After hip dysplasia, Emma smashes her cast
When she could walk again, Emma Wilkinson and her parents threw a big party. Diagnosed with hip dysplasia at the age of 4, Emma had spent 10 weeks in a spica cast that made almost all physical activity impossible. Now, baseball bat in hand, she took aim at a piñata replica of her cast while ... Read More about After hip dysplasia, Emma smashes her cast
Foot deformity and amputation: Maria’s tough choice
Whenever she could, Maria Dupuis found a way to walk. She walked when she had to wear a cast from her chest to her ankles. She walked when the curve in her spine reached 94 degrees. When her right foot pointed up to the sky rather than straight ahead, she walked on her heel. Maria ... Read More about Foot deformity and amputation: Maria’s tough choice
Congenital scoliosis: Maria’s story
Growing up in a big family helped. When Maria Dupuis came home from the hospital after surgery to correct her scoliosis, her sisters played Subway Surfer with her and her brothers braided her hair. Having so many siblings around to play with probably motivated her to get up and start walking sooner. And when other ... Read More about Congenital scoliosis: Maria’s story
BACH Program: Heart care for patients of all ages
At 73, Fran Sansalone might not seem like a typical Boston Children’s Hospital patient. But she’s one of a growing number of adults who visit the Heart Center regularly. Fran has been a patient in the Boston Adult Congenital Heart (BACH) Program for the past 18 years. Like other adults born with a congenital heart ... Read More about BACH Program: Heart care for patients of all ages
Giving back: Cole’s ‘Socks for Smiles’
When Cole was 10, he experienced his first seizure. Two years later, he has multiple seizures a day and is treated at the Boston Children’s Hospital Epilepsy Center. In the spring of 2019, Cole and his family were inpatient at the hospital for an electroencephalogram (EEG) to check on his epilepsy. While he was in ... Read More about Giving back: Cole’s ‘Socks for Smiles’
Mary’s journey with genetic epilepsy
Lots of people don’t like the heat. It makes them feel uncomfortable and sluggish. But for Mary, being outside on a hot day means risking a seizure. So can running in gym class or having a fever. That’s because Mary has genetic epilepsy, a form of Dravet syndrome — a rare epilepsy syndrome caused by ... Read More about Mary’s journey with genetic epilepsy
Everli: Living her best life after atlantoaxial instability
When they travelled to the orphanage in China in early 2018, Shannon and Matt Gottschalk knew the toddler they hoped to adopt had Down syndrome. They knew she had been abandoned by the side of a highway and delivered to an orphanage by the farmer who’d found her. The couple was surprised, however, that at ... Read More about Everli: Living her best life after atlantoaxial instability
Camp Journey and a horse named Evan build Luca’s confidence
Until this summer, 8-year-old Luca Castellano had never been on a horse. But after participating in Camp Journey, a therapeutic riding camp for kids with congenital heart conditions, he was riding and caring for a horse like a pro. “Luca pretty much fell in love with a horse named Evan,” says his mom, Rebecca. Camp ... Read More about Camp Journey and a horse named Evan build Luca’s confidence
Violet is blossoming five years after Tessier cleft surgery
In October 2014, Violet and her parents traveled from their home in rural Oregon to Boston Children’s Hospital for a life-changing surgery. Violet, who was born with an extremely rare and serious craniofacial anomaly, called a Tessier cleft, needed an operation to close the gap in her facial bones. After nine hours in the surgical ... Read More about Violet is blossoming five years after Tessier cleft surgery
Kaitlyn begins road to recovery after foot amputation
At just 14 years old, Kaitlyn Vu was asked to accept a drastic, life-altering surgery. In early 2019, she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma — a rare type of bone cancer that ultimately led to the amputation of her left foot. Kaitlyn’s ability to meet each challenge of her diagnosis with a combination of grace and perseverance has ... Read More about Kaitlyn begins road to recovery after foot amputation