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Olivia's Story

Story of Olivia Catherine Hanson: Olivia Catherine Hanson- Watertown, South Dakota In December 2005, Greg and Anne Hanson of Watertown, joyfully celebrated the birth of their first born daughter, Olivia Catherine. The first twenty-four hours of her life went perfectly, and they couldn’t have been happier. However, without warning, everything changed and Olivia was struggling to breathe. She was rushed to Sanford Children's Hospital Neo-Natal Intensive Care Unit. Upon arrival, little Olivia was placed on a ventilator because she was not able to breathe on her own. "That was the hardest time, to see her on a ventilator", commented both Mom and Dad. Diagnosed with pneumonia, Olivia spent 12 days in the NICU before she made a complete recovery and was able to go home. The Hanson's were both familiar with Sanford Children's Hospital, and had done fundraising to benefit CMN prior to Olivia’s birth. Neither of them imagined that their own child would be impacted by the dollars they raised. Today Olivia is healthy and growing, and the worries of December seem like a distant memory when Anne and Greg look at her precious face. They are so thankful for the physicians, staff, and equipment; all vital in saving their newborn daughter's life. Thank you CMN and Sanford Children's!