Children’s Miracle Network ‘Meet the Kids Monday’ : Luke and Emily [PHOTO]

It's time to meet some of the kids you will be helping this March at our Radiothon!

We are partnering with a beautiful organization called Children's Miracle Network, which benefits the two Christus Health locations in Shreveport-Bossier.

For those of you unfamiliar with the national organization, their goal is to help children's hospitals and families across the country. The money can virtually be used for anything, whether it be hospital bills, transportation, child care, equipment, or anything else that can help these kids get healthy and help their families throughout the process. The money is also used for school programs or the School Based Health Center at Woodlawn Academy, for example.

Here's the best part. Anything donated to Children's Miracle Network in Shreveport-Bossier, will stay in Shreveport-Bossier and benefit families in our own backyard.

We'll be hosting "The Miracle Makers Radiothon" March 26 and 27, so why not meet some of the kids and families you will be helping out. Each week we'll be shedding light on these phenomenal youngsters.

Luke and Emily - 12 Months Old

Twins are already a high-risk pregnancy, but at 23 weeks gestation, mom, Juli, had to be put on bed rest for some complications with her cervix and placenta. Mom chose to deliver at Christus because The Birth Place and NICU are right next door to each other. It mattered to Juli that she could have a neonatologist in the delivery room and the twins each had their own team on hand.

Five weeks before their due date, the babies had to be delivered by C-section and went directly into their nice, warm beds in the NICU with an expert staff trained to care for tiny, premature babies. After a 19 day stay in the NICU, Luke and Emily were ready to go home, and the Chastaines started life as a family of four!

The twins turned one and mom and dad love seeing their bright smiles, hearing their sweet words and watching them play, learn and grow each day.

"Since 1983, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals has raised more than $5 billion—most of it $1 at a time—for 170 children’s hospitals across the United States and Canada, which, in turn, use the money where it’s needed the most. These donations have gone to support research and training, purchase equipment, and pay for uncompensated care, all to save and improve the lives of as many children as possible.

Our mission: We increase funds and awareness for local children’s hospitals.

Our vision: Together we save kids’ lives.

Right now there’s a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital working to save the lives of kids in your community. In fact, 62 children enter a Children’s Miracle Network Hospital for treatment every minute — that's one child every second. Some are battling cancer. Some are suffering from a traumatic injury. Others require constant care because they were born too early, or with a genetic disease. Regardless of why the kids are there, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals always have their doors open."

Learn more at ChildrensMiracleNetworkHospitals.org. And learn more about the work Christus Health is doing for Shreveport-Bossier.