Statement

EVERY STEP OF THE WAY

Every step of the way is a statement in itself. This year, Dance Marathon at FSU adopted this slogan to highlight every step of a child’s healthcare journey and the extensive research that contributes to comprehensive pediatric care. From primary health, which often serves as the crucial frontline healthcare for kids, to the most specialized treatments, the funds raised by Dance Marathon at FSU support the best possible care at every level.

Dance Marathon at Florida State University pledges to keep believing in a future in which no child has to endure a battle with their health. However, until that day, we vow to stand alongside each one of our families Every Step of the Way.

What is Statement?

Florida Statement is a tradition at Dance Marathon at Florida State University that focuses on bringing awareness to our cause and making our statement here on campus. Our beneficiaries are at the forefront of our campus and our community. Our event takes place in November and spans 26.2 hours, symbolizing the length of a marathon. Every year, Florida Statement has a theme that we highlight and honor throughout the event. Statement is full of activities and programming, along with special appearances from our miracle families.

Florida Statement is a 26.2 hours fundraising push in which Dance Marathon at FSU invites the FSU campus and local community to raise money for Children’s Miracle Network and the FSU College of Medicine Pediatric Outreach Program. Established in 2016, Statement is the biggest event of the fall and makes a huge impact on our year-long fundraising and awareness initiatives.

YEAR 30 STATEMENT

This year we are highlighting the

Institute for Infant and Child Music Therapy

The FSU Institute for Infant and Child Medical Music Therapy provides patient and family centered developmental clinical services to reduce hyper-responsiveness and agitation, increase feeding effectiveness, and increase duration of sleep. Funding will support Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal services and other NICU services including positioning, transitioning, care for women to stall premature birth, and community outreach with music. In 2023, approximately 1,650 infants benefited from these services, in addition to the students from Florida State University’s music therapy program that received hands-on-training in music therapy in the NICU setting.

Primary Care Early Head Start

The Florida State University (FSU) Early Head Start program is a federally funded home visiting program in Gadsden County that delivers comprehensive services to expectant and low-income families with infants and toddlers. Funding from DM at FSU will provide early childhood education, family support services, and health family functioning, and address physical health, oral health, nutrition, safety, and mental health. In 2023, 80 children benefited from the critical services provided because of funds raised by DM at FSU.

Specialized Care

For our overnight focus, we're spotlighting the exceptional pediatric specialty care at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital. With 29 pediatric specialties, UF Health brings together expert teams in areas like neurology, endocrinology, cardiology, behavioral health, and more to deliver the highest quality care for children and families. Funds raised by Dance Marathon at FSU support equipment, research and programs that enable these specialists to provide nationally recognized care that families might not have access to locally. Many children’s health journeys extend well beyond the hospital, with UF Health specialists supporting them every step of the way.

Bond Community Health Center

Funds raised by DM at FSU will be used for repairs and upgrades to the Bond Community Health Center mobile health unit, which was outfitted with a dental operatory in 2019 through previous support from DM at FSU! This funding was instrumental in Bond’s success in caring for pediatric dental patients in non-traditional settings. Upgrades will increase the proportion of children and adolescents who receive dental care, and replacement of outdated diagnostic equipment in its pediatric department will provide early diagnosis of hearing, vision, and cardiac disorders. More than 13,000 children have been positively impacted by Bond Community Health Center because of funding from DM at FSU!

Research: Pediatric Brain Injury

Researchers at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital found that patients with congenital heart disease were at a higher risk for brain injury due to decreased oxygen or blood flow. Through our funding, researchers at Shands are currently tracking brain injury with biomarkers in neonates and infants, hoping to make breakthroughs on how to reduce or prevent brain injury as a result of congenital heart disease.

“The [Children’s Miracle Network} funding has already helped, not just with allowing me to have the time to do these projects, but also providing us with the resources. It helps us bring our ideas into fruition.” - Suman Ghosh, M.D., MPA

Research: Diabetes

Researchers and physicians affiliated with the UF Diabetes Institute are working to prevent, diagnose and treat diabetes in a wide array of areas, including immunology and genetics. UF Health is an international research leader in the treatment and management of type 1 diabetes, and they found that an mRNA vaccine can be used to prevent the development of diabetes in predisposed children.

UF Health Diabetes Education and Nutrition provides patients with the most up-to-date educational programming, recognized by the American Diabetes Association for achieving the quality standards for diabetes education and support. With the program's unique hands-on approach, people with diabetes can improve their quality of life while delaying and preventing the complications of this condition.

Research: Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is a gluten-sensitive enteropathy affecting both children and adults, often underdiagnosed and estimated to impact up to 1% of the U.S. population. This condition is marked by an immune reaction to gluten, which damages the small intestine. Dance Marathon at FSU supports groundbreaking research for celiac disease, including a study led by Dr. Brad Hoffman at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital. Dr. Hoffman’s research focuses on restoring immune tolerance to gluten in celiac disease through liver-directed gene therapy.