7-YEAR-OLD MEDICAL MIRACLE FROM WAUKEE. >> WE GOT 70,000 PEOPLE WAITING ON US. >> THE FLYOVER. >> GET GOOSE BUMPS THINKING ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW. >> AND THE FIGHT SONG. >> IT'S ONE OF THE BEST ENTRANCES IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL. >> HAWKEYE PLAYERS RILEY MOSS AND GAVIN WILLIAMS KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY'LL BE SEEING, HEARING AND FEELING ON SATURDAY. BUT NOT 7-YEAR-OLD AUDREY SCHNELLER ON WAUKEE. >> I DON'T LIKE ATTENTION. STEVE: BUT SHE DOES GET A KICK OUT OF BEING THE CY-HAWK GAME KID CAPTAIN. THIS VERY MERRY SECOND GRADER IS A MEDICAL MIRACLE. >> SHE'S GOT UNDERDEVELOPED RETINAS. STEVE: AUDREY'S PARENTS KNEW SOMETHING WAS WRONG AND SHOT THIS VIDEO WHEN SHE WAS 3 MONTHS OLD. >> HER EYES DID THIS FLUTTERY MOTION WHEN SHE WAS LAYING BACKWARDS. STEVE: THEIR PEDIATRICIAN WATCHED IT AND REFERRED THE FAMILY TO THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA'S STEAD FAMILY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL. WHAT THE DOCTORS SAID AT THE FIRST APPOINTMENT WAS SCARY. >> SHE'S TOO YOUNG TO ASSESS HER VISION. WE KNOW SHE CAN SEE LIGHT BUT SHE MAY BE BLIND. WE DON'T KNOW. STEVE: A WORLD-RENOUNCED RESEARCHER WAS ASSIGNED TO HER CASE. WHEN SHE WAS 3, THE DOCTOR DETERMINED AUDREY HAD BEEN BORN WITH AN EXTREMELY RARE GENETIC MUTATION CALLED K.I.F.-7. SHE'S THE ONLY PERSON IN THE WORLD WITH HER SPECIFIC FORM OF THE MUTATION. >> IT WAS ASTOUNDING IT WAS THAT RARE. STEVE: BEFORE HER RETINA SURGERY HER VISION WAS 2,400, THAT'S LEGALLY -- 20-400. THAT'S LEGALLY BLIND. AND NOW -- >> SHE CAN SEE 20-40 IN ONE EYE AND 20-50 IN THE OTHER. >> WE'RE LUCKY TO HAVE ONE OF THE BEST OPHTHALMOLOGY SCHOOLS AND CLINICS IN THE COUNTRY IN OUR BACKYARD. STEVE: WHILE BEING TREATED THERE, AUDREY WAS SCARED OF THE HOSPITAL AND THE STADIUM. >> I LIKE THAT PLACE. STEVE: WHAT CHANGED HER MIND? >> I CAN SEE FAR AWAY. >> FAR, FOR A AWAY. SHE CAN NOW SEE AS FAR AS HER IMAGINATION, INTELLIGENCE, AND TALENTS CAN TAKE HER. THANKS TO THE WORLD CLASS HEALTH CARE SHE RECEIVED AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA'S STEAD FAMILY CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL. STEVE: YOU HEARD AUDREY SAY SHE WAS SCARED BEFORE HER SURGERY. ALL THE KIDS ARE. TO EASE THEIR FEARS THE HOSPITAL OFFERS EACH CHILD A CUDDLY TOY THEY CAN HOLD AND -- HUG AND HOLD ON TO UNTIL THE ANESTHETIC STARTS TO WORK. THE HOSPITAL IS RUNNING LOW ON TOYS RIGHT NOW SO AWDEE AND HER FAMILY STARTED A TOY DRIVE THISM CALL IT STOCK THE STEAD. IF YOU'D LIKE TO HELP DONATE TOYS OR MONEY, WE HAVE A LINK AT
The Iowa football team and University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children's Hospital are once again partnering for the annual Kid Captains program.Previous video above: Waukee girl honored as ‘Kid Captain’ at Kinnick Stadium organizes toy drive for children in the hospitalKid Captains are pediatric patients from the Midwest who are chosen through a nomination process to join the Hawkeye football team for a game, get a tour of Kinnick Stadium and spend time with the players. A release announcing the 2024 Kid Captains says 245 children were nominated. These 12 were selected for the upcoming season:Iowa vs. Illinois State: Carter Schmidt, 7, CoralvilleIowa vs. Iowa State: Atlas Coleman, 8, West Des MoinesIowa vs. Troy: Mya Gilchrist, 18, Center PointIowa at Minnesota: Aiden Washburn, 8, KeokukIowa at Ohio State: Haidyn Ulrich, 15, Cedar RapidsIowa vs. Washington: Jackson Casteel, 7, PanoraIowa at Michigan State: Hudson Ferris, 12, EldridgeIowa vs. Northwestern: Adeline Lovell, 6, Clear LakeIowa vs. Wisconsin: Hunter Mickelson, 9, CliveIowa at UCLA: Nataleigh Mochal, 9, OelweinIowa at Maryland: Raelyn Miller-Ramirez, 9, DavenportIowa vs. Nebraska: Lukas Hazen, 12, Muscatine“The Kid Captain program is an incredible opportunity to highlight the strength and resiliency of our patients, their families, and care teams,” Alexander Bassuk, MD, PhD, physician-in-chief of the Stead Family Children’s Hospital said in a news release. “The bravery of these families is a testament to the powerful difference our care teams make in the lives of children every day. Our Kid Captains have faced some incredibly challenging health problems and have come out the other side stronger. It is our honor to call them our patients.”You can read more about the story of each Kid Captain here.
DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa football team and University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children's Hospital are once again partnering for the annual Kid Captains program.
Previous video above: Waukee girl honored as ‘Kid Captain’ at Kinnick Stadium organizes toy drive for children in the hospital
Kid Captains are pediatric patients from the Midwest who are chosen through a nomination process to join the Hawkeye football team for a game, get a tour of Kinnick Stadium and spend time with the players.
A release announcing the 2024 Kid Captains says 245 children were nominated. These 12 were selected for the upcoming season:
Iowa vs. Illinois State: Carter Schmidt, 7, Coralville
Iowa vs. Iowa State: Atlas Coleman, 8, West Des Moines
Iowa vs. Troy: Mya Gilchrist, 18, Center Point
Iowa at Minnesota: Aiden Washburn, 8, Keokuk
Iowa at Ohio State: Haidyn Ulrich, 15, Cedar Rapids
Iowa vs. Washington: Jackson Casteel, 7, Panora
Iowa at Michigan State: Hudson Ferris, 12, Eldridge
Iowa vs. Northwestern: Adeline Lovell, 6, Clear Lake
Iowa vs. Wisconsin: Hunter Mickelson, 9, Clive
Iowa at UCLA: Nataleigh Mochal, 9, Oelwein
Iowa at Maryland: Raelyn Miller-Ramirez, 9, Davenport
Iowa vs. Nebraska: Lukas Hazen, 12, Muscatine
UIHC
The 2024 Kid Captains.
“The Kid Captain program is an incredible opportunity to highlight the strength and resiliency of our patients, their families, and care teams,” Alexander Bassuk, MD, PhD, physician-in-chief of the Stead Family Children’s Hospital said in a news release. “The bravery of these families is a testament to the powerful difference our care teams make in the lives of children every day. Our Kid Captains have faced some incredibly challenging health problems and have come out the other side stronger. It is our honor to call them our patients.”
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