Suzie Moorman is known as a miracle child by her family. When she left the hospital after her birth, she left with hospice. Her family was told she wouldn’t live much longer.

Suzie was born with severe hydrocephalus — the build up of fluid in the skull — and a rare brain disorder called alobar holoprosencephaly, in which the brain does not form properly.

The doctors gave her a few weeks to live and said that if her family was lucky, Suzie would make it to her third birthday.

Not satisfied, the Moorman family got a second opinion at the Iowa Children’s Hospital. While there, the doctors gave her a ventriculoperitoneal shunt to help drain the fluid out of her head.

Still, her family was told that her chances of living were very low. They were also told that if she did make it she would never walk or talk, and that she would be in a wheelchair, never reacting to her family.

Now at 5 years old, Suzie Moorman is very much alive.

It is stories like Suzie’s that brought hundreds of students together in the Memorial Union on Saturday for ISU’s Dance Marathon to help raise money for the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital — the hospital that helped saved Suzie’s life. This year, the event raised more than $181,000 and had more than 800 dancers supporting the Children’s Miracle Network and University of Iowa’s Children’s Hospital.

“I think the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital is so awesome because I just feel like I have hope,” said Heather Moorman, Suzie’s mom. “The doctors may not always have the right answers, but they are willing to try to get them.”

Suzie is making progress. She can walk with the assistance of a walker and is learning to communicate with her friends and family. She continues to go to the University of Iowa’s Children Hospital frequently and sees many doctors while she is there.

Times are still hard for the family.

“Life with Suzie is definitely unpredictable,” Heather said.

This point was made clear at Dance Marathon two years ago.

After talking with the dancers and volunteers about Suzie and her experience, Suzie had her first seizure. With the help of her family and the Iowa Children’s Hospital, she made it through to go to Dance Marathon the following year.

“I might wake up in Ames and end up going to bed in Iowa City,” Heather said.

For the past four years, the Moorman family has attended Dance Marathon. They celebrate Suzie’s progress so far and the fundraising done for families like theirs.

Suzie’s older sisters, Sarah and Samantha, also love Dance Marathon. All three of the Moorman girls love the dancing part the most, especially the morale dance that everyone does together at the top of every hour throughout the night.

“My girls feel like its Christmas time,” Heather said, smiling. “It’s not only a way to celebrate Suzie’s life, it’s also a fun day for my other children to come and make up from all the time I’ve been away from home.”

While the Moorman family doesn’t know what the future holds for Suzie, it continues to push forward to keep its hope alive.

ISU Dance Marathon from the perspective of a Daily employee

Want to see what happened throughout the 15-hour Dance Marathon? Daily Staff Writer and News Editor Jessie Opoien participated and live-tweeted — with pictures and videos — throughout the 2010 event. Follow her, or look at her Twitter feed @jessieopie to see the highlights.