In March 2023, right after her third birthday, Salem had what her parents thought was an allergic reaction to children’s makeup which included swelling of her eyelids and stomach. After a visit to her doctor, she continued to have other symptoms present including urination issues and being extremely fatigued.

Doctors concluded that Salem had minimal change disease (MCD) which results in nephrotic syndrome that causes your kidneys to not filter correctly. After courageously battling this disorder for a while Salem has been in remission for a little over a year now.

Unfortunately, while on vacation in April 2025, Salem started to have bloody stools and mouth sores. Her symptoms expanded to include rapid weight loss and extreme fatigue. Doctors tested Salem for various conditions to rule things out ranging from strep throat to colitis, but her symptoms continued through July of 2025. Salem’s parents knew things weren’t getting better and took her to the hospital for more testing to hopefully get a diagnosis.

Salem was admitted to the hospital on and off and was eventually diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in October 2025. After two weeks of intense treatments with infusions, she was in remission. Salem is now in the maintenance phase of treatment and hasn’t had a flare up in over a year for her IBD. Salem lives every day like a typical 6-year-old.

Through all the symptoms, testing, and treatments, Salem has been super strong. She is very excited to enter first grade this fall! Salem aspires to become a nurse when she grows up so she can help others. She loves vanilla ice cream with strawberries, painting, reading, and taking trips to Myrtle Beach.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and the Dayton Dragons applaud those who have been instrumental in Salem’s life, including her mom, dad, sister, family, friends, and her entire medical team.

In December 2024, a family friend noticed that Aletheia’s posture wasn’t normal. Aletheia, an outgoing and brave teen who enjoys reading, creative writing, and spending time with her numerous pets, was experiencing difficulty in normal activities. Her condition quickly progressed and her parents took her to a doctor for testing; she was quickly diagnosed with scoliosis.

Initially, Aletheia tried physical therapy to try and improve her condition, but her spinal alignment kept getting worse and doctors made it clear that surgery was imminent. In December 2025, she underwent major spinal surgery. Surgeons put screws with anchors in a majority of her spine and added a metal rod to both sides of the vertebrae to secure it. After more than five hours of surgery and five recovery days in the hospital, she was able to return home to begin rehab.

Aletheia’s rehab consisted of at-home exercises, medicine to alleviate pain and swelling, and restrictions to prevent any post-surgery issues to her spine. Even though her condition has limitations, she makes sure that scoliosis doesn’t prevent her from being a typical teenage girl.

While at first Aletheia was upset about learning her diagnosis, she had faith, trusting the Lord and knew she’d be okay. “Getting diagnosed with scoliosis made me realize that I am not as ordinary as I thought I was…I am special,” Aletheia said. “I want anyone else dealing with unexpected news to know you can get through it a lot better than you think you can.”

Aletheia aspires to be an author and actress. She is competing in a language arts competition called “Power of the Pen” and has made it all the way to State! She enjoys writing and reading and spending quality time with friends and family. Aletheia wants everyone to know that “every story has something go wrong, but there is always a happy ending!”

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and the Dayton Dragons applaud all those who have been instrumental in Aletheia’s life, including her mom, dad, brother, family, friends, and her entire medical team.