When Marie-Hélène was 33-weeks pregnant, she and her husband Alberto learned that their baby had osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease. Their immediate reaction was fear. “We were scared. Very, very scared.”

The couple turned to Shriners Children’s™ for specialized care as soon as their baby was born, and Kaleb had his first surgery at seven days old. From that moment, Marie-Hélène and Alberto could tell that the nonprofit healthcare system would play a special role in Kaleb’s life.

Kaleb has broken his bones over 200 times. And at every turn, Shriners Children’s has been there to help. They’ve provided Kaleb with special equipment, coached him through physical therapy, and developed special rods to support his legs. Now, Kaleb can ride a bike, climb, and race. He’s even learning to stand and walk!

Personalized specialty care has changed the course of Kaleb’s life. And Shriners Children’s has changed his parents’ lives too. Long-term, caring relationships with doctors, nurses, hospital staff, and other patient parents have given them the support they need to stay strong for Kaleb on the journey forward.

Marie-Hélène and Alberto’s wish is for their son to live a happy life full of positivity and adventure. And they know that can only happen with the generous support of donors, like you.

For Marie-Hélène “A donation to Shriners Hospitals for Children® means I can see my son laugh, means I can see my son play with other kids. It gives us hope. He’s not scared of fracturing anymore.”