Brielle Gaine is a joyful 12-year-old girl from Tappan, NY. As an infant, Brielle was diagnosed with neurofibromatosis (NF1), which can cause benign tumors to grow along nerve endings throughout the body.  At the age of two, Brielle developed an optic glioma. The tumor was successfully treated and stabilized, but her eyesight was affected. In November of 2023, Brielle complained of pain in her leg. After scans and a biopsy, it was determined that a neurofibroma growing on her lumbar/pelvic area had turned malignant, which is very rare. Brielle began treatment soon after and had surgery in March of 2023 to remove the tumor along with the nerve it was growing on. The surgery went well, but left her weaker in one leg. Brielle currently receives physical therapy and is getting stronger every day! She loves sports and is hoping to be back playing them soon. She has a positive attitude and is a true fighter, just like her parents!

Luke Garrecht is a happy, funny, energetic five-year-old who lives in Tappan with his parents and two big sisters. In November of 2022, Luke had his second documented grand mal seizure and was brought to the hospital immediately. After extensive testing he was subsequently diagnosed with epilepsy. However, after more than a year of seeing a variety of other neurologists, he was also diagnosed with KBG Syndrome. KBG is a rare genetic disorder that can result in skeletal abnormalities, cognitive and neurodevelopmental delays, heart defects, hearing loss, and seizures. Luke’s family was devastated to hear this news, but the diagnosis explained Luke’s challenges in early childhood, including plagiocephaly and brachycephaly, failed hearing tests, and delayed milestones. Luke has regular visits to the doctor to monitor his growth, epilepsy, and cognitive development, and just received bilateral hearing aides. Luke has just started kindergarten and is so excited to start learning with his new friends. His happiness is contagious!

Zach Dolinsky was an 8th grader at Nyack Middle School when, in November 2023, he had to undergo open heart surgery to remove a subaortic membrane (SAM), a condition which he had had since birth but that his doctors felt finally needed to be addressed. The operation went smoothly, but the intubation process during surgery traumatized Zach’s upper airway because of tracheal stenosis. When Zach was extubated two days after surgery, his airway therefore closed rapidly and he suffered both respiratory and cardiac arrest. The medical team brought Zach back after he had been without oxygen for up to 10 minutes, resulting in significant brain injuries and the need for a permanent trache tube. Zach has only recently returned home after spending nearly a year working towards his recovery at Blythedale Children’s Hospital, and there is still very far to go. Zach cannot do many of the things he used to love to do, but his biggest loss right now is his inability to speak because of the trache. His family is seeing a specialist in Cincinnati in January, and are hoping that they will be able to repair Zach's upper airway so he can finally have his trache removed and be able to speak for the first time in a year. Despite all of these struggles, Zach is extremely determined to get better. His strength is an inspiration to his whole family, including his loving older sister Liliana who has had to grow up very quickly but is handling everything with grace and maturity.