Joplin, MO. – It was a whirlwind tour for Aimee J Daily, Ph.D, President and Chief Executive Officer of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, during her first-ever visit to Freeman Health System, the very epicenter of CMN Hospitals-based activity in Southwest Missouri.

At Freeman Hospital West, Daily met with Freeman President and Chief Executive Officer Matt Fry, visited with past and present local Freeman CMN champions, and toured Freeman Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, seeing in action the Angel Eye camera system – a secure web-based camera system enabling parents to remotely see their child via live feed – that was funded by CMN Hospitals.

“I’m actually the mother of two CMN children. My kids are 27 and 29 now, but they both were born prematurely,” Daily said. “My kids spent seven months in the NICU, and I’m quite confident if it weren’t for the care they received, they wouldn’t be here today.”

Accompanied by Emily Hornak, Vice President of CMN’s Foundation Partnerships, Daily’s Freeman Hospital West visit was made possible by a CMN national leadership challenge to its 170 member hospitals to record their visits and interactions with their national CMN Hospitals partners. Top winners of the National InFlight Challenge had the opportunity to host Daily for the day. Laura Gullett, Freeman CMN Program Coordinator, rose to the challenge. By collecting 70 visits to 67 national sponsor locations, Gullett won the small market category award on behalf of Freeman.

“It was an honor to be able to host Aimee and Emily from the CMN National office,” Gullett said. “This recognition from Children's Miracle Network reinforces how important the work we are doing is and revitalizes our drive for the cause. Our ultimate goal is to improve the health of our area children by providing them with lifesaving medical equipment, medications, and travel assistance through our CMN programs while keeping every dollar raised 100 percent local.”

During lunch, Daily high-fived both Rusk and Sutter Wurdeman, who were named Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at Freeman Health System 2025 Champions earlier this year. Rusk, Brice and Amanda Wurdeman’s sixth biological child, was born on April 16, 2020, with Down syndrome. Sutter, born just seven days earlier in Serbia with Down syndrome, was abandoned at birth and spent the first two years of his life inside a state-sponsored institution. Following a lengthy adoption process, the Wurdeman’s adopted Sutter on July 15, 2022, making him their seventh child. Ironically enough, the day of Daily’s visit was Sutter’s “Gotcha Day.”

CMN Hospitals has been able to help the family and the two boys’ needs by providing costly Safety Sleeper beds, leg-strengthening exercise wraps for Sutter, and travel expenses for neurological therapy treatment sessions in Michigan.

“Knowing they are safe makes us feel safe,” Brice said, thanking Daily for everything CMN Hospitals does for the 12 million patients and families they help.

Earlier in the day, Daily – a huge dog lover – met Nico, Layla Harrell’s service dog. Nico is trained to alert Layla, a type one diabetic, when her blood sugar suddenly spikes. Nico was provided through Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals at Freeman Health System’s Miracle Service Dog program.

Daily then made her way to the Joplin Sam’s Club, which has been the number one fundraising club nationwide for the past seven of eight years. The wall of yellow banners – showcasing every single local CMN child and champion – brought her to a stop.

“When I walked in and looked up, it just was a moment,” Daily said of the banners, which among the many displayed Layla Harrell and Rusk and Sutter Wurdeman. “It kind of takes your breath away. The work that we do can be heartbreaking at times. But it’s also very heartwarming. Walking in here was one of those moments for me. What an incredible testament to this community, to how they feel about taking care of one another.”

Last year, CMN Hospitals raised $464 million for the children’s hospitals they serve nationwide.

“This money is going right back to Freeman Health System, and that’s pretty amazing,” Daily continued. “It’s one of the few charities where 100 percent of all proceeds goes back locally. It stays right here in the community.”

Joplin was just one of several stops for Daily as she makes her way from Arkansas through Missouri, with future hospital visits in Springfield and St. Louis.

“I get to see both sides of the coin,” Daily said. “The hospitals are the ones that are doing the work there, providing the care, but the corporate partners is where the money is being raised. This trip is such an absolute combination of both of those things. I get to see the front-line employees who are out there doing it, whether that’s providing the care or providing encouragement to raise money.

“It makes me really proud,” Daily said.