Selah’s Story: Meet the 2025 Ambassador for Sanford Children’s in Sioux Falls
Like most two-and-a-half-year-olds, sweet and spunky Selah Barrett had battled her share of colds, coughs and stuffy noses during her short life. So when she got sick in October 2022, her parents, Adam and Mateja, initially did what they always did — they gave her extra snuggles, kept her hydrated, encouraged her to rest and watched her closely.
But Selah’s symptoms worsened and within days, she was fighting for her life against a rare, aggressive form of necrotizing pneumonia. The odds were stacked against her, but thanks to lifesaving care from Sanford Children’s Hospital, Selah survived.
Today, as the 2025 South Dakota Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Champion for Sanford Children’s in Sioux Falls, Selah’s parents are sharing her incredible story to help raise awareness and inspire support for the place that gave their little girl a second chance at life.
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We saw many blessings in our time at the Castle that were big and small.
Selah’s Father
Selah’s Story
As the youngest of four kids, Selah was “your typical 3-year-old,” Adam said. “She loves to pretend and play. She loves to sing, color and play tag. She’s always doing something.”
But when Selah got sick in October 2022, everything stopped.
“She just wasn’t getting any better, so we brought her to acute care,” Adam said. “They diagnosed her with RSV and said to come back if things didn’t improve.”
Over the next 24 hours later, Selah’s condition grew worse, so Adam and Mateja brought her back to acute care.
“They took her oxygen level, and it was reading in the 80s. They sent us to the emergency room,” Adam said. “They did some x-rays and a CT scan and saw pneumonia in her lungs. From there, we were admitted to Sanford Children’s Hospital.”
Selah’s pneumonia quickly turned into necrotizing pneumonia, a rare and severe lung infection that causes the lung tissue to deteriorate, making it harder to breathe and fight off the illness.
Selah was moved into the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Sanford Children’s Hospital and was given oxygen to help her breathe.
A short time later she was placed on a ventilator and also underwent surgical procedures to drain fluid and air from her lungs.
Hour by Hour
Even with help from the ventilator, Selah’s condition wasn’t improving.
“The doctors — who we’re so thankful for — told us we need to take things hour by hour,” Adam said.
Eventually Selah was placed on an oscillator, a specialized ventilator that helps patients breathe by giving fast, gentle puffs of air instead of regular breaths — especially beneficial for fragile lungs, like Selah’s.
From there, day by day, Selah began to get better. As she healed, pediatric physical and occupational therapists helped her regain her strength, and Child Life specialists helped Selah and her entire family, including her three siblings, navigate the journey through education and therapeutic play.
And after 26 days of care and close monitoring at the Castle of Care, Selah was finally able to return home.
Today, Selah is a happy, healthy 5-year-old who loves “pink and purple sparklies.” She continues to rely on Sanford Children’s for ongoing care.
“Now, this place takes on an entirely new meaning for our family,” Adam said.
“Selah loves the Castle. She calls it ‘Selah’s Castle.’ It’s so important to her,” Mateja said.
Reflecting on their daughter’s journey, Adam and Mateja say they’re grateful for the expert care, compassion and love they experienced at Sanford Children’s — so much of which is fueled by philanthropy.
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We feel so honored that Selah’s story can be used somehow — whether that’s through funding new medical developments or just raising awareness for the type of care that’s available for families here. This facility saved her life. Providing thoughtful care in simple ways makes this place a magical castle. Even those small things were very impactful to our family and our story, and most of all, Selah. She is here because of the Children’s Hospital, without question.
Selah’s Father
Give for Hopeful, Healthy Futures
Each year, thousands of local kids like Selah turn to Sanford Children’s Hospital in Sioux Falls for extra or unexpected care.
With your support, we can give every child the healthy future they deserve. When you give for Sanford Children’s, 100% of every dollar is maximized to its fullest potential — to help kids like Selah reach theirs. Gifts support priorities like:
- Child Life, the school program, spiritual care and other services that are never billed to patients’ families
- Financial assistance to help families with the costs of meals, lodging and travel while their child is in the hospital
- Lifesaving pediatric equipment like ventilators, oscillators, ultrasound machines, Giraffe OmniBeds for NICU infants and more
- And so much more!
With your support, we can continue to fuel health, healing and hope for kids each year at Sanford Children’s Hospital in Sioux Falls, the state’s only member hospital of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
GIVE FOR CHILDREN