Play games to help heal kids at Kapi’olani Medical Center for Women & Children At Extra Life United 2020

Are you a gamer who loves to give back to Kapi’olani Medical Center for Women & Children? Do you have a competitive spirit? Then Extra Life United is the place for you! April 7-9 in Orlando, Florida you can compete in a gaming tournament to unlock funds for kids like Haumea treated at Kapi’olani Medical Center.

During a prenatal appointment at 18 weeks pregnant, Kainoa Friel and her husband, Calen, were delivered unexpected news. Their unborn daughter, Haumea, had a birth defect called proximal femoral focal deficiency (PFFD), a condition that leads to one leg being shorter than the other. The complexity of PFFD would require an experienced team of multidisciplinary professionals at Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children.

To date, the 5-year-old has undergone more than 10 surgeries.  Recently, Haumea underwent a rare and complex surgical procedure called rotationplasty.  The 16-hour procedure removes part of the leg, rotates the lower leg 180 degrees and attaches the foot to the femur. This allows the foot to function like a knee that can be fitted for a prosthesis.

The kindergartner is flourishing and recently took a giant leap in her recovery process. “She got her prosthetic leg and named it ‘Sparkle,’” Kainoa says. “Haumea is proud of who she is. She is one of the strongest people I know.”

Haumea’s positivity and unstoppable attitude shows everyone around her why she’s a true champion.

Learn more about this year’s event and register at extra-life.org/united.

See what the Extra Life United HYPE is all about:

Not able to make it this year? No worries — you can fundraise for Kapi’olani Medical Center by registering for Extra Life and fundraising throughout 2020. Learn more at extra-life.org and follow Extra Life on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch & Discord