Missing school. Frequent visits to the emergency room. Spending days in bed. Feeling depressed. This was what Amelia’s life looked like after a sports injury left her in constant pain. Amelia, once a vibrant and active teenager, watched as her life, health, and schoolwork spiraled downwards. She eventually was diagnosed with amplified musculoskeletal pain syndrome…| Rady Children's Health
After waiting on pins and needles, Andrew All learned that he could save his daughter’s life with the gift of a kidney donation. A donation could mean a return to normal 6-year-old activities, like, swimming, taking baths, and enjoying popsicles. It also meant not being hooked up to a machine for 10 hours a night,…| Rady Children's Health
Can you imagine holding your own heart in your hands? That’s just what 15-year-old Parker Mayorgas did after receiving a life-saving heart transplant. But his story didn’t begin there. At 2 years old, Parker’s mother, Melissa, noticed something amiss. Parker wasn’t meeting his developmental milestones like his older brother, and his balance seemed off. Eventually,…| Rady Children's Health
The Transplant Games of America recently came to San Diego, honoring those who gave the selfless gift of life and celebrating patients. Held every two years, this was the first time the event happened on the West Coast. Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego patients and families joined team members to make a strong appearance at the…| Rady Children's Health
“Radiology,” “chemotherapy” and “dialysis” are big terms for little patients to understand, and even bigger medical experiences to go through. So, when anxiety strikes before a procedure or things get overwhelming during a hospital stay, a very special kind of health care professional is there to help calm fears, make sense of it all, and…| Rady Children's Health
by Maggie Mayo, CCLS, and Carissa Menard, CCLS As we move forward and continue to embrace these difficult times thought the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping our minds occupied and our emotional well-being attended to can be challenging for all of us, including kiddos. As child life specialists, our job is to make the hospital experience less…| Rady Children's Health
by Danni Leonard, CCLS; Marie Osthimer, CCLS; and Joseph Remaley, LCSW While we’re all at home more than we’re used to, it’s more important than ever to keep your kids engaged and active. There are many benefits to exercise, including amplifying concentration, lowering stress and improving health. Below, we’ve outlined a few activities that are…| Rady Children's Health
by Erin Carpenter, CCLS; Aislinn Mooney, CCLS; and Madeline Zinngrabe, CCLS It can be challenging to keep a schedule and routine at home during this uncertain time. You may see regressive or withdrawn behavior when your child is trying to adapt and manage their feelings and changes to their routine. Keeping your child’s environment structured…| Rady Children's Health
Young patients at UF Health Shands Children's Hospital will soon stay better connected during treatment thanks to a generous grant from the Joy in Childhood Foundation.| giving.ufhealth.org
Lion dancers leaped and bobbed their heads at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford's annual Lunar New Year celebration, ringing in the Year of the Snake.| Healthier, Happy Lives Blog