Jun
19
Posted by Champion for Children's Health
Belle and Abby are participating at 2019 Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Day from June 25-26 in Washington, D.C. During the event, Belle and Abby will share information about their health journey and the importance of children’s health care with members of Congress. Below is their story.
Meet Belle and Abby—two sisters who have endless love for others, especially each other. When Belle was 5 years old, genetic tests showed that she had Niemann- Pick Disease Type C1 (NPC1). NPC1, often referred to as childhood Alzheimer’s, is a rare, degenerative genetic disease affecting all cells of the body. Due to the genetic nature of the disease, Abby underwent testing as well—she also had NPC1.
Jun
18
Posted by Champion for Children's Health
Jaysen is participating at 2019 Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Day from June 25-26 in Washington, D.C. During the event, Jaysen will share information about his health journey and the importance of children’s health care with members of Congress. Below is his story.
Jaysen had been complaining of headaches for two weeks—his teacher initially thought they might be due to dehydration from playing outside. But after a phone call from school, Jaysen’s mom quickly rushed him to the hospital—he said he felt like his head was going to explode.
An MRI from Lurie Children’s Hospital confirmed that Jaysen had a brain tumor. While the neurosurgeon was able to remove the entire tumor during a six-hour surgery, the bad news was that it was an aggressive, malignant form called a medullablastoma. Jaysen would need both radiation treatments and chemotherapy to kill any remaining cancerous cells.
Jun
17
Posted by Champion for Children's Health
Rafa is participating at 2019 Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Day from June 25-26 in Washington, D.C. During the event, Rafa will share information about his health journey and the importance of children’s health care with members of Congress. Below is his story.
Meet Rafa! Despite being only 3 years old, Rafa loves to spend time reading—in both English and Spanish—and has an incredible memory. Some of his favorite things to do are visiting the science museum and going to the playground with his family.
Rafa was born with chronic kidney disease and severe bladder issues, which meant undergoing several surgeries, five weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit and nightly dialysis just to survive. When he was only a year old, he received a kidney transplant from his dad—this gift was instrumental in making him the thriving, happy youngster he is today. Rafa still needs a feeding tube to eat, but he is working towards gaining more independence!
Jun
16
Posted by Champion for Children's Health
Jonathan is participating at 2019 Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Day from June 25-26 in Washington, D.C. During the event, Jonathan will share information about his health journey and the importance of children’s health care with members of Congress. Below is his story.
Jonathan is a brave, thoughtful and a creative 5-year-old. His favorite activities are usually those he can share with others, like playing board games and video games.
Last year, Jonathan was running around his preschool without a care in the world when his teacher noticed that his left eye seemed to be turning in occasionally. An MRI at Akron Children’s Hospital revealed that Jonathan had a golf-ball sized tumor near his brain stem. He was diagnosed with medulloblastoma and soon began treatment with radiation.
Jun
15
Posted by Champion for Children's Health
Jordyn is participating at 2019 Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Day from June 25-26 in Washington, D.C. During the event, Jordyn will share information about her health journey and the importance of children’s health care with members of Congress. Below is her story.
Meet Jordyn! Jordyn is a very bubbly, energetic 8-year-old, who never stops moving. Jordyn is always looking out for other people—even when she is in the hospital, she tries to find ways to help the other children. When she’s not doing cartwheels or cheerleading, she’s trying to figure out ways to make other people happy.
Born four weeks premature, Jordyn spent her first few months of life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Children's Hospital of San Antonio. She was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, annular pancreas, malrotation of the intestines, and an atrial septal defect. In addition, Jordyn was born with only one kidney, missing and fused ribs, scoliosis, and a tethered spinal cord.
Jun
14
Posted by Champion for Children's Health
Ben is participating at 2019 Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Day from June 25-26 in Washington, D.C. During the event, Ben will share information about his health journey and the importance of children’s health care with members of Congress. Below is his story.
Animated, spirited and creative are the words to describe this 6-year-old boy from Iowa. Like most kindergarteners, Ben is energetic and loud. But there is one thing that makes him different from other schoolmates his age—Ben’s muscles are quickly breaking down and will not restore themselves.
Ben was diagnosed with a rare disease called Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) at age 3. As he’s growing older, he’s starting to physically fall behind his peers and easily become fatigued. Fortunately, the providers and staff at Blank Children's Hospital are an enormous support for him and his entire family.
Jun
13
Posted by Champion for Children's Health
Hope is participating at 2019 Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Day from June 25-26 in Washington, D.C. During the event, Hope will share information about her health journey and the importance of children’s health care with members of Congress. Below is her story.
Meet Hope! Hope is 13 and loves anything that has to do with music. She plays the piano and sings in her school choir, where her teacher often relies on her for her perfect pitch. This budding actress also just auditioned for her first school play!
Before Hope was even born, her doctors discovered she had complex congenital heart defects and asplenia, meaning her spleen was not functioning normally. She was also diagnosed with cerebral palsy and spastic left hemiplegia, which affects muscle contractions in her left leg. She has had to undergo three different open-heart surgeries and two surgeries on her leg. Thanks to the care she received from St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, she was able to go home just three days after her last open-heart surgery!
Jun
12
Posted by Champion for Children's Health
Nasir is participating at 2019 Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Day from June 25-26 in Washington, D.C. During the event, Nasir will share information about his health journey and the importance of children’s health care with members of Congress. Below is his story.
Nasir is a funny, typical 2-year-old boy who loves the movie Moana!
He was born with Tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia, a severe type of heart defect. Since his diagnosis, Nasir has been receiving care from the cardiologists, nutritionists and gastrointestinal specialists at Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando, Florida.
Jun
11
Posted by Champion for Children's Health
Dillon is participating at 2019 Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Day from June 25-26 in Washington, D.C. During the event, Dillon will share information about his health journey and the importance of children’s health care with members of Congress. Below is his story.
Like many other 13-year-old boys, Dillon loves playing Fortnite and getting outside to play sports. Unlike many other 13-year-old boys, Dillon navigates all his favorite activities from his wheelchair. Dillon is excited to start trying out wheelchair rugby, archery and basketball. He never lets his wheelchair stop him from doing what loves!
When Dillon was 11, he was in a major car accident. After 20 days in the ICU and a week in the hospital, Dillon—now paralyzed from the waist down—began occupational therapy. Children's Health played an integral role in Dillon’s journey. The hospital provided not only exceptional medical care, but also social and emotional support.
Jun
10
Posted by Champion for Children's Health
Sarabeth is participating at 2019 Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Day from June 25-26 in Washington, D.C. During the event, Sarabeth will share information about her health journey and the importance of children’s health care with members of Congress. Below is her story.
Sarabeth is a fighter. Ten years ago, she was diagnosed with embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. She went through 48 weeks of chemotherapy and lost her ability to walk.
Despite her condition, Sarabeth was determined to recover—and she did.