Our patients' stories

A second opinion for bilateral hip dysplasia surgery: Kendall’s story
Kendall Gulli was diagnosed with bilateral hip dysplasia (or developmental dysplasia of the hip) when she was 2 years old. Surgery at CHOP corrected her condition.

Slipped capital femoral epiphysis: Zachary’s story
Diagnosed with slipped capital femoral epiphysis of the hip, 12-year-old Zachary faced life-long disability. Thanks to a specialized surgery available at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, surgeons were able to restore Zachary’s normal hip anatomy, allowing him to regain his active lifestyle.

Acetabular Dysplasia: Stephanie’s Story
Stephanie, a runner, was treated for acetabular dysplasia by Wudbhav N. Sankar, MD, at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Generalized Arterial Calcification of Infancy (GACI): Natalie's Story
While still in the womb, Natalie's heart was already clogged with calcium. Her parents knew it didn't look good. They sought help from national experts in fetal cardiac conditions at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Cardiomyopathy and Heart Transplant: Allison's Story
Thanks to a mechanical sidekick, Allison Carcella pioneered a safer path to a heart transplant at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Dilated Cardiomyopathy: Chris' Story
Chris was diagnosed with a dilated cardiomyopathy when he was 15 years old and underwent a successful heart transplant at CHOP.

Idiopathic Scoliosis and Spinal Fusion: Jillian’s Story
Just one year after having spine surgery at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to correct scoliosis, Jillian Payne was walking the runways as a professional model in New York City.

Spina Bifida (Myelomeningocele): Emma’s Story
Emma’s family traveled from Toronto to Philadelphia to seek prenatal treatment for their unborn daughter, who was prenatally diagnosed with spina bifida.

Trisomy 21 (Down Syndrome): Evan's Story
Born with Down syndrome, Evan has been treated at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia since he was a baby. His family shares how that care has made a difference in Evan’s life.

Plastic Bronchitis and Lymphatic Intervention: Jameson's Story
Jameson — who was born with HLHS — was diagnosed with plastic bronchitis and received treatment at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.
Type 1 Diabetes: Andrew's Story
Andrew Davis knows the ups and downs of living with type 1 diabetes. Diagnosed at age 5, he is now a junior at Rutgers University.
Thyroid Cancer: Josh's Story
After the endocrinologist who had been treating Joshua's thyroid cancer said he didn't know what to next, his family turned to the Pediatric Thyroid Center at CHOP for help.

Thyroid Nodule: Jessica's Story
An MRI after a gymnastics injury showed that Jessica has a worrisome spot on her thyroid. Her family brought her to CHOP to be seen by a specialist.

Papillary Thyroid Cancer: Christopher's Story
Chris developed an unusual combination of stomach symptoms that led to a surprising diagnosis - thyroid cancer.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Injury: Aliyah's Story
Aliyah, a champion gymnast, suffered an ACL injury during practice. Just over a year after surgery at CHOP, she competed at the Junior Olympic Level 9 Regionals in Virginia.

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Shawn's Story
On Shawn’s fifth birthday, doctors at CHOP told his parents their son had acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common form of cancer in children.

Type 1 Diabetes: The Delaney Family
When two members of the Delaney family were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, they came to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia to learn how they can all live well with diabetes.

Rhabdomyosarcoma Survivor: Alex's Story
Alex Potter survived metastatic nasopharyngeal rhabdomyosarcoma. Now a college grad, he's followed by the Cancer Survivorship Program.
Neuroblastoma: Sarah's Story
This young woman continues to receive the best follow-up care from CHOP after being treated for neuroblastoma as a toddler.

Hereditary Neuroblastoma: Edie’s Story
After spending most of her life being treated for neuroblastoma, it seemed that 18-month-old Edie had run out of options. Her family turned to The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where an experimental treatment changed the course of this little girl’s life.