Cadence
Age 16
West Virginia University Children's Hospital
Propionic Acidemia
When Cadence was born, her parents had no idea their healthy little girl would be in a coma two weeks later. At just 14 days old, Cadence wouldn't wake up and was rushed to the hospital.
The attending doctors and specialists had never seen anything like it. Eventually she was diagnosed with the condition propionic acidemia, a rare disorder where individuals cannot break down parts of protein and some types of fat.
Being the first child diagnosed with this disease in West Virginia, Cadence’s parents were told that it was likely that she would never walk, talk, hear or see.
However, Cadence is beating the odds. A teenager now, she sees, hears, laughs and talks. Cadence also plays percussion in her school band and has taken up tap and ballet lessons.
To help make sure other children are able to avoid the same prognosis Cadence received, her family helped pass the Expanded Newborn Screening law in West Virginia—requiring every newborn to receive testing for 29 different diseases, including propionic acidemia.
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
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.
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.
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