Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Michelle's Story

Michelle
Age 6
Vidant Children's Hospital
Aplastic Anemia

What are girls made of? Typically, sugar and spice and everything nice. For Michelle add smiles, hugs, and lots of love. That’s what she is made of.

At the tender age of 3, Michelle was diagnosed with aplastic anemia—a rare and serious blood disorder in which the body’s bone marrow doesn’t make enough new blood cells. Even in her weakest physical moments in three years of medical therapy, Michelle maintained the strength to offer loving embraces and the energy to bring others her smile.

Known as “the happy baby” by hospital staff, Michelle won the admiration of peers and doctors alike. In her time at the hospital, she invited children to the hospital playroom to play with her and would show great concern when they cried or appeared sad.

Michelle’s combination of concern and compassion, love for life and sunny character puts smiles on the faces of everyone around her.

Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Champions

Champions is a Children's Miracle Network Hospitals program that brings attention to the important work being done at its 170 children’s hospitals. It does this by honoring 54 remarkable kids who have faced severe medical challenges, and helping them tell their stories.

The Champions program designates a child in every state who has bravely battled a serious injury or illness. The Champions represent the 17 million children treated at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals every year. The 2012 Champions have dealt with a wide variety of injuries and illnesses including genetic diseases, organ transplants and traumas, as well as various types of cancer.

The Champions travel for a week in September, first to Washington, D.C., where they traditionally meet with their state representatives on Capitol Hill and visit the White House. They then take a private chartered flight, provided by Delta Air Lines, to Orlando, Fla. While there, Champions meet Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals corporate partners, hospital representatives and media partners. These groups convene to celebrate a year of medical miracles during the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Celebration event at Walt Disney World Resort.