Gracie West – Game Ball Relay Runner (GBR16)
We are the proud parents of Amazing Gracie Lynn West, an incredible little warrior that is defying the odds. When we were at six months in our pregnancy, Gracie was diagnosed with a genetic disease called trisomy 18, and we were told we would never meet her. Gracie was born on December 5, 2014, with…
Luke Ryker – Game Ball Relay (GBR16) Runner
We are the Ryker family, and we have come all the way from Oklahoma to receive the exceptional health care provided by SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. Our only son Luke was born with a congenital heart defect – an abnormality present at birth affecting 40,000 babies in the United States. After three heart surgeries…
Alejandro Rivas – Game Ball Relay (GBR16) Runner
You never expect to be chasing a helicopter from Cape Girardeau to St. Louis at 2 in the morning with your son holding on for dear life inside of it, but that is what we unfortunately had to experience on December 5, 2015. Our 16 year old baby boy, the youngest of 6 children was…
Evie Morgan – Game Ball Relay (GBR16) Runner
Evie was diagnosed with a severe form of spina bifida (a defect in which the bones of the spine do not completely form, leaving exposed nerves and spinal cord) during a routine ultrasound. Further evaluation found she had also developed hydrocephalus (fluid on the brain), as a side effect of spina bifida. We were referred…
Caleigh Jackson – Game Ball Relay (GBR16) Runner
I learned at my 10-week ultrasound that my husband and I would be blessed with having twins. When I returned to the doctor’s office at 29 weeks, I laid on the table to receive a routine ultrasound. The ultrasound tech seemed a bit different and almost eerie in her silence while looking at the screen. She…
Alec Ingram – Game Ball Relay Runner (GBR16)
On April 11, 2015 our active fourth grader Alec broke his arm in the backyard on the trampoline. We had no idea what was in store for us. Before that day he loved playing sports and just being outdoors. He was counting down the days until he could play basketball on the school team. At…