Miracle Kids
Every kid deserves a childhood, but not every kid gets one.
Childhood illness and injury prevent so many of Mississippi’s kids from experiencing the joys of childhood, be that going to school, dance recitals, little league games, playing on the playground, and more; but here at RebelTHON, we dance for more. We dance for a future without childhood illness, and every day we get closer to that future becoming a reality. Over 150,000 kids will be admitted to Blair E. Batson or its affiliated clinics this year, with an average of 410 admitted every day.
“That’s 410 kids thrown into chaos, 410 caregivers having to pause daily life for illness, 410 childhoods interrupted every day. ”
We dance to give hope and make dreams come true, and at our Dance Marathon event, our Batson patients are the center of attention. For 12 hours we celebrate the strength of our kids who have seen the worst but given their best; we celebrate the parents who love and support their kids through the most difficult times; we celebrate the doctors and nurses who work every day to make a world without childhood illness a reality. The event, itself, is 12 hours that our kids look forward to all year, some even asserting that RebelTHON’s Dance Marathon is the best day of the year (even better than Christmas or their birthday). We are this generation fighting for the next, and we will keep dancing until every child at Batson has the opportunity to be a kid.
Meet Avery Bell!
Avery is 14 years old and from Pearl, Mississippi. Considering various health issues in the womb, and a Turner Syndrome diagnosis at 23 weeks, Avery was not expected to live to birth. However, she was born during a scheduled C-section in June of 2009 and was quickly transported to Children’s of Mississippi for heart surgery. Through a collection of life-saving operations and treatments over the years, Avery Bell lives to be a joyful and inspiring teenager! She continues to see specialists in various departments at Children’s including cardiology, endocrinology, and genetics.
