Living fully: Kristin’s life with blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome
More than 25 years ago, I spent 11 hours in surgery while a surgeon removed hundreds of abnormal blood vessels from my body. A lot has happened since. Today, I’m a mom raising two driven kids: a daughter who is a skilled athlete, and a son who’s taking two math classes just for fun. I ... Read More about Living fully: Kristin’s life with blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome
Accepting kindness and happiness: Ways Spencer’s family navigated his heart transplant
Spencer Brock and his family recently vacationed in Ireland. They caught up with aunts, uncles, and cousins, and Spencer enjoyed visiting playgrounds, an amusement park, and a zoo. It was a dream-come-true trip in many ways. In October 2024, only six weeks after he was born, Spencer was diagnosed with restrictive cardiomyopathy, a severe disease that ... Read More about Accepting kindness and happiness: Ways Spencer’s family navigated his heart transplant
‘Comfortable in my own skin’: Grace thrives after weight loss surgery
Grace Rocha has a favorite fun fact: She had weight loss surgery at 16. And when it comes to sharing her story, she’s an open book. “Why wouldn’t you want to tell people about that?” she asks. Grace credits her parents for her candor: Both have had gastric bypass surgery and have always been open ... Read More about ‘Comfortable in my own skin’: Grace thrives after weight loss surgery
How Wyatt became the smallest baby to undergo PDA closure at Boston Children’s
In June 2023, at 22 weeks pregnant, Madisen went into labor with twins. Her care team in New Hampshire transferred her to a maternal-fetal medicine center in Boston in hopes of delaying delivery, but Gavin and Wyatt arrived within hours. “Things just evolved quickly,” Madisen says. “I delivered Gavin first, and Wyatt about two and ... Read More about How Wyatt became the smallest baby to undergo PDA closure at Boston Children’s
How the stars aligned for CeCe’s spinal cord tumor care
Last spring, 6-year-old CeCe was on vacation in Florida when she told her parents, Mike and Mary, that her neck hurt. After the family returned home to the Chicago area, her neck pain persisted despite Tylenol and rest — and she developed another concerning symptom. “We noticed that she wasn’t using her right hand to ... Read More about How the stars aligned for CeCe’s spinal cord tumor care
Thriving — not just surviving — as an adult with esophageal atresia
Willa Barnett has a story to tell — and it’s a big one. At 26, she’s experienced a slew of serious health challenges since she was born with VACTERL association. In this group of growth anomalies, certain parts of the body don’t form properly during fetal development. This can lead to problems with the vertebrae, ... Read More about Thriving — not just surviving — as an adult with esophageal atresia