Allie, 6

Born 13 weeks early, Allie weighed just 2 pounds, 2 ounces. She was diagnosed at 16 days old with an infection that required surgeons to remove two-thirds of her small intestine. The infection also affected her brain causing it to stop growing and leaving her with half of her cerebellum.

Today, Allie receives a number of therapies as well as intensive follow-up care with a team of more than 20 pediatric specialists at Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU. She has achieved amazing progress marked by accomplishments like learning to pedal a bicycle, consume food by mouth, and expand her vocabulary by leaps and bounds.