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Patient Stories

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At Children’s National Hospital, we provide compassionate, professional care to thousands of patients every year. Our patients come from all over the United States and from more than 20 countries around the world. They have many different conditions and experience unique paths on their treatment journeys – but through it all they experience the same level of warm, family-centered care. Discover our patients' stories to understand their journey and see how it may relate to your own.

Johan smiles from his hospital bed
Johan's Story Allergic and Immunologic Disorders
Johan sits on hospital bed and smiles

Johan's Story Allergic and Immunologic Disorders

Johan, diagnosed with chronic granulomatous disease, underwent a bone marrow transplant and specialized T-cell infusion all before the age of 4.

Kids Jordan and Jessica Shapiro sitting in a kid-friendly grocery cart.
Jordan's Story
Kids Jordan and Jessica Shapiro sitting in a kid-friendly grocery cart.

Jordan's Story

Genetic conditions like Jordan’s, 16p11.2 duplication syndrome, can be difficult to identify and requires experts like those at the Rare Disease Institute to carefully analyze the patient’s symptoms and compare them to other documented cases.

Cayden and Reagen as babies laying next to eachother sleeping
Cayden's Story Aortic Coarctation
Cayden and her family sitting outside

Cayden's Story Aortic Coarctation

Cayden was born with a life-threatening complex congenital heart defect. Learn how the hybrid procedure for HLHS helped Cayden.

Maia eating a stack of pancakes
Maia’s Story Celiac Disease

Maia’s Story Celiac Disease

It has been more than 10 years since Maia first started to exhibit symptoms that would ultimately lead to her celiac disease diagnosis. Read her story.

little girl on hospital bed eating pancakes
Stella's Story Anorectal Malformations

Stella's Story Anorectal Malformations

When she and her twin sister were born in 2019, Stella was diagnosed with an anorectal malformation. Her surgeon in Greece recommended that the family see international expert Marc Levitt, M.D., and his team for the surgery, due to his vast experience in repairing challenging cases like Stella’s.

Sophia
Sophia's Story Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF)
Sophia

Sophia's Story Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF)

During a routine 20-week prenatal ultrasound, Carol Kando-Pineda’s obstetrician in Fredericksburg, Virginia, spotted abnormalities in Carol’s unborn child that she referred to as “possibly inconsistent with life.”

Elise sitting in a chair smiling
Elise's Story Hip Preservation
Elise sitting in a chair smiling

Elise's Story Hip Preservation

While attempting an enormous leap during a dance rehearsal, 16-year-old Elise landed incorrectly on her left leg and felt searing pain. She was immediately rushed to urgent care. With the help of physical therapy, Elise was able to return to dancing pain-free. Read more about her story.

Claire in a hulk onesie smiling as a teddy bear sits next to her.
Claire's Story
Claire in a hulk onesie smiling as a teddy bear sits next to her.

Claire's Story

Not only was Claire born small, but she was also born with a type of congenital heart disease called double outlet right ventricle – a condition that occurs once in every 6,000 to 10,000 births, when the aorta and the pulmonary artery connect to the heart’s ventricle. Claire’s lungs were receiving too much blood flow and she was in heart failure.

woman and man smiling outside together
Gabe's Story Neurofibromatosis

Gabe's Story Neurofibromatosis

Gabe was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis 1 as a baby. With the right care, he has been able to accomplish so much. Learn more about Gabe's story.

Ashely smiling
Ashley's Story Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS)
Ashely smiling

Ashley's Story Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome (HLHS)

Between her premature birth and her medical issues including her critical HLHS heart condition, her parents, Ana Mercedes and Axel Vela, were told that Ashley was unlikely to survive.
Zakhar and mother
Zakhar's Story Anorectal Malformations
Zakhar

Zakhar's Story Anorectal Malformations

In the face of war, Zakhar's care plan had to change so he get the complex surgery he needed to treat his anorectal malformation. Read his story.

Rafael performing exercise
Rafael's Story
Rafael performing exercise

Rafael's Story

Rafael, a 12-year-old competitive gymnast, had fibular stress reactions in both of his legs due to repeated overuse. He attended physical therapy twice a week for 3 months at our Fight For Children Sports Medicine Center, which alleviated the pain he was experiencing and helped him return to competing.