Giving back to her favorite hospital
Lexie Martin was never expected to leave the NICU, much less walk. Lexie was born with VACTERL association, a group of birth defects effecting the vertebrae and limbs, as well as multiple organs such as the heart, digestive tract, and kidneys.
Throughout her life, Lexie has undergone more than 36 operations as well as many other procedures. “Surgeries are hard, but she always feels safe coming to McLane Children’s,” mother Suzee Organ says. “She knows she’s going to be taken care of.”
After multiple surgeries, Lexie began to walk at four years old. “She’s my hero,” her mother says. “She has overcome so much. She lives life just like other kids. There are things she’s limited on,
but she can have a normal life and will be able to live on her own when she grows up.”
“We’ve been to other children’s hospitals, but our favorite is McLane Children’s,” Ms. Organ says. “I have faith in every doctor here, and we’ve had a lot of doctors. They go above and beyond, and I just don’t think we could find this kind of dedication anywhere else.”
Now a teenager, Lexie works with the Teen Advisory Board. This group of patients and their siblings work to make a difference for other patients at McLane Children’s by offering recommendations based on their own personal experiences. The teens also volunteer at the hospital and conduct their own fundraising campaign through the CMNH Extra Life program.