Health
Baby with fatal brain disorder ‘saved’ by anonymous $47K donation
A Florida baby who was given just weeks to live is thriving today — and it wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of an anonymous donor who covered her medical bills.
When Bill and Meg Longhenry welcomed their second child, Millie, in August 2023, they were told she had no hope of survival due to a rare and severe congenital brain disorder called alobar holoprosencephaly (HPE).
HPE affects about one in 10,000 live births, and most infants do not survive beyond the first week, statistics show. Millie was born with the most severe form of the disease.
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“We found out that she has a rare brain malformation where part of her brain didn’t develop, and the other part didn’t develop correctly,” Meg Longhenry said in an on-camera interview with Fox News Digital.
“So there’s no division between the two hemispheres and the middle is hollow.”
Millie Longhenry (left) was diagnosed with a severe congenital brain malformation called alobar holoprosencephaly (HPE) at 2 months old. (Nadine B. Photography)
Doctors told the parents that “Millie should have been a miscarriage or a stillbirth,” her mother said. “She should have died moments after birth.”
“They told us over 95% of patients with this diagnosis don’t survive past the first few months … and anyone who survives past that requires an enormous deal of medical care, like feeding tubes and breathing tubes,” said Bill Longhenry. “Usually they have no brain function.”
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After spending two months in the hospital, Millie was sent home on hospice care with four to six months to live — but the Longhenrys weren’t ready to give up.
“God had something else in mind,” said Bill Longhenry. “God had a different plan, and only God was able to really make that decision.”
“Millie should have been a miscarriage or a stillbirth,” doctors told the baby’s parents.
A friend recommended that Millie’s parents connect with Dr. Brandon Crawford, a functional neurologist at the NeuroSolution Center of Austin, who specializes in using non-invasive techniques without drugs or surgery.
Upon reviewing MRIs and examining Millie, Crawford said he saw “huge potential.”
Millie, pictured with her big brother, Theo, was born with the most severe form of alobar holoprosencephaly. (Nadine B. Photography)
While much of her brain is missing, he said, the higher portion is “relatively intact and functioning well,” he told Fox News Digital.
“I started to get the idea that this kiddo is really trying — she’s not on the decline, she’s actually really fighting to live her life in this world.”
Defying the odds
Under Crawford’s care, Millie began a treatment plan that included laser light therapies, acoustic wave therapy that uses sound waves to stimulate natural healing processes, and primitive reflex integration, which “retrains” the brain-body connection and helps babies learn to better control their movements.
Dr. Marcella Madera, a neurosurgeon who serves as NeuroSolution’s medical director, also collaborates on Millie’s treatment to ensure safety and efficacy.
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“It’s this combination of regenerative medicine, developmental functional neurology, and photobiomodulation that’s sparking and fueling her brain development and building neuroplasticity,” Crawford told Fox News Digital in a separate interview.
“For example, she can clearly see and she responds to visual cues — yet she doesn’t have the majority of those visual pathways developed in her brain,” he went on. “That means her brain has rewired and remapped the ability to see, and that’s the amazing part, that the brain is able to do that.”
At NeuroSolution Center of Austin, Millie began a treatment plan that included laser light therapies, acoustic wave therapy that uses sound waves to stimulate natural healing processes, and primitive reflex integration. (Bill and Meg Longhenry)
Bill Longhenry describes the treatment as “combining physical therapy with neural functions.”
Today, Crawford said, Millie is not only surviving, but thriving — something that is very rare for this condition.
“She continues to grow and develop and is getting stronger,” he said. “We’re working on crawling with her right now — that’s unheard of for this. Her joint attention continues to improve, even her ability to eat.”
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Millie is also starting to vocalize, Crawford said, saying “Mom” and “Dad” and communicating with her big brother, Theo.
“She’s got a spunky little personality, and it’s amazing,” he said. “Honestly, if you look at her and interact with her in person and then look at her MRI, you wouldn’t think it’s the same kid.”
Millie is smiling, laughing and responding to her name. She also understands people’s speech and uses sign language, her family said. (Nadine B. Photography)
Millie is smiling, laughing and responding to her name. She also understands people’s speech and is using sign language.
“Millie would not be here today if we weren’t doing the different things to help her brain, to help her rewire,” added Meg Longhenry.
Answered prayers
Last month, Millie’s family faced the possibility of canceling her intensive neurological therapy due to financial constraints.
Meg Longhenry had recently let Crawford know they would have to cancel their next treatment due to lack of funds — but he told her to come in anyway.
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“I said, don’t worry about it, just come. There’s no way I’m dropping care with Millie — we’ve come too far.”
On the morning of March 27, as Crawford’s team was about to perform another regenerative medicine procedure with Millie, they prayed for divine intervention, he told Fox News Digital.
“A couple of hours later, we got the random phone call,” he said. “It was another patient who has been following Millie’s story, and she said, ‘I feel like I’m supposed to donate something for Millie’s case, and my front desk said, well, that would be amazing.”
Bill Longhenry is pictured holding his daughter, Millie. “She continues to grow and develop and is getting stronger,” he said. (Bill and Meg Longhenry)
The donor offered to cover the total outstanding balance for Millie’s treatment — more than $47,000.
“It’s just impossible to understand that level of generosity from a stranger,” said Bill Longhenry.
“We have to pursue this treatment, but it’s not covered by insurance, so we’re just doing whatever we can to make it work.”
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Ultimately, the Longhenrys did find out who covered the medical expenses — a previous patient of Dr Crawford’s. They were able to call her and thank her for the donation.
While this anonymous gift clears a major financial hurdle, Millie’s journey is far from over, the family shared.
Millie is pictured with her big brother, Theo. In March, an anonymous donor called NeuroSolution Center of Austin and offered to cover the Longhenrys’ outstanding medical debt. (Bill and Meg Longhenry)
She will require follow-up therapy every four to six months, specialized home equipment and travel for continued care, which insurance does not cover.
“I think the finances are always really scary for us … but there’s not a price that I could put on her life,” Meg Longhery said. “I’ll continue to fight and do what I need to do so she can have the best life that she can.”
“There’s not a price that I could put on her life.”
The family also relies heavily on their faith, believing that Jesus worked through Dr. Campbell to help save Millie’s life, according to her mother.
“We serve such a big God that he is greater than our biggest fears — he is the greatest physician, and he aligns us with where we need to be and who we need to be,” she said.
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“And it’s so encouraging to see the growth that we were told repeatedly we wouldn’t see.”
For more information about Millie’s journey and progress, people can visit MovingMountainsForMillie.org or @movingmountainsformillie on Instagram.
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Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.
In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.
“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.
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The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.
“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.
Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)
John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.
After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”
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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.
An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.
John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)
“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”
Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.
“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”
It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.
“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.
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Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)
Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.
The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.
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“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”
Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.
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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.
“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)
“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”
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“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.
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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.
That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.
Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.
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The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.
The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.
Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)
“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”
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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.
In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.
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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”
As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.
Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)
“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.
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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”
“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”
Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.
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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)
This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.
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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.
“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”
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