Our Stories

At Children's National, we want to make our hospital a family-friendly environment. Please read these stories to get familiar with our staff, learn about our patients, and connect with families who have already received treatment here. You may want to share your own story too.

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Chip's StoryHeart

When Chip was born just three days after Christmas, his family was excited to welcome their new son into the world. But things immediately took a turn for the worse.

Lakin's StoryDiabetes Type 1 and Type 2

For the Bassler family, this past spring was filled with big changes and new learnings about type 1 diabetes. For Lakin, it was about learning to live with her disease.

Serenity's StoryTruncus Arteriosus

Two-year-old Serenity is a normal toddler with a not-so-normal story. She has a long scar in the middle of her chest (her “boo boo”) that represents the three open heart surgeries she had before her second birthday.

Juliana's StoryCancer

Janet Meyer couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. Throughout the past year, her daughter Juliana had told her that she felt pain moving throughout her body.

Lexy's StoryBrain Tumors

Sixteen-year-old West Virginia native Lexy Blair and her parents knew that something was wrong when she started needing to take breaks during her favorite dance classes.

Jared S.'s StoryBroken Bones

Jared was just shy of 6 years old when he fell off his bike and broke his femur in the summer of 2015.

Xavion's StorySkin Disorders

Sometimes a mom’s intuition is all it takes to get her child to the right physician. When 8-year-old Xavion Chisley developed a fungal infection on his toe, his mother, Nikki, immediately took him to see a dermatologist who removed his toenail to treat the infection. However, when Xavion’s toenail grew back, the infection had not diminished but actually appeared to be spreading to his foot.

Ryan W.'s StoryHeart

In the fall of 2015, Stafford, Va., residents Sarah and Jay gave birth to their first child, a beautiful, healthy baby boy named Ryan.

Christopher's StoryAcute Lymphoblastic Leukemia ALL

Christopher Melkonian was six years old when he came down with a low-grade fever and diffuse bone pain. Unsure of what was happening, his parents Darlene and David took him to Children’s National Health System and soon found out that Christopher had acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a type of blood and bone marrow cancer that affects white blood cells.

Chris's StoryAcute Lymphoblastic Leukemia ALL

When Chris's parents noticed he had lingering pain and swollen lymph nodes, they knew it was time to take him to the doctor.

Brynleigh's StoryBrain Nervous System

Two and a half years ago, Adamstown, MD residents Lauren and Sean Shillinger gave birth to a beautiful little girl named Brynleigh. Brynleigh was their first child, and Lauren experienced a full-term pregnancy and a normal delivery. But when Brynleigh was just 9 1/2 months old, Lauren and Sean started to notice something unusual in Brynleigh’s behavior.

Jake B's StoryEpilepsy

When Jake Brady was born, he was a normal, happy baby. He did seem to be hitting his development milestones a little late, but his parents weren’t worried. When he was 10 months old, his parents, Trisha and Jason Brady, noticed what they now realize was Jake’s first seizure

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