Each year, children in the communities we serve are chosen to represent the patients treated at Marshfield Children’s Hospital.
This year, our Miracle Kids——Jana, Lyla, and Will——each have a story to share and one thing in common. Their stories are made possible because of support from donors like you!
Help change kids’ health and change the future for kids like our 2025 Miracle Kids and our Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at Marshfield Children’s Hospital patients and families.
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Jana Dickert, 2025 Champion
At 6 years old, Jana suffered the unimaginable—a Middle Cerebral Artery Ischemic Stroke.
Jana’s family brought her to Marshfield Children’s Hospital, their local children’s hospital, to access lifesaving care. She spent minimal time in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and was moved to Pediatrics where she spent five weeks undergoing tests, treatments, and intensive rehabilitation.
Throughout Jana’s extended stay at Marshfield Children’s Hospital, her care team worked collaboratively to support her recovery, since time is critical in the stroke recovery process. Specialists from man y departments, including rehabilitation, speech therapy, physical therapy and music and expressive therapies, worked with Jana for hours helping her regain motor skills, coordination, and muscle tone. These interventions also improved Jana’s ability to articulate words, allowing her speech to come back quickly. Child Life Specialists positively impacted Jana’s recovery, visiting her room daily and encouraging her love of arts and crafts. They also used games and activities Jana enjoys aiding in strength building.
Following her initial hospital stay, Jana’s care team met with her family regularly to track her progress. A routine MRI scan two years post-stroke revealed signs of increased inflammation in the blood vessels of Jana’s brain. Jana spent five days in the hospital receiving steroid treatments and additional testing. She also required chemotherapy treatments to assist her body in coming off steroids. During this process, Jana’s care team discovered that the vascular inflammation on the left side of her brain had increased yet again. Jana’s care team made the decision to refer her case to Seattle Children’s Hospital, where they determined the cause—an extremely rare condition known as central nervous system (CNS) vasculitis. After returning from Seattle, a follow up MRI at Marshfield Children’s Hospital showed that Jana’s treatment was working.
Today, Jana is no longer receiving chemotherapy and has transitioned to an oral immunosuppressant as she weans off steroids. She still receives MRI scans every three months, ensuring her brain and body remain stable. Although Jana loves the friends she’s found in her nurses, therapists, and doctors, she is happiest when she is home with her family. She loves spending time with her friends, dancing, smiling and being her silly, happy self!
Lyla Hammerstrom, 2025 Miracle Kid
Lyla is loving when snuggling with her pet kitten, creative when painting, and imaginative when playing with her dolls. She is also strong and determined—traits that became evident early in life during her stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Marshfield Children’s Hospital.
In November 2019, halfway through her pregnancy, Lyla’s mom noticed some signs of early labor. After a check-up, she was told she was in labor and immediately transferred to Marshfield Children’s Hospital for bed rest and monitoring. The birth center, just down the hall from the NICU, was ready for Lyla when the time came.
At 23 weeks and 6 days, Lyla was born weighing only 1 pound, 3.8 ounces and was extremely premature, requiring four months in the NICU. Over the next 122 days, Lyla worked hard to grow stronger. She developed her lungs, learned to eat, gained weight, and maintained her body temperature. Throughout this time, her parents felt supported by the staff, who educated them on Lyla’s development and built their confidence as new micro-preemie parents. Technology, like the NicView cameras, helped them stay connected to Lyla, even when they couldn’t be physically present. The cameras allowed her siblings to check in and see Lyla as often as they wanted.
After 122 days, Lyla graduated from the NICU, but her journey didn’t end there. Just months later, she was hospitalized again with RSV. Her family knew they could count on the exceptional care at Marshfield Children’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Child Life Specialists made their stay more comfortable by providing toys, books, and emotional support.
Today, Lyla is a healthy, happy girl. She is curious when learning at school, fun when she runs outside, and inspirational with her determination to overcome every obstacle. Despite her challenging start, Lyla's strength and resilience continue to shine, and her family looks forward to a bright future for her.
Will Krause, 2025 Miracle Kid
Family vacations are meant for fun, laughter, and memories. For Will and his family, their trip to Florida in March 2012 took a tragic turn when Will, just three years old, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia after being seen for illness. He was immediately taken to a children’s hospital in Orlando, where he began 15 days of treatment. Fortunately, Marshfield Children’s Hospital was part of the Children’s Oncology Group, ensuring a smooth transition of his care. Will continued life-saving treatments in Marshfield, completing his regimen in May 2015.
In March 2019, at age 11, Will received another devastating diagnosis: Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. His family was heartbroken, but Will began treatment immediately. After six rounds of chemotherapy, he entered remission, but tragically relapsed in October 2019, just a month later. His doctors devised a plan involving clinical trials, working closely with Children’s Hospital in Milwaukee, with the goal of achieving remission to qualify for a stem cell transplant.
Will's treatments were challenging, including a new infusion method that required long hours in the pediatric ICU. Despite these obstacles, Will showed remarkable strength and perseverance. By January 2020, he was in remission and ready for the stem cell transplant. However, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed the procedure and extended his treatment journey by another year. Due to the high risk of relapse, his medical team recommended 16 more rounds of chemotherapy to ensure his safety.
Now, nearly five years after the transplant and almost four years since his last treatment, Will is thriving. He is healthy, strong, and a three-sport athlete. He’s looking ahead to college and living a full life. Will’s family is deeply grateful for the exceptional care they received. “His medical team has supported him through over a decade of treatments, always thinking about what was best for Will’s physical and mental wellbeing. They showed deep compassion for our entire family because no journey is fought alone.”
