KAYLE OSAI
Kapi‘olani’s 2018 CMN Champion
Kayle Osai starts each day with a goal—to live with a positive attitude,
no matter the challenges. It is the message Kayle will share with others
as Hawai‘i’s 2018 Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Champion for
Kapi‘olani Medical Center for Women & Children.
When Kayle was a year old, his
mother, Melissa, noticed something
did not seem right. She took her son
for genetic testing. Kayle’s tests showed
that he had a chromosome 17 deletion
and duplication.
“When we moved to Hawai‘i and made
an appointment at Kapi‘olani, they did
further genetic testing and discovered
that he also had Carney complex,”
Melissa said.
Carney complex is a condition that
puts individuals at an increased risk of
developing benign tumors in the heart
and other parts of the body. By the time
he turned 9, Kayle had already under-
gone numerous medical procedures at
Kapi‘olani ranging from heart and brain
surgery to MRIs.
CMN Champion ambassadors, like
Kayle, represent the 10 million kids
treated at CMN Hospitals every year.
Kayle’s story has been shared locally
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and nationally as part of the ongoing
efforts by CMN Hospitals to share
the impact donations have on all the
children who need help for illness
or injury.
“Kapi‘olani has been Hawai‘i’s only
Children’s Miracle Network Hospital for
more than 20 years,” Kapi‘olani CEO
Martha Smith said. “Kayle’s condition
has led him to see almost every
Kapi‘olani specialist. The Osai family
has a powerful story that shares a great
perspective of our team’s work.”
Kayle will need to be monitored for
tumors for the rest of his life. His
medical condition has also contributed
to other health challenges, including
hearing impairment, global devel-
opmental delay, autism and scoliosis.
Through it all, Kayle maintains a positive
attitude and keeps everyone's spirits up.
“He always has a smile, a wave ‘hi,’ aloha
or hug to give out," Melissa said.
His Kapi‘olani family is with him all the
way. "I can see Kayle’s doctors in the
hallway… and I can stop them and say,
‘Hey, I have a question,’ and they will
stop and answer it,” Melissa said. “A
lot of doctors in big hospitals on the
mainland don’t do that. Kayle has had
such outstanding care at Kapi‘olani.”
“Kayle and his parents are great champi-
ons for Kapi‘olani,” Kapi‘olani pediatric
surgeon Dr. Russell Woo said. “Kayle
requires so much care, but when we
see them they’re so positive. It’s really
amazing how strong the Osai family is in
the face of so much adversity.”
CMN Hospitals are dedicated to provid-
ing specialized medical care to children
regardless of their families' ability to pay.
Gifts made in Hawai‘i stay in Hawai‘i,
with 100 percent of the funds going to
help our local keiki at Kapi‘olani.