Patient Stories
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
Research
A promising step toward safer, less toxic stem cell transplants
Stem cell transplantation (also called bone marrow transplantation) and gene therapy are among the most powerful treatment approaches for blood diseases such as sickle cell disease, beta thalassemia, immune deficiencies, and some blood cancers. Replacing or correcting the blood-forming stem cells can offer the possibility of long-lasting benefit or a cure. However, before patients can ... Read More about A promising step toward safer, less toxic stem cell transplants
Patient Stories
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
Patient Stories
‘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
Research
Testosterone’s role in gut motility could open the door to targeting treatments for IBS and more
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other motility disorders can be challenging to treat, with current therapies focused mainly on easing symptoms. Now, recent research led by Meenakshi Rao, MD, PhD, a gastroenterologist in Boston Children’s Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, has identified a remarkable way that gut microbes and sex hormones regulate gut motility. The ... Read More about Testosterone’s role in gut motility could open the door to targeting treatments for IBS and more
Patient Stories
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
Patient Stories
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
Patient Stories
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
Patient Stories
Hope in a new home: A family’s journey with HHT
When Yeiden Pérez Camacho imagines the future, he sees himself on a basketball court. At 13, he’s already an award-winning athlete in several sports, including basketball, volleyball, tennis, and table tennis. His 8-year-old sister, Adienee “Adi” Pérez Camacho, is a budding gymnast who loves cooking and crafting with her family. Yeiden and Adi grew up ... Read More about Hope in a new home: A family’s journey with HHT
Patient Stories
Rh alloimmunization: A family’s experience across two pregnancies
After her second child was born 14 years ago, Erin was convinced she’d never have another baby. Not because of her age or because she didn’t want to grow her family, but because of the painful prenatal experience that had stayed with her for years. Erin had developed alloimmunization, a condition in which the immune ... Read More about Rh alloimmunization: A family’s experience across two pregnancies