Mia celebrated like many other kids do: a staycation with her family by the theme parks. But when she became easily irritated, began constantly cleaning, and even started throwing up, her parents knew something else had to be going on.
“She told us she was hearing voices that told her awful things, and we later found out they were intrusive thoughts. We knew we had to take her to our pediatrician.”
When their pediatrician referred Mia to AdventHealth, Jillian and Melissa found something they had been searching for: answers, understanding, and a team that knew exactly how to help. Mia was diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, and OCD: “There's such a stigma around an OCD diagnosis… To understand the ‘Pure O’ concept and the obsession happening in the mind, and to really understand the battles that our daughter's been fighting quietly, Dr. Gurnani just named it. It wasn't a big deal. She was like, yes, it's OCD, and now we know what it's called and how we can treat it,” Melissa shared.
Mia and her moms finally had an answer and the help they needed. Her grades immediately changed – homework was no longer the two-hour battle it used to be – and Mia was more confident. She was even voted Star Student by her peers and voted Student of the Month by her teachers. Because the professionals around her had completely destigmatized mental illness, Mia has become a strong self-advocate around her peers and extends compassion to her friends when she sees them struggling like she did.
"I don't know where we'd be without AdventHealth. It sounds dramatic, but it's true— we were lost. We just felt like we had protectors and guidance around us at all times in a place where we couldn't think very clearly. Having people that knew what to do, who understood that we were in new territory, and walked us through it was critical."
Now, ten months later, Mia is a confident student and an advocate for herself and others, proving that when they have the right support, children facing mental health challenges can find hope, healing and the confidence to move forward.
12 items. To interact with these items, press Control-Option-Shift-Right Arrow. These items are in a slider. To advance slider forward, press Shift-Command-Right Arrow. To advance slider backward, press Shift-Command-Left Arrow.
Blog
Mission: FIT Makes Healthy Habits Fun for Kids
Mission: FIT Possible is a dynamic, entertaining, and educational program for elementary students in Central Florida. In school with 2nd and 4th grade students, their “edutainers” make learning fun.
Blog
From a Gift of Care to a Gift of Rest: Margie's Heart Transplant Journey
Tom and Margie Parker expected their 2024 trip to South Florida to offer a welcome escape from the Michigan winter. Instead, a sudden medical crisis led to a life-saving helicopter flight to...
Blog
November Diabetes Awareness Month: Adrianne's Journey
Adrianne had noticed that she was much more fatigued than she expected. Tired and, weirdly, thirsty. She’d have a drink before leaving for work, stop for one on the way there, and another when she got...
Blog
A Brother Remembered: John’s Monthly Tribute to Timothy
Once a month, every month, for the last twelve years, John O’Hey sits down to write a check to the AdventHealth Foundation. When his younger brother Timothy was diagnosed with liver cancer in June of...
Blog
Taking His Life Back: Derrick's Journey with Prostate Cancer
Valentine’s Day 2020 was a day Derrick would never forget. Just one month before COVID shut down the country, he received a life-changing diagnosis: prostate cancer. When the pandemic brought...
Blog
The Bell Project: Surviving Childhood Cancer
Fifteen-year-old Julia had just moved from Brazil to Orlando; beginning her freshman year, she thought the constant fatigue and tiredness was part of being a teenager—but when a lump appeared on her...
Blog
Advancing Cures With Philanthropy: Dr. Guru Sonpavde
Bladder cancer is the 10th leading cancer diagnosis in the United States. In 2025, there will be an estimated 84,870 new cases of bladder cancer, with 65,080 in men and 19,790 in women. July was...
Blog
Westgate Foundation’s Life-Saving Impact
Inspired by the story of Miracle Mattie at Golden Gala XLIII, a baby girl born with biliary atresia who received a life-saving liver transplant at AdventHealth, the Westgate Foundation generously...
Blog
The Massey Foundation Fuels Hope at the Winter Park Cancer Institute
The Harvey and Carol Massey Foundation has been a pillar of philanthropy in the Central Florida community since its inception in 2014. Their support of AdventHealth Winter Park has been unwavering...
Blog
Welcoming Michael W. Miller to the Neuroscience Institute Foundation Board
We are thrilled to announce the newest member of the AdventHealth Neuroscience Institute Foundation Board, Michael W. Miller!
Blog
Honoring Gerald Robison: Peggy’s Commitment to Hospice
When Gerald Robison, the co-founder of Hospice of the Comforter and board chairman for some 15 years, passed in 2020, his wife Peggy felt inspired to continue his legacy of supporting Hospice and...
Blog
Cancer Doesn't Define Me: This is My Story by Selina Vik
Selina Vik is a retired federal professional, cancer survivor, and passionate storyteller whose life of resilience, faith, and service inspires others to find strength in adversity. Despite her battle...
