At only eight years old, Noah has spent more time in the hospital than most people do in a lifetime. Born with Cooley’s anemia, a blood disorder that prevents the production of hemoglobin and red blood cells, Noah relies on bi-weekly blood transfusions at Kentucky Children’s Hospital to stay healthy and strong. At every visit, Noah gets an antibody screening to ensure the donor blood is a perfect match and then undergoes the transfusion through a permanent port in his chest. As he receives each transfusion, Noah builds Lego creations, plays games, and visits all his friends in the DanceBlue Clinic—a student-run organization that fundraises for the hospital’s hematology and oncology practice. Through the DanceBlue Clinic, Noah gets to hang out with the student volunteers and has made countless friends, finding a second home at his children’s hospital. Thanks to the compassionate care he receives, Noah is growing healthy and strong! He loves to swim, play with his sisters, and spend hours building his favorite toy, Legos!

When Meghan was only two years old, she was diagnosed with eosinophilic esophagitis (EOE), a rare immune disorder that damages the esophagus and makes eating painful. As Meghan struggled to eat because of the discomfort, her parents became increasingly worried about her growth. That’s when they brought Meghan to Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital. Very quickly, her family developed a close and trusting bond with their expert care team. The team offered reassurance and comfort, consistently answering every question and discussing multiple treatment options as Meghan underwent endoscopies. Along with the indispensable care from her gastroenterology team, a team of nutritionists became vital to Meghan’s progress, ensuring she had balanced, healthy meals. Today, Meghan is thirteen years old, confident, and joyful. Meghan continues to make great strides in her care and development with the support of the team at Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital. Thanks to this expert care and personal connection, Meghan has a bright future in store! 

On his second birthday, Preston was in a near-fatal ATV crash. After the accident, he was immediately airlifted to Driscoll Children’s Hospital, where doctors discovered he had a traumatic brain injury. Suffering from two bilateral skull fractures, Preston’s brain was swollen and he was paralyzed on the right side of his body. Thankfully, his care team intervened swiftly, providing an initial brain surgery and a second procedure to help him regain mobility. After these successful surgeries, Preston began rehab, undergoing two years of intensive physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Thanks to the team at Driscoll Children’s Hospital, Preston can now walk, run, and talk and goes to pre-school! To celebrate his remarkable recovery and thank the hospital for providing life-saving care, Preston’s family and friends donated toys to Driscoll Children’s Hospital. With their generosity, more pediatric patients like Preston can experience comfort and joy during their hospital stay.

Shortly after birth, Finley’s parents learned she had Down Syndrome and a congenital heart defect called complete atrioventricular canal defect. She stayed in the NICU for 19 days at their local hospital and was then transferred to Atrium Health Levine Children’s Brenner Children’s Hospital. Her parents immediately knew Finely was in the right hands. Her doctors took the time to explain her condition thoroughly, guiding her family through a personalized care plan that would give Finley the best chance at a healthy future. At just seven and a half months old, Finley underwent open heart surgery, but she amazed everyone with her resilience, recovering smoothly and returning home just four days later. After surgery, Finley began growing into an active and spunky toddler at home. But a few months later, her mom noticed she had grayish coloring and immediately took her back to the hospital. Her care team discovered she had acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an extremely rare diagnosis for children. Over the next few months, Finley endured six rounds of chemotherapy, but her bright spirit never dimmed. Her care team, including social workers and child life specialists worked hard to create a supportive environment. And just as she had with every challenge before, Finley fought hard. She responded well to treatment, and now that chemotherapy is over, Finley’s doctors see a bright future for her. She continues to visit the hospital for routine heart checks, ensuring she continues to stay healthy.

After coming down with a sore throat, 16-year-old Alé was diagnosed with mono. Doctors expected it to clear up quickly, but after several days of bed rest at home, his condition got worse rather than better. Faced with a painful sore throat, constant coughing, and a nosebleed, Alé’s mom decided to take him to the emergency room. Alé wound up at CHRISTUS Children’s Hospital with a 104-degree fever, and after just one night, his spleen became so inflamed he was transferred to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). In the PICU, critical care specialists saw he was struggling to breathe and decided to intubate him. This meant placing Alé in an induced coma while a ventilator took over his breathing. Once they regulated his breathing, doctors realized mucus was blocking his airway and inserted a tracheotomy to provide a direct airway to the lungs. Then doctors discovered Alé didn’t just have mono but also had necrotizing fasciitis, a severe, rare bacterial infection that kills tissue. The hospital kept Alé on breathing assistance and provided life-saving medication to cure the infection. A few weeks later, the doctors brought Alé out of the medically induced coma, and he was breathing on his own again. Now, Alé is back in school and plans to play football in the fall! While those few weeks were some of the scariest times for him and his family, his amazing care team helped them all through it. Today, Alé has a brand-new outlook on life, wanting to take advantage of every opportunity that comes his way.

Kennedy was removing her nail polish with a candle lit nearby when suddenly, the fumes and flame met, causing an explosion. She was rushed via ambulance to Shriner Children’s Ohio. Kennedy sustained second and third-degree burns on her hands, arms, thighs, and stomach, covering about 13% of her whole body. Doctors performed multiple skin graft surgeries and procedures. Additionally, her support system of occupational and physical therapists, nutritionists, and care managers worked together to help her heal faster. The teams worked across disciplines to create an individualized care plan tailored to Kennedy’s needs. After just two weeks, was able to go home. She eventually returned to school and is back to doing her favorite activities like cheerleading and playing the saxophone!