Meet Claire, a brave, spunky, 9-year-old stroke survivor and warrior!

Diagnosed with a diaphragmatic hernia at 24 weeks in utero, Claire faced unimaginable challenges from the start. Most of her diaphragm was missing, and many of her organs were compressing her lungs and pushing her heart to the wrong side of her body.

Claire’s parents, Jessica and Mike, were advised to terminate the pregnancy. Despite a dire prognosis, her parents were unwilling to accept that answer. They relocated from Huntsville, Alabama to Gainesville, Florida where a top pediatric surgeon predicted not just survival, but a thriving future for Claire.

Born with an APGAR score of 1, Claire immediately underwent surgery and was placed on ECMO, a heart-lung bypass machine. Despite suffering a stroke during this time, Claire continued to fight. After three months in the hospital, her parents miraculously brought her home, complete with oxygen tanks, a feeding tube, and a long list of medical referrals. They felt like the luckiest parents in the world!

Claire has needed intensive physical and occupational therapy due to her right-sided weakness from the stroke. Every year, she spends a month at Children’s Alabama with amazing pediatric therapists who push her to achieve her goals. Thanks to their dedication and Claire’s hard work, she can dress and feed herself, attend dance classes with peers, write her own ideas on paper, and more. Her doctors are continually astounded by her progress.

We are honored to provide Claire and her family with housing during their Birmingham visits.

“We are incredibly grateful to RMG for providing Claire housing during our visits to Birmingham. Having a kitchen so we can constantly be on top of Claire’s meals is critical to her success and physical goals. It also takes some of the financial burden off of a prolonged stay in Birmingham, since we also have 2 other children at home in Huntsville. The support RMG provides to families like ours is truly a blessing.”

Thank you, Jessica and Mike, for sharing Claire’s incredible journey. Your strength and determination remind us of the power of perseverance and hope!