Kirby Frost
Walking the halls of the inpatient Hematology-Oncology Unit on 4 North at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon, one will typically see children from infancy through their late teens. But lately, those halls have also been home for 27-year-old Kirby Frost. Kirby (KJ) is a lineman who works for the IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers). Originally…
Carlie Rose Jackson
Carlie Rose Jackson was born at 31 weeks gestation on August 16, 2018 at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital. Along with some anticipated feeding and growing issues, Carlie also had tracheobronchomalacia, which is the collapse of the airway when a baby exhales, making it difficult for her to breathe. Tracheobronchomalacia can result in recurring respiratory illnesses…
Matthew Shores
When Matthew Shores was 2 months old in 2010, Matthew’s pediatrician noticed that he had an abnormal triangular head shape, including forehead ridging. He referred the family to SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital at SLU. It was here that Matthew’s mother Candice met Dr. Alexander Lin, MD, the Director of the St. Louis Cleft-Craniofacial…
Nikki Warnecke
Nikki Warnecke was an outgoing, ambitious, and hardworking girl who followed closely in the footsteps of her older sister, Mallory. She loved music – she played banjo for her bluegrass band, the Pickin’ Chicks. In July of 2015, she was enjoying her summer break before starting her senior year at New Athens High School, where…
Max Ernest
Jessica and Mykel Ernest from Poplar Bluff, Missouri were happily expecting their second child in early 2019, when the unexpected happened. At 20 weeks and 6 days, Jessica began losing amniotic fluid. This was devastating news to the couple, as both knew the risks of this happening so early in her pregnancy. Though she was…
Meleya Haberberger
In December 2008, Tiffany Haberberger found out at 17 weeks of pregnancy that her unborn daughter had a very complex congenital heart defect known as hypoplastic left heart. For a child with this heart defect, most of the left side of the heart is small and underdeveloped. This usually affects the mitral valve, the aortic valve,…
Beckham Bass
Seven-year-old Beckham is the son of Greg and Trish Bass and brother to 9-year-old Annalyn. Last summer, Beckham began experiencing stomach and leg pain and running an unexplained fever. One day in late July, he was playing baseball when he began limping and having difficulty running the bases. The next morning, blood work results led…
Luke Beck
Luke Robert Beck is the 9-year-old son of Danny and Ronda Beck. He is the sixth of seven children in his family, having three brothers and three sisters. Luke started his journey at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon on May 19, 2017 at the age of 7, when he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Luke’s…
Micheal Vu Jr.
On July 27, 2016, Micheal Vu Jr. was born six weeks early. Unknown to his parents, Melissa and Micheal Vu, their son had multiple congenital anomalies. Micheal Jr. was born with a tethered cord, anal atresia, multiple cardiac defects, tracheoesophageal fistula, cleft palate, renal defects, a limb abnormality (his right hand does not have a…
Lillian Wilson
Sarah Wilson, and her husband, Jeremy, dreamed of having another baby. After going through IVF and a miscarriage, they feared that dream may never come true, until they received a positive pregnancy test. When Sarah was 26 weeks pregnant, they learned that their unborn baby had a congenital heart defect. Upon recommendation from her obstetrician,…