Meet Champion, William

After 41 weeks of anticipation, William’s parents were overjoyed to welcome their son. But his arrival at Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies was anything but routine. Delivered by emergency C-section, doctors discovered his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck three times. Without oxygen or a heartbeat for nearly 15 minutes, William was resuscitated and diagnosed with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), a brain injury caused by lack of oxygen at birth. In the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), William’s care team placed him in a cooling suit, treated seizures, and supported his fragile body. His parents call those providers his “fairy godmothers,” surrounding their family with expertise and compassion. After 18 days, William went home and continued follow-up care at Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. Now 8, William is thriving with speech, occupational, and physical therapies. Playful and full of life, he loves Pokémon, swimming and performing.