Meet Champion, Piper

Piper’s journey began before birth, when a routine ultrasound at 37 weeks revealed she had spina bifida. Born with myelomeningocele, bilateral club feet, hydrocephalus, and Chiari II malformation, her first year was filled with surgeries - spinal closure at one day old, brain surgery at seven days, and corrective surgery for her club feet at three months. Over the years, Piper has faced a tethered spinal cord, a shunt infection requiring 22 days in the hospital, and bacterial meningitis that temporarily took her hearing. Through eleven surgeries and countless treatments, she’s been supported by a dedicated team at Sanford Children’s Hospital. Now 8, Piper is known for her resilience, spunky humor, and quick wit that brightens even the toughest days. Strong, determined, and endlessly resourceful, she faces each challenge head-on, proving time and again that she is fierce, bright, and unstoppable.