Savannah Thompson is the 19-year-old daughter of Lance and Marjorie Thompson and younger sister of Chandler (who she worships) of Myrtle Beach. Savannah was born with Williams Syndrome, a condition that presents academia of challenges and developmental delays.  All Williams children have a heart defect and Savannah’s condition is called Supravalvular Aortic Stenosis, which is a narrowing of her aortic artery.  Savannah was nearly 4 years old when she had her first surgery—there were complications with the anesthesia which caused her to go into cardiac arrest.  Although doctors were able to complete the surgery, Savannah was oxygen deprived for 20 minutes.  This caused significant brain trauma. Following surgery, Savannah was in a coma for almost a month, she was kept alive with feeding tubes and a respirator.  The very day that doctors gave Lance and Marjorie no hope of Savannah recognizing them or her surroundings she defied the odds and fought her way back!

That fighting instinct that Savannah displayed in the hospital has been the bright star in her personality–when you meet Savannah you fall in love with her!  Her smile is bright as the sun. Today she attends Socastee High School and will until age 21.  She plays Miracle League Baseball and Soccer, competes in special Olympics, and sings the National Anthem at numerous events!   But if you’ve ever attended a Coastal Carolina sporting event you’ve seen Savannah–she’s the one shouting the loudest, encouraging her team to win–just like she did!  Her fighting spirit has been embraced by this community.

To learn more about Williams Syndrome watch this video.