Keana was seriously injured in the tornado that devastated Joplin in 2011.

Shayla has Johanson-Blizzard syndrome, a very rare disease. She has hypothyroidism and pancreatic issues, and she has been experiencing respiratory distress.

Kadie has scimitar syndrome, a congenital heart and lung defect, and she was born without an esophagus. At five years old, she is preparing for her 12th surgery.

When Amari was born, her esophagus was not connected to her stomach. She had surgery but still has to eat through a feeding tube.

Remington’s parents took him to the emergency room for a persistent headache. It turned out to be a brain tumor.

Hannah has vater syndrome. She has been in a wheelchair all of her life, but she doesn’t let that get her down.

Dakota experienced serious heart problems early on. He had his first open-heart surgery when he was six months old and later had a pacemaker inserted to keep his heart beating.

Dustin was diagnosed with diabetes when he was only two years old. He dealt with daily, painful injections before 2005, when CMN assisted his family in buying an insulin pump.

Josiah has autism, making it hard for him to communicate and socialize. Despite the challenges, he is a personable and funny kid with a knack for trivia.

MacKenna has diabetes. She has to eat carefully or her blood sugar will spike and fall, causing her to feel sick and shaky.