Children's Miracle Network Videos:
CMN Miracle Kids:
Meet Brooks
Age: 3
Hometown: Sioux Falls, S.D.
Diagnosis: Cystic Fibrosis
Brook's Story
During Angela’s pregnancy, doctors found an echogenic and dilated bowl on the 20-week ultrasound. One possible cause of this was Cystic Fibrosis; however, the chances were very small. Angela had genetic testing done and found that she was a carrier of the Cystic Fibrosis gene. Scott was then tested and they found that he was also a carrier of the same gene mutation. This meant that their baby had a 1 in 4 chance of having Cystic Fibrosis. This came as a shock to Scott and Angela because neither of their two older children had Cystic Fibrosis.
Meet Natalie & Chris
Ages: 4 & 7
Hometown: Canton, S.D.
Diagnosis: KBG Syndrome & VSD Heart Defect
Natalie & Chris's Story
Chris was born with a hole between the ventricles of his heart. He underwent open heart surgery before his first birthday and had an artificial pacemaker placed when he was 3 years old. He'll need a pacemaker, what he calls the “battery for his heart,” the rest of his life. Once Chris was on the road to health, Brianna and Thomas thought their days of sitting in a hospital waiting room were over. Then Natalie was born.
Meet Saige
Age: 3
Hometown: Dell Rapids, S.D.
Diagnosis: Esophageal Atresia
Saige's Story
Brodie and Brianna were ecstatic to to find out they were pregnant, and even more excited to find out they would be having twin girls! However, throughout the entire pregnancy, Brodie and Brianna were told to expect the worst at every appointment. The girls were born 5 weeks early in March of 2016, weighing 6.1lbs and 5.5lbs (Saige being the smaller of the two). After the girls were delivered, they were both brought to the NICU, where they would come to find that Saige was born with two life threatening birth defects. A condition called esophageal atresia (occurs when the upper part of the esophagus does not connect with the lower esophagus and stomach) and tracheoesophageal fistula (an abnormal connection between the upper part of the esophagus and the trachea or windpipe.)
Remember Tysen
Angel Wings Earned at age 19
Hometown: Watertown, S.D.
Diagnosis: Friedreich’s Ataxia
Tysen's Story
Watching her 5-year-old son, Tysen, play soccer and t-ball with his friends, Nicole suspected something wasn’t right. “I noticed he was a lot clumsier than the other kids and would run out of breath easily,” Nicole said.
She began seeking answers, consulting different specialists and praying that whatever was affecting her son could easily be treated. Her worst fears were confirmed with the diagnosis of Friedreich’s ataxia, a rare degenerative disorder that causes damage to the nervous system, resulting in muscle weakness, speech difficulties and heart problems.
Meet Avery
Age: 5
Hometown: Hartford, S.D.
Diagnosis: Spastic Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy
Avery's Story
Avery was born 11 weeks premature and was diagnosed with two Grade 2 brain bleeds. Initially the doctors told Jared and Mindy what that could mean for their brand new daughter, Avery, but she was not officially diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy until shortly after she turned 1 on December 9, 2015. Just recently on a routine pelvic X-ray, the doctors found that her hips are not forming correctly, which is not uncommon for kids with spastic Cerebral Palsy, and could mean other diagnoses for Avery.
Meet Cole & Remember Caleb
Age: 13 Cole
Caleb earned Angel Wings at age 8
Hometown:Brookings, S.D.
Diagnosis: Reversed Organs & Congenital Heart Defect
Cole & Caleb's Story
Twins, Caleb and Cole, may have looked like normal twins on the outside, but the inside was quite the opposite. They were born with reversed organs, which means all of their organs were on opposite sides inside their bodies. Caleb was also born with a rare congenital heart defect that would require medical procedures and monitoring the rest of his life.
Meet Collins
Age: 5
Hometown: Vermillion, S.D.
Diagnosis: Cystic Fibrosi
Collins' Story
Collins was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at just 12 days old. Since that day, the family has been creating their own “normal.” While that includes trips to the park and seeing the animals at the zoo, it also means Collins has to take medicine before she eats anything.
Meet Klara
Age: 4
Hometown: Brandon, S.D.
Diagnosis: Premature Birth
Klara's Story
When Jenn was 20 weeks pregnant with Klara, doctors discovered she wasn’t growing at the rate she should be. At their 24 week ultrasound, it was determined she had severe IUGE (intrauterine growth restriction) and she was growing 3 weeks behind. Derek and Jenn were prepared for the worst at that visit as chances of Klara surviving were slim. Jenn was placed on bedrest at 25 weeks. The night before Jenn was 26 weeks, she became critically ill with sudden severe HELLP syndrome and required an emergency C-section the following morning. Klara Elizabeth was born January of 2015 weighing 1 pound 0.3oz and was 11 inches long.
Meet Lily
Age: 7
Hometown: Aberdeen, S.D.
Diagnosis: Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Lily's Story
Lilly and her family went camping in June of 2019 and Lilly’s parents really didn’t think much of it when Lilly got a fever and didn’t feel well about a week after their trip.
Remember Katelyn
Angel Wings Earned at age 14
Hometown: Sioux Falls, SD
Diagnosis: Heart Defects & Plastic Bronchitis
Katelyn's Story
Katelyn's entrance into the world was far from easy. After receiving a devastating heart defect diagnosis at 2 days old, she endured four open-heart surgeries and nine additional surgeries - all by age 11.
Meet Autumn
Age: 5
Hometown: Sioux Falls, SD
Diagnosis: Severe Epilepsy/Unknown
Autumn's Story
Autumn was born a healthy, beautiful little girl. For the first four months, everything was perfect. Soon after, she had her first seizure. They were not prepared for what would happen next. Episode after episode of unexpected seizures. Autumn was slowly making strides as a young toddler, even with having up to 100 seizures a day. However, at just two years old, Autumn had her first stroke. It was at that point that the family's life was changed even more drastically. Everything they had been working with her on was gone. Her ability to speak, crawl, pull herself up, etc. At one point, Brandon and Evangeline were told to prepare for the possibility to make the decision to take their daughter off life support. She proved she was a fighter and was able to go home from the hospital. She still has daily, unexplained seizures, sometimes up to 100 a day. At this point, Autumn is 5 years old and acts as a 6-12 month old mentally.
Meet Lawson
Age: 3
Hometown: Aberdeen, SD
Diagnosis: Down Syndrome, AVSD (heart defect), TMD (form of Luekemia)
Lawson's Story
Jessica and Keith went in for their 20-week ultrasound for their second child not expecting anything out of the ordinary. While they were in the ultrasound, the technician paused and left the room and came back and let them know they would be notified if they had any concerns.
About a week and half later, Jessica received a phone call that would change her life forever. The OBGYN told her that they think the baby might have a hole in its heart. As if that wasn’t big enough news to hear, there was more to come.
Meet Tucker
Age: 3
Hometown: Aberdeen, SD
Diagnosis: Down Syndrome, AVSD (heart defect), TMD (form of Luekemia)
Tucker's Story
Tucker’s story started in February of 2018. His parents, Kelsie and Ryan, noticed their little boy had a fat lip. They soon learned it was more than a toddler’s bump or bruise. Tucker had a rare cancer in the soft tissue of his mouth called rhabdomyosarcoma. “We realized everything had changed, and we had no idea what was about to happen,” Kelsie said.
