33^rd Annual Miracle Tournament and Celebration Dinner

Treated at West Virginia University Children’s in Morgantown, WV.

Addison was eight years old when she had a rapid onset of seizures, which were misdiagnosed as panic attacks. Doctors encouraged her family to take their already scheduled vacation, but after arriving in South Carolina, her episodes increased in intensity and frequency. When her mom took her to the nearest emergency department, she was told it would be a thirteen-hour wait. Addison’s eyes were dilated and her hands and legs were shaking; her mother wondered if her daughter was having seizures and pleaded for a doctor to admit her daughter. After countless tests and doctors’ visits, neurologists diagnosed her with cortical dysplasia to the frontal lobe, which is a congenital abnormality of brain development that can cause irretractable epilepsy. Addison underwent a craniotomy with right frontal lobe resection and a few weeks later, she needed a spinal tap to drain the excess fluid from her brain due to a cerebrospinal fluid leak. Today, although on medication and still having seizures, Addison exudes strength and wisdom far beyond her years. When she grows up, Addison wants to become a Child Life specialist.

Donations to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals provides life-saving care and essential programs that support Addison and her family during her treatments.

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.

Treated at Golisano Children's Hospital of Southwest Florida in Fort Myers, FL.

At just 20 months old, Libbiana (Libbi) was diagnosed with stage 2 Wilms tumor in the height of the pandemic. On the day that Libbi was planning to ring the bell to celebrate being cancer-free at Golisano Children’s Hospital, her family learned that the cancer had come back and that it was growing rapidly. It consumed Libbi’s entire abdominal and pelvic area, compressing her bladder, intestines, and lungs. Despite strong chemotherapy, the tumor wasn’t shrinking. A risky and complicated surgery became the only option for her survival. Thankfully, by the time Libbi turned three, she had beat Wilms tumor twice. Over the course of 150 nights and an additional 150 days in the oncology clinic, Libbi overcame major emergency surgeries, being on a ventilator, blood and platelet transfusions, the removal of a kidney, intensive chemotherapy, and so much more. Today, Libbi is five years old, cancer-free, and healthy. She and her family love to share her story to give hope to other families.

Donations to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals ensured that Libbi and her family had the care and support they needed as she fought to beat cancer.