Jul 11, 2008 5:48 pm US/Central
Remembering Mieko: A Big Smile, A Brave Heart
(WCCO)
Friday morning we lost a very young member of our WCCO family.
Mieko Johnson was just 4-years-old. She's the daughter of reporter Maya Nishikawa.
Mieko had a very rare genetic disorder that led to heart and lung problems, but she also had an amazing spirit.
Even when she was in the hospital, Mieko had a smile on her face.
She
was a happy girl with a strong will to survive, but Friday at 8 a.m.
the rare disorder that kept her in and out of the hospital her whole
life, finally took her life.
When Mieko celebrated her first birthday, Maya did a report about her daughter's condition.
From the start, Maya and Shawn knew that Mieko may not live long.
When
Maya was still pregnant, doctors were able to determine that Mieko had
the genetic disorder Trisomy 18, which is the presence of an extra
number 18 chromosome.
Doctors initially told them the baby might
only survive for a few days, but days became weeks, weeks became months
and months became years.
Mieko grew. She played. She took steps with the help of a walker. She even went to pre-school.
Most of all, she made sure the people who loved her knew she loved them back.
She didn't have to be able to talk to do that.
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