Champion Spotlight: Kendalyn
Born six weeks early, Kendalyn began life as a fighter. What seemed like typical preemie feeding struggles quickly revealed something far more serious: her intestines simply weren’t working. After countless feeding tubes and hospital stays, doctors at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital, a Children’s Miracle Network hospital, diagnosed her with Chronic Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction, meaning her intestines cannot move food through her body. Since then, Kendalyn has relied on IV nutrition through a central line to survive. She’s also faced chronic pancreatitis, lung disease, and bladder complications requiring multiple surgeries, including an ileostomy bag she proudly named “Lulu.” Despite constant pain and hospital stays, Kendalyn’s joyful spirit shines. Through donor-funded Child Life, art, and music therapy, she’s brought light to others: painting nurses’ nails, decorating units, and sharing crafts with fellow patients. Donations make those moments possible. Today, Kendalyn dreams big, reminding everyone that even in hardship, hope remains.
Champion Spotlight: Sumukh
When 9-year-old Sumukh began battling constant fevers, nausea, and exhaustion, his family never imagined it would be leukemia. Referred immediately to Children’s National Hospital, a Children’s Miracle Network hospital, he was admitted the same day and began chemotherapy within hours. His care team and donor-funded Certified Child Life Specialists surrounded his family with compassion, helping them understand each step and keeping his spirits high. Though he missed friends and school, Sumukh quickly made the hospital his second home. He joined and started his own events, established a video game league, and became known as the “Mayor of 4 East” (the hospital floor on which his treatment was on). Nurses teased that they were “50% nurse, 50% playmate,” and his doctors adjusted treatment schedules so he could keep learning and playing. After four rounds of chemotherapy, Sumukh rang the bell. Today, he’s back in school, sports, and laughter, still brightening every room he enters. His family calls him their greatest source of strength and joy.
Champion Spotlight: Pierce
When Pierce was 22 months old, what began as a cold sweats and fatigue quickly became life-threatening. He was diagnosed at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA), a Children’s Miracle Network hospital, with acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive blood cancer. After chemotherapy, doctors determined his only hope was a bone marrow transplant, a procedure requiring a donor with a closely matched tissue type. Although his family was tested, none were a match, and no donor could be found in the United States. However, CHLA’s expanded global search identified a perfect donor match—a woman in France. The donor’s marrow arrived in Los Angeles, and Pierce received the transplant that saved his life. Today, Pierce is a thriving 10-year-old who loves soccer and baseball. His family celebrates two birthdays each year, his biological birthday and his “blood birthday.” Now medication-free, he shares his story to inspire others and raise awareness.
Champion Spotlight: Jordy
When Jordy was five, his parents noticed something wasn’t right. Their energetic, playful son had constant stomach pain, nausea, and sudden weight loss. After multiple appointments and a hospital stay at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, a Children’s Miracle Network hospital, Jordy was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. But when treatments failed, doctors pursued genetic testing and discovered the actual cause: XLP2, an ultra-rare genetic disorder with fewer than 100 known cases worldwide. After medication and a clinical trial proved unsuccessful, Jordy faced his last option: a bone marrow transplant. At eight years old, he underwent the life-saving procedure, spending his birthday recovering with his family by his side. Thanks to his expert care team, donor-funded Child Life specialists, and an unshakable spirit, Jordy is now cured. At nine, he’s back to flag football, playing video games, and finally living a healthy, joyful childhood.
Champion Spotlight: Merveille
Merveille’s story began before she was born, when her parents learned during the 3-month ultrasound that she would have a cleft lip and palate. Though the news was difficult, her doctors offered reassurance, education, and a caring team guiding them through every step. Born prematurely at 32 weeks after a placental abruption, Merveille was airlifted to Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital, a Children’s Miracle Network hospital, where she spent 11 weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Feeding was a challenge, but the Maxillofacial Program and Sacred Heart’s nurses, therapists, and specialists helped find the right tools and techniques to address it. At 14 months old, she underwent palate repair surgery and has since continued developmental reviews with a multidisciplinary cleft team. Children’s Miracle Network funding has ensured the program’s survival, supporting nurses, speech therapists, and feeding resources for children like Merveille. Now a bright and curious kindergartener, Merveille is thriving.
