Authors: Ashley Speller
When Jen Campbell watches 10-year-old Hannah step on the soccer field, she’s filled with immense pride.
“I’m very blessed to have kids who want to play sports because that’s an outlet for them,” she explained. “Not only an outlet physically, but also emotionally and socially.”
The busy mom of four not only shuffles practice, tournaments and school, but also medical appointments at Seattle Children’s North Clinic in Everett, Wash., a regional clinic with pediatric specialists in more than 25 practice areas that provides care for families closer to home.
When Campbell’s daughter Hannah was born, she was diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia, a problem stemming from the heart’s electrical activity which causes an irregular heart rhythm, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a thickening of the heart muscle.
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Authors: Madison Joseph
In July 2021, Kaelyn, a seemingly healthy, happy 10-month-old, woke up one morning with a puffy face. Her parents, Christine and Jerome, assumed she was having an allergic reaction. They took her to the nearest hospital in their hometown of Honolulu, Hawaii, where she underwent various tests to determine the cause.
In the hospital, Kaelyn’s condition deteriorated, and she was transferred to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where Christine and Jerome learned their daughter’s heart function was severely diminished and she had little chance of survival without major intervention.
Kaelyn was born with left ventricular non-compaction cardiomyopathy – a condition in which the lower left heart chamber doesn’t develop properly – that went undetected throughout pregnancy and her first 10 months of life.
Kaelyn was placed on life support for five days before she was transferred to Seattle Children’s. Christine and Jerome left their jobs in Honolulu behind and flew to Seattle with just one suitcase each, having no idea how long they would stay.
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Authors: Guest Contributor
Emme, a Seattle Children’s Eating Disorders Recovery Program patient, shares her “lifelong journey” to recovery
Seattle Children’s Eating Disorders Recovery Program diagnoses and treats children and teens with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and other eating disorders.
In this edition of On the Pulse, 19-year-old Emme shares her personal experience at Seattle Children’s – from diagnosis to ongoing recovery, and the lessons learned along the way.
Content warning: The following article describes a patient’s journey with an eating disorder and may be difficult for some to read.
We encourage readers to prioritize their own mental and emotional needs in reading this story. Resources have been provided following the article.
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Authors: Ashley Speller and Rose Ibarra
Hudson was diagnosed with a rare form of muscular dystrophy at 8 years old and received life-changing care to Seattle Children’s
Like many 10-year-olds, Hudson Lewis loves to play video games, listen to music, swim and hang out with friends and family.
But unlike most kids his age, Hudson’s childhood has been filled with challenges no child should have to experience.
Hudson was born with a rare form of muscular dystrophy known to affect heart function but didn’t experience any cardiac affects until he was 9 years old.
Hudson’s mom, KaLinda Lewis, said the symptoms started suddenly — first affecting Hudson’s ability to walk and later causing severe stomach pain, dizzy spells, vomiting and even hallucinations.
“We noticed his body was getting weaker,” she recalled. “He would take a couple steps and his legs would give out on him.”
KaLinda took Hudson to Seattle Children’s Emergency Department where doctors determined that Hudson was in heart failure.
“When they said those two words, heart failure, it just blew us away,” KaLinda said.
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Authors: Ashley Speller and Jenni Carson
Tina Janni was a pediatric patient at Seattle Children’s
At the young age of 12, Tina Janni began suffering from flu-like symptoms over the summer that rapidly escalated into kidney failure.
“I rode in an ambulance from Olympia, WA to Seattle Children’s Hospital,” she explained.
Though Janni recalls feeling frightened, a compassionate support system made a significant impact on her family during a deeply difficult time.
“I was fortunate that loneliness was never a complicating issue,” she said. “In addition to my parents, I remember nurses, care providers and staff who were a constant and calming presence during the two months I was a patient.”
Janni was diagnosed with a rare blood disorder called Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS).
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Authors: Ashley Speller and Jenni Carson
PART FIVE: From witnessing exceptional care and compassion given to children in their own lives, to receiving treatment first-hand, this weekly series features Seattle Children’s employees and the life experiences that drove them to pursue careers in healthcare.
