Where Miracles Happen
Kaela Teho is living proof of the great things that happen at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children, thanks to the Children’s Miracle Network. Hawaii loves a celebration. From baby’s first luau to sister’s graduation party to tutu
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she’s still laughing, still smiling.”
The bouncy and beaming Champion recently returned from a visit to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., where she shared her story with other children from across America who also have triumphed over medical challenges with help from their respective CMN hospitals. Before that, the group traveled to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., with Miss America 2008 Kristen Haglund. The children participated in an awards and pin exchange ceremony, and afterward everyone was treated to a rockin’ concert.
“We had fun throwing confetti at each other, that was the best part,” Kaela recalls, listing the names of all the new friends she’s made from across the Mainland.
“The neat thing about all the kids that were there, not everyone has had cancer. It’s all sorts of different kids from all over the state with different challenges that make them champions,” adds Acma.
Between school, dance lessons, and playing with her younger sister Lily and her family of pet mice, Kaela also is squeezing community appearances into her schedule. During last week’s kick off celebration of KCMN’s 25th anniversary campaign, Kaela accepted a proclamation from Mayor Mufi Hannemann that marked May as Kapiolani Children’s Miracle Network Month. She also received a surprise honor from her extended ohana in Kapiolani’s Pediatric Ambulatory Unit.
Two other courageous and inspiring youths joining in KCMN’s milestone celebration are past Champions Matthew Root and Mellorrie Gander. Matthew became a Champion in 2002 at the age of 13 after suffering from meningoencephalitis, a rare illness caused by an unknown virus attack to his brain that led to constant seizures. 2005’s Champion representative was Mellorrie, who was born with a condition called tetralogy of fallot, which means she had a hole in the wall separating the two sides of her heart combined with a narrowing of the path from the heart’s right side to the lungs. Both are now able to lead healthy, active lives thanks to the care they received early on at Kapiolani.
Kaela, Matthew and Mellorrie were probably just the keiki Queen Kapiolani envisioned when she opened the Kapiolani Maternity Home in 1890. According to Acma, the queen established the hospital during a time when healthcare was hard to come by in Hawaii. In fact, only two out of every seven babies would celebrate their first birthdays. Kapiolani quickly became Hawaii’s leader in caring for women and children, and is still doing so with its team of highly trained physicians, nurses and specialized technology. That’s why those first-year luaus and the hospital are still so important today.
Now on the eve of its 100th year, the organization continues to strive toward improving the health and well-being of its patients while keeping the queen’s motto of Kulia I Ka Nu’u, strive for the highest, at the forefront.
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“We have our regular operations that we do here, but we have a lot of other special programs that help the kids when they’re here in the hospital for a long time, making sure they have things to do that are fun as opposed to just having treatments and having procedures,” Smith explains.
She adds there are additional plans to renovate and expand the familiar 30-year-old hospital located just off the H-1 on Punahou Street in the not-so-distant future: “We’re trying to get away from the utilitarian hospital look and be a little more comfortable place for families. It’s hard enough to be here, and we’d like them to be comfortable while they are here and be taken care of.”
The No. 1 way to help make more miracles happen is to stop by one of the many corporate sponsors (Costco, Marriott, Wal-Mart Stores, Sam’s Club, Ace Hardware, Credit Union for Kids, Clear Channel Radio, Re/Max, Dairy Queen and IHOP), purchase a signature Miracle Balloon for $1 ... and that’s it.
“It’s amazing that it’s one dollar at a time - it’s very grass-roots and a very nominal donation - that we’re asking from the community, but collectively, the dollars at a time can make a big difference,” Acma says.
“They’ve made a big difference to us,” Smith agrees. “For our programs, for our services, for our staff - they’re important programs for Hawaii’s children to have access to, and we don’t want children to have to go to the Mainland for care. We’re going to make sure that we can provide all their services here.”
During this Miracle Month of May, there really is NO reason not to join in this celebration.
For more information on Kapiolani Medical Center for Women & Children or the Kapiolani Children’s Miracle Network, visit www.kapiolani.org or www.childrensmiraclenetwork.org
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