Champion Spotlight: Barbie
When a high fever interrupted her second birthday celebration, Barbie’s family never imagined it would lead to a leukemia diagnosis. She began chemotherapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia, but repeated infections and limited medical resources made her treatment dangerous. After relapsing during the COVID-19 pandemic, her family sought lifesaving care at Nicklaus Children’s, a Children’s Miracle Network hospital. Despite intense treatment cycles and side effects, Barbie found comfort through programs like Child Life, music, and pet therapy. Over three years, she endured countless procedures with resilience, until she rang the bell to mark the end of treatment, surrounded by cheers from her care team. Now 11, she’s cancer-free, dancing, drumming, laughing, and making memories with her sister. Barbie is a bright, spirited reminder of hope, healing, and the expert medical care that changed her life. “She’s our miracle,” says her mom. “Nicklaus Children’s gave us back her smile, and her future.”
Champion Spotlight: Rudy
When Rudy was born, his left arm and back were covered in a large, dark birthmark that doctors quickly identified as having a potential high risk for developing cancer. By two months old, he began a long series of surgeries and skin grafts to remove it, often tearing, bleeding, and causing mobility issues that required complex reconstruction. After searching across the country for specialists, Rudy’s mom found exactly what she needed close to home at Dayton Children’s Hospital, a Children’s Miracle Network hospital. There, a skilled and compassionate surgical team performed the delicate tissue-expansion and flap-reconstruction procedures Rudy needed. Today, 14-year-old Rudy has endured 47 surgeries and has learned to love his scars. He’s active, fearless, and dreams of becoming a plastic surgeon himself one day, to help kids just like him. His mom says, “He’s proud of who he is. Dayton Children’s didn’t just fix his arm, they helped him heal in every way.”
Champion Spotlight: Lanna
In the final month of pregnancy, scans showed that baby Lanna wasn’t growing as expected. Then, when she was born, her parents knew something was different. At one month old, genetic testing at Arkansas Children’s Hospital, a Children’s Miracle Network hospital, revealed achondroplasia, the most common form of short-limbed dwarfism. Since then, Lanna has been surrounded by compassionate, specialized care. Her team closely monitors her growth, celebrates every milestone, and ensures each visit feels comfortable and positive. At the age of six, Lanna joined a clinical drug study that may help stimulate bone growth, giving her family and care team hope for new advancements. Known for her big smile and bright personality, Lanna loves art projects, singing, and picking prizes from the “treasure bucket” after each hospital visit. With her family’s support and her medical team’s dedication, Lanna remains strong, confident, and full of joy.
Champion Spotlight: Arielle
In second grade, Arielle and her mom were in a head-on car collision on their way to school that changed her life instantly. Arielle suffered a broken femur, severe facial laceration, and a catastrophic spinal injury and ligament damage known as internal decapitation, an injury that only half of patients survive. At Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, a Children’s Miracle Network hospital, neurosurgeons performed life-saving surgery, and over the months that followed, Arielle learned to walk, dress, and move again through hours of therapy. With her determined spirit and the unshakable support of her care team, Arielle made an incredible recovery. Now 13, she’s back to dancing, cheering, and playing the violin. Today, Arielle is a thriving testament to the power of expert care and an unstoppable spirit.
Champion Spotlight: Jensen
When Jensen was just seven months old, his parents awoke to a terrifying sight: their baby struggling to breathe. Doctors diagnosed croup and stridor, conditions that would send him to Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital, a Children’s Miracle Network hospital, many times in the years that followed. He also battled painful gastrointestinal issues and severe reflux, making it difficult to eat or keep food down. Under the care of specialists in pulmonology, ENT, and gastroenterology, Jensen continued to fight. At age six, surgery to correct his reflux brought relief and fewer hospital visits. Donor-funded Child Life Specialists turned fear into fun, helping Jensen feel safe during every procedure. Now 11, Jensen is thriving and dreaming big. He hopes to become CEO of Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital so he can “keep helping kids like me.” His smile and humor inspire everyone he meets.
