Meet Watson, who dances through life and defies expectations
Born at just 25 weeks, weighing less than a pound, Watson has overcome every obstacle with strength, courage and a contagious smile.
At Children’s Health℠, incredible moments happen even in the hardest circumstances — moments of friendship, creativity, healing, courage and hope.
These moments are made possible by extraordinary care and generous donor support. These moments don’t happen by chance; they happen because of extraordinary teams and generous donor support.
Make a safe, secure donation online using a credit card or payment partner. Choose to give one time or make it a monthly gift, which provides us with a regular, more efficient source of funding.
Want to learn more about Children's Medical Center Foundation? Visit give.childrens.com.
Watson's incredible moments
Lacey checked into a nearby hospital at 25 weeks pregnant, planning to be there for at least a month or two. She’d been diagnosed with a condition called intrauterine growth restriction and needed to be on bed rest in a hospital. The next morning, she woke up feeling awful.
Physicians diagnosed her with a rare, life-threatening pregnancy complication called HELLP syndrome. She needed to deliver her baby — immediately.
“I asked for a second opinion, and they said there was no time,” Lacey said. “Watson was born weighing less than a pound. They told us that she was the smallest baby to be born at that hospital and survive.”
Every morning, Lacey helps her 8-year-old daughter Watson with an hour-long breathing treatment. When Watson’s family realized she could breathe much more easily in the salty sea air in California, they stayed there for six months. And when they learned about a special camp that helps kids learn to chew and swallow, they were quick to sign Watson up.
Like many families, Watson’s will go anywhere and do anything to help her thrive. And when it comes to her ongoing care, they choose Children’s Health.
making incredible moments possible
DFW is one of the fastest-growing regions in the U.S. The pediatric population served by Children’s Health and UT Southwestern Medical Center is 2.4 million and is expected to grow nearly 30% by 2050.
Our new Dallas pediatric campus will be a destination for leading-edge patient care and emerging treatments for more kids like Watson. With the support of generous donors, we are transforming the health care landscape for our region and providing holistic care for the country’s most complex pediatric patients. We’re not just building a hospital — we’re building a place that makes life-changing moments possible.
“When my husband and I learned about the new campus, we got chills. We thought about how many more families would not have to travel for care. That’s life changing. The better services we have, the more research we can fund, the more technology we can bring to the hospital — the more kids who can have a faster recovery and a better quality of life.”
— Watson’s mom, Lacey
Patient and family support
Patient and Family Support Services teams work to support kids through every stage of their journey. More than 30 large events (and countless activities) create moments of joy, normalcy and connection for patients and families throughout the year, including patient prom, a Halloween costume contest, cooking classes and other experiences that allow kids to be kids, even when in the hospital.
