What it’s like to have SDR surgery: Scarlet’s story
Scarlet is 9 years old. When she was 7, she underwent selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR), a procedure in which a surgeon cuts certain nerves that may contribute to leg spasticity related to cerebral palsy. We talked with Scarlet and her parents, Darcie and Tyler, about their experience in the Cerebral Palsy and Spasticity Center at ... Read More about What it’s like to have SDR surgery: Scarlet’s story
Trusting their instincts: Gary’s parents find help for immune-mediated hepatitis
For Mercedes Hollingsworth and Gary Walker, Jr., trusting their parental instincts helped get their son Gary Walker III — affectionately known as GW — the care he needed. “We knew right away that something wasn’t right,” she says. “He just wasn’t a happy newborn. He looked miserable all the time.” Mercedes, who also has an ... Read More about Trusting their instincts: Gary’s parents find help for immune-mediated hepatitis
After a long journey and a father’s gift, surviving Wilms tumor
Eleanor (Nora) Franks was a happy, healthy toddler who loved playing with her twin brother Evan. But soon after she turned 3, she began having problems with her digestion. Eventually, her local hospital found a large mass in her kidney and diagnosed her with Wilms tumor, a rare kidney cancer. “She had to go almost ... Read More about After a long journey and a father’s gift, surviving Wilms tumor
Treating a ‘unicorn’: Norman’s incredible journey with vein of Galen malformation
Norman Flores is near the top of his class at his Montessori preschool. He can recognize a Tesla just from the car’s symbol. And he’s picked up an extensive vocabulary from his parents, Sarah and Erick, and older brother, Edward. When Sarah and Erick share these accomplishments, they’re not just being proud parents — they’re ... Read More about Treating a ‘unicorn’: Norman’s incredible journey with vein of Galen malformation
Pinpointing Karlijn’s seizures: Neurosurgery helps teen get back to her life
Karlijn Kuiper was visiting her home country of the Netherlands a few years ago when the trouble began. At first, her family noticed she would zone out. “She had these strange spells where she would just stare,” remembers her mother, Marieke. At first, it didn’t occur to Karlijn’s family that they could be seizures. Like ... Read More about Pinpointing Karlijn’s seizures: Neurosurgery helps teen get back to her life
From Virginia to Boston for a kidney transplant: Joshy’s story
Joshy Buchheit is a lot like most 4-year-old boys. He loves playing in the mud, riding his scooter, and keeping up with his three older brothers, Joseph, Ethan, and Evan. But what sets Joshy apart is that he was born with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and had a kidney transplant when he was just 20 ... Read More about From Virginia to Boston for a kidney transplant: Joshy’s story
Transitioning to adult care for sickle cell disease: Ariyanna’s journey
Ariyanna Agnew sits in a waiting room at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC). The 22-year-old, who has been a patient of the Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center Sickle Cell Disease Program for more than a decade, is seeing an adult hematologist for the first time. It’s a milestone event that would ordinarily ... Read More about Transitioning to adult care for sickle cell disease: Ariyanna’s journey
What it’s like to have brain surgery: Peyton’s story
During the summer before my junior year of high school, I started getting a lot of dull headaches at the base of my head and upper neck. I got so used to them that I built up a tolerance to the pain — I didn’t see them as a big deal, or would make excuses for ... Read More about What it’s like to have brain surgery: Peyton’s story
Freak accident leads to Dylan’s passion for neurosurgery
It was the summer of 2019. Dylan Keusch had just graduated from prep school and was planning to major in Industrial Labor Relations at Cornell University in the fall. His life felt pretty perfect. “Everything was going great — I was a national club team swimmer at the peak of my career, I was headed ... Read More about Freak accident leads to Dylan’s passion for neurosurgery
Meghan’s journey with UESL: Finding treatment for a rare form of liver cancer
In the spring of 2017, Meghan Tompkins and her parents, Danni and Michael, arrived at the Dana Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorder Center. They were there for an appointment after Meghan’s doctors identified a suspicious spot on her liver. Meghan, then 13, only knew that she was having gastrointestinal symptoms — no one had uttered ... Read More about Meghan’s journey with UESL: Finding treatment for a rare form of liver cancer