Michaela Werner, 11 years old

In 2010 sweet four-year-old, Michaela, had been sick with flu-like symptoms when she was diagnosed with leukemia at Seattle Children’s Hospital.  She was immediately hospitalized and her little body pumped with chemotherapy.  For over two years, Michaela endured rigorous chemotherapy, cranial radiation to off-set the chance the leukemia had spread to her spinal fluid and into the brain, and multiple hospital admissions into isolation due to potentially lethal infections.  She also lost her appetite and had to be fed exclusively through a feeding tube for much of that time.  Eventually, her parents heard the words they had been hoping to hear: “She’s cured!”  It has now been four years since Michaela’s treatment and cure, although she continues to visit the survivorship team annually as they follow her for long-term side-effects of treatment.  Michaela and her family are beyond grateful to Seattle Children’s Hospital for the superb care she has received through the years, and Michaela always looks forward to her annual visits with the doctors and nursing staff.
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Seattle University's Dance Marathon has the special privilege of working with Miracle Kids from Seattle Children's Hospital, who have benefited from the Uncompensated Care Fund that our philanthropy supports. Our Miracle Kids and their families attend SUDM events throughout the year, including The Dance Marathon.