Jesse Giordano was a pediatric patient at Seattle Children’s three decades ago and is now part of its dedicated workforce
During a family vacation in 1993 at Lake Chelan, WA, 12-year-old Jesse Giordano started experiencing severe flu-like symptoms and extreme pain in his left arm.
“After a couple days holed up in the motel, my mom took me to an area emergency room,” Giordano said. “Other than confirming I had a fever, they told me to follow up with my primary care provider.”
That Monday morning, the family did just that. Giordano was given a blood test and then went home to wait for the results.
“We got a phone call later that day or early Tuesday directing us to Seattle Children’s immediately,” he recalled. “I was not super worried, but my mom was an absolute wreck.”
The family arrived at Seattle Children’s for the appointment in an area now called the Ocean zone.
At the appointment, doctors conducted a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and found something concerning.
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Authors: Taylor Richards and Madison Joseph
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith visits with a pediatric patient at Seattle Children’s Hospital
Seattle Children’s patients and families were surprised this holiday season when some exciting visitors stopped by – Geno Smith, Seattle Seahawks quarterback, Michael Dickson, punter, Joey Hunt, center, and Jalen McKenzie, tackle.
The players delivered teddy bears, signed autographs, played video games, and shared special moments with our patients and their families.
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Authors: Ashley Speller and Jenni Carson
PART FOUR: From witnessing exceptional care and compassion given to children in their own lives, to receiving treatment first-hand, this weekly series features Seattle Children’s employees and the life experiences that drove them to pursue careers in healthcare.
Natalie Jean Ahrens (left) helped care for Becky Greenway when she was a pediatric patient at Seattle Children’s
In 1991, Becky Greenway was a 17-year-old student facing chronic knee pain throughout her senior year of high school.
“My pain was worse at night and the only way I could get any relief was by soaking it in the bathtub,” she recalled.
Greenway sought care from several primary care doctors who provided varying diagnoses, including tendonitis, growing pains and a possible mental disorder.
“This fourth doctor couldn’t find any reason for my pain, so he was convinced it was all in my head,” Greenway explained.
Feeling exasperated, Greenway’s mother pushed forward, certain that the root of her daughter’s pain was something more serious.
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Authors: Ashley Speller and Jenni Carson
PART THREE: From witnessing exceptional care and compassion given to children in their own lives, to receiving treatment first-hand, this weekly series features Seattle Children’s employees and the life experiences that drove them to pursue careers in healthcare.
Top: After receiving treatment at Seattle Children’s for chronic pain and arthritis, Johanna celebrated her 15th birthday. Bottom: Today, Johanna and her husband, Carlos.
Seattle Children’s has been part of Johanna Sánchez-Vargas’s life since she was 13 years old. Her family immigrated from Guerrero, Mexico to a small agricultural town in the Yakima Valley. There, the family planted roots and started working as farmworkers.
Throughout her childhood, Sánchez-Vargas experienced chronic pain and arthritis, and was treated in Seattle Children’s Rheumatology Program for spondyloarthropathies, a group of inflammatory diseases of the joints and areas where tendons attach to bones. It typically affects the lower part of a child’s body, including the hips, knees and ankles.
“Predominantly, I had persistent pain that hindered my ability to walk,” she said. “As a kid, I struggled with being visibly disabled. I remember going through the halls of my middle school with my wheelchair and feeling isolated for being different.”
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Authors: Ashley Speller
7-year-old Loui Legend Heath Herriott was born with Treacher Collins syndrome
Located just under two hours from London in South East England is the coastal city of Brighton, home to a 7-year-old child who is truly living up to his name.
Loui Legend Heath Herriott was born with Treacher Collins syndrome, a rare genetic condition that affects the development of bones and tissues in the face, and occurs in about 1 in 50,000 newborns worldwide.
Though the severity of this syndrome varies from child to child, impacted areas often include the cheekbones, jaws, ears and eyelids, and children often have problems breathing, swallowing, chewing, hearing and with speech.
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