Meet Our Champions

When Charlie’s mom went into labor six weeks early, she thought the biggest challenge would be his premature lungs. But shortly after birth, bloodwork revealed dangerously high creatinine levels: signs of stage five kidney failure. Within days, he was transported to SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital, a Children’s Miracle Network hospital, where doctors placed a dialysis catheter at just one week old. The family was told to prepare for at least six months in the hospital. They faced infections, surgeries, and emotional exhaustion, but Charlie’s incredible spirit kept them moving forward. For four years, Charlie endured 18 hours of daily dialysis at home, eventually weaning to 12. There were moments of heartbreak, including the day four-year-old Charlie told his mom, "I don’t want to do this anymore." But his family and care team never stopped believing in him. Continuity of care became their lifeline. Charlie always stayed in the same hospital bed, surrounded by familiar nurses who knew every nuance of his care and supported him even after he left the hospital. "They’ve become family," his mom says. "They listened to us, to Charlie, and gave us room to breathe when we needed it." Years later, hope arrived through an unexpected source: a community member who offered to be tested as a living donor. She was a perfect four-point match. At the age of five, Charlie received his kidney transplant. He went home in just 99 days: the fastest recovery of any patient on his floor. Today, nine-year-old Charlie is thriving. He still takes eight medications daily and knows another transplant may someday be needed, but his joyful spirit and gratitude never waver. His mom credits his expert medical care with bringing Charlie to where he is today, saying, "Cardinal Glennon gave him the chance to live the life he was meant to."