runDisney Charity Spotlight: Miles with Meaning | Children's Miracle Network Hospitals

Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, celebrated charity of the 2020 Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend, captures several Miracle Makers experience leading up to participation in the race weekend.

Since 1986, from California to Florida, the Walt Disney Company has supported the mission of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. In 2014, CMN Hospitals and the Walt Disney World Resort® proudly began a new chapter in our relationship as we became involved with the Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend. CMN Hospitals is proud to return as the celebratory charity of the race weekend.

During the 2020 Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend, among the thousands of runners participating, there will be a special group of runners who raise funds for CMN Hospitals to participate. Since CMN Hospitals became involved with the race weekend in 2014, these Miracle Makers have raised over $1 Million, helping to change kids health and change the future, one mile at a time.

More than one hundred Miracle Makers will be participating in the Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend later this month. Their stories reflect their reasons for running and why it means so much to them to run to change kids’ health and chance the future. We are honored to share a few of their stories, in their own words.

Katie

I became involved with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals when my twins, Logan and Lennon, were born 7 weeks early and required immediate and ongoing care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Spending the first few weeks of their life in the hospital was overwhelming for me, and I began running to work through them, finding peace in the solitude. Once they came home, we invested in a worthy jogging stroller and began logging miles together. My first Princess 1/2 Marathon was just after their first birthday, and I am overjoyed that they have joined me for the past six years as Kid’s Race participants. This race is close to my heart. During Princess Weekend I run for my boys and the 10 million other kids just like them who are treated each year at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. Every step has purpose.

Kelly

June 8, 2019, is a day that changed our family forever. We were at a family gathering, it was a pool party. My youngest age three at the time never really went in the water, but he had his floaty on and played on the sun shelf of the pool the whole time. It was time to go, so he came over to me and I took off his floaty. I let my guard down – packed up our stuff so we could leave. All of a sudden I saw my amazing brother in law run right into the pool. He pulled my son, blue, lifeless out of the water. I took him out of his hands, now my physician mode kicked in. “Call 911! Call 911! Call 911! “ I brought him to the grass and initiated CPR. Then police arrived… 3-4 minutes after the four officers arrived, EMS arrived. My son and I made it to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. The CHOP nurses, staff, medical residents and doctors were all amazing. Being physicians ourselves we knew we were in good hands. They gave my son the best treatment for drowning and watched him closely. He recovered without any complications which we are so very thankful. I want all children to have a chance at life and their families to get the best possible support at Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. This is why I run, so all kids that need medical care like Chase may live happily ever after.

Jennifer

I have no personal experience with a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. I do however have experience in growing up in a hospital. I was born a congenital amputee missing my left arm at the elbow. I began my journey with the Shriners and the Shrine Hospital by the time I was 6 weeks old. Visiting every 6 months until I was 18 years old, I essentially grew up within those walls. It was a place where I found hope. Hope that I wasn’t alone. It was a place where all the other kids there were just like me. My doctors, nurses, therapists and prosthetists also gave me hope. Hope that I could be and do anything that I wanted to be. I am a miracle maker so that I can give kids hope. I support CMN Hospitals so there is a place where kids can go to find hope in their doctors and nurses. Hope in seeing other kids like them. Hope that they can do and be anything they want to be. I run because I can. I run for those who can’t. I run so kids can live happily ever after.

CMN Hospitals salutes Katie, Kelly, Jennifer and all our Miracle Makers who will gather together at the Walt Disney World Resort in February.

CMN Hospitals is proud to be the celebratory charity of the 2020 Disney Princess Half Marathon Weekend. Funds received in association with the event weekend, from our Miracle Makers, donations made by other runners and a generous donation made by runDisney on behalf of the event weekend volunteers support CMN Hospitals' operations. For every dollar supporting our operating budget, CMN Hospitals is able to turn it into $10 in donations to local member hospitals that use the funds where they're needed most.

Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals raises funds and awareness for 170 member hospitals that provide 32 million treatments each year to kids across the U.S. and Canada. Donations stay local to fund critical treatments and healthcare services, pediatric medical equipment and charitable care. Since 1983, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals has raised more than $7 billion, most of it $1 at a time through the charity’s Miracle Balloon icon. Its various fundraising partners and programs support the nonprofit’s mission to save and improve the lives of as many children as possible.