The 37th annual Children’s Miracle Network telethon took place in September, and although it was different due to COVID, we had an amazing turnout! This event has been hosted by KCBD for 37 years and all donations go to our kids at UMC Children’s Hospital
This year, the telethon was done virtually, and the amount of people allowed on set was minimal. Normally, the check presentations are live, but thanks to our marketing team, they were pre-taped this year, and the presentations looked great! Although, this event looked different, it was successful, and we raised just over $1 million.
“We have a great team at UMC,” said Allison Hays, Development Officer in the UMC Foundation, “and KCBD is wonderful to work with as well! Both teams working together always make for a successful telethon, so it’s no surprise that the curveball thrown to us by COVID didn’t stop our community from tuning in and giving.”
Read below to learn more about our final Miracle Kid, Julian Potter.
Miracle Kid Spotlight
Julian Potter
On May 21, 2020, Julian was critically injured in a boating accident at Lake Nasworthy in San Angelo, Texas. The boat propeller tore through his upper-right leg from his knee up to his abdomen and was exposed to the bone. Julian was taken to the local hospital, where it was quickly determined he needed to be flown to the UMC Level 1 Trauma Center.
The medical crew on the flight did not think Julian would survive the flight, but he did! He was immediately taken to surgery to replace 8 inches of missing femoral artery and spent just over a month at the UMC Children’s Hospital.
Since then, Julian has gone through numerous surgeries—from arterial and nerve implants to exploratory repair to skin grafts and more. He has a long road of therapy and rehabilitation ahead of him, but Julian remains positive. He plans to return to play football his senior year of high school.