Meet Oliver: 2022 Family Advocacy Day Champion

Oliver is participating in Speak Now for Kids Family Advocacy Day from June 12-14. Through this event, Oliver and his family will discuss his health journey, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles’ role in providing him with necessary health care services, and why the public and our elected officials must invest in the future of patients like Oliver.

Oliver was born with a large mass on his chest, stretching from his sternum, underneath his arm, and onto his back.

“We learned shortly thereafter that it was called lymphatic malformation and would require a great deal of intervention,” says Jennifer, Oliver’s mother. “This condition is nearly impossible to detect in utero and so it was a surprise to us when he was born.”

Because Oliver was a newborn, he was unaware of what was going on. However, the impact to the family was acute.

“We were scared for what the future might bring for him and had many sleepless nights over the first year of his life.”

Oliver had six surgeries over the first 15 months of his life. These included procedures to both drain and burn the inside of the mass, allowing it to collapse on itself over time. The final surgery was to remove the tissue from inside the mass, remove excess skin, and attempt to realign his chest. 

After these successful procedures, Oliver is now a healthy 6-year-old boy with no need for ongoing care and loves playing baseball.