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.
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
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
Pediatric partnership brings Disney magic to Rezen
Kapi’olani Medical Center for Women & Children has been Rezen’s home away from home for more than a year. The 10-year-old was diagnosed with aplastic anemia, a rare and life-threatening blood disorder. Last year, she received a bone marrow transplant and spent months in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Despite these challenges, moments of joy and comfort shine through her journey. When Rezen was nervous before a routine MRI, her child life specialists gave her a Disney Princess-themed Starlight Hospital Gown to add a little magic to her stay. The Walt Disney Company and the nonprofit Starlight Children’s Foundation bring Disney Princess-themed Starlight Hospital Gowns to pediatric hospitals across the nation, helping patients like Rezen feel more comfortable during treatments. Through this long-standing collaboration, Rezen has received numerous princess gowns, building up an impressive collection. In December, Rezen completed her princess collection, receiving a Moana-themed gown, and attended a special private showing of Moana 2, experiencing the movie’s adventure before its official release! Navigating a rare disease comes with immense obstacles, but collaborations like this bring light on difficult days. Disney-themed Starlight programs, along with her care team, help make Rezen and thousands of other pediatric patients feel the magic and inspiration every child deserves.
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Lizzy’s access to mental health care
Lizzy was 17 and needed support to get mental health care treatment. She had to wait in an emergency room for several hours while waiting for a bed to be available, often called “boarding.” The emergency room was not designed to meet Lizzy’s mental health care needs long-term, but she eventually found the specialized care she needed at a behavioral hospital. Lizzy and her family are passionate about advocating for more mental health facilities that are reachable and in local communities.
Phoenix defies the odds with ultra-rare genetic disorder
At 3 months old, Phoenix was diagnosed with Marshall-Smith Syndrome, an ultra-rare genetic disorder that only 56 people in the world have been diagnosed with. Most children with Marshall-Smith Syndrome don’t live past age 3. Phoenix is now 9. The care that Phoenix receives at Children’s Wisconsin has been paramount to her survival. She sees gastroenterology specialists, pulmonary and otolaryngology specialists, as well as the plastic surgery and complex care team to coordinate specialty care needs. With complex care needs, Medicaid helps cover Phoenix’s regular clinic visits and medical care, but there are often challenges getting special equipment she needs covered. Despite all of the obstacles she faces, Phoenix attends school and she loves art and music.
Zachary continues to make music despite fight with autoimmune disease
Zachary is a celebrated concert oboist, a skill that he has preserved to perfect since a young age. That same drive to preserve has helped Zachary as he has dealt with multiple health conditions throughout his life, starting with seizures at age three, and then a systemic lupus erythematosus diagnosis at age 16 following a stroke, along with mixed connective tissue disease, CNS vasculitis and arthritis. He spent a week in the ICU and further time in the hospital and had to resume remote learning due to his autoimmune diagnosis. These were challenging setback for a teenager who was ready to get back to normal after COVID-19. Zachary has regular rheumatology appointments and bloodwork to track the progression of the diseases. Today he is in remission and has been able to resume most of his regular activities, including playing the oboe.
High School Made Possible by Critical Heart Care
Beau is a lifelong heart patient at Children’s Nebraska. Born with pulmonary atresia with an intact ventricular septum, a condition that leaves the body’s blood with a lack of oxygen to support it, he underwent three surgeries as an infant and child to palliate his single ventricle heart disease. In 2022, he had an unexpected heart attack shortly before his senior year. Thanks to the Criss Heart Center’s collaborative, comprehensive care, Beau received the treatment he needed quickly and was able to enjoy his final year of high school. And it proved to be a year of incredible moments, with Beau being named Homecoming King and valedictorian of his 2023 graduating class. Beau continues to receive treatment from Children’s through their Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) program.
Frank L. Aymami III
How a Young Athlete Overcame Guillain-Barre Syndrome
John was a senior in high school and a cross-country star. While he was training for the state championship, he felt his legs weaken. Just a few days before Thanksgiving, John was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy and needed to spend eight days on a ventilator as his respiratory system was shutting down. While at the hospital, he was further diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome, a neurological condition where the immune system attacks the nerves. For months he was in and out of the hospital, but through persistent help from doctors, rehab, and new treatments, John recently ran a 5k with the hospital CEO, Lou Fragoso. From a 5-minute mile to a life-changing diagnosis, Children’s Hospital New Orleans made it possible for John to run again.
Michael Goderre, Boston Children's
Emily’s lung transplant at Boston Children’s
When she was born, Emily was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension, abnormally high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs. As a result, her lungs were not functioning normally, so she remained in her local NICU in Maine for eight weeks. Dr. Francis Fynn-Thompson at the Pediatric Transplant Center saved Emily’s life by innovating a surgery to get her on the list. “Dr. Fynn-Thompson designed a surgery with cannulas that were able to make Emily a candidate for surgery — and she was quickly listed as a candidate shortly after.” Just 36 hours after being listed as a candidate for an organ transplant, Emily matched and was able to receive a lung transplant — a miracle turnaround time.
