PUKWANA, S.D. (KELO) – Each year Sanford Health in Sioux Falls picks one child to light up Christmas at the Sanford Children’s Castle. This year’s switch master is a 7-year-old from Pukwana who spent a month in the hospital this summer.
Miley’s mother, Crispin Mines, knew something wasn’t right when her daughter lost use of her arm and couldn’t speak.
“When we got to Sanford she had lost function of the right side of her face at that point. And we had got into the room and we weren’t there for 5 minutes and they had the pediatric stroke team called and I was like, ‘Holy cow, what’s going on’,” Crispin said.
Miley Mines was 6 years old when she had the stroke and was diagnosed with a virus that was attacking her brain and blood vessels – HSV-1, Meningitis and Encephalitis.
A week after her diagnosis, Miley had emergency surgery on her skull.
“She had to do a full 21 days of her antiviral. And once we hit the 21 days, they did another spinal draw. And that’s how they were able to say that the HSV-1 was under control and out of her out of the system,” Crispin said.
Miley is now in recovery, gaining strength in her hand and talking again.
“Any time we go to her follow-up appointments the doctors are just still in awe that she turned out the way that she did, they kept telling us to expect the worst. And especially after we had to intubate her, they kept saying that the virus probably has done more damage and just to be prepared,” Mines said.
To cap off the unexpected year, Miley was selected to turn on the lights during Sanford’s Christmas at the Castle ceremony.
“I get to pull the lever!” Miley said.
“Yup you get to pull the lever and turn all the lights on, on the castle,” Miley’s father, Chuck Mines said.
As Miley gets better each day, she continues to shine her light wherever she goes.
“Thankful that she’s still just the little girl that she once was, still full of so much energy,” Crispin said.
Christmas at the Castle at Sanford Health in Sioux Falls will be on December 3 starting at 6 p.m.
