Patient Stories
‘They just cared about Levi’: Finding answers for a complex vascular ring
The first sign that Levi Blair Winkler would no longer have problems swallowing was when, only three days after a complex surgery, he wolfed down four chicken nuggets and an apple. Just as encouraging for his parents, Rachel and Gabe, was that he stopped talking about the bug in his throat. That’s how Levi often ... Read More about ‘They just cared about Levi’: Finding answers for a complex vascular ring
Research
A new angle on the cause of Alzheimer’s disease: Accumulating brain mutations
Alzheimer’s disease is marked by a loss of functional neurons in the brain. But what causes this loss? A new study reveals that people with Alzheimer’s have an abundance of newly acquired mutations in their neurons — more than people of the same age without Alzheimer’s, and enough to disable genes important to brain function. ... Read More about A new angle on the cause of Alzheimer’s disease: Accumulating brain mutations
Patient Stories
Always an athlete: Drew and Legg-Calve-Perthes disease
When he looks back on the diagnosis that forced him to stop playing sports entirely for more than a year, 11-year-old Drew Coperine is philosophical. “There is a bright side,” he says, “there is an end to it.” But when he first learned that he had Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, a degenerative hip condition, it was hard ... Read More about Always an athlete: Drew and Legg-Calve-Perthes disease
Our Community
Nurses Week 2022: Leading an enterprise-wide response to COVID-19
The Infection Prevention Control (IPC) team at Boston Children’s Hospital plays an important role in the management of all infectious disease events. Its focus is to maintain a safe environment for patients, families, and staff. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the IPC department responded to a novel influenza pandemic and prepared extensively for patients with ... Read More about Nurses Week 2022: Leading an enterprise-wide response to COVID-19
Patient Stories
Seeds of hope for Annie: one family’s story of epilepsy care
Ten-year-old Annie Dinan experienced her first noticeable seizure just before her fourth birthday while riding in the car with her family. “I had never seen a seizure in my entire life,” her mom, Lindsay, says of witnessing Annie lose then quickly regain consciousness. “But somehow, I knew exactly what it was.” Refusing to settle Following ... Read More about Seeds of hope for Annie: one family’s story of epilepsy care
Clinical Care
Nurses Week 2022: Leading the way in advancing nursing documentation
Boston Children’s Hospital nurses are dedicated to providing high-quality care to patients and families, which is best accomplished through maximizing time with patients for assessment and direct care. However, studies have shown that the long documentation process in an electronic health record (EHR) too often detracts from direct patient care and is a common barrier ... Read More about Nurses Week 2022: Leading the way in advancing nursing documentation
Research
Nurses Week 2022: Patients at high risk for adverse events related to sepsis
Boston Children’s commitment to exceptional patient care and the best possible outcomes inspires innovation and growth. Both the hospital and its nursing leadership encourage professional development of employees through a variety of research and educational programs. The professional practice of Katie Roy, DNP, RN, CPNP-AC, FNP-BC, nurse practitioner, Medical-Surgical Intensive Care Unit (MSICU), provides a ... Read More about Nurses Week 2022: Patients at high risk for adverse events related to sepsis
Research
“Seeing” the unseen: A way to pinpoint elusive cardiac conduction tissue
When patients with congenital heart issues have an operation, surgeons have to proceed with an “eye of faith” as they work around conduction tissue — a network of cells and electrical signals that control the beating of a heart. Not visible to the naked eye, conduction systems vary person to person, but they’re particularly difficult ... Read More about “Seeing” the unseen: A way to pinpoint elusive cardiac conduction tissue
Research
Immunotherapy for kids: An option for childhood liver cancer?
You may have seen ads for immunotherapy drugs, or even know someone whose cancer has been treated with them. These medications, which use a patient’s own immune system to help fight cancer, are increasingly popular for treating solid tumors in adults. However, immunotherapy has been less successful in treating cancer in kids. The reason for ... Read More about Immunotherapy for kids: An option for childhood liver cancer?
Research
Beyond fluid buildup: Rethinking congenital hydrocephalus
Hydrocephalus is classically seen as a plumbing problem, the result of too much cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain or dysregulation of fluid flow. It is usually treated with shunts to drain the CSF, or with ETV/CPC, which makes a small hole to drain the CSF and burns off the choroid plexus tissue that produces ... Read More about Beyond fluid buildup: Rethinking congenital hydrocephalus