International Patient Stories
Every one of our patients has a unique and compelling story, and some of them have agreed to share their stories with us.
Hadi's Story: A 3-Year Nightmare's Happy Ending
Division of Urology
Five-year-old Hadi, was circumcised by a physician in the family’s native country of Bulgaria when he was 1, using a cauterizing device. During the procedure, much of the child’s penis was burned and injured, and subsequently became severely infected. Doctors had to surgically remove most of Hadi’s penis, due to necrosis, or tissue death, and the urethra was also almost completely destroyed. Devastated, Hadi's parents searched for a facility that could help their child.
They found that help at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
"We can help you."
Sean's Story: Just in Time, A Miracle
Spina Bifida
In early September 2000, 21 weeks into their first pregnancy, Mike and Katherine Mulligan of Cincinnati, Ohio, went for their first ultrasound. They were both excited, expecting to hear only good news. Instead, their hopes and dreams were dashed when they learned from the test that their unborn baby was diagnosed with spina bifida, myelomeningocele (MMC), the most severe form, a condition in which part of the spinal column doesn’t close around the spinal cord, exposing it to damage during fetal development.
“Our lives were turned upside down,” Katherine recalls.
Lachlan's Story: An 11,000-Mile Journey in Search of a Cure
Congenital Hyperinsulinism
The Cooper family arrived at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia late on a Wednesday night in June, exhausted after a 35-hour journey from Perth, Australia. “They were expecting us,” says Jamie Cooper.
Soon Jamie’s 8-week-old son, Lachlan, was settled in a comfortable room. There the overnight staff worked to stabilize his blood sugar level - hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, is a dangerous risk of the condition that brought the baby here: congenital hyperinsulinism (HI).
It was the hope of a cure from CHOP’s Congenital Hyperinsulinism Center that had led the Coopers half way around the world — “I don’t think you can get further away,” says Jamie — and it was a combination of cutting-edge technology, comprehensive care and surgical skill that fulfilled that hope.
Contact Us
Send us an email or call an International Care Coordinator:
- 001-267-426-6298
- Fax: 001-267-426-4991
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