Meet our 2025 CMN Heroes
Each year, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at Gundersen Health System chooses five extraordinary kids who have had a medical condition or complexities. We are excited to introduce you to our 2025 CMN Heroes – Athena, Liam, Marbree, Rhett, and Oaklynn!
MEET OUR CMN HERO – ATHENA!
“Teeny Theenie” is what her family likes to call her. It’s a playful nickname that Athena picked up because of her small stature. It’s also a reminder of just how much this resilient girl from Brownsville, Minn., had to go through to get to where she is today.
For Athena, her journey began even before her birth in 2018. At 32 weeks, doctored noticed an abnormality on mom Aleigha’s ultrasound. That prompted genetic testing, which revealed that both her and dad Alex were carriers of Cystic Fibrosis. Athena fell into the 25 percent of children who would then carry the disease.
Athena spent her first 50 days of life in the hospital undergoing procedures for various issues, and life didn’t get any easier her first year at home. But today, this happy, energetic girl, who loves to hoard stuffed animals and jam to Taylor Shift isn’t letting Cystic Fibrosis define her life, despite the hours of therapy she must complete daily to manage it. That spirit is what makes her our Hero.
Athena required several pieces of specialized equipment when she left the hospital, and thankfully, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals was there to help. In addition to the gas cards, specialty baby formula and eventual horse-riding lessons, CMN Hospitals helped secure chest physical therapy (CPT) equipment and respiratory equipment replacements – making the financial burden a bit easier.
Today, Athena receives routine care from Cystic Fibrosis Clinic at Gundersen Health System, and her parents credit this team, along with the resources their family has received from CMN Hospitals for her healthy growth.
“CMN Hospitals makes a difference in families lives, whether a direct grant given to the family or a grant to improve hospital facilities supporting pediatric care,” Aleigha says. “We are humbled by the community care and support.”
There are many families like Athena’s who are eligible for support through Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, and the extra helping hand is a comforting help during a difficult time.
MEET OUR CMN HERO – LIAM
Liam’s journey with Type 1 diabetes began in the fall of 2022 with a whirlwind of symptoms that quickly led to a diagnosis and admission to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Gundersen Health System. Despite the overwhelming nature of such a sudden and unexpected situation, Liam’s resilience shone through.
Amid a flurry of tests and procedures, he remained calm and even asked his mom, Kayla, to read a book to him through all the chaos. His sweetness and understanding during blood draws and insulin pokes were a true testament to his strength and is what makes him our Hero.
Liam’s three-day hospital stay following his diagnosis was an intense experience, but his Endocrinology team at Gundersen was there every step of the way, providing exceptional care and reassurance to Liam and his family.
Liam’s adaptability and willingness to learn about managing his condition is remarkable. He’s quickly mastered the skills needed to give himself insulin shots and calculate insulin doses. The introduction of a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) has further improved daily life for Liam, providing real-time data and reducing the need for frequent finger pricks.
CMN Hospitals played a crucial role in supporting Liam’s journey by covering all his diabetic supplies for the first three months after his diagnosis and continuing to support these needs annually. They also provided meal vouchers and a gas card during hospitalization, easing the financial burden on his family traveling from Viroqua, Wis.
“As a parent, when your child has something happen to them, the medical expenses are a thought in the back of your mind; it’s a “I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it’ moment,” says Kayla. “But CMN Hospitals meets you on that bridge to guide you through the help that’s available.”
Liam’s family has been a strong support system in his care journey. Liam loves to make them laugh, and he doesn’t let his diabetes get in the way of them enjoying the outdoors together, playing board games, riding 4-wheelers and hunting.
MEET OUR CMN HERO – MARBREE
Born in April of 2017 with critical congenital heart defects, Marbree’s early life was marked by extensive medical challenges. Following birth, her condition rapidly worsened, leading to organ failure, an emergency thoracotomy and, ultimately, open heart surgery.
Marbree faced many obstacles on her road to recovery. She coded multiple times following heart surgery and was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension and a stroke, which caused mild cognitive impairment and some delays in her speech and memory. Despite these setbacks, Marbree, who lives with her family in Holmen, Wis., has remained on track for meeting developmental milestones. Her determination has never wavered, and that’s what makes her our Hero.
Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals played a key role in supporting Marbree’s care journey. They provided financial assistance in the form of gas cards and hotel stays, allowing her family to focus on her treatment and recovery without added financial stress. Most recently, they’ve supported music therapy sessions that help strengthen Marbree’s cognitive skills.
“Having a medically complex child can be a huge financial burden for a family,” says Marbree’s mom, Megan. “Support from CMN Hospitals lightened the load during such a stressful time and allowed us to focus back on our child’s treatment and recovery rather than wondering where we were staying, how we were getting there and where the money would come from during a time when there was little to no income coming in.”
Marbree doesn’t let her medical conditions interfere with enjoying gymnastics, swimming, arts and crafts, piano playing and songwriting—all of which have helped her develop both physically and creatively. Her compassionate spirit is evident through her efforts in hosting lemonade stands to benefit CMN Hospitals, demonstrating her kindness and desire to give back.
With the help of CMN Hospitals and her supportive family, friends and community, Marbree continues to thrive, inspiring those around her with her strength and resilience.
MEET OUR CMN HERO – RHETT!
There are lots of things Rhett has come to love about life: Dairy Queen ice cream; his dog, Koda; tractor and ATV rides; and listening to music. The list goes on. He has a contagious smile, witty sense of humor and has found his joy despite the many hurdles he’s faced – starting almost immediately after his birth.
Rhett, from Brownsville, Minn., was born five weeks premature at just four pounds. After 8 days in the NICU, it was discovered that Rhett had hydrocephalus. That prompted a flight to a Madison hospital, where he’d remain for the first 11 weeks of his life. What followed were years of seizures, surgeries, cerebral palsy and sleep apnea diagnoses, and evolving needs for in-home adaptive equipment.
But even after all Rhett has been through in his young life, with his parents Elliot and Michelle by his side, he continues to persevere. That’s what makes him so remarkable, and that’s what makes him our Hero.
From the very beginning, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals has been there to support the Breeser family in several ways. They provided gas cards for the many trips to Madison, music therapy lessons for almost five years, and assistance with expensive adaptive equipment the Breesers would need for their home. Those were a huge help during a stressful time.
“CMN Hospitals can be a bright spot on a dark day. Even something as seemingly small as meal vouchers to remind parents to eat and keep up their strength in order to be able to take care of their child is so very helpful and one less expense for parents to worry about. Thank you, donors, from the bottom of our hearts. Your help means the world to us because our child means the world to us.” Michelle says.
It’s that support that has helped Rhett enjoy the simple things in life like playing with his brother, cousins and grandparents and swinging at the park. And it’s helped Elliot and Michelle rest easier, knowing that support is just around the corner.
MEET OUR CMN HERO – OAKLYNN!
For almost six years, Oaklynn was like any other child. She played with dolls, made arts and crafts, and spent lots of time with her Nana and Papa. But last year, something changed – and it changed fast.
Oaklynn occasionally ran low-grade fevers, but around Thanksgiving in 2023, they started to happen more frequently. Then, by March 2024, urinary issues began, and what her parents April and Greg thought would be a simple trip to Urgent Care turned their world upside down. After bloodwork, x-rays, and a round of tests, they received a diagnosis they weren’t expecting: stage 4 Wilms Tumor kidney cancer. The next 41 days were spent in the hospital with the Pediatric Oncology team at Gundersen Health System, trying to shrink a baseball sized tumor.
But through it all, Oaklynn, who lives in Utica, Minn. has fought. The multiple rounds of chemotherapy and radiation, the extended hospital stays, the surgeries. She didn’t let any of that stop her. And on Oct. 17, 2024, Oaklynn got to ring the bell, signifying the end of her treatment. The example she provides to everyone going through cancer treatment makes her our Hero.
And while April and Greg were forced to navigate this unforeseen medical journey with their daughter, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals took care of the little things, providing gas cards for the family’s frequent trips to several care facilities and meal vouchers for extended stays in La Crosse. That allowed them to focus on what was most important at the time: the health of their daughter.
“CMN Hospitals is crucial to provide support to families so they can focus on their child when they are experiencing difficult, complicated medical diagnosis and long treatments,” April says.
Now, Oaklynn can get back to doing what she loves, like playing volleyball with her sister, learning karate with her brother, and spending time with her chickens.
