Our patients' stories

Food Protein Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome: Isaiah’s story
Diagnosed with FPIES, Isaiah could only safely eat five foods at his first birthday. Now 2 ½ years old, his diet has expanded to 35 foods and it's been more than a year since his last allergic reaction to food.

Crohn's Disease: Josephine's Story
Josephine, 16, refuses to let Crohn's disease govern her life or impact her dream of playing division 1 field hockey in college.

Celiac Disease: Justyna's Story
With help from the Center for Celiac Disease, 8-year-old Justyna can maintain a busy schedule including acting, modeling and school.

Trisomy 21: An Independent Woman’s Story
Julianna is living a semi-independent life in Phoenixville, working as a barista and taking Zumba classes — and not letting Trisomy 21 hold her back.

Treatment of Anterior Urethral Valve: Everett’s Story
Everett's parents followed their hunch and sought medical care at CHOP, where surgery to remove an extra valve in his urethra, as well as a cyst, saved his life.

Managing Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia: Joseph’s Story
Born at 29 weeks and weighing 1 lb 8 ounce, Joseph's mom credits his breakthrough recovery to the remarkable care he received at CHOP.

Severe Asthma and Allergies: Mena's Story
After years of struggling with severe asthmas and food allergies, 17-year-old Mena is finally breathing easier thanks for biologic therapy at CHOP.

Type 1 Diabetes: Morgan’s Story of Successful Advocacy
Strong parent advocacy ensured Morgan’s diabetes was under control at school. Now Morgan is advocating for others.

Surgical reconstruction for Poland syndrome: Beau's story
Born with Poland syndrome, which caused his fingers to fuse together, Beau underwent surgery to give him the greatest possible function of his left hand.

Fetal Surgery for Congenital Cystic Adenomatoid Malformation: Elijah’s Story
Elijah needed a lifesaving surgery while he was still in his mother’s womb. Today, he's an active 6-year-old who loves basketball and T-ball, goes swimming, rides his bike, and rock climbs.

Reading, Writing & Remission
A unique program at CHOP allowed 7-year-old Isabella to attend school at the hospital while also getting radiation treatment for cancer.

Down Syndrome: Aidan's Story
Every day is a new adventure for Aidan, a 1-year-old with Down syndrome who embraces each new challenge with a smile on his face.

Allergic Asthma: Lorenzo's Story
Diagnosed with severe allergic asthma, Lorenzo is no longer sitting on the sidelines. Thanks to biologic therapy at CHOP, he's back in the game.

Spina bifida: Zach’s story
Zach never let his spina bifida hold him back. He wants to make the world a better place and is raising money and awareness for the condition.

Autoimmune Encephalitis: Kayla’s Long Journey to Diagnosis and Recovery
Bewildering symptoms, both physical and behavioral, brought Kayla to CHOP and led to a diagnosis of autoimmune encephalitis, a rare disease when a person’s immune system attacks their brain.

Pulmonary Arterial Venous Fistula: Amelia's Story
Born with a rare heart defect, Amelia received innovative, life-saving treatment at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Asthma and Food Allergies Second Opinion: Nora's Story
For years, Nora's family treated her severe asthma and food allergies as separate conditions, but a new biologic therapy at CHOP is improving both.

Responsive Neurostimulation for Epilepsy: AJ’s Story
AJ’s life was relatively uncomplicated until age 14, when he began to experience unpredictable seizures and received a life-changing diagnosis of epilepsy. Thanks to the combination of a small, battery-powered device surgically implanted into his brain and an oral medication, he is now seizure-free.

Encopresis: Brayden's Story
Brayden struggled with severe constipation and encopresis for years before he got treatment to manage his condition at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Rhabdomyosarcoma: Donors Help Power Kaitlyn’s Fight Against Cancer
Kaitlyn lights up the room with her smile and emanates positivity, despite her battle with rhabdomyosarcoma.