Countdown!!

And the countdown begin for our family.. Carla is extremely excited about the trip, and of course mom and dad are trying to figure out what to pack.

Carla's birthday is going to be while we are in Disney, so that for sure is going to be a very special day.

Thank you so much for Children's Miracle Network and all the sponsors for making this a reality.

Pictures coming soon!!

WALMART Kickoff Party!!

Yesterday (5/12/2011) was the start of Carla's Journey as 2011 Massachusetts Champion with the kickoff party in Walmart Lynn, MA. And what a start!!

Walmart staff were amazing and we could really tell all the effort they put in to making this day special for Carla. They were proud of Carla, by only knowing her for one day and they celebrate with us.

Carla loves sports and baseball, so of course the theme of the event was about baseball and Boston Red Sox.... It could not have been more perfect, the cake was yummy and enormous, the decoration, the gifts, and for us it was even more special to see how excited the staff was to have us there.

Thank you so much Walmart and Sam's Club for supporting the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.... Carla felt like a big CHAMPION!!

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 51 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 nearly 17 million children treated at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals every year. The 2011 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 October, first to Washington, D.C., where they traditionally meet with their state senators on Capitol Hill, and the President of the United States during a visit to the White House. They then take a private chartered flight, provided by Delta Air Lines, to Orlando, Fla. There, champions meet Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals sponsors, hospital representatives and media partners who all convene to celebrate a year of medical miracles during the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Celebration event at Walt Disney World Resort.

Carla's Story

Carla
Age 5

Massachusetts
Children’s Hospital Boston
Premature Birth, Cerebral Palsy

Born in the Dominican Republic at just 25 weeks gestation and weighing only a pound, Carla arrived with energy and determination. Doctors told Carla’s parents that she was too small to survive, but Carla quickly proved them wrong. “They knew that she was special,” says Carla’s mom.

Carla’s premature birth resulted in a long list of permanent medical complications, including: cerebral palsy, chronic lung disease, brain hemorrhages, vision impairment, several blood transfusions, and motor and speech delays. When she reached ten pounds, Carla came to Children’s Hospital Boston to receive more care for the bleeding in her brain, and a permanent shunt was put in place shortly before her first birthday.

There is no stopping Carla as she determinedly learned to walk before the age of 2, despite her cerebral palsy. Less than a year later she walked all two miles in NSTAR’s Walk for Children’s Hospital Boston, a walk to raise funds for pediatric care at Children’s. Now 5-years-old, Carla demonstrates to those around her that disabilities are just a label.

“Carla is a bright, engaging young lady who is a powerhouse of energy and lives life to the fullest,” says her physical trainer. At school she expresses concern and love for her classmates, inspiring them with her contagious personality. Carla may have arrived a bit early, but she came prepared to do everything she wants in life.