Pint-sized 'champion' to be honored at race

In a recent photo, Charlee Gaietto of Tiffin looks like a healthy, happy toddler. That was not the case when she was born Oct. 31, 2011. She arrived at 28 weeks, a “micro-preemie” weighing 2.6 pounds. Sunday, Charlee is to be honored as a Patient Champion for the 35th Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon and Half-Marathon. For this race, Nationwide designates each mile for an individual receiving treatment at the hospital. Charlee’s mom, Heather Gaietto, and grandfather, Chuck Gaietto spoke about their “little witch.” They explained grandmother Jodi Gaietto had chosen the name Charlee for her own daughter, but she and Chuck did not have children. Chuck already had a son, Mark. When Mark and Heather were expecting, they got permission from Jodi to use the name for their baby. “I knew about the name Charlee and I thought it was a cute name. But then I was pregnant with Charlee, things weren’t going good and my dad was really sick. He actually passed away the day she was discharged from the hospital,” Heather said. “We tweaked (the name) a little bit. Chuck and my dad’s middle name was Lee, so we spelled it -lee, so it kind of ties it together for both fathers.” For the middle name, Mark and Heather decided on KaCee, in memory of her late cousin, Casey Elchert, and a deceased friend of Mark’s whose initials were K.C. Charlee KaCee Gaietto is a survivor. Jodi, who has done several marathons, ran in 2013 to support Nationwide. She also submitted Charlee as a Patient Champion for 2014 and requested Mile 3 as Charlee’s Mile. “The number three is significant to us in many ways. It is (and always has been) her daddy’s lucky number, it was Charlee’s room number in the NICU, it will be her Maw Maw’s third marathon, and most importantly, just 12 short days from the marathon, Charlee will turn an amazing 3 years old,” Jodi wrote in her nomination letter. Charlee and her parents, grandparents, other family members and many Tiffin friends with Team Charlee will be going to Columbus to run with Jodi or cheer her on. The group also will decorate the street along Charlee’s Mile, sponsored by Walmart. A banner is on display at the Tiffin Walmart for supporters to sign. Heather said the family will take the banner along to display at the race. Chuck said Bob Evans also plans to do a fundraiser for Charlee. Jodi designed an orange shirt for runners and supporters, and Chuck said the response has been amazing. Three years ago, the family could not imagine the positive turn of events happening in 2014. Chuck remembered how Mark and Heather had announced they were expecting on Mother’s Day 2011. Their joy was shattered a week later when Heather was told she had miscarried. After that, Heather still was not feeling well, so she scheduled an appointment with her doctor in Columbus. He determined she was indeed expecting. If a miscarriage had happened, it probably had been a twin. “He said, ‘We’ve got a baby and we’ve got a heartbeat,'” Heather recalled. The welcome news was overshadowed by a complicated pregnancy. At 26 weeks, Heather was admitted to Riverside Methodist Hospital in an effort to delay an early birth, but Charlee arrived two weeks later by emergency Cesarean-section. Even though Mark had good insurance coverage, the nurses advised Heather to apply at various agencies for assistance with expenses. “We found out about BCMH, which is Bureau for Children with Medical Handicaps,” Heather said. That agency helped to cover Charlee’s 53-day stay at Riverside being treated for numerous conditions caused by her prematurity. Heather, who was discharged after 10 days, drove the 160-mile round trip all but two of those days to feed the baby and bond with her. Charlee came home Dec. 21, but she stopped breathing Jan. 8, 2012. For this crisis, she was sent to Nationwide Children’s Hospital for three days. The total cost of her care was more than $1 million, but the couple only paid a fraction of that amount. Chuck said he “fell in love” with Nationwide. Heather expressed appreciation for the little extras, such as wagons to transport children and their equipment between the building and the parking area. Chuck said the staff in every department offers compassion and support. They also refer parents to agencies that could provide assistance. “I was told down at Children’s about Help Me Grow. They’re very good. They came to the house first, every single week, and it was up to me what I felt like I needed. Being home with her … I was so scared of her. I didn’t know if she was eating enough, so just having a nurse or somebody come in was a big help,” Heather said. Chuck said Charlee wore a helmet for a few months to prevent a flat spot from forming on the back of her fragile head, but she did not need it to attend the 2013 race. Chuck said all the young patients attending the race are introduced before they and their loved ones line up along their mile. He described the festive atmosphere as “an all-day, all-night party.” About 20,000 people are expected to converge in Columbus for this year’s event. Chuck said the race symbolizes patients’ journeys to survival. Orange hands are distributed to cheer the runners and to encourage children still in treatment. The race includes an “Encore Mile” to honor Patient Champions from the past two years and an “Angel Mile” to remember deceased patients. “It’s very emotional,” Heather said. Donations for Team Charlee still can be made by calling Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation at (614) 355-0888. To read the Patient Champions’ stories and to support Nationwide Children’s, visit nationwidechildrens.org/marathon.