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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.

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Caroline defeats complex aneurysm

On a typical summer day at the pool, 15-month-old Caroline was not acting quite like herself. She wasn’t using her right arm correctly and kept falling over. Her parents took her to Wolfson Children’s Hospital Emergency Room, where a brain MRI revealed a complex giant aneurysm, which consisted of balloon-shaped bulges scattered along a blood vessel. A blood clot broke off, causing a stroke, explaining Caroline’s abnormal symptoms at the pool. Doctors at Wolfson Children’s discussed a few treatment options with her family and ultimately determined a craniotomy was the best operation for her case. Two months after Caroline’s initial symptoms, doctors performed the surgery using clips to remodel the blood vessel. The procedure went smoothly, and six days later, Caroline was discharged and feeling like her usual self again. Since surgery, follow-up appointments have shown a minimized risk of another stroke! Today, Caroline is a silly and energetic toddler who loves playing with her older brothers. She has no limitations from her stroke and will continue to visit Wolfson Children’s to monitor her aneurysm.

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Miracle twins with rare heart defects go home healthy

From a young age, Tracey knew her very rare congenital heart condition would prevent her from safely giving birth. However, she aspired to be a mother, and through in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment, a gestational surrogate was able to carry her twins. The twins were at high risk of developing heart defects because of Tracey’s condition, and a 12-week ultrasound revealed that both twins, Riley and Emery, would be born with congenital heart defects. Immediately after they were born, the twins were rushed to the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit at Wolfson Children’s Hospital, where they received different procedures to support their unique heart conditions. Doctors determined that Riley would need heart surgery in the near future, and Emery would require surgery or catheterization once she’s four or five years old. The twins soon began recovering from their initial treatments and were able to go home just in time for a family Thanksgiving! Experts at Wolfson will continue to provide care as Riley and Emery grow up, ensuring they live vibrant and happy lives. 

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Star student returns to school after courageous cancer fight

Mila was playing in her bedroom when she bumped her left forearm on the bedframe. An initial X-ray didn’t show any sign of fracture, but the bump continued to grow so Mila’s family got a second opinion from an orthopedic specialist who referred them to Wolfson Children’s Hospital in Jacksonville. She underwent additional tests which ultimately led to the diagnosis of osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer. After 10 weeks and two rounds of chemotherapy, the mass shrunk to a size where pediatric orthopedic surgeons were able to remove it all without having to amputate Mila’s arm. Mila underwent additional chemotherapy and completed treatment. She will be closely monitored for any sign of recurrence but, for now, she’s enjoying each day as it comes and was excited to get back to school where she is a star student. 

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