At 7 months old, Spencer Nicholson underwent three surgeries to remove dead tissue from a rare disease he contracted due to a cat scratch.
You’ve probably seen it before: something falls, a loud noise ensues, and a cat with an arched back and poofy tail sprints away.
Unfortunately for 7-month-old Spencer Nicholson, when he loudly pulled a bin off a pantry shelf, the family cat was spooked right in his direction. Spencer fell on the floor and the cat, claws out, ran him over. Spencer was left with a deep scratch on his right cheek.
His mom, Kelsey Nicholson, took Spencer to urgent care near their home in Arlington, Washington, where she received a prescription for antibiotics. But hours later, Spencer’s face started to swell. By that evening, Nicholson was so concerned that she took her baby to the emergency room at her local hospital.
Life did not start out easily for Emmett Seymer. He and his twin brother, Dashiell, were born at 29 weeks in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Emmett spent the first 30 days of his life on a ventilator because his lungs were underdeveloped. Doctors at the hospital had little optimism for Emmett and told his mother to prepare herself for him to pass away.
After 180 days in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), Emmett was able to join his brother at home. Though he had significant difficulty breathing and an inability to swallow normally, he was finally stable enough to get out of the hospital.
Daisie Losee had a rough introduction to the world. Her mother, Melissa, struggled to deliver her sixth child at an Idaho hospital. During the birth, Daisie suffered two injuries. Her broken right arm was discovered as they changed her clothes for the first time. Doctors tried to put a splint on her tiny bone, but the break between the shoulder and elbow was in such a small area that it was difficult to keep stable. The doctors had to improvise and make a sling that held her fist against her sternum to let the bone heal.
The second injury, brachial plexus, was more mysterious. Neither Cory nor Melissa Losee had heard of that condition. For the first month after Daisie’s birth, she had no movement in her left arm and hand. The Losees saw five different doctors at the hospital in the first seven days of Daisie’s life. None of them talked about the injury to the left arm and the Losees were unsure what was happening with their newborn daughter.
Josie, with her father, Luis, first came to Seattle Children’s when she was 2 months old.
Josie came to Seattle Children’ Emergency Department when she was 2 months old after acquiring a virus and going into respiratory distress. She was also in the beginning stages of heart failure.
Statistically, she was lucky to have made it that far.
Before birth, Josie was diagnosed with Trisomy 18, a life-threatening condition caused by an extra chromosome that disrupts the typical pattern of development in significant ways. Only about 5 to 10% of children with Trisomy 18 survive beyond their first year of life.
“I didn’t expect her to live that long,” said Josie’s mother, Jenny Castillo. “I hoped we would at least have a few days or weeks with her, and we’ve been thrilled with all the time we’ve had.” Read full post »
Kendall Stark was born with giant omphalocele, a condition where her liver protruded from her body. Now at 14 years old, she is a champion gymnast.
At 14 years old, Kendall Stark’s athleticism shines through her gymnastics medals and trophies that sit proudly on her shelf.
Glancing at this display, it might be hard to believe that the same young girl, who can bend, flip and dismount off the uneven bars eight feet from the ground, was born with a condition where her liver protruded from her body.
Kendall’s mother, Kyra Stark, was just 24 weeks pregnant when she was told by a doctor in her hometown of Billings, Montana, that her baby would be born with a condition called giant omphalocele.
Omphalocele is a type of abdominal wall defect where the intestines or other organs grow outside of the baby’s body and is covered by the layers of the umbilical cord, which forms a sac around them. It can vary in size and babies born with giant omphalocele face the risk of lung disease caused by organs squeezing against the lungs.
Ever wonder what it’s like to walk in the ‘shoes’, or rather the ‘paw prints’, of a furry friend? In honor of National Dog Day, On the Pulse is featuring one of the incredible canine and human companion pairs that bring joy and comfort to the hospital each week through Seattle Children’s Visiting Dog Program.
Hank, the 5-year-old, 78-pound Old English sheepdog, may seem like an unlikely visitor strolling through the colorful halls of Seattle Children’s, but he’s there for one important reason — to put as many smiles on the faces of young patients as possible.
