Jenna

Jenna LaLonde gives a profound new meaning to the word “miracle.”

Born at 23 weeks on May 9, 1997, she weighed just 1 lb., 6 oz. She had hydrocephalus, necrotic bowel and her veins were too tiny to keep hydrated. As result, she lost part of her left ring finger.

Jenna’s prognosis was grim, as she was given just a 10 percent chance of survival. She was a triplet, the sole survivor of a very premature birth. Her first days and weeks were spent in the Baker Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Crouse.

Today, Jenna calls herself “The Amazing Jenna.” Despite being legally blind, autistic, and suffering from cerebral palsy and mental retardation, the 19-year-old is an amazing musical savant.

She’s been playing the keyboard since she has been able to crawl over to it. While she’s never had a music lesson, she can play any song by ear after hearing it once. Jenna is a natural-born performer, with her own YouTube page, where she can be seen playing hits from Aerosmith to Alicia Keys.

Rene Madore, Jenna’s mom, Rene, says she cannot thank the staff at Crouse enough for saving her “little miracle.”

On her feature video here, Jenna shares her love of music in the form of a Christmas Medley, just in time for the holidays.

How about sharing the love, too — in this case, your love and support to help us create more miracles for Crouse’s “Little Fighters” and their families.

Thanks, Jenna, for your wonderful inspiration and affirmation that life is indeed precious and that anyone can make the most of their circumstances. Happy Holidays!

Donate Now