Here at Ranken Jordan, we care just as much about our patients’ families as we do about our patients. It’s a critical part of our unique model, Care Beyond the Bedside: our goal is to get children out of their hospital rooms and home with their families. We know that kids thrive with the people they love.

As we wrap up 2025, I wanted to share a story of a family who nearly lost everything and saw Ranken Jordan as a lifeline. It’s an example of how we make sure a family has the support they need to ensure the whole unit, including their child, can thrive.

One of our therapy outpatients, 3-year-old Harmony, was born with arthrogryposis, a rare condition affecting one in 10,000 babies. Arthrogryposis causes joint stiffness and muscle weakness, and limits movement. It was a serious diagnosis–doctors were not sure if Harmony would survive.

But little Harmony persevered. She started outpatient therapy at Ranken Jordan at just 5 months old and returned twice for inpatient stays after surgeries and emergencies. Each time, Ranken Jordan provided playful, specialized care that kept her progress moving forward, even when life outside the hospital felt uncertain.

One of the times Harmony returned to Ranken Jordan was the result of an unthinkable tragedy for Harmony and her family in May 2025: a tornado destroyed their home.

Harmony’s mom, Lisa, and her nine kids had to live in cars, shelters, hotels, and temporary housing while they found a new place to live. Harmony’s condition also added another level of complexity. Harmony’s care required electricity and medical supplies, which were lost in the storm, so she stayed in an acute hospital for a month before coming to Ranken Jordan for three months.

During that time, Harmony received therapy to strengthen her body and increase her mobility. She took steps with a walker and moved from needing a ventilator during the day and night to just needing it at night.

While Harmony was at Ranken Jordan, we also did what we could to help Lisa and her kids. Our social work team helped the family connect with other local charities to get help with housing. Lisa also received extensive caregiver training to care for Harmony.

Harmony’s family got to spend time together at Family Fun Days at Ranken Jordan, a monthly event to bring families together while their child is in the hospital. Harmony and her siblings were also able to go on a trip to the Magic House for a fun outing during the tough time.

Lisa told us “When Harmony healed, I healed,” and she attributes that to the care she received herself from our inpatient and outpatient teams here at Ranken Jordan.

After months of instability, Harmony is now home with her family in their new house.

We can’t believe what Harmony and her family went through but we are so happy we were able to help in their time of need.

We hope that in this season of giving, you will consider supporting Ranken Jordan so we can take care of families like Harmony’s. If you would like to give, we encourage you to visit RankenJordanFoundation.org.

We never know when a family in our community will need us but donations make it possible for us to be there.