Great Clips Employee Witnesses The Impact Of Donations, FirstHand

My 7-year-old Miracle is named Olivia. Last November she showed symptoms of what seemed like a common cold. My husband and I did not think much of it until she started having difficulty breathing. We took her to a nearby clinic, and the doctor diagnosed with a cold and told us to come back in a week’s time if she was still sick.

Over the next few days, Olivia’s breathing was becoming more impaired. She was clearly not improving and as a mother, I knew something was wrong. I called her pediatrician and explained her symptoms over the phone. She asked to see Olivia right away.

Within an hour we were at the doctor's office, then being rushed to Utah’s Primary Children's Hospital with a serious case of pneumonia. The staff worked quickly to install a chest and feeding tube, and helped her recover as they pumped four liters of infection out of her little body.

I ‘ve never really understood what Children's Miracle Network Hospitals was all about until our nine-day stay at a member hospital. I was impressed with the playroom provided thanks to donor funds, and remember the volunteers who spent time in our room when Olivia was too sick to leave. The doctors were very informative and made sure we knew what was going on at all times.

Spending nine days in a hospital and seeing all the good this network does makes me so thankful to all those who give. I’m committed to donating every time I am asked, as I want to give back what was given to my daughter.

Kelli Sanchez is a Great Clips employee at the Millcreek Plaza location in Salt Lake City, Utah, one of many nationwide locations selling $1 Miracle Balloons throughout October 2014. This is her account of her daughter's experience at the Children's Miracle Network Hospital in her community.