River Hardy – CMN Miracle Child 2024

Take a look around East Texas and you will see miracle children all around.

Yes, some are obvious while others are not so obvious. Miracle children may begin their life sooner than others and some may face some difficult challenges immediately and they may outgrow those challenges, while some may have to live with them for life.

These special gifts are precious to us all and thanks to the Children's Miracle Network through CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital we get to meet these special children and celebrate their life and accomplishments because they have been selected as the CMN Miracle Child of the Year.

The 2024 CMN Miracle Child is River Hardy.

Let's learn more about River's challenging beginning to life and how much he's progressed since.

When Kyla and Kaleb Hardy found out they were pregnant with a baby boy, they were overjoyed with the thought of growing their family. As Kyla’s pregnancy progressed, however, she began to develop dangerously high blood pressure due to a condition called pre-eclampsia, which affected both her health and her baby’s growth.

When doctors determined it was no longer safe for mom or baby, Kyla had an emergency c-section and River Brian Hardy was born at 34 weeks gestation, weighing just 3lbs 12 oz. During River’s treatment in the level III neonatal intensive care unit at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Tyler, he faced multiple challenges due to his prematurity, including oxygenation, feeding, and properly digesting milk.

Although the journey was long, they weren’t all bad days. The Hardy family remembers the NICU nurses, doctors, and staff with love and appreciation. Kayla reminisces and says,

We celebrated Thanksgiving there together as a family. Santa came to visit River. Even though it was so hard, we knew he was in the best hands. Someone from our family was there with him 24 hours a day. We never left his side and eventually, we got to take our baby home. We know that’s not the case for every family and we are just so grateful.”

After four weeks, River was discharged just in time to spend Christmas at home with his family. Over the next several months, River and his parents settled into the routine of “normal” newborn life. He was a happy baby, full of joy and laughter, but over time his family started to notice he wasn’t meeting developmental milestones. He also wasn’t growing as quickly as he should and they became concerned.

At around one year old, River was referred to Dr. David Osteen, a pediatrician in the CHRISTUS CARES clinic for children with special healthcare needs. After further testing, it was determined that River had Periventricular Leukomalacia (PVL) which can be found in premature babies when the white matter of the brain is damaged during birth.

River was diagnosed with Failure to Thrive and Cerebral Palsy; his symptoms included impaired motor control, impaired motor coordination, and decreased muscle tone, balance, and posture. Essentially, it is more challenging for River to do things like pick up toys, balance, and walk.

While it was a difficult diagnosis to hear, River’s parents saw this as just another obstacle they would get through together. With the help of their CHRISTUS CARES team, their faith in God, and the support of their family, they made a plan.

River began seeing the CHRISTUS Trinity Clinic pediatric endocrinologist due to his small stature. He also immediately began speech, occupational, and physical therapy and has been making big strides ever since.

Now, at four years old, it’s hard to slow him down. River was recently outfitted with a new gate trainer, which helps him walk (and run!) wherever he wants to go. River loves to play, and color and is incredibly bright. He can even read, spell, and even do math!

Despite his small size, one of the first things you’ll notice about River is his huge smile; he’s happy all the time. Above all, River’s story is a testament to a family’s love and support of a little boy with a great big heart.