Samantha D., Age 6 
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Hospital: Rush Children’s Hospital, Chicago, IL
Born at 25 weeks, and 5 days, and weighing only 2 pounds, 2 ounces, Samantha was on a ventilator for the first six weeks of her life. Due to her prematurity, Samantha underwent two surgeries and also suffered from bleeding in the brain ventricles which resolved during the 14 weeks she lived at Rush University Medical Center.
Tony C., Age 14 
Hometown: Sarasota, FL
Hospital: All Children’s Hospital Johns Hopkins Medicine, St. Petersburg, FL
A charismatic teen who lives life to the fullest, Tony’s 2011 diagnosis of clear cell sarcoma of the kidney was the beginning of a close relationship with All Children’s Hospital Johns Hopkins Medicine. Clear cell sarcoma is a childhood cancer that is so rare that treatment is often given in conjunction with a clinical trial. Tony, a two-time cancer survivor, underwent chemo and radiation therapy under the guidance of the hospital’s expert team.
The June 2nd issue of Time magazine showcases Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and the exceptional care we provide to extremely sick babies and their families. A photo of Emalyn Randolph, one of the hospital's patients was featured in the story and is on the cover of the magazine.
Johnny C., Age: 3 
Hometown: Chevy Chase, MD
Hospital: HSC Pediatric Center, Washington, DC
Just four days after being born with spina bifida, Johnny underwent surgery to close the open lesion on his back. To correct his clubbed feet, Johnny had to spend the first eight weeks of his life in casts. A curious child, eager to explore his surroundings, Johnny’s family couldn’t wait to get him a wheelchair so he could keep up with his peers and experience the independence so critical to a toddler’s development.
Greta C., Age 7 
Hometown: Edina, MN
Hospital: Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota
Greta was a typical, healthy toddler until the weekend before her third birthday when she developed croup and was rushed to the emergency department at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. Despite treatment, her croup worsened overnight and she developed a secondary staph pneumonia. Within 24 hours of arriving at the hospital, her illness spiraled into multi-organ failure.
Amarey B., Age 4 
Hometown: West Hartford, CT
Hospital: Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital, New Haven, CT
When meeting 4-year-old Amarey, you would never know this vibrant and energetic little girl lives with sickle cell disease. Sickle cell is a genetic disease in which the red blood cells are sickle (crescent) shaped, making it hard for them to travel through blood vessels to carry oxygen to different organs in the body. When Amarey gets sick, she experiences severe pain in her legs, arms and belly. Her hemoglobin sometimes drops, requiring a blood transfusion, and she may develop a respiratory infection, like acute chest syndrome. In addition to sickle cell disease, Amarey also battles asthma and severe allergies, which requires her to take six daily medications.
Starting today you will have the opportunity to meet each of the 29 All Stars who will be participating in Family Advocacy Day 2014.
Noah B., age 4 
Hometown: Stevens Point, WI
Hospital: Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI
Noah is a happy 4-year-old who loves trains, planes and school. Born blue because his organs were shutting down due to heart failure, Noah was immediately taken to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The family was then referred to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin where pediatric specialists were much better equipped to help Noah.
With Memorial Day approaching, the thoughts of many turn to family car trips and vacations. But when the weather warms, please also remember that leaving a child in a car is never safe and could lead to heatstroke. Too many Americans are not aware of this deadly problem, with potentially two million children being left alone in a car and put at risk.
Speak Now for Kids is featuring a series of first person accounts from family members attending the 2014 Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Day, June 24 and 25. First in our series is the story of the Christiansen family whose daughter was hospitalized with croup which developed into secondary pneumonia. The family plans to meet with legislators, encouraging them to vote in favor of legislation that benefits the Children Hospital Graduate Medical Education program.
Hand washing is an overall good practice to teach your children as they grow. However, the activity becomes even more important in the pediatric hospital and health care environment to keep child patients safe from the spread of infection and other communicable diseases.