The shaggy canine with a slow strut makes his rounds visiting patients in different units of the hospital every other Thursday of the month alongside his trusty human companion, Tom Whalen.
During their visits, the “Tom Hanks” duo carry a celebrity-like status, frequently being stopped in the hallways by patients, parents and staff for a quick pet on the head or simple greeting.
From his calm demeanor, soulful stare and wag of the tail each time he encounters someone, it’s clear that Hank, a registered therapy dog who has been visiting the hospital for two years, is skilled in comforting those that he meets.
Nina was at Seattle Children’s selling her art to raise money for the hospital when a chance encounter reunited her with Dr. Richard G. Ellenbogen, the doctor who performed her life-saving operation.
Neurosurgeon Dr. Richard G. Ellenbogen and his former patient Nina Jubran share two important skills: As a surgeon and an artist, they both have great attention to detail and hands that are used to doing very delicate work. They also have another profound connection: Ellenbogen saved Nina’s life 12 years ago today when she came in for neurosurgery to remove a dangerous brain tumor.
Nina, 22, is an artist and a student at the University of Washington studying sociology. In her spare time, she makes and sells delicate clay figurines like miniature scenes of penguins fishing, ornate bouquets and families of teddy bears. To thank Ellenbogen for saving her life, Nina made him clay figurines 12 years ago of a teddy bear and puppies that still sit on his desk.
Recently, Nina was at Seattle Children’s selling her figurines to raise money for the hospital when a chance encounter reunited her with the doctor who performed her life-saving operation. Ellenbogen was having a busy day with surgeries, and he went out for a quick cup of coffee before heading into his next operation.
“When I saw Nina, my heart skipped a beat,” Ellenbogen said. “It made my day to run into a former patient. I am so proud that she is out there being successful and doing what she loves. That is what drives me as a doctor.” Read full post »
In February, Madison Fairchild, 7, waited patiently with her family in a pre-op exam room at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
As they waited for Madison to be taken into surgery she asked one question: “Are they going to take all the bad things out?”
The simple answer was yes, thanks to a new procedure pioneered at Seattle Children’s that uses a common household item to remove tumor-like growths called venous malformations: super glue.
That’s right, super glue.
Seattle Children’s is currently one of only two centers in the country to offer the new, revolutionary procedure. Read full post »
When Mick Hullinger was born, the atmosphere in the birthing room was not what Leah Hullinger, a first time mother, had envisioned. Although all the ultrasounds had come back normal, as soon as Hullinger’s baby was placed on her chest, she realized something was wrong. Mick was born with bladder exstrophy, in which the bladder doesn’t grow correctly and sticks outside the abdomen, a rare disorder that happens in about 1 in 30,000 babies.
Mick was whisked away by ambulance to a specialty hospital in Salt Lake City, where the family lived.
“It was a whirlwind,” said Hullinger. “I checked out of the hospital only 12 hours after giving birth. I needed to be by his side. I never pictured this would happen; it’s not what you imagine when you’re having a baby.” Read full post »
This week, in honor of Mother’s Day, we’re sharing stories about mothers who have found hope through difficult diagnosis and became advocates for other parents and families.
Kristen Moriarty of Missoula, Mont., was 22 weeks into her pregnancy with her daughter, Onora, when a routine visit to their OB-GYN turned into shock and concern. Onora was diagnosed with omphalocele, a rare condition in which the intestines or other organs grow outside of the baby’s body and the umbilical cord forms a sac around them.
Moriarty and her husband had a big decision to make – where would they go to receive care for their little girl? Montana wasn’t an option, so they packed up all their belongings and moved. Read full post »
Hank, the 5-year-old, 78-pound Old English sheepdog, may seem like an unlikely visitor strolling through the colorful halls of Seattle Children’s, but he’s there for one important reason — to put as many smiles on the faces of young patients as possible.
When Mick Hullinger was born, the atmosphere in the birthing room was not what Leah Hullinger, a first time mother, had envisioned. Although all the ultrasounds had come back normal, as soon as Hullinger’s baby was placed on her chest, she realized something was wrong. Mick was born with 
