President Obama Welcomes a SC Warrior

A Providence teen, Sando Roberts, met with President Barack Obama at the White House on Wednesday. Roberts, 15, joined other children from the Children’s Miracle Network Champion program, spent time with the president and took a tour of the White House.

The children are participants in Champions presented by Walmart and Sam’s Club. Child ambassadors from every state got to travel to Washington to meet President Obama.

They represent the 17 million children treated each year at Children’s Miracle Network hospitals across the country.

The Champions program designates in every state a Champion child who has bravely battled and triumphed despite a serious injury or illness. Rhode Island’s Sando Roberts  has received treatment for many years at Hasbro Children’s Hospital for sickle cell disease.

Sando would be what I would think of as a child taking charge of her disease—rather than her disease ruling her,” says Dr. Chawla of Hasbro Children’s Hospital. Sando is an effervescent young lady who hasn’t let sickle cell disease prevent her from living the life of a happy teenager.

The president wasn’t the only person that Sando Roberts and the other Champions got to meet on Wednesday. Joining the Champions in D.C. were Miss America 2010 Caressa Cameron, country music star Mark Wills, and pop star and American Idol runner-up David Archuleta.

“It is always a privilege to be at the White House and we hope that President Obama was inspired by the children he met today,” said Scott Burt, president and CEO, Children’s Miracle Network. “They truly are the future of this great country and by investing in children’s hospitals, we are ensuring that they will be here to lead us tomorrow.”

Read about Sando Roberts and the story of how this Rhode Island teen enjoys life despite sickle cell disease here.

**News excerpt from the Providence Examiner. Written by Cheryl Phillips.