Meet Bri: Children's Miracle Network Hero

Meet Bri: Children's Miracle Network Hero

When you hear that Briyelah (Bri) Root loves Ms. Rachel, books, clapping and high fives, you'd think she's living the life of any other one-and-a-half year-old girl from Onalaska. But Bri's life has been anything but normal.

Born weighing less than four pounds, Bri has been fighting from the beginning, facing more challenges than most will ever know. Despite months spent in hospitals across the state, Bri has grown to love the world beyond those walls - her parents, her big sister, music, mirrors and the simple joys that make her smile.

Bri's medical picture is rare and extraordinarily complex. She has severe pulmonary hypertension and chronic respiratory failure with significantly underdeveloped lungs. Along with congenital heart defects and PHACE syndrome, she also deals with complex feeding and GI challenges; congenital kidney and bladder issues; bilateral hearing loss, craniofacial, neurologic and spinal differences; and a cleft palate and oral webbing.

In her first year and a half of life, Bri faced six high-risk procedures requiring anesthesia and endured extended hospital stays - each one especially delicate due to the added risks anesthesia poses for her complex conditions. Today, her care remains intensive and ongoing. Bri depends on sterile pump and central line management, frequent labs, echocardiograms, imaging, multiple therapies and constant monitoring.

Through it all, Bri shows remarkable strength as a true "PHighter" (pulmonary hypertension fighter), as do her parents, Danielle and Kevin, and sister, Eliyanah, despite the heavy emotional toll. "More than once, we've heard the words, 'We've never seen this before,'" Kevin shares. "Living in that kind of medical mystery is exhausting; you are always bracing for what comes next."

That's where Children's Miracle Network (CMN) steps in, helping lighten the load for the Roots in meaningful ways. From gas cards for frequent medical travel to meal vouchers, adaptive equipment, and hotel accommodations when staying close to Bri is the only option.

"Just as importantly, CMN has supported us by showing up with compassion and reminding us, over and over, that families like ours are not alone," Danielle says. "CMN doesn't just help families afford the journey; they help families survive it."

If you would like to support Bri and families like hers, visit our CMN webpage or call .