12 Days of Miracles

This holiday season, UADM has created their own version of a classic carol by modifying the lyrics to be For The Kids (FTK) instead! Participants will be challenged to complete a specific task… But that’s not all! In order to make this fundraiser even more magical, each day will also be attributed to one of our incredible miracle children! Let’s get started…

​1.  Send your cheesiest selfie at the Loves’s Travel Stops on your way home for the holidays! 
Addison Cox 
Age: 8 
Hometown: Birmingham, AL
Fun Fact: Addison’s favorite disney character is the Minions!
Treatment: Addison was born with Polycystic Kidney Disease. She had her kidneys removed at just three days old. At the age of two, her father donated a kidney to her which resulted in her being finally able to complete dialysis. At six years old, her liver and kidney stopped working properly. Last year, Addison received another kidney transplant, as well as a liver transplant, at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

2.  Ask 2 local businesses if they want to be FTK and let you place a can or box to collect money!
Alex Swader
Age: 17 as of November 19th!
Hometown: Mount Olive, AL
Fun Fact: Alex is an incredibly talented dancer! He even founded his own non-profit organization, Dancers Fighting Cancer. For the past eight years, he has organized the Tapping Out Cancer event where student and professional dancers perform at the Alabama Theatre in Birmingham!
Treatment: In 2008, Alex was diagnosed with a severe bone cancer, called Ewing’s Sarcoma. After eight long months of chemotherapy, he was deemed cancer free! Throughout his whole life, Alex has loved dancing and has used his miracles to continue raising awareness and money to fight pediatric cancer.

3.  Convince 3 of your friends to register for our final event, so you can all dance the day away together!
Ashley Warren 
Age: 17 
Hometown: Tuscaloosa, AL
Fun Fact: Ashley loves going to the beach, and one of her favorite songs is Pontoon by Little Big Town. She performs this song every year for all of our Miracle Makers at Dance Marathon!
Treatment: Ashley was born with Down Syndrome and has undergone over 27 surgeries as a result of her diagnosis, including open heart surgery. Despite everything she has gone through, she remains an inspiration and shining star to everyone around her!

4.  Persuade your parents to let you do chores to raise money FTK. It’s a Win Win!
Caleb Holcomb 
Age: 9
Hometown: Tuscaloosa, AL
Fun Fact: Caleb was one of Dance Marathon’s original Miracle Kids and has been with us since the beginning!
Treatment: Caleb was born with a rare autoimmune disorder called hypogammaglobulinemia. Every four weeks he travels to Children’s to receive a special treatment to rebuild his immune system just to be able to fight off everyday germs. It takes over 150,000 donors to create each dose of his treatment!

5.  Post 5 reasons why you’re FTK, even though there are hundreds to choose from!
Lindsey Jones 
Age: 20
Hometown: Gurley, AL
Fun Fact: Lindsey has been the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital Alabama Champion and has been recognized nationally for her bravery, optimism and bright spirit. Also, she sings every year at Dance Marathon and is an incredibly talented musician!
Treatment: Lindsey lost her sight when she was four-years-old due to a rare form of cancer that manifested in her eyes. She has spent her life dedicated to raising awareness for childhood health, and is now a student at the University of Alabama in Huntsville. She is double majoring in Music and Psychology, and last year, she started the very first Dance Marathon at UAH!
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6.  Knock on 6 doors to raise money. (Bonus if you do this while caroling!)
Trace Boyett 
Age: 11
Hometown: Opelika, AL
Fun Fact: Every year Trace has been involved with Dance Marathon, he has been given the title of an Honorary Morale Member!
Treatment: Trace was born with severe jaundice and glaucoma. He has had over 11 corrective surgeries to fix the cataracts in his eyes. Last year he received the exciting news that he doesn’t need anymore eye surgeries until he is 18 years old!

7.  Ask 7 people for a donation, even if it’s a dollar, every penny counts! 
Mary Elizabeth Olvey 
Age: 7
Hometown: Hayden, AL
Fun Fact: Mary Elizabeth danced in her dance recital while she was still receiving chemotherapy treatment, which just shows how much of a miracle she is!
Treatment: Mary Elizabeth was diagnosed with Acute Lyphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) when she was just 3 years old. She began chemotherapy within a week of her diagnosis, and  is now over 18 months treatment free!

8.  Wrap 8 presents FTK!
Kenzie Britton 
Age: 16
Favorite Thing: Anything Disney, especially the princesses!
Favorite Song: Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Fun Fact: For this sweet girl’s sweet 16 in November, she received news from her family that fulfills her life dream… To go to Disney World!
Treatment: Diagnosed with Cornelia de Lange syndrome when she was a toddler, Kenzie was predicted to never walk. After many surgeries to strengthen, reconstruct, and straighten her feet and ankles, Kenzie not only walks, but she spins and dances, too!!!

9. Send out emails or texts asking for a donation. Great way to get people in the holiday spirit of giving!
James Strong 
Age: 15
Hometown: Hoover, AL
Fun Fact: In 2015, James was chosen as the Children’s Miracle Network Hospital Alabama Champion. In the first week of this November, James was recognized with the Vulcan Community Hero award for his “civic pride, leadership and progress.”
Favorite Activity: Wheelchair Basketball
Treatment: James was born with hydrocephalus, a spinal cord tumor, Dandy-Walker syndrome, mild cerebral palsy, craniocerebral disproportion, and a chiari malformation. He has had over 20 different surgeries, all at Children’s of Alabama.

​10.  Donate $10 to a friend’s Donor Drive. An early Christmas gift?!   
Colton Hutchinson 
Age: 6
Hometown: Jasper, AL
Favorite Activity: Anything related to sports (Most recently, he developed his own game to hit a balloon to keep it off the floor for hours at our Miracle Family Holiday Party!)
Treatment: Diagnosed with congenital nephrotic syndrome (kidney disease) at just a few weeks old. Little Colton was on over 15 different daily medications and received home dialysis for years. At the age of two, he received a kidney transplant from his father, Kevin. This miracle surgery helped Colton to grow into the bright, smiling, energy-filled 6-year-old he is today.
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11.  Make a phone call for a donation. Don’t forget to wish them a happy holiday!
Marley Owens
Age: 5
Hometown: Pelham, AL
Favorite Movie: Sword in the Stones
Favorite Activity: Styling Barbie’s hair! 
Dream Job: “When I grow up I want to be an adventurer and explore the world.”
Treatment: She is being treated for cervical spinal cord injury due to a motor vehicle accident.

12.  Create a special holiday card for our 12 miracle kids!
Rachel Williams
Age: 4
Hometown: Tuscaloosa, AL
Favorite Movie: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Favorite Activity: Going to see animals at the barnyard
Dream Job: “When I grow up I want to be a mommy.”
Treatment: Currently attends physical and occupational therapy sessions weekly at Children’s of Alabama. She was diagnosed with transverse myelitis at the age of 2 and works hard to regain her strength, mobility and independence.