Child Life Services Patient Stories

Kayla’s experience with cancer treatment is influencing her future choices — she wants to become a child life specialist.

After a healthy start, Hudson hit an obstacle when diagnosed with Hirschsprung’s disease. With surgery and bowel management strategies, he’s doing well.

Despite efforts to save his toes, Brandon required an amputation. With help from experts at CHOP, he’s back playing his favorite sports.

Kaleo was diagnosed with juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML), a very rare form of cancer. One year after a bone marrow transplant, Kaleo is cancer-free.

When Alicia and Matthew learned their unborn baby had spina bifida, the prognosis was grim. But the team at CHOP offered them hope through fetal surgery. See how she's doing 3 years later.

When 14-year-old Toni was diagnosed with cancer, her dad told her she was in the best place to get treatment.

Wide-spread speckled bruises were the first sign of cancer for 4-year-old Morgan.

Arianna, 21, has been treated her entire life for Down syndrome (trisomy 21), autism and motility disorders. Her medical team at CHOP has worked closely with her family to effectively treat her motility disorder to bring her comfort.

Sara, 17, has her pulmonary hypertension and arrhythmia under control with help from the Pulmonary Hypertension Program.

As a resident physician at CHOP, Dr. John DeMaio spent the quiet periods at night playing with children who couldn't sleep. Now, years later, his estate planning will help the Child Life, Education and Creative Arts Therapy Department continue to help children play, cope and heal.