Meet the 2019 Monument Health Children’s Miracle Network Champion, Zachary Wilson

RAPID CITY, S.D. (Mar 5, 2019) –Zachary Wilson has been selected as Monument Health’s 2019 Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Champion. Monument Health is one of two Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in South Dakota. In his role as champion, Zachary will be featured in various campaigns throughout the year to share his story and help increase awareness about the amazing work being done at Monument Health with the help of CMN.

Zachary was 11 years old when he started to get high fevers that could no longer be controlled with over-the-counter medication. He was taken to the emergency department, and within 48 hours, Zachary was admitted to Custer Hospital for overnight observation and care. When his condition and breathing continued to deteriorate, Zachary was rushed to Rapid City Hospital’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). There, he would spend the next couple of weeks fighting for his life.

X-rays and lab tests determined that Zachary had necrotizing pneumonia, a rare and severe complication of bacterial pneumonia that causes the deterioration of lung tissue. Zachary had always been a very healthy kid, so it wasn’t clear how he got the infection. But very suddenly, he required specialized care to overcome a life-threatening medical crisis.

Zachary is healthy now, and life is back to the way it should be for him and his family. The equipment and services from CMN were there for them when they needed it most.

CMN at Monument Health works to fund medical equipment, services and programs for ill and injured children throughout the Black Hills. One hundred percent of the funds raised in the Black Hills stay local. Providing special equipment in the hospital’s PICU where Zachary received care is just one of the many ways CMN helps make medical miracles happen.

The official announcement of Zachary’s selection will take place on Friday, March 8 at 3 p.m. in Rapid City Hospital’s Rushmore Room.

Monument Health

Monument Health is an integrated health care system with a mission to make a difference in the lives of our patients and communities every day. Headquartered in Rapid City, Monument Health provides community-based health care covering 32 specialty areas of medicine in more than 20 communities in two states. Monument Health is composed of 5 hospitals, 7 specialty centers, 24 clinics and more than 4,500 physicians and caregivers. Monument Health hospitals in Rapid City, Spearfish and Sturgis have been rated as four-star hospitals by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. For more information, visit regionalhealth.org.

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