NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — One of the sweetest traditions of Steeplechase is naming a child ambassador to represent the Monroe Carell Junior Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt.
This year's honor goes to three year old Everett Drewes.
Everett is a 3 year old with a passion for anything with horsepower!
You'd never know that he's spent months at a time hospitalized since the day he was born.
"You can't tell because he still has a great amount of energy and hes very...he probably tires more quickly but hes stable right now."
Everett has Eagle Barrett or Prune belly syndrome. He has no kidneys.
"He has cheated death many times at this point, he would not be alive if it weren't for the Children's Hospital and that's happened time and again where hes received that care there and had he not received that he wouldn't be here."
Part of that care for Everett was music therapy.
Jess Knoble is one of the certified music therapists at Children's Hospital and because of her bond with Everett, she nominated him for Steeplechase ambassador.
"Even when he was in pain he would see me, see the guitar and he would say yes," Knoble said.
She would come and sing Taylor Swift songs to him, that was his request. He could go from whatever to another world. It always calmed him and put him in the best mood.
Having him be nominated for that just brought back everything we've been through and its a neat recognition of that in a way.
His mother Margaret and his father Matthew both tried to donate a kidney but only Matthews reached the surgery stage. Sadly, it didn't take. So for now, Everett gets dialysis at home every night until he is strong enough to try again.
Thanks to our generous sponsor Bart Durham injury law, they are donating $250 to Everett's favorite charity, Donate Life Tennessee.
If you would like to nominate someone for My Hero, send us an email at myhero@newschannel5.com.
