ROSEMONT, Ill. – Four patients from Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at Ascension St. Vincent (PMCH) have been selected as the Honorary Kid Captains for the 2023 Big Ten Football Championship Game presented by Discover, the conference announced Friday. Mallory Amara and Drew Shouse will assist the Big Ten East champion Michigan Wolverines, while Kayson McPhearson and Ellie Zuver will aid the Big Ten West champion Iowa Hawkeyes.

Chosen by the children’s hospital’s care team to serve as honorary captains, each will receive a commemorative jersey, special recognition during the game and the opportunity to participate in the pregame coin toss at midfield of Lucas Oil Stadium.

Mallory Amara was playing with a toy when the battery fell out. Before her parents were even aware of what had happened, Mallory had put the battery in her mouth and swallowed it. She came running to her mom, who noticed she was not acting like herself. Mallory could not stay awake. Her mom asked her if she was okay, and Mallory said, “No.” Her parents rushed Mallory to the ER, where an X-ray confirmed a battery was stuck in her throat. They were told to go directly to Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at Ascension St. Vincent. Mallory was taken into surgery, the battery was removed and an NG tube was inserted. Her esophagus was burned but Mallory is doing well and eating solids again. Her family is grateful to Rachel Dunn, MD, BS, a Pediatric Gastroenterologist, and the staff at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital.

Kayson McPhearson was diagnosed with kidney failure at a young age and placed on dialysis for six months at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at Ascension St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis. He was placed on the transplant donor list, and his family’s prayers were answered when Kayson had a kidney transplant in 2019. Kayson is a very active boy who likes to play with his brother and sister and ride on his four-wheeler and dirt bike. He continues to see his kidney doctor at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital for follow-up care and brings a light to everyone in the room with his contagious smile and personality.

Drew Shouse had his first open heart surgery at just five days old. He was too high-risk to send back to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) until his second open heart surgery so he stayed in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) until he was seven months old. After 263 days in the PICU he finally was able to go home on a ventilator and had all types of accessories for his health needs. He had speech, occupational and physical therapy in home, and a third open heart surgery in October of 2017 at 2.5 years old. Following a third open heart surgery, he became completely ventilator-free at age five, then was able to have his trach removed the following year. Drew is doing fantastic and his parents are grateful to the amazing pediatric team at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital and for the care they have received over the years.

Ellie Zuver was diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (no left ventricle in her heart) around 24 weeks. After Ellie’s birth, she was intubated and immediately brought to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at Ascension St. Vincent. At her post-natal echocardiogram, it was determined that she also had an intact atrial septum, which made her first surgery, the Norwood procedure, quite emergent. She was transferred from the NICU to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), underwent the Norwood procedure on her third day of life and was intubated for more than two weeks. She spent her first seven weeks in the NICU and PICU before having her second surgery, the Glenn procedure, in October 2019. She had her third surgery, the Fontan procedure, in June 2022 and spent a total of five weeks in the hospital. Ellie had a seizure and stroke two days post-op but has had no lingering issues. She recently visited her neurologist and does not need to be seen for another year. The family is beyond grateful for the care and compassion they have received at Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital.

Michigan and Iowa will meet in the 2023 Big Ten Football Championship Game at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 2, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. For more information, visit bigten.org/fcg.