DHS employee gets surprise from Children's Miracle Network

OKLAHOMA CAPITOL --  It started out as a routine pregnancy for Tammy Rogers, a graphic artist with DHS’ Design Services.  She and her husband were happily married and ready to welcome twins into their young family.  But 24 weeks into her term, Tammy went into premature labor.

Doctors tried to slow her contractions, but nothing worked.  Ready or not, the twins were coming.  Tammy was whisked away to surgery for an emergency C-section.  Baby boy Mason weighed one pound, 10 ounces, and his sister Madison weighed even less, at one pound seven ounces.

The twins were given a five percent chance of survival, and Mason passed away within two days.  Madison, however, was hanging onto life.

“We would celebrate every time she gained an ounce,” Tammy said.  “After a month or so in the hospital we were gaining hope we would eventually be able to take her home.”

But Madison took a turn for the worse, developing a staph infection that ravaged her tiny body.

“She was flown to a local children’s hospital, and by the time she arrived she was nearly dead,” Tammy said.  “Most of her vitals were undetectable, she was having seizures and her right leg was swollen to double its normal size.  Doctors told us the infection was taking over her entire system, and had apparently settled into her bones, causing severe damage to her right leg—particularly her knee and hip joints.”

Several months and multiple surgeries later, Madison was improving.  The infection was gone and she began to slowly gain weight.  At four and a half months, her parents were finally able to hold their baby girl and take her home.

That was 2005.

But the infection caused severe damage to Madison’s right leg, and brought forth an entirely new set of challenges.  She had extensive hip damage, with no remaining ball or socket.  Besides that, the growth plate on her hip was completely gone, and would require a lifetime of corrective and reconstructive surgeries.

Today, Madison is eight years old, and according to her mom, is “truly amazing.”  She is able to do most anything she makes up her mind to do.  But the surgeries and doctor’s visits continue.

“Last year Madison wanted to figure out a way to give back to those who have helped her,” Tammy said.  “So I contacted Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) and submitted her story.  They fell in love with how polite and well-spoken she is, so they started having her participate in various CMN events.

“Several weeks ago CMN and one of their big supporters, Westlake ACE Hardware, contacted me and said they would like to adopt our little family for a home improvement project.  I was supposed to submit a wish list for things to improve our home that would help Madison.”

Tammy said she asked for help rebuilding their back patio, making a ramp where Madison could enter the house when she is in her wheelchair.  She suggested redesigning the bedroom Madison shares with her little sister, incorporating some of her favorite “zebra print” patterns.  And finally, sprucing up the outside of the house with a new coat of paint.

 “Westlake wrote to us and said they want to do all three things on our wish list, as well as anything else we might need.  Their representatives and a group from CMN took our whole family out to dinner recently; afterward, we all caravanned back to our house where they took a look around for more home improvements. 

“They just contacted us and said their list of improvements has grown.  They are putting on a brand-new roof, new siding, installing a new electrical system in the house, all new duct work, new insulation, new lighting, and a new sidewalk.  It is simply unreal,” Tammy said. Contractors have been in and out of the Rogers’ home, for several weeks, and hope to have everything finished by fall. 

“These people are angels,” Tammy added.  “We are so thankful and truly blessed.”

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