Daly’s story of hope began when she was was born 5 ½ weeks premature on August 22, 2007 in Athens, GA. She was born with a subgaleal hematoma - bleeding very close to the brain - and premature apnea, which caused her to stop breathing unexpectedly. The combination caused her to remain in the NICU for 10 days. When she went home from the hospital she had to wear a breathing monitor for her first 4 months of life. This is where her relationship with and love for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta began. Her monitor would siren if she stopped breathing, and all of this data was uploaded to Children’s on a daily basis. Her parents and grandparents were so thankful for Children’s being on call 24 hours a day, and they also appreciated the weekly check-ins that Children’s would make by phone. They all celebrated when she was able to remove her breathing monitor on Christmas that year. It was a difficult four months, but her breathing is excellent today, and her family is so grateful to Children’s and Athens Regional for the amazing care they provided. 

Her next steps with Children’s came when she was three years old. Unrelated to her birth, she had a condition called strabismus, or esotropia - cross eyes. She had three eye surgeries at Children’s between the ages 3 and 6. Her doctors gave so much to her, and she wants to give back, too. Her eyes are doing great now, and she would like to let other children know that with inspiration, hard work, and the belief in the good of yourself and others that you can be your very BEST!