Meet Champion, Izzy

Even before she was born, Izzy was a fighter. At her mom’s 36-week ultrasound, doctors discovered she had suffered a stroke in utero that caused a third-degree brain bleed and hydrocephalus. Her parents were referred to OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital for an early delivery, unsure if she would survive. Born by emergency cesarean, Izzy defied expectations. After a week in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), she went home, only to return soon after for brain surgery, the first of six before her third birthday. Despite enormous challenges, Izzy met every milestone, showing humor and joy along the way. At three, Izzy began having seizures, another hurdle her family faced with the help of her trusted Doernbecher team. Today, at six, she takes swimming lessons, plays T-ball, and is thriving in kindergarten. Her mom says, “She is my inspiration and my purpose. In such an uncertain world, she makes so much sense.”