{"id":156996,"date":"2025-08-18T23:58:11","date_gmt":"2025-08-18T23:58:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/156996\/"},"modified":"2025-08-18T23:58:11","modified_gmt":"2025-08-18T23:58:11","slug":"stories-of-phoenix-childrens-patients","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/156996\/","title":{"rendered":"Stories of Phoenix Children’s patients"},"content":{"rendered":"

PHOENIX \u2014 It takes a whole community of people working together to save lives.\u00a0That\u2019s why, every year, KTAR News 92.3 FM and its sister station, Arizona Sports 98.7, partner with Phoenix Children\u2019s to raise money for children in need.<\/p>\n

Stories of Hope, presented by Mattamy Homes, will air at various times throughout the week during the 17th annual Phoenix Children\u2019s Give-A-Thon, presented by Hyundai and Yrefy.<\/p>\n

Donations like yours fuel groundbreaking research, innovative clinical programs, advanced medical technology and compassionate, family-centered services that ensure every child receives world-class care, regardless of their age or condition.<\/p>\n

Meet the inspiring patients from this year\u2019s Phoenix Children\u2019s Give-A-Thon. Each patient\u2019s story, sponsored by Mattamy Homes, serves as a powerful testament to the exceptional care they received.<\/p>\n

Abel, 15<\/p>\n

Last year, longtime football player Abel began experiencing severe knee pain. At just 14 years old, he was diagnosed with bone cancer. He underwent multiple surgeries and lost feeling in his legs for a time.<\/p>\n

While staying at Phoenix Children\u2019s, Abel turned to music \u2014 playing guitar and piano \u2014 saying it was all he had left after having to give up football. Today, he is cancer-free.<\/p>\n

Adina, 16<\/p>\n

A genetic heart disease called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy runs in Adina\u2019s family, so she and her little sister were genetically tested since birth. She learned her heart was beginning to fail during a routine test.<\/p>\n

Eventually, Adina received a heart transplant, although she doesn\u2019t remember much of her hospital stay. However, she said visits from therapy dogs helped make her time easier. She hopes to become a cardiac surgeon to help others with heart problems.<\/p>\n

Andrea, 14<\/p>\n

Although Andrea received a heart transplant sooner than her older sister, Adina, she suffered from further medical issues. She developed an enlarged neck lymph node. While it was noncancerous, it required weeks of chemotherapy.<\/p>\n

The experience took a toll on her mentally, but she\u2019s now doing better thanks to philanthropically funded services like art and animal-assisted therapy.<\/p>\n

Axel, died at 2<\/p>\n

When Axel was 2, he was diagnosed with a rare cancer that developed on his adrenal gland. He received five rounds of chemotherapy, and had his tumor removed, but he developed fluid buildup around his heart and passed away at Phoenix Children\u2019s.<\/p>\n

His parents said the hospital was his home away from home and said he would count down the minutes before the Child Life playroom opened. They started the Axel Crew Foundation<\/a> to honor his memory.<\/p>\n

Cassidy, 4<\/p>\n

Before Cassidy was born, doctors found she had broken her thigh bone, which led to a diagnosis of brittle bone disease. After birth, she spent 63 days in the NICU and broke both thigh bones from kicking.<\/p>\n

Dr. Maegen Wallace, a pediatric bone specialist, performed surgery to insert rods and strengthen her legs. Cassidy still receives care at Phoenix Children\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Makayla, 17<\/p>\n

In late 2020, Makayla began feeling unusually tired, irritable and sick, losing over 10 pounds in two months. During multiple urgent care visits, her symptoms were dismissed as stemming from flu or stomach bugs.<\/p>\n

Further testing at a primary care doctor revealed she was in diabetic ketoacidosis, which could lead to death if untreated. She said she owes everything to Phoenix Children\u2019s for teaching her how to manage her Type 1 diabetes and administer her own insulin shots.<\/p>\n

Marcus, 11<\/p>\n

An eye doctor diagnosed Marcus with keratoconus, a rare genetic eye condition that causes the corneas become thin and bulge outward. He learned he had the progressive disease, which will affect him for the rest of his life, after he struggled to read the whiteboard at school.<\/p>\n

Last year he had surgery to prevent additional damage, and while he might require more surgery in the future, he is doing better now. His parents said Phoenix Children\u2019s was a great help \u2014 especially its various donor-funded programs, which helped him enjoy his life while recovering.<\/p>\n

Stella, 13<\/p>\n

In 2020, Stella and her family learned she had a tumor on her brain stem, which required surgery that left her unable to talk or move the left side of her body. During this difficult time, a therapy dog jumped onto her lap, and she suddenly started speaking to the dog.<\/p>\n

The miraculous moment was only made possible due to the hospital\u2019s animal-assisted therapy program, which is funded by donations like yours. Four years later, Stella has been through every kind of therapy to relearn how to walk and talk. She and her family are forever grateful to the hospital staff and to donors for helping her recover.<\/p>\n

Amanda \u201cMandy\u201d, 19<\/p>\n

A car crashed into Amanda when she was 11 and walking home from school. The collision left her with a traumatic brain injury, internal damage and multiple fractures. She spent 91 days at Phoenix Children\u2019s receiving lifesaving care such as a craniotomy and intensive rehabilitations.<\/p>\n

Years later, she still has scars, learns at a slower pace, goes through bouts of depression and sometimes zones out, but she and her family credit Phoenix Children\u2019s for going above and beyond to help her improve as much as possible. She\u2019s currently pursuing a creative writing degree from Glendale Community College.<\/p>\n

How you can donate during the Phoenix Children\u2019s Give-A-Thon<\/p>\n

These stories of hope were brought to you by Mattamy Homes.<\/p>\n

The 17th annual Give-A-Thon is presented by Your Valley Hyundai Dealers and Yrefy. Sister radio stations KTAR News (between 5 a.m. and 7 p.m.) and Arizona Sports (between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.) are airing the event daily through Friday, dedicated to Phoenix Children\u2019s and its services.<\/p>\n

Anybody who wants to make a donation can do so by calling the phone bank at 602-933-4567, texting \u201cGIVE\u201d to 620620 or visiting the Give-A-Thon website<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The largest radio hospital fundraiser in the country brought in a record $2.36 million<\/a> in donations last year, pushing the total raised since 2009 to more than $20 million.<\/p>\n

Please spread the word of this lifesaving fundraising effort on social media.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Connect with Phoenix Children\u2019s Foundation<\/a> on Facebook<\/a>, X<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Connect with KTAR News 92.3 FM on Facebook<\/a>, X<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Connect with Arizona Sports 98.7 FM on Facebook<\/a>, X<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n

We want to hear from you.<\/p>\n

Have a story idea or tip? Pass it along to the KTAR News team here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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