About 400 major neurosurgical operations are performed every year at Kosair Children’s Hospital.

But still, one in every three Kentuckians who need that kind of surgery will have to travel out of state to get it.

WHAS11’s Kelsey Starks has introduced us to Samantha Stallings, one teenager who did just that, and now she plans to make her miracle a reality for more kids.

“I had what was called Chiari Malformation, which is a kink in your brain stem,” explains Samantha.

She grew up playing volleyball, basketball and cheerleading.

But six years ago, her mother Pam noticed a sudden change.

“When Samantha was in 4th grade... something started happening educationally,” says Pam.

Samantha was tested for ADD and other learning disorders. Eventually they found something had changed within Samantha’s brain.

“Basically what it was…here’s your brain sitting on the cervical spine... hers had fallen back in her head. It’s a situation where your brain is too big for your skull,” explains Pam.

Chiari malformation affects one in 300,000 people. It’s very rare, and Samantha was lucky her symptoms were diagnosed.

She had a loss of her gag reflex, slurring, hot flashes, and weakness. It can be fatal without surgery.

So when Samantha was just beginning the 8th grade, she went to Iowa for brain surgery.

Since then, they have made the 6 hour drive to Iowa City and back more than a dozen times.

They still visit for checkups, but Samantha is almost back to her normal self.

Due to her condition, Samantha is not allowed to play contact sports.

She says she’ll gladly give them up, though.

And they are being replaced by contact of another kind—contact with kids in the hospital, just like her.

“I just went down there because I know what it’s like to be in the hospital. I feel like I’m helping the kids... like I’m helping me,” says Samantha.

Now she’s on a mission to raise awareness and money for Kosair and other causes.

She’s even in talks to get her idol, Taylor Swift to visit Kosair on her next trip to Louisville.

Because Samantha Stallings says now, she can do anything she puts her mind to.

You have a chance to help one of those causes. Camp Braveheart is for children affected with heart problems. Brendan’s, Flannagan’s and O’Sheas are donating their proceeds March 16th to that cause.

For more information about Camp Braveheart, click here.

For more information on making a donation to the Children's Hospital Foundation, click here.

For more information on Chiari Malformation, visit the websites below:

Miracle Wish for Chiari

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

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