This summer, Seattle Children’s hosted a reunion for patients who have one unique experience in common: Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) played in key role in saving their lives. Patients, families, doctors and nurses gathered to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Seattle Children’s use of ECMO, an advanced life-support therapy that can replace heart and lung […]
Aaden Adams remembers waking up in his room in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU) at Seattle Children’s Hospital and asking for red Popsicles. “Everybody wanted me to talk and I wanted a red Popsicle,” said the precocious 6-year-old with a face full of freckles. “So I asked for Popsicles. Do you remember that, Mom?” […]
Lee’or and Wendy Rutenberg knew that their baby daughter, Sadie, was going to be born with heart problems. Ultrasounds showed that the walls between her heart’s atria and ventricles were not forming correctly. But they didn’t think it would be a problem for Sadie right away. “Most children with conditions like Sadie’s don’t need surgery […]
Most 16-year-olds wish for a car for their birthday, but not Jacob Smith from Mukilteo, Wash. Jacob‘s wish was for a heart. Fortunately, he didn’t have to wait long for his wish to come true. He received a call from his doctors on Saturday, June 6, 2015. They had a match! He would receive a […]
The Heart of Racing team is focused on two things – winning races and raising money for kids at Seattle Children’s. They race, and win, for children who need complex cardiac care. And their checkered flag won’t wave until they’ve helped to fix every little heart that needs mending. To date, they’ve raised more than […]
Parker Rana, 15, has truly overcome the odds to get to where he is today. Born with multiple heart defects, Parker grew up in and out of the hospital. But now, he’s a thriving teenager with an incredible story of hope. Below is Parker’s story: from hospital bed to trackside, cheering on his favorite racing […]
April marks National Donate Life Month, a time devoted to spreading awareness about the tremendous need for increasing the number of organ, eye and tissue donors. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), more than 120,000 people in the U.S. are on the waiting list for a lifesaving organ, and sadly, more than […]
Abnormal genes found in Kawasaki disease patients could pave the way for early detection and treatment of not only Kawasaki disease but also many other inflammatory diseases such as psoriasis and multiple sclerosis (MS), according to a study recently published in the International Journal of Immunogenetics. The study, titled “Imputation of class I and II […]
The language of medicine is full of complicated words and acronyms. For parents of children with serious heart conditions like congenital heart disease or pulmonary hypertension, one such acronymn that may incite fear or worry is hearing that their child may need a device called a VAD (Ventricular Assist Device). However, these devices, combined with […]
Whether it’s a parent’s first or fourth child, pregnancy can be filled with equal parts excitement and anxiety. Expectant parents can opt for their doctors to perform a variety of prenatal tests to screen for genetic abnormalities or birth defects while the baby is still developing. If these screening tests come back positive, parents are […]