Miracle Flights: Dallas 7-Year-Old with Rare Joint Condition Beats the Odds--and Walks

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Nov 21, 2019, 08:42 ET

LAS VEGAS, Nov. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Battling a rare joint condition, 7-year-old Timothy Marr has a long road ahead, but he's walking it on his own two feet—something doctors thought he'd never do. Today, he boards his 12th Miracle Flight to the medical care that's changing his life, one step at a time.

Born with arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC), Timothy was left untreated in his native China. When Kathy and Thomas Marr adopted him in May 2016, they immediately sought treatment. Amputation was strongly recommended. "We knew there had to be another way," says Kathy.

Born with a rare joint condition, 7-year-old Timothy Marr will board his 12th Miracle Flight on 11/21/2019 to reach the specialized, distant medical treatment that's helping him beat the odds and walk independently.

Their search led to Dr. Harold van Bosse, a renowned expert in arthrogryposis, who had faith Timothy could walk one day without prosthesis. The challenge? Dr. van Bosse is based at Shriners Hospitals of Philadelphia, nearly 1,500 miles from the family's home in Sachse, Texas. As a family of 13 children—10 of whom are still at home and five of whom have special medical needs—the Marrs struggled with the cost of travel to get Timothy to care.

"Other parents of differently abled children recommended we call Miracle Flights," says Kathy. "They said the process was extremely straight forward—and straight forward is so important when you're dealing with heavy medical needs."

As the nation's leading medical flight charity, Miracle Flights provides free plane tickets to children and adults who need complex treatment not available in their local communities. Miracle Flights will fly patients as many times as needed; the nonprofit also funds flights for companions (both parents for children under 18 and one medically necessary caregiver for adult patients).

In December 2016, Timothy and Kathy boarded their first Miracle Flight to Philadelphia. Just four months later, he received a full hip replacement—with new hips made of donor bones. Then, in early 2019, Timothy took his first independent steps.

"We have amazing doctors locally, but for Timothy, we needed a specialist," says Kathy. "There's no way we could have afforded to get him to Philadelphia without Miracle Flights. Dr. van Bosse saved our son's feet."

Timothy's medical journey continues on Thursday, November 21, when he and his dad board their 12th Miracle Flight to get new leg casts that will help Timothy's bones grow straight. They return home on Tuesday, November 26, just in time for Thanksgiving.

To help Timothy and other children with complex medical needs reach the life-changing care they need, visit miracleflights.org.

About Miracle Flights

Miracle Flights is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides free medical air transportation to children and adults via commercial airlines throughout the United States. The organization, founded in 1985, has provided 129,037 flights and currently books more than 600 flights per month. To request a flight, learn more or donate, call 800-359-1711 or visit miracleflights.org. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram.

Press Contact: Erika Koff: (702) 261-0494 or [email protected]

SOURCE Miracle Flights