Colorado Children Able To Receive Important Surgeries Thanks To Nonprofit
DENVER, Colo. - The Helus family arrived back to Colorado on Tuesday after spending almost a week in Sacramento for surgeries to help Thane, 9, and Selah, 12. The surgeries corrected a rare knee disorder thanks to the nonprofit Miracle Flights.
"Miracle Flights just stepped in and gave us the privilege to fly out to Sacramento and do the surgery," Thane Helus said.
Both brother and sister have a disorder where their knee caps are dislocated. They need surgeries to release and relocate the knee cap. Their father also has the condition and is grateful he can watch his son and daughter receive better treatment than what was available when he was a child.
"Your kids can have something better than you could have had," he said.
Even at a young age, these two children understand the opportunity they received. Their condition often leaves them in pain and there is still more treatment needed.
"I felt so privileged because I was seeing other kids in the hospital who were being pushed in wheelchairs who couldn't walk," said Selah Helus.
Miracle Flights helps families who need to travel in order to get the medical attention they need. The nonprofit says UFC, or Ultimate Fighting Championship, has supported their cause by getting more families to the doctors and hospitals they need.
UFC also invited the Helus family to see a fight in Denver recently. It was the first one Thane had ever attended.
"It was cool, a little scary," he said. "It was cool, yeah exciting."
While her brother had four surgeries in five hours, Selah Helus will need to have a similar surgery as Thane next year. She looks forward to the impact it will have on her legs.
"Then I will be able to have my knee realigned and be able to run and dance just like any other kid," she said.
LINK: Miracle Flights
Shawn Chitnis reports weeknights for CBS4 News at 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Email him story ideas at smchitnis@cbs.com and connect with him on Twitter or Facebook.
