Although we knew McKinley was going to be born with some challenges, we didn’t know to what extent those challenges would be. Within hours of her birth, she was transferred to Seattle Children’s Hospital where unbeknownst to us the team there would quickly become like family.

McKinley was born with VACTERL association, a grouping of anomalies including kidney disease, vertebral, heart, and bowel abnormalities. She spent the first 52 days of her life at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Since then, she has had six surgeries and multiple hospitalizations.

At one point, we were travelling to the hospital at least twice a week, administering 13 different medications up to three times daily and seeing 11 different clinics at Children’s. The team there worked tirelessly with us to put McKinley back together (as we like to say) and come up with a routine that would allow her to live the most normal life possible. To the outside world, most people don’t know the struggles she deals with daily, and for that, we are so grateful.

We are so thankful for the amazing team at Seattle Children’s Hospital and the uncompensated care program. Thanks to them we have our daughter here with us today and she is a strong, confident, and an extremely happy little girl.