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Preston donates to children’s hospital that helped save him

On his second birthday, Preston was in a near-fatal ATV crash. After the accident, he was immediately airlifted to Driscoll Children’s Hospital, where doctors discovered he had a traumatic brain injury. Suffering from two bilateral skull fractures, Preston’s brain was swollen and he was paralyzed on the right side of his body. Thankfully, his care team intervened swiftly, providing an initial brain surgery and a second procedure to help him regain mobility. After these successful surgeries, Preston began rehab, undergoing two years of intensive physical, occupational, and speech therapy. Thanks to the team at Driscoll Children’s Hospital, Preston can now walk, run, and talk and goes to pre-school! To celebrate his remarkable recovery and thank the hospital for providing life-saving care, Preston’s family and friends donated toys to Driscoll Children’s Hospital. With their generosity, more pediatric patients like Preston can experience comfort and joy during their hospital stay.

Driscoll Children’s Hospitalbrain injuryoccupational therapyphysical therapyspecialized care
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Children’s Hospital team collaborates with local hospital to provide care

11-year-old Morgan began to have constant stomach pain, and doctors struggled to determine the cause. After months of pain, it became so unbearable that her parents took her to the ER. A worrisome CT scan led to an MRI and various lab work that ultimately revealed a potentially cancerous tumor on her pancreas. While this tumor is not uncommon in young women, they aren’t typically found in children as young as Morgan. Her care team at her community hospital in Virginia determined she would need the Whipple procedure, and Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU (CHoR and VCU Health) stepped in to help. Before her 7-hour surgery, doctors and child life specialists made sure Morgan felt comfortable and prepared. They even encouraged her to partake in her favorite activity, hunting, the day before her surgery. The surgery went well, and Morgan went home after just three days, and by the next week, she was hunting again! Her tumor was completely removed, and she won’t need any future treatment.

Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCUpancreatic tumorsolid pseudopapillary neoplasmWhipple procedureaccess to carespecialized care
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Gretchen takes on the world thanks to expert care

At just 11-years-old Gretchen started experiencing dizziness, joint pain, and fatigue. At tennis practice one day, Gretchen fainted and upon further testing, she was diagnosed with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), a blood circulation condition that can cause painful and sudden symptoms, like nausea and dizziness. Since her diagnosis, Gretchen has worked hard under the care of experts at Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU (CHoR) to learn how to manage her symptoms. CHoR has a duo of doctors who are experts in neurogastroenterology and autonomic disorders. They have been instrumental in helping Gretchen understand how the body and brain interact and the role that plays with her diagnosis. Gretchen takes vitamin supplements, focuses on staying active, and works with a cognitive behavioral therapist to understand how her brain responds to pain. Through her hard work and dedication, Gretchen has overcome her anxiety about flare-ups and experienced many firsts including her first trip abroad to Ireland and graduating from high school.

Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCUPOTScomprehensive care
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