Meet Our Miracle Children!!!
Guillain Barre Syndrome/ Three-year-old Ryan Caney was a typical rambunctious kid but two years ago his family discovered that he could not walk one day.
Two years ago, Ryan came down with a cold and began to complain that his feet hurt. Over days, this started to work its way up his body causing him to stop walking. He was diagnosed with Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS)- a rare neurological disorder where your body’s immune system mistakenly attacks its own nervous system.
NICU baby/ Briella’s mom went to what she thought was a routine checkup, where she was immediately brought to the hospital for an emergency c-section because the cord was wrapped around Briella’s neck. Briella spent 2 weeks in the NICU.
When Evie was born, doctors discovered she had been born with microcephaly, which is enlarged ventricles in her brain. This caused other complications as a baby and she spent time in the NICU as a result. Thanks to the care she and her family received from Baystate, today Evie is a graduate of the NICU and was thankfully released from neurosurgery!
At three years old, Gio was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma Stage IV and spent most of his childhood between treatments and doctors’ appointments at Baystate Children’s Hospital. The same year, Gio received a stem transplant. He finished his chemotherapy treatment in 2012 and had a special cancer-free birthday party to celebrate! He likes to tell people, “Don’t give up, there is hope and faith, and I went through it!”
At two years old, Morgan “Momo” was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. "It started with a cold, then an ear infection that wouldn't go away, she just kept getting more pale, weaker, and sicker," said Laura, Morgan's mother. "Her pediatrician said this wasn't normal and sent her for blood work. It wasn't 24 hours before she was admitted to BCH and diagnosed with leukemia," she added. After two and a half years of chemotherapy, Momo received her last treatment and celebrated with her family. Today, she is cancer-free and living life like a happy, healthy girl.
Carmelina, or "Lina", and her twin brother Giovanni were born at 36 weeks. Lina suffered from oxygen deprivation and was later diagnosed with an intellectual disability from the umbilical cord around her neck. From there, Lina had spinal surgery for tethered cord syndrome at 18 months, and then later spent a lot of time at Baystate to control her epilepsy. At five, she was diagnosed with "failure to thrive", a condition indicating insufficient weight gain or loss. With Baystate's help, Lina was diagnosed with 16P11.2 duplication disorder, a gene condition that explains her seizures, speech delay, autism tattered cord, "failure to thrive", and short stature. Despite her challenges, Lina has always found a way to give back, help others, and inspire those around her. Lina has overcome many obstacles, she was recently diagnosed with glaucoma, but it does NOT slow her down. Lina loves being apart of Dance Marathon and wants to be a choreographer as a career.
Twin brother to Lina, Gio also suffers from tattered cord syndrome and was also recently diagnosed with glaucoma
Gio is passionate about boy scouts and enjoys dance and attending UMDM events.
Jackson was diagnosed with ALL leukemia in June of 2020. He has been a patient at Baystate hematology and oncology since. Going through treatment has been a challenge through the pandemic but he’s been such a strong brave little dude through it all.
Hattie started her treatment on 2/29/16. She left the NICU in May 2016 and was still receiving treatment and follow up appointments after she left due to being on oxygen. Hattie is a healthy and thriving, she also no health issues from being a preemie. Hattie is the current CMN ambassador for Baystate
When Shane was born, he was rushed into the Davis Neonatal Intensive Unit (NICU) where his parents were notified he had Down Syndrome. After several days in the NICU, he was released to go home, where his parents learned to manage his at-home monitoring system and oxygen tanks with the helpful assistance of the NICU staff. Three months later, Shane contracted RSV and was treated in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit while on a ventilator for 14 days. "Baystate Children's Hospital saved my boy twice and I am forever grateful for them," says Shane's mother, Jessica. Shane supports other patients as the 2019 CMN Hospital Champion. Shane loves attending Dance Marathon