MICHAEL "SUPER MICHAEL" KELLY IS 2008 TEAM LIFE INSPIRATION AMBASSADOR

Local South Texas runners come together again in 2008 to run Houston Marathon; in honor of a Driscoll Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Patient 2008 Chevron Houston Marathon-Sunday, January 13th

For more information or to donate, visit www.active.com/donate/teamlife2008

(Corpus Christi, TX) In 2007 Dr. Alexandre Rotta was inspired to run the Houston Marathon in honor of a very special patient, this lead him to the idea to use this as an opportunity to raise money for Driscoll’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Dr. Rotta’s idea proved to be quite successful when over $5000 was raised. This year Dr. Rotta along with fellow South Texas runners have created Team Life and chosen Michael Kelly “Super Michael” to be their inspiration ambassador.

Super Michael is an engaging 1 year-old boy who has battled a series of very complex congenital problems. Born with a large diaphragmatic hernia (a defect in the muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen and plays a crucial role in breathing), Michael was critically ill from the very first second of his life. Since his lungs were severely affected by the large hernia and did not develop completely in the womb, Michael required advanced treatment and was immediately transported to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Driscoll Children’s Hospital where he spent the next couple of weeks undergoing extracorporeal life support (or ECMO, a heart lung machine used to treat the most severe forms of respiratory failure and shock). Against all odds, he was able to separate from the heart-lung machine and move on to the next stages of his treatment, which included repairing the defect in the diaphragm, open heart surgery to repair a large ventricular septal defect, placement of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt to treat the accumulation of fluid around his brain from a hemorrhage he sustained in the first week of life, placement of a gastrostomy tube to help with his nutrition and a tracheostomy to help with his breathing.

Super Michael spent most of the first year of life in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Driscoll Children's Hospital. During his journey, he touched the lives of countless people, ranging from his health care team to the many friends he made at the hospital. Fortunately, he is doing great now and able to enjoy time at home with family.

On January 13, as each member of Team Life races towards the finish line at the 2008 Chevron Houston Marathon, they will draw strength and inspiration from Michael’s life story. When their muscles start to cramp up by mile 22, the Team will know that their pain is nothing compared to what “Super Michael” had to endure. And when they hit “the wall” around mile 24, they will already know that no obstacle is insurmountable.

For information on how you can support Team Life and help raise funds to support families and children like “Super Michael” please visit www.active.com/donate/teamlife2008.

About Driscoll Children’s Hospital
“Improve the health of adults and you give them back their health …
Improve the health of children and you give them their life.”

Since opening its doors in 1953, Driscoll Children’s Hospital has been offering hope and healing to the children of South Texas for half a century. The facility is a 189-bed pediatric tertiary care center with pediatric board-certified specialists representing 19 medical and nine surgical specialties. Each year, more than 6,000 children are admitted for inpatient care, 5,000 for day surgery, and 50,000 for outpatient primary and specialty care, as well as 40,000 for emergency care, as the first South Texas hospital with emergency services exclusively for children. Additionally, Driscoll maintains a state-of-the-art ground/air transport team, 20-bed pediatric intensive care unit, 40-bed neonatal intensive care unit, and specialized medical outreach.

www.driscollchildrens.org

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