Before he was born, Nixon was diagnosed with spina bifida, a birth defect that can cause physical disability and developmental delays. His parents, Lindsey and Jared, were unsure what to do. They began researching hospitals and treatments to ensure the best future possible. In their search for care options, Nixon’s dad stumbled upon the CuRe trial, a clinical trial at UC Davis Children’s Hospital. The landmark trial is the world’s first in utero treatment for spina bifida, combining fetal surgery with stem cells to improve long-term outcomes before birth. The couple met with a medical team at UC Davis to learn more and decided to enroll in the trial right away. Throughout the trial, Lindsey and Jared felt deeply supported by their care team and grateful to be involved in such an innovative trial. A few months later, Nixon was born a healthy baby. To this day, he is making remarkable progress, walking and hitting cognitive, emotional and physical milestones.

At just 3 months old, Teresa survived severe burns from a tragic act of domestic violence. Now 14, she has spent most of her life not only recovering physically but channeling her healing into her passion for music. At Shriners Children’s Texas, she has found both the medical and emotional care she needs to thrive. Because most of Teresa’s injuries affected the tissue on her head, she didn’t have much hair in her early childhood. But through a multi-year series of tissue-expansion procedures on her scalp, Teresa will soon have a full head of hair, with one final procedure planned next year. Just as important, she’s found a way to heal her inner emotions through music. Working closely with the hospital’s music therapist in the child life department, Teresa writes songs, plays instruments, and records in the hospital’s very own studio, recently building the confidence to put on her first solo performance! Because of the medical care and unique music therapy Teresa receives at her children’s hospital, she is healing in every sense of the word.

When Meghan was only two years old, she was diagnosed with eosinophilic esophagitis (EOE), a rare immune disorder that damages the esophagus and makes eating painful. As Meghan struggled to eat because of the discomfort, her parents became increasingly worried about her growth. That’s when they brought Meghan to Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital. Very quickly, her family developed a close and trusting bond with their expert care team. The team offered reassurance and comfort, consistently answering every question and discussing multiple treatment options as Meghan underwent endoscopies. Along with the indispensable care from her gastroenterology team, a team of nutritionists became vital to Meghan’s progress, ensuring she had balanced, healthy meals. Today, Meghan is thirteen years old, confident, and joyful. Meghan continues to make great strides in her care and development with the support of the team at Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital. Thanks to this expert care and personal connection, Meghan has a bright future in store! 

Brice was prenatally diagnosed with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a rare congenital heart defect where the heart’s left side is underdeveloped. Faced with uncertain outcomes after he was born, his family turned to the Cardiac Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), which offered an innovative procedure called hybrid VAD. Through this procedure, a surgeon stabilized Brice’s circulation and blood flow and inserted a ventricular assist device (VAD) to support him as he awaited a heart transplant. CHOP offers patients like Brice an intensive, interdisciplinary rehabilitation program to strengthen physical, speech, and motor skills. Through major obstacles, including a severe stroke, the intensive rehab continued to help Brice grow stronger until seven months later, he was ready for the transplant. After a successful transplant, Brice continued rehab for another two months, returning home the day before Thanksgiving. Today, Brice continues to surpass expectations, reaching developmental milestones like standing, crawling, and even speaking!

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.

Shortly after birth, Finley’s parents learned she had Down Syndrome and a congenital heart defect called complete atrioventricular canal defect. She stayed in the NICU for 19 days at their local hospital and was then transferred to Atrium Health Levine Children’s Brenner Children’s Hospital. Her parents immediately knew Finely was in the right hands. Her doctors took the time to explain her condition thoroughly, guiding her family through a personalized care plan that would give Finley the best chance at a healthy future. At just seven and a half months old, Finley underwent open heart surgery, but she amazed everyone with her resilience, recovering smoothly and returning home just four days later. After surgery, Finley began growing into an active and spunky toddler at home. But a few months later, her mom noticed she had grayish coloring and immediately took her back to the hospital. Her care team discovered she had acute myeloid leukemia (AML), an extremely rare diagnosis for children. Over the next few months, Finley endured six rounds of chemotherapy, but her bright spirit never dimmed. Her care team, including social workers and child life specialists worked hard to create a supportive environment. And just as she had with every challenge before, Finley fought hard. She responded well to treatment, and now that chemotherapy is over, Finley’s doctors see a bright future for her. She continues to visit the hospital for routine heart checks, ensuring she continues to stay healthy.