Hannah Harlow – CMN Miracle Child 2023

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East Texas is full of miracle children. Miracle children who have overcome some great odds early in life. Miracle children who continue to deal with situations that life has dealt them with a positive attitude. Miracle children who discover later in life that they have a health issue that they will need to seek medical help for and in some cases live with for the rest of their life.

These children are special and each year the Children's Miracle Network through CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital in Tyler selects one child as the CMN Miracle Child of the Year. This year, 4-year-old Hannah Harlow was selected as the CMN Miracle Child 2023.

Let's Get To Know Hannah Harlow

Although Hannah appeared to be a healthy baby, even at a young age she was always in pain. Hannah would cry constantly if she wasn’t being held. Walking or even standing was extremely painful.

During a routine doctor appointment, her pediatrician immediately knew something wasn’t right and referred Hannah to a pediatric endocrinologist in the CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic. Ironically the only specialist available in the area, Dr. Ana Gutierrez Alvarez, had just completed a yearlong study on a rare and difficult-to-diagnose genetic condition called X-Linked Hypophosphatemic (XLH) Rickets. Hannah was one of her first patients.

At the age of two, Hannah was diagnosed with XLH Rickets, a condition in which the body doesn’t produce or retain phosphorous. Without phosphorous, bones do not harden, so they are brittle and can easily break. Left untreated, children with XLH Rickets live in constant pain, have stunted growth, and lifelong struggles with bone breakage and impaired mobility. Due to brittle bones, children have to be very careful, limiting physical activities and even play.

Although there is no cure for XLH Rickets, Hannah’s endocrinologist Dr. Alvarez began progressive treatment with hopes to slow and possibly even reverse her symptoms. Within just a few months, Hannah began to walk, jump and even run! Recent x-rays show the bones in her legs have completely healed and she has caught up with the growth chart. At four years old, there is nothing she can’t do. Hannah is in tumbling, dance and loves dressing up in fancy dresses. Best of all, she is finally back to just being a kid!

Hannah has been a great ambassador for Children's Miracle Network and has had the opportunity to do some exciting fun things along the way - like lighting the City of Tyler's Christmas tree at the end of the parade last Christmas. She got to flip the switch and watch the tree light up!

Mix 93-1 is proud to be a partner and supporter of the Children's Miracle Network right here in East Texas. Thanks to generous donors, we help bring life-saving equipment and training to East Texas through our annual Mix With Kids Children's Miracle Network Radiothon. The need is always there and you may support CMN and donate funds at any time.