Bryce Carr - CMN National Champion

Shannon is a member of Children’s Miracle Network, a non-profit organization that helps support critical funding needs for 170 nonprofit children’s hospitals in the United States and Canada. Children’s Miracle Network funds are used each year to purchase new equipment and provide training to benefit any department at Shannon that could possibly treat a pediatric patient. Programs like Child Life are also funded through CMN.  

National Champions are ambassadors for Children’s Miracle Network, spreading awareness and sparking meaningful change to ensure every child across the U.S. receives the healthcare they deserve.

Bryce and his parents, Bridget and Tony Carr, have participated in a variety of CMN events over the years, from the KIXY Cares for Kids Radiothon and the annual Celebration Telethon. This honor enables him to further raise awareness of the impact of local, direct funding through CMN for local kids seeking care at Shannon.

As the Carr family was preparing to leave Shannon following Bryce’s birth in 2009, his pediatrician heard a faint heart murmur. Trusting his instincts, he ordered an EKG that revealed something life-threatening.

Bryce was immediately transferred to San Antonio, where specialists diagnosed hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a ventricular septal defect and a ballooning mitral valve. At just 11 days old, Bryce underwent open-heart surgery to “reroute the plumbing” and restore blood flow to the left side of his heart. That first surgery saved his life.

Since then, Bryce has continued to face health challenges, including monitoring a parachute mitral valve and taking blood pressure medication to manage his heart function. His long-term care spans across three children’s hospitals supported by Children’s Miracle Network, where his dedicated team has guided him from infancy through adolescence.

The Carrs feel Bryce’s unique situation and medical history give them some insight into supporting other families during medical emergencies or scary diagnoses, especially here in the Concho Valley. That sense of community is what brings them back to support CMN every year.

Now that he’s older, Bryce sees the potential of his years serving as a National Champion to make an impact in his community. “It’s made me realize how blessed we are to have the ability to make a change for the future of healthcare in San Angelo.

Congratulations, Bryce!