John Agliata – Johnny Boy Marketing

When 5-year-old Marie Eva steps off the plane in the West African nation of Ivory Coast next month, she’ll walk into the waiting arms of a family who has missed her desperately for the past 15 months.

Walk, not crawl.

This ability to put one foot in front of the other comes thanks to the treatment she has received at Shriners Hospitals for Children — St. Louis. Marie Eva has undergone seven surgeries led by Mark Miller, M.D., to treat arthrogryposis, a condition that severely limited the range of motion in her hips, knees and feet, and left her scooting about pulled mostly by her arms for the first three-plus years of her life.

“She’s like a whole different girl now, not only with her legs, but her personality has just really blossomed,” Dr. Miller said. “It’s amazing to see.”