Meet Harper – Mercy Health – Children’s Hospitals 2020 Champion!

Today on World Down Syndrome Day, we would like to announce our 2020 Champion for Mercy Health – Children’s Hospital, Harper!

Milestones are difficult enough to reach without extraordinary health issues. Though Harper was born three weeks early, nothing on her mother’s ultrasounds indicated problems, including Down Syndrome. Harper had two holes in her heart that did not close at birth and was diagnosed with apnea. After 11 days in the NICU, she was sent home with an apnea monitor. A phone call one day from daycare put her family in a tailspin – she was turning blue. Harper was monitored and tested at Mercy Children’s Hospital while battling E.coli that had gotten into her blood stream and spread throughout her system. Two weeks of heavy antibiotics finally rid her system of the infection. A couple months later, she was again admitted to Mercy Children’s with parainfluenza and E.coli. Harper remained tough through these battles and is now in physical, occupational, water and speech therapy – and soon, hippotherapy.  Hitting some milestones is now slowly coming to fruition.

Last year Harper was one of our featured stories during our Day of Miracles Telethon! You can check out her story here. Harper has come a long way from a year ago, we will be showing her progress during this years Day of Miracles. Stay tuned for updates.

You can see Harper’s adorable smile throughout the year in Toledo, Ohio during National Partners campaigns.