Patient Stories
Ted Williams, chocolate milkshakes, and a pioneering heart team: What Bruce remembers about his heart surgery 65 years later
Bruce Chansky was the star of his neighborhood after he had heart surgery at Boston Children’s. It was 1959, a time when a child having heart surgery wasn’t common — it was newsworthy. Eleven-year-old Bruce was featured in his hometown newspaper, which only furthered his celebrity in Beverly, Massachusetts. Friends, neighbors, and strangers all wanted ... Read More about Ted Williams, chocolate milkshakes, and a pioneering heart team: What Bruce remembers about his heart surgery 65 years later
Research
Two rising stars in kidney genetics: Nina Mann and Amar Majmundar
A healthy, functional kidney must maintain a delicate balance of water, nutrients, and electrolytes so it can properly filter the blood and produce urine. That often makes caring for patients with kidney disease an exercise in chemistry and mathematics — an aspect of nephrology that attracted two young physician-scientists. Coming from different paths, Nina Mann, ... Read More about Two rising stars in kidney genetics: Nina Mann and Amar Majmundar
Patient Stories
For Ana Sofia: How one mom found prenatal care for fetal pleural effusion
Alexandra is the first to admit she asks a lot of questions and needs to know details. “I’m curious about everything, and I want to know everything,” she says. “I do my research. I’m a pretty resourceful person.” It’s something she says can be off-putting to some people, but it’s also what saved her daughter’s ... Read More about For Ana Sofia: How one mom found prenatal care for fetal pleural effusion
Health and Parenting
Are cochlear implants an option for my child?
By providing access to sound, cochlear implants have made it possible for children with severe to profound hearing loss to communicate through speech. The devices transmit signals from external processors to the brain via units implanted underneath the skin and small wires connected to the inner ear. “Cochlear implants can be life changing for a ... Read More about Are cochlear implants an option for my child?
Research
A deeper understanding of inflammatory pain could reveal new solutions
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen are the main go-to for inflammatory pain caused by wounds, infection, sunburn, arthritis, and other triggers. NSAIDs work pretty well, but chronic use can cause side effects, and they aren’t equally effective for all sources of pain. Could we identify a more effective, safer analgesic that doesn’t involve ... Read More about A deeper understanding of inflammatory pain could reveal new solutions
Patient Stories
A seat at the table: One family’s story of finding advanced care for hydrocephalus
To her parents, everything about 6-month-old Stella is a miracle. Rose and Vlad were ecstatic to learn they were expecting a baby after Rose was diagnosed with uterine fibroids. When Stella arrived months early, they were astounded by her ability to keep growing stronger. And when her doctors discovered a buildup of cerebral spinal fluid ... Read More about A seat at the table: One family’s story of finding advanced care for hydrocephalus
Patient Stories
‘Supported and heard’: Harven gets care for an anorectal malformation
Like lots of 3-year-olds, Harven Gifford has a great imagination. Lately, he’s taken to roaring loudly and pretending that he’s a lion. But it wasn’t long ago that his parents, Heather and Brian, had to be Harven’s voice, when an unexpected health concern turned them into strong advocates for their son. Although Harven’s delivery went ... Read More about ‘Supported and heard’: Harven gets care for an anorectal malformation
Patient Stories
Healing the heart, mind, and spirit
For most of her life, Siena Tancredi worried about her heart beating too fast. She has long QT syndrome, an inherited condition that affects the heart’s electrical rhythm and can cause fast, erratic heartbeats. From the time she was diagnosed at age 10 and into adulthood, she avoided any situation that would potentially cause her heart ... Read More about Healing the heart, mind, and spirit
Research
Can we prevent seizures in Sturge-Weber syndrome?
Port wine stains — capillary malformations on the skin — are the most visible manifestation of Sturge-Weber syndrome. However, up to 60 percent of babies with birthmarks in high-risk locations (forehead and upper eyelid) also have capillary malformations in their brain. Of these, 75 to 90 percent will experience a seizure before the age of 2, ... Read More about Can we prevent seizures in Sturge-Weber syndrome?
Patient Stories
Helping Jasmine manage Sturge-Weber syndrome before symptoms start
Sturge-Weber syndrome is a rare neurovascular disorder that increases the risk of seizures in infants due to abnormal blood vessel development in the brain. Almost 90 percent of children with Sturge-Weber experience their first seizure before age 2, which makes proactive, seizure-preventive care important in minimizing the risk of long-term brain injury. Finding such care, ... Read More about Helping Jasmine manage Sturge-Weber syndrome before symptoms start