2017 CMN Radiothon: Family Stories From Thursday Afternoon [LISTEN]

The first day of KHAK's annual Radiothon for Children's Miracle Network did what it always does. It made us laugh, it made us cry, and it made us thankful. Time and again we hear from families who've either had or are having their kids treated at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital what a special place it is, for so many reasons.

Our first two family interviews Thursday afternoon were both from Davenport. Elizabeth and her husband, Shawn, shared the story of the son, Christian. He's been hospitalized for a little over a week, after being born at full term, with underdeveloped lungs. We're praying for the family today (Friday), which is a big one as you'll hear in the story the family shared with us.

During Thursday afternoon's portion of the Radiothon, Mike from Davenport told us how his family's life changed earlier this month when his daughter, Sophia, was diagnosed with a mass in her brain. Mike brought tears to our eyes, but we're so glad Sophia is doing well!

Melissa shared the story of her daughter, Jamie. She, like so many others, was a patient as an infant at the Children's Hospital. Jamie was diagnosed with three holes in her heart and an open artery. She had to have open heart surgery at just four months old. Melissa tells the story of how surgery changed Jamie's life.

Hali and her son, Sawyer, are from Iowa City. He was born at 30 weeks and had many problems as his body continued to develop. Unfortunately, Hali tells us that Sawyer continues to have issues that, even at age 3, forces frequent visits to the University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital.

Jodi shared the story of her son, Cormac. His immune system attacks the platelets in his blood stream, which causes bleeding and bruising. Unfortunately, it's something Mac will never outgrow.

You can donate to the Radiothon at 800-456-2772 or online, at the link below. Thank you for helping us make a difference for these families and so many more!