Kadence was six months old when she went to live with her grandmother, Deondriea. The tiny baby’s brain hadn’t developed as it was supposed to in utero, and right away, Deondriea noticed that Kadence hadn’t reached many of the milestones a baby her age should meet.

And the first thing Deondriea did was make an appointment with Children’s Health. 

 “My granddaughter is everything to me. I wanted the best for her, and I knew Children’s Health had the expertise to give us answers and get Kadence on a healthier path,” she said. 

After an MRI, Deondriea was told that the piece of Kadence’s brain that was supposed to connect the two hemispheres was missing.

“It was just the start, but we were on our way to understanding her medical needs and restoring her health as much as possible,” Deondriea said. 

By the time Kadence was three years old, she had more than 200 visits to Children’s Health to see experts in ENT, ophthalmology, neurology, pulmonology, endocrinology and physical therapy. Much of Kadence’s care was focused on restoring her lung health, correcting her vision and ensuring that her growth was on the right track.

One monumental moment came when Kadence was 2 years old. Kadence was born with uneven eyes and had to tilt her head in order to see straight. Additionally, her brain birth defect impacted the development of the optic nerve in her right eye, causing some blindness. The ophthalmology team performed surgery to tighten and align her eye muscles. 

Almost immediately, Kadence began to sit and stand straighter.  

“There have been countless times where extra steps have been made to find an answer or take a precaution. To me, that speaks volumes to who these doctors are and what they believe in,” Deondriea said.

Two of the most important things Deondriea wants Kadence to know are that she is worthy, and she is loved. She is grateful that the Children’s Health team models those same values.

“At Children’s Health, Kadence is encouraged to embrace exactly who she is. It’s why Kadence gives a running hug to her pulmonologist. It’s why she welcomes doctors to join her in hopscotch at the Plano campus,” Deondriea said. 

Deondriea also knows that there are thousands of families who share her gratitude. 

“One of the values at Children’s Health is ‘community’,” she said. “I believe that having the community’s generosity toward children with special needs says a lot about who we are and who we can be.”