carah saw countless speech therapists over the years but never felt there was a right fit as the focus was placed on her speech fluency and less on the deep, lingering emotional trauma she was experiencing. That changed when Carah turned to Dayton Children’s Speech Therapy Program. “...from the time we walked through those speech therapy doors, they took the time to actually talk with Carah and dug deeper to the parts that people can’t see. And helped Carah in learning tools and techniques to navigate those feelings and mental roadblocks,” her mom said. Carah will always have a stutter; however, she’s learned that her condition does not steal the power of her own voice. One way she’s doing that is by educating her former middle school by giving a keynote speech every year, now part of her school’s curriculum, about stuttering, understanding yourself and your feelings, and bullying. “Stuttering is a part of me, but it doesn’t define me. I have a lot of goals set for the future and I’m just getting started,” Carah said.

Thanks to donations to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Carah received life-changing support from Dayton Children’s Speech Therapy Program, helping her self-esteem grow as she navigates Child Onset Fluency Disorder.

Treated at Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, IN.

Cassidy has a rare immunodeficiency and has been treated at Riley Hospital for Children since she was five months old. When Cassidy was six months old, she became very ill with croup. Within a matter of minutes of being triaged in the Riley Emergency Department, she stopped breathing on her own and was intubated and sedated for several days while doctors began to research a diagnosis and treatment plan. After several days, she was intubated. Her family says they were thankful for a diagnosis of croup at the time, this began our long journey of discovering the impact that a minor respiratory illness could have on Cassidy. After several years, her family discovered that she has a rare immunodeficiency with cold induced urticaria. Cassidy is now in kindergarten and thanks to a wonderful care team, she has avoided inpatient treatment since her hospital visit four years ago.

Thanks to donations to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Cassidy has received lifelong support for her rare immunodeficiency condition.

Treated at Cook Children's Medical Center in Fort Worth, TX.

Less than two weeks after Molly started experiencing numbness in her face, she was diagnosed with Ewing sarcoma, a type of cancer that forms in bone or soft tissue. Molly underwent brain surgery to remove the tumor and has recently finished chemotherapy. Molly’s dad said that while he could never have imagined hearing the word cancer, he finds comfort in knowing how much the hospital staff cares for his daughter. “Cook Children’s is a big part of this new life that we have to live while we get through this season,” he said. “It’s not just us fighting this fight. While the journey hasn’t been easy, Molly has worked to express any fears and concerns with the support of Child Life specialists.”

Donations to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals helps families like Molly’s with support during her hospital stays and preparation for care at home.