Bolton’s Bravery
With specialized, comprehensive care in hospitals tailored to the unique needs of pediatric patients, children’s hospitals help children and teens like Bolton defy the odds.
Joe Cascio
Our Stories
Every day, children’s hospitals help make moments possible. From providing access to the comprehensive care that children need to grow up to supporting children, teens, and their families with specialized treatment for some of the most complex illnesses. Discover more about the moments made possible by children’s hospital through patient stories from around the country.
Video Stories
Isaac’s Impact
Children’s hospitals provide advanced care for the most complex conditions in environments specially designed for pediatric patients, allowing children like Isaac to thrive.
Cami’s Courage
The specialized multidisciplinary teams at children’s hospitals ensure that children and teens – like Cami – can beat multiple complex conditions like cancer and heart failure.
Joseph’s Journey
The advanced, specialized care that children’s hospitals provide make moments – like Joseph beating pediatric brain cancer – possible.
Daniella’s Drive
With care delivered by specially trained pediatric clinicians, in environments designed just for children, children’s hospitals help children and teens – like Daniella – navigate complex medical conditions.
Featured Story
Growing healthy and strong with life-saving transfusions
At only eight years old, Noah has spent more time in the hospital than most people do in a lifetime. Born with Cooley’s anemia, a blood disorder that prevents the production of hemoglobin and red blood cells, Noah relies on bi-weekly blood transfusions at Kentucky Children’s Hospital to stay healthy and strong. At every visit, Noah gets an antibody screening to ensure the donor blood is a perfect match and then undergoes the transfusion through a permanent port in his chest. As he receives each transfusion, Noah builds Lego creations, plays games, and visits all his friends in the DanceBlue Clinic—a student-run organization that fundraises for the hospital’s hematology and oncology practice. Through the DanceBlue Clinic, Noah gets to hang out with the student volunteers and has made countless friends, finding a second home at his children’s hospital. Thanks to the compassionate care he receives, Noah is growing healthy and strong! He loves to swim, play with his sisters, and spend hours building his favorite toy, Legos!
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Fetal surgery for spina bifida helps Mason meet her milestones
At a run-of-the-mill 19-week prenatal scan, Baylee and Louis found out that their daughter had spina bifida, a birth defect that causes the spinal column to form improperly. After weighing their options, Baylee underwent fetal surgery at the Richard D. Wood Jr. Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). The delicate procedure required surgeons to open Baylee’s uterus and close the opening in the baby’s back. At first, it was unclear what their daughter’s future would look like. Spina bifida can result in brain abnormalities and mobility issues. But after their daughter Mason was born, it was clear that the procedure had been a success. Mason came out kicking and screaming, a positive sign of normal brain and bodily function. Now, Mason is 5 years old and continues to exceed doctors’ expectations and surpass developmental milestones. Mason’s family believes that the outcome would not have been possible without the doctors at CHOP.
Barbara Riles for UCSF
History making gene therapy makes childhood possible
Within days of his birth, Hataalii Tiisyatonii (“HT”) was diagnosed with Artemis-SCID, a serious form of primary immunodeficiency, also known as “bubble baby” disease. Children with Artemis-SCID lack a functioning immune system, making them much more susceptible to infections. Many children with the disease don’t live past their first birthday. When a bone marrow transplant – the standard treatment for the disease – wasn’t viable for HT, University of California, San Francisco pediatricians thought their clinical trial might be the solution. HT became the first child in the world with Artemis-SCID to receive gene-correction therapy. The trial and procedure were successful and after a long recovery, HT is now back home in Arizona loving life on his family’s ranch.
From NICU patient to NICU nurse
Chelsea Fredrickson was born prematurely; at only 26 weeks she was considered a micropreemie. Weighing only one pound nine-point eight ounces, she had to stay in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Studer Family Children’s Hospital for two months. Today, her journey has come full circle. Wanting to provide the same care that saved her life, Chelsea is a registered nurse in the same NICU, where she cares for some of the smallest and frailest born babies. Like Chelsea’s first few months of life, these children are born extremely early and need extensive care. Every day, she cares for and treats these premature babies, offering them the opportunity for a fulfilling life. Chelsea enjoys connecting with families and sharing her story of being born prematurely, a symbol of hope that every child has a chance at a beautiful life.
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.
Specialized care makes Ashley’s dreams a reality
Diagnosed with Spinal Muscular atrophy, a serious genetic neuromuscular condition, at birth, everyday tasks were a hurdle for Ashley. With debilitating muscle weakness and problems with voluntary muscle movements, it was unclear whether she would ever reach her goal of attending college and living independently. Thanks to the expertise of numerous specialists at Gillette Children’s including neurologists, pulmonologists, cardiologists, physical medicine & rehabilitation providers and internal medicine and pediatrics providers, Ashley was able to receive specially tailored and cutting-edge therapies. Ashely’s dream of going to college became a reality thanks to the dedication of her complex care team. Therapeutic recreation and social work played supporting roles in connecting the medical pieces of her puzzle by using tools, strategies and educational interventions to plan for the logistics of going to college with a rare and complex medical condition. Now, Ashley has completed her sophomore year at the University of North Dakota, where she is pre-law, studying criminal justice.
Photo Credit: Mike Dickbernd
Patient becomes doctor at the same hospital that saved her life
At 10 years old, Maria needed a life-saving procedure to fix her heart. She was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a congenital heart defect that causes episodes of rapid heartbeat, chest pain, and difficulty breathing. After spending several months at Riley Children’s Health, she underwent several heart ablation procedures to fix the irregular electric signals in her heart. More than a decade later, Maria is back at Riley, but this time as a doctor. Maria went on to attend medical school at Marian University. Maria’s experience at Riley gave her a second chance at life, and since then, she has been determined to give back, now providing care at the same hospital that cared for her.
