Adrienne’s Miracle Story

Happy Miracle Monday!

To start our miracle Monday series, we are sharing the story of one of our Miracle Children, Adrienne! 

Before Adrienne was even born, her doctors kept a watchful eye on her development. Her older brother was born with a heart defect, so they wanted to be sure that if she had it too, they would find it early on. But, despite their concern, Adrienne made her way into the world a healthy and happy baby girl. When she was about seven weeks old, things began to change. Adrienne got sick and despite medications and numerous doctor visits, she couldn’t get better. 

Adrienne was eventually diagnosed with Hydrocephalus and Arnold Chiari. In simpler terms, she has two conditions, one that causes fluid to accumulate in her brain and the other where her brain tissue extends into her spinal canal. In 2007, doctors placed a Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt in Adrienne, relieving the pressure on her brain. This was only a short-term fix, and after a few months, in 2008, she had another surgery. This surgery removed a small portion of her skull to release pressure from the brain stem, known as a Posterior Fossa Decompression. In 2010, Adrienne had a second Posterior Fossa Decompression surgery, and between these two procedures, she also had a mic-key feeding tube, put in. Adrienne now follows up with her neurosurgeon once a year for a routine MRI and for any other issues that may happen in between.

Although Adrienne has faced many hardships in her life, she has continued to live her life to its fullest. No matter what, you will always see her with a smile on her face. She lights up any room she walks into. 

Last weekend, Adrienne turned 13 years old! She celebrated with the Morale Team by spray painting the Norman Tunnel, something that has been on her bucket list. Adrienne is a great student and spends her free time in gymnastics class and on her middle school’s cheerleading team. 

Adrienne got involved with Dance Marathon a little over 5 years ago after meeting Nick, another Miracle Child, and his family. Over the years, she has grown so close with her Dance Marathon Family. You can find her jumping on stage at Dance Marathon events, making TikTok dances and running around with all of her favorite college friends. Adrienne is so inspired by Dance Marathon that one day she hopes to attend UF and be a member of the Morale Team. 

“I think it is so cool that these kids can aspire to be DM students,” said Adrienne’s mom. “They feel so loved and inspired by this movement, that they want to be able to take over those roles one day.” 

Tomorrow, we strive to impact and inspire more kids like Adrienne, during Transform Today, our annual 26.2-hour fundraising push day. Join us as we fight to create a brighter future For The Kids.