Meet Champion, Shine

Shine lives his best life with the help of UC Davis Children’s Hospital; care he will continue to depend on throughout his life. Born early at just 4.5 pounds, doctors immediately noticed several challenges: his jaws and eyes couldn’t open, his knees wouldn’t fully extend, and his fingers and toes were fused together. Shine was diagnosed with Popliteal Pterygium Syndrome (PPS) Bartsocas-Papas type, a rare condition occurring in about 1 in 1 million births worldwide, along with ectodermal dysplasia. Despite these daunting diagnoses, Shine’s care team stepped in with expertise and compassion. Over the years, has undergone 20 surgeries, including amputation of both legs above the knee. Despite all this, Shine never let this slow him down. As soon as his legs healed and he was fitted with prosthetics, he took off running - literally. Today, Shine is a thriving eight-year-old, a joyful, determined child whose resilience inspires everyone he meets.