Emersen White named 2025 Nicklaus Youth Spirit Award recipient
White’s journey recognized at 15th annual Legends Luncheon presented by Nationwide
It was late December of 2020 when then-13-year-old Emersen White was bedridden with what she and her parents suspected to be a simple stomach flu. After showing no improvement over two days and then experiencing a fainting spell, Emersen’s parents took her to Nationwide Children’s Hospital’s Emergency Department, where a much more serious condition was revealed.
A blood culture indicated that Emersen had a bacterial infection known as methicillin-susceptible staphylococcus aureus (MSSA), which affected her heart. The MSSA caused inflammation of her heart valves and chambers, known as bacterial endocarditis. Emersen needed open-heart surgery to repair a damaged mitral valve.
“We thought that our lives were moving forward after the surgery,” remembers Emersen’s dad, Craig, “until a routine blood test came back abnormal, requiring us to return to the hospital.”
Doctors discovered that MSSA had continued to damage Emersen’s heart, and she would need another open-heart surgery just two weeks after the first. Two weeks following the second surgery, Emersen received an additional diagnosis of a rare aneurysm in her heart requiring a third and final open-heart surgery.
After spending the next six months at Nationwide Children’s, fighting additional complications like organizing pneumonia and blood clots, including one that caused a stroke, Emersen finally began to recover. Now more than four years later, the 18-year-old is healthy and planning for her future. She will be attending The Ohio State University in the fall and plans to study psychology on a pre-med track.
Emersen’s brave spirit and perseverance were celebrated at the 15th annual Legends Luncheon presented by Nationwide, where Jack and Barbara Nicklaus, along with son Jack II and daughter Nan O’Leary, announced Emersen as the 2025 Nicklaus Youth Spirit Award recipient. The award honors a patient champion who has shown strength and positivity in the face of adversity. The recognition is a highlight of the Legends Luncheon, an annual event hosted by the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, that puts a spotlight on the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation and Nationwide Children’s Hospital alliance.
Upon receiving this year’s Nicklaus Youth Spirit Award, Emersen said, “My time in the hospital left me with a deep sense of gratitude and a desire to give back. I will be forever thankful for the doctors and nurses at Nationwide Children’s Hospital who saved my life several times during my stay and who continue to provide treatments necessary to help me live as normal of a life as possible. I want nothing more than to do the same for others one day.”
“Emersen’s incredible strength and unwavering determination truly exemplify the Nicklaus Youth Spirit Award,” said Ann Bair, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Nationwide. “As a company that prides itself on its caring culture and being ‘more than a business,’ Nationwide is honored to celebrate Emersen's journey and continue supporting Nationwide Children's vital work in serving families in need."
The 2025 Legends Luncheon raised $1.45 million, bringing the 15-year total to more than $16 million. All proceeds from the event directly benefit the young patients and families that Nationwide Children’s Hospital compassionately serves each day.
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