The Heart of a Champion

MacKenzie Schors and her family know all too well what it’s like to spend time in the neonatal intensive care unit. The 15-year old from East Machias is our Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals’ 2021 champion child. During the last several months, she’s been kind enough to share her inspiring story with the community to raise awareness about the importance of having a specialty children’s hospital nearby. And, for the Schors, nearby is 90 miles from home.

MacKenzie was born twelve weeks early. Those first few hours, days, and weeks – including MacKenzie’s first Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Day, and Valentine’s Day – were a roller coaster of emotion for her parents who faced the very real possibility that they’d lose their newborn daughter. This as they were grieving the loss of her twin sister, and caring for her big brother who was back home. The Schors’ credit the team in the NICU with saving their daughter’s life, and one hundred days after she was born, she was heading home.

Almost 16-years later, the family will never forget those early days or the team who cared for MacKenzie. With the support of her family and the community, MacKenzie pays it forward by hosting several fundraising events throughout the year to help families who are going through a similar journey. On Monday, she stopped by the hospital with some goodies for the family room in the NICU – snacks, drinks, and personal care items.

Many of the families who are spending time with their tiny miracle in the NICU never expected an extended hospital stay. These donations mean so much to our families. Thank you, MacKenzie! And, thank you to your parents and the community for their continued support. You are amazing!