Hello to all-
First of all I want to say thank you for your continued support of the Children's Miracle Network. Without the support of their services "My Andrew" wouldn't have had the opportunity to be a true "miracle." Our family's lives were turned upside on the evening of April 27th when a tornado ripped through our small town. From the local fire and rescue to the exquisitent hospital staff working through the night to care for the severely injured. The tornado took us by surprise on this night with no preparation given for what we would endure as a mother, son and most of all a small home town where no matter who you were had some connection to the deadly aftermath. The night seemed to drag on as I waited for any word on the condition and whereabouts of my family including my 2 children. After a long a grueling 4 hours that felt like a lifetime there was no preparing myself for the devastating news I would receive...My grandmother, mother, first cousin and Andrew's brother, Adam had not made it through the storms fury. Frantically I began to question everyone with one simple question...Where is "My Andrew?" I was given the good news he was alive!! He was preparing to be life flighted to Children's Hospital with minutes. A sense of security welled up inside me because I knew at that moment if anyone could save him it would be the expertise of the staff at Children's Hospital. Upon arriving at the hospital and seeing Andrew and his visible injuries I never gave up hope that he would survive such a nightmare. Weeks turned into months and day by day Andrew slowly healed and overcome not only the physical setbacks but also the emotional ones that still continue to be a daily struggle for me. I learned from a very young age to be a positive role model for my children as my grandmother and mother had instilled in me and in turn I instilled into Andrew. He had one goal in mind even while laying flat on his back in the early stages of recovery....To go back to school when it began again in the Fall and be a normal. This goal was obtained I am so proud to say!! Andrew walked back into his school with a sense of accomplishment. Seems like such a small humble goal but for him this was huge. For me..."a miracle." And without the phenomenal services he received this wouldn't have ever been possible. Once again I cannot thank you enough to everyone that is involved with Children's Miracle Network.
--Andrew's Mom, Wendy Ellis
Friday, September 7, 2012
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Andrew's Story
Andrew
Age 9
T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital at Erlanger
Tornado Survivor
Very few people fly inside an F4 tornado and live to tell the story. April 27, 2011, is a day that Andrew, a true survivor, will never forget.
He remembers seeking shelter in the bathtub, being carried in 200-mph winds and seeing debris flying through the air. A SWAT team found Andrew pinned underneath some power lines in a field nearly 500 feet from his grandmother’s home.
The injuries were life-threatening and numerous, including traumatic brain injury, third-degree burns, a broken femur, a crushed foot and many deep lacerations. Despite losing several family members and facing ongoing nightmares, Andrew feels blessed to be alive and is working towards a full recovery.
He’s inspired to one day become a SWAT team member himself. With the courage and perseverance already demonstrated, chances are good that Andrew could be somebody else’s hero someday.
Age 9
T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital at Erlanger
Tornado Survivor
Very few people fly inside an F4 tornado and live to tell the story. April 27, 2011, is a day that Andrew, a true survivor, will never forget.
He remembers seeking shelter in the bathtub, being carried in 200-mph winds and seeing debris flying through the air. A SWAT team found Andrew pinned underneath some power lines in a field nearly 500 feet from his grandmother’s home.
The injuries were life-threatening and numerous, including traumatic brain injury, third-degree burns, a broken femur, a crushed foot and many deep lacerations. Despite losing several family members and facing ongoing nightmares, Andrew feels blessed to be alive and is working towards a full recovery.
He’s inspired to one day become a SWAT team member himself. With the courage and perseverance already demonstrated, chances are good that Andrew could be somebody else’s hero someday.
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 54 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 17 million children treated at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals every year. The 2012 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 September, first to Washington, D.C., where they traditionally meet with their state representatives on Capitol Hill and visit the White House. They then take a private chartered flight, provided by Delta Air Lines, to Orlando, Fla. While there, Champions meet Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals corporate partners, hospital representatives and media partners. These groups convene to celebrate a year of medical miracles during the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Celebration event at Walt Disney World Resort.
The Champions program designates a child in every state who has bravely battled a serious injury or illness. The Champions represent the 17 million children treated at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals every year. The 2012 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 September, first to Washington, D.C., where they traditionally meet with their state representatives on Capitol Hill and visit the White House. They then take a private chartered flight, provided by Delta Air Lines, to Orlando, Fla. While there, Champions meet Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals corporate partners, hospital representatives and media partners. These groups convene to celebrate a year of medical miracles during the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Celebration event at Walt Disney World Resort.
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