7-Year-Old Brain Cancer Survivor Takes Fight to Congress

When Mikey Hartnett walks the halls of Congress at just 7 years old, lawmakers see exactly why children's healthcare matters.

Mikey was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a malignant brain tumor, when he was only 3. The tumor had spread throughout his brain, requiring immediate surgery at St. Joseph's Children's Hospital in Tampa, Florida.

After a successful craniotomy, Mikey faced months of chemotherapy and proton beam radiation therapy. Proton therapy is one of the most advanced cancer treatments available, targeting tumors with precision while protecting healthy tissue.

But his family had to drive hours to Jacksonville for each treatment. That journey is why Mikey's story matters to families across Tampa Bay.

This week, Mikey and his parents Michael and Becca traveled to Capitol Hill as part of the Children's Hospital Association's annual Family Advocacy Days. They met face to face with Representatives Gus Bilirakis, Vern Buchanan, and Kathy Castor, plus staff from Senator Ashley Moody's office.

Their message was clear: protect Medicaid funding and support access to advanced cancer care close to home. The Hartnetts shared how traveling for treatment added stress during an already difficult time.

St. Joseph's Children's Hospital President Sarah Naumowich joined them to share exciting news. BayCare is building a state-of-the-art proton therapy center right on the St. Joseph's campus, becoming one of the first in the world to offer this lifesaving technology locally.

Soon, families won't need to travel hundreds of miles for the same advanced care that saved Mikey's life.

The Ripple Effect

Mikey was one voice among 60 children's hospitals represented at Family Advocacy Days. Together, young survivors and their families reminded lawmakers that healthcare policy isn't abstract. It's about real kids who deserve a fighting chance.

Jason Rodriguez, BayCare's Government Relations Director, emphasized why these personal stories change minds. "It is critical that our elected officials hear directly from their constituents on the issues they are voting on," he said.

St. Joseph's Children's Hospital serves as a Level I Children's Surgery Center, one of only 55 in the entire country. The hospital treats the region's most complex pediatric cases, from congenital heart conditions to rare cancers like Mikey's.

The new proton therapy center will mean families facing the hardest moments of their lives can stay close to home, near their support systems and communities.

Today, Mikey is thriving, proof that when kids get the care they need, miracles happen every day.