Intermountain Primary Children’s Patient Champion Nationally Recognized, Featured on Cereal Boxes

Children’s Miracle Network has chosen 11-year-old, Kendalyn Illu, a patient at Intermountain Health Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, as a National Champion to be a face of the network, representing 170 children’s hospitals nationwide in 2026. Her image will be on General Mills cereal boxes in May, and in Costco stores nationwide.

Kendalyn, along with 19 other children from across the U.S., was selected for the honor by Children’s Miracle Network for their positive attitude and for being great examples to other children in their communities.

On Friday, Feb. 13, Kendalyn’s school, Bluff Ridge Elementary in Syracuse, Utah, announced this honor to her classmates during an assembly where she received an official Children’s Miracle Network medal, which she promptly checked to see if it was chocolate.

Intermountain Health Foundation caregivers, Children’s Miracle Network representatives, her family, her Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital care team, her teachers, and classmates all celebrated Kendalyn with cheers, confetti cannons, and giant cardboard cut-outs of her face.

Kendalyn has been a patient at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital since she was born.

She was diagnosed with chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO), a rare gastrointestinal disorder that can cause severe complications. She has complete intestinal failure and is unable to eat, so she receives nutrition through a central line that helps her grow and live an active life.

Kendalyn remains positive and embraces life. She is often seen with her medical alert dog Reggie, a standard poodle who often wears a blue or pink vest, pink bows, and painted toenails. She’s interested in becoming a veterinarian, a doctor, or a child life specialist.

“I pretty much have done random things my whole life at Primary Children’s, but that doesn’t stop me from having fun,” Kendalyn said. “I go to ballet, I go to Disney, I’ve done Nutcracker, I play with my friends. I do all that fun stuff.”

“As long as she can achieve whatever goal she sets,” said Rob Illu, Kendalyn’s dad, “I think that would be a win.”

In 2025, Kendalyn was chosen to be Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital local patient champion, now she will get to share her story nationally. Intermountain Children’s Health leaders are excited for Kendalyn to experience the huge honor, representing all the children who are cared for at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital.

Link to Kendalyn’s story:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2y7CQl961M

Note for Media: Additional video and images available upon request.

About Intermountain Health

Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a nonprofit system of 34 hospitals, approximately 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a nonprofit health plan called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For up-to-date information and announcements, please see the Intermountain Health newsroom at https://news.intermountainhealth.org/. For more information, see intermountainhealth.org/ or call 801-442-2000.