Isaiah Hazard went from being a completely healthy 5-year-old boy who loved camping, playing sports, and chasing after his younger brother to suddenly not being able to move any of his limbs.

In September of 2018, Isaiah fell ill from unknown causes. What started as typical cold symptoms, unexpectedly left him paralyzed from the neck down. Just a couple of days after starting kindergarten, Isaiah was diagnosed with acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), a rare and serious neurologic disease that affects part of the spinal cord. This disease, similar to polio, drastically and quickly took over Isaiah’s life.

“My family and I were told to prepare for Isaiah to never walk again,” said Isaiah’s mom, Erika Thompson as she began to learn the severity of AFM.

Fifteen-month-old Anabelle was all smiles dressed alongside her twin sister, Anaelle, in matching pink coats. Staff took turns hoisting Anabelle up in the air and showering her with affection during their farewells.

Anabelle came to Franciscan Children’s Inpatient Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program in March 2018, when she was just shy of three months old. It didn’t take long for staff to fall in love with her spunky attitude and cheerful smiles.

She was born prematurely at 33 weeks alongside her twin sister. Following their birth, the twins spent 24 hours in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for breathing support, before being discharged back to the family’s home in Burlington, Mass.

When John Moschilli looks back on the lasting memories he has had with his daughter, Molly, he tends to reflect on sports and the times they played softball in the backyard.

“I got hit in the face by a Wiffle ball many times by her that would leave a mark,” he said. “I smile about it now because as much as it hurt, she could be dead.”

A brutally honest thought for a father and a family that have fought for their lives since day one.
“It was terrifying,” John said. “Is she going to live? What is her life going to be like? We were totally inexperienced and unprepared as far as having a child with health issues.”

Joey stood at the top of the aisle, soaking it all in: every clap, every cheer, every friend, every moment. It was his graduation day at Kennedy Day School at Franciscan Children’s, a culmination of 22 years of care, education, and memories. He stood amongst the applause from the standing-room-only crowd and soaked it all in, knowing it was his time to move forward.

Born as a twin at just 28 weeks, his parents, Kathleen and Chris, were never sure if they would be able to share this moment with their son. His lungs were underdeveloped. He was incessantly sick, including a very serious bout with pneumonia. He couldn’t keep his food down. He was on a ventilator 24/7, but his lungs were so badly damaged due to his prematurity, that it did not seem like Joey was going to survive.