Niswonger Children’s Stories
Beckett
Burn victim
7-year-old Beckett’s active life changed one night on a family camping trip. As Beckett leaned toward the campfire to roast a marshmallow, his chair tipped, propelling his body into the blazing firepit. He ended up at Niswonger Children’s Hospital with third-degree burns on his knees and palm. Fortunately, his face was spared.
Cleo
Type 1 diabetes
Bubbly, friendly Cleo is a true performer and loves making people laugh. The first time she took center stage, she was six months old and dolled up in a pageant dress. She usually participates in about three or four pageants a year. But those were put on hold last year when she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes a week before she turned five.
Raena
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)
Raena has practiced karate since she was four, but late last summer, Raena had to put up her bō so she could concentrate on her health. A week before her 13th birthday, Raena’s parents, Michael and Crystal, noticed she had no energy, and she was diagnosed with leukemia.
William
NICU baby
Born via emergency C-section, he was brought to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Niswonger Children’s Hospital to be treated for infection and air outside of his lungs.
Finley
NICU patient
Finley has come a long way since he arrived three-and-a-half months early at only 12 inches long and so small that his dad’s wedding ring fit around his wrist. After some time at Vanderbilt Medical Center, Finley returned to Niswonger Children’s Hospital where he spent 125 days and started growing.
Gracie
Neurofibromatosis
At 2 years old, a terrifying seizure landed Gracie and her family in a series of specialist appointments looking for answers. She was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis, a genetic condition she inherited from her mother which causes tumors to grow in the body.
Edgar
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)
Since the day he was born, Edgar never got sick beyond an occasional cold. Then, a few weeks before his sixth birthday, he developed a nasty cough. His mother, Leonor, took him to Niswonger Children’s Hospital Emergency Department. Edgar was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and was immediately transferred to Memphis for treatment.
Avianca
Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
Avianca’s first symptoms were large, “angry purple” bruises, which she calls purpuras, that thankfully didn’t hurt. But they looked alarming enough that Avianca’s parents, Frik and Elizabeth, took her to urgent care. They were immediately sent to Niswonger Children’s Hospital where she was diagnosed and treated with intravenous immune globulin (IVIG).
Waylon
Shaken Baby Syndrome, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
In February 2023, at just eight months old, Waylon was brought unresponsive to the Niswonger Children’s Hospital emergency department. He had suffered a severe traumatic brain injury from being violently shaken. As the adoptive parents of Waylon’s older sister, Rory, Tabby and Dustin were notified. They immediately brought Waylon into their hearts.
Mahayla
Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS)
She was born with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), addicted to five substances, including meth and cocaine. She received no prenatal care and after birth, spent 10 days in the neonatal intensive care unit before being released. That’s the day Alicia learned about Mahayla and decided to give her a home.
Ridge
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)
Ridge loves playing outdoors, chasing animals on his family’s farm and… breakdancing. He also dreams of being a dinosaur trainer and is rarely seen without a T-rex figure in his hand. But three years ago, when a stubborn fever slowed him down, his mother, Shea, knew something wasn’t right.
Ellee
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia – Abingdon, Virginia
In January 2017, 5-year-old Ellee's journey started with excruciating leg pain and a visit to Niswonger Children’s Hospital’s emergency room. Within a few hours, she was admitted and diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, then flown to Memphis two days later.
Arimina
Down syndrome, acute lymphoblastic leukemia – Grainger County, Tennessee
Named after her great grandmother, Arimina (Air-ah-mine-ah) is a little girl who is as special — and as strong — as her name, which means “soldier.” Born with Down syndrome and now diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, Arimina and her family have bravely faced some tough times.
Ayden and Ava
NICU family care – Johnson City, Tennessee
Kim didn’t expect to go into labor three months before her due date, which meant she would spend the rest of her pregnancy in the hospital. Of course, she didn’t expect her babies to be born two months early weighing less than 3 pounds, and she certainly didn’t expect to have a hysterectomy following a C-section.