Malia Juarez and her husband were over the moon with excitement when they found out they were pregnant. Their journey to get there hadn’t been an easy one. Juarez suffered from endometriosis, and so heartbreaking words like infertility had been discussed. They dreamed of the pitter patter of little feet running through their home, and […]
For many parents, caring for a child with a serious medical condition can have its challenges. For Hailee and Ray Hughes, the challenge of caring for their 3-year-old daughter, Ruth, who has a rare gastrointestinal disorder, meant learning complicated skills like how to maintain Ruth’s nutritional needs intravenously through a tube connected to her chest. […]
Radhika Poppy Ennis is an energetic 4-year-old who loves to laugh, play and dance. But until recently, she was unable to stand or walk on her own. When Leslie and Jeremy Ennis adopted Radhika from India last year, she had extensive burns on her lower body. She could not straighten or use her left knee […]
Recalling the treatments her daughter has had over the past year for an aggressive, very rare type of brain tumor known as atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor, or ATRT, Audrey Taylor says it’s like watching a game where your favorite sports team keeps losing and then regaining the lead. “There are so many times when you […]
In honor of National Kawasaki Disease Awareness Day on January 26, we are sharing the story of Olivia, a 9-year-old who lives with the disease. Research at Seattle Children’s aims to improve life for children with this condition who are at risk for aneurysms. When Olivia Nelson was 3 years old, her parents noticed that […]
When Cassie Fannin and her husband arrived at her 19-week ultrasound, the newly married couple was excited to learn more about their child. However, the first-time parents’ joy quickly turned to uncertainty when the ultrasound showed their baby’s stomach in her chest due to a life-threatening condition. Fannin learned that her daughter, Summer, would be […]
During seventh-grade gym class, Ruth Garcia remembers a friend pointing out a black mole she had on her left knee. Ruth didn’t think much about it until two years ago, when she began to feel pain in her knee and noticed that the mole had grown and changed colors to gray and red. “That’s when […]
With the countdown to the New Year almost here, On the Pulse caught up with a few of the patients who inspired our readers with their stories throughout 2018. Below, they offer their hopes, dreams and goals for the year to come. A shoulder above his cancer, Miguel sets sights on giving back In 2018, […]
When Sam Foster steps onstage, guitar in hand, he lights up the room with his confident presence. Yet behind his poised demeanor is a painful truth that begins to unravel as he lets his lyrics flow through the microphone. Sam has battled with obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD, most of his life. According to the […]
Imagine if you had a child who cried themselves to sleep at night because they had no friends; who called themselves “horrible” and drew disparaging images of themselves in their journal; who suffered physical pain when they wore clothes or gave you a hug. This was once the reality for Julie Munko and her daughter […]
