Jun
05
Posted by Champion for Children's Health
Colin is participating at 2019 Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Day from June 25-26 in Washington, D.C. During the event, Colin will share information about his health journey and the importance of children’s health care with members of Congress. Below is his story.
Colin has great curiosity and imagination. He’s usually an easy going, positive little guy—unless it’s time to wake up for school (like most 6-year-olds).
Colin developed like a normal child until he began to have significant respiratory issues and started vomiting sporadically. After being admitted to Children’s Minnesota for pneumonia, Colin was diagnosed with a ganglioglioma, a type of brain tumor.
“Brain tumors are terrifying and the deadliest form of childhood cancers. There’s no real sense of security after you enter this world,” his parents share. “Often, treatments are harsh and contain high risks of complications. It’s a difficult road filled with deep anxiety, social isolation and finding ways to adapt to life-altering disabilities for the child and family.”
Jun
04
Posted by Champion for Children's Health
William is participating at 2019 Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Day from June 25-26 in Washington, D.C. During the event, William will share information about his health journey and the importance of children’s health care with members of Congress. Below is his story.
Despite everything this 9-year-old has been through, William’s resilience and zest for life is amazing. William was diagnosed with sickle cell anemia at birth and has been receiving care at Dayton Children’s Hospital ever since.
William is in and out of the hospital and ER more than ten times per year. Unfortunately, the care he needs meant that he didn’t have a typical 9th birthday celebration. Instead of having a party at home with his friends and family, he spent the day in Dayton Children’s Emergency Department; he had contracted a fever, which for a sickle cell patient is a medical emergency.
Jun
03
Posted by Champion for Children's Health
Gage is participating at 2019 Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Day from June 25-26 in Washington, D.C. During the event, Gage will share information about his health journey and the importance of children’s health care with members of Congress. Below is his story.
Nine-year-old Gage is always happy and can do anything he sets his mind to. This tenacious fighter was not supposed to survive birth, but he has spent the past nine years proving everyone wrong.
When Gage’s mother was just 20 weeks pregnant, a sonogram showed something was off—his bones were breaking. An amniocentesis revealed that Gage had osteogenesis imperfecta—also known as brittle bone disease. Because his bones were so fragile, doctors feared his ribcage would break and his lungs would collapse.
Jun
02
Posted by Champion for Children's Health
Elyse is participating at 2019 Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Day from June 25-26 in Washington, D.C. During the event, Elyse will share information about her health journey and the importance of children’s health care with members of Congress. Below is her story.
Elyse is fascinated by baked goods, but she hates the taste of sugar and would never eat anything sweet. Despite her aversion, this hard worker shatters her goals when selling Girls Scout cookies!
Even though Elyse looks like a normal teen when you first meet her, she struggles on a daily basis. Elyse was diagnosed with chronic intestinal pseudo obstruction shortly after birth and has lived in and out of UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital for the past 12 years. She has endured numerous surgeries and clinic visits and relies on five different specialists.
Despite all of this, Elyse doesn’t for one moment want pity. She shares, “I am not defined by my condition. I want to make sure that others don't feel shame just because they are different. I am more than my diagnosis.”
Jun
01
Posted by Champion for Children's Health
Taylor is participating at 2019 Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Day from June 25-26 in Washington, D.C. During the event, Taylor will share information about her health journey and the importance of children’s health care with members of Congress. Below is her story.
“Courageous” and “amazing” are the best words to describe Taylor, and she applies these traits to everything she does!
Now 22, Taylor was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 10 and was referred to Connecticut Children’s Medical Center (CCMC). Taylor and her family were greeted with a warm welcome, a teddy bear and friendly smiles.
Her long journey at CCMC began with a surgery to remove a Wilms tumor and her right kidney, and continued with months of chemotherapy and years of follow up with routine scans. During one of her scans, doctors discovered pectus excavatum which would later require another surgery. They also discovered gallstones in her gall bladder—this too eventually mandated a surgery for Taylor.
May
31
Posted by Champion for Children's Health
Charlee is participating at 2019 Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Day from June 25-26 in Washington, D.C. During the event, Charlee will share information about her health journey and the importance of children’s health care with members of Congress. Below is her story.
Charlee is a very motivated 9-year-old from Rhode Island. She was born prematurely at 30 weeks and diagnosed with periventricular leukomalacia at Boston Children’s Hospital. Unfortunately, as Charlee grew older, her diagnosis progressed to cerebral palsy.
Her delays are most significant in gross motor skills—she’s still learning to stand and walk independently. She wears bilateral ankle foot orthotics and utilizes a walker or wheelchair stroller to travel longer distances.
May
30
Posted by Champion for Children's Health
William is participating at 2019 Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Day from June 25-26 in Washington, D.C. During the event, William will share information about his health journey and the importance of children’s health care with members of Congress. Below is his story.
William had a hard start at life. From day one, the odds of survival for this twinless twin and micro preemie were low. He was born at 23 weeks weighing just 1lb 6 oz. William suffered seemingly endless bumps in the road, including bleeding in his lungs, numerous blood transfusions and surgeries, and a dangerous stomach infection called necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Despite these obstacles and challenges, this miracle micro preemie persevered—he survived it all.
May
29
Posted by Champion for Children's Health
Eleanor is participating at 2019 Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Day from June 25-26 in Washington, D.C. During the event, Eleanor will share information about her health journey and the importance of children’s health care with members of Congress. Below is her story.
Eleanor loves the color blue in every shade. She is an energetic girl, beaming with personality. Her favorite phrase is "BEST DAY EVER!"
Eleanor was diagnosed with multiple congenital heart defects at birth. With her survival at stake, she was on full life support right after she was born. The doctors at Norton Children’s Hospital informed her parents that a heart transplant was the only option, and 10 days later Eleanor was added to the national waiting list.
May
28
Posted by Champion for Children's Health
Geno is participating at 2019 Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Day from June 25-26 in Washington, D.C. During the event, Geno will share information about his health journey and the importance of children’s health care with members of Congress. Below is his story.
Geno was diagnosed at his 21-week ultrasound with complete heart block and hydrops fetalis. His family immediately rushed to the Pediatric Cardiology Department at Cleveland Clinic Children’s to increase his odds of survival.
His parents understood that Geno only had a 5-10% chance of survival, but this heart warrior fought against those odds! Geno was born at 29 weeks and discharged five months later. He went home with supplemental oxygen and a nasogastric tube for food and medicine, but this young fighter made it home. Even though Geno faced many challenges as a premature baby, they did not define or limit his potential in any way.
May
26
Posted by Champion for Children's Health
Lorenzo is participating at 2019 Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Day from June 25-26 in Washington, D.C. During the event, Lorenzo will share information about his health journey and the importance of children’s health care with members of Congress. Below is his story.
When Heather was pregnant with her third son, Lorenzo, she had a routine prenatal anatomy scan. The test showed that something was wrong—blood was flowing in the wrong direction through Lorenzo’s little heart.
Before Lorenzo was born, he was diagnosed with severe aortic stenosis, aortic valve regurgitation, mitral valve regurgitation, and evolving hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). His condition was so severe that it was unlikely he could survive the pregnancy without an intervention.