Patient of the Month: Nicole

May 31, 2023 – When Nicole complained of head pain her parents, Roberto and Tamara, took her to an urgent care. After the medicine provided didn't ease her pain she was brought to Nicklaus Children's Hospital. Thankfully, a multidisciplinary team of specialists quickly understood what was at stake, Nicole was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor and immediately began treatment to remove the mass.

#Jaydenstrong: Two Nicklaus Children’s Nurses Find Hope and Healing for Their Ailing Son

October 22, 2021 – Dayse and Oscar Delgado are two registered nurses that worked at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital for more than 25 years providing care for many children. They had always had the role of care providers until September 2020, when their 2-year-old son Jayden experienced his first seizure. Suddenly they found themselves seeking out the services of the hospital where they had dedicated their careers.

A More Mobile Future for Jabarry

October 05, 2021 – Jabarry has always dreamed of playing soccer and basketball, but these activities were not possible due to his muscular limitations associated with cerebral palsy. He was a candidate for single event multilevel surgery (SEMLS), a surgical procedure that aims to correct many of these issues in one to two surgeries. After a successful surgery, Jabarry is now taking steps and has had the opportunity to kick a soccer ball and score a goal!

Almudena's Success Story

January 19, 2021 – Almudena was only two years old when she was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor. Her mother Claudia first noticed there was something wrong when Almudena was experiencing excessive thirst, was having difficulty seeing, and was losing weight. She was referred to Nicklaus Children’s Hospital where she underwent chemotherapy for three months but the tumor was still growing and it needed to be removed.

Matthew’s Epilepsy Success Story

January 04, 2021 – My son, Matthew Reyes, was diagnosed with epilepsy when he was three and a half months old. To control his seizures, Matthew tried 11 different medications and was placed on the ketogenic diet. Unfortunately, none were successful in minimizing his seizures on a daily basis. This is called intractable epilepsy.

Brianna's Story

September 18, 2020 – Brianna “Brie" Mestrovich was only 9 years old when she was diagnosed with pediatric cancer. The West Palm Beach native was referred to the Nicklaus Children's Palm Beach Gardens Outpatient center for an MRI because she was experiencing recurrent headaches that did not go away after several months.

Sebastian's Fight

September 14, 2020 – Sebastian was only 11 years old when he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, hydrocephalus and a teratoma. His mother Martha says she was shocked to learn her otherwise healthy son began experiencing headaches.

A Medical Miracle: Ayden's Story

July 23, 2019 –

After a normal full-term pregnancy with no complications, Shenequa gave birth to Ayden via C-section in May 2017 in the island of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Shortly after, the baby's pediatrician detected a murmur, but with no pediatric cardiologist on the island, Ayden was airlifted to Nicklaus Children's Hospital.

A Winning Spirit: Aspen's Road to Recovery

July 15, 2019 – 11-year-old Aspen was playing in the water when she hit her head on the shallow ocean floor. The hit caused a fracture of the C-5 vertebrae in her neck. For three long months, Aspen wore a neck brace 24 hours a day as her doctor waited to see if her fracture would heal without surgery.

The Muñoz Family Thank You Letter

April 05, 2019 – My first impressions: the doctor was someone with a clear vision, extremely knowledgeable, caring, and well liked and respected by your colleagues.  Most importantly, someone willing to coordinate care across the country for Olivia. Read the Muñoz family's thank you letter to our neurosurgery team.

Mason's Story: Nicklaus Children's Makes the Difference for Child with Traumatic Brain Injury

September 21, 2018 – Seeing a baby boy intubated, hooked up to a maze of machines, and with IV pumps snaking out of his tiny arms is an incredibly heartbreaking and terrifying experience. The Nicklaus Children’s staff was not only caring and friendly, but knowledgeable and explained everything to us in detail. Meeting the neurosurgery team brought us great comfort because they were confident and calm—they won our trust immediately.

Patient of the Month: Frankie

December 04, 2017 – What was supposed to be a fun day for Frankie and his sister with their uncle quickly took an unexpected and tragic turn. Frankie was kicked in the head by a horse at the ranch they were visiting, and he suffered a traumatic brain injury. 

Boy with Rare, Genetic Syndrome Returns Home to Trinidad After Complex Craniofacial Surgery

July 19, 2017 – A team of surgeons from Nicklaus Children’s Hospital’s Craniofacial Center performed a complex reconstructive surgery on a seven year-old child that will improve his vision and ability to eat, as well as his appearance and overall quality of life.

Patient of the Month: Lacy

July 10, 2017 – Meet our July Patient of the Month, Lacy. Lacy was only 2 years old when her parents noticed that something was wrong. They took her to various doctors to try to find what could be the cause, Lacy had an 8 cm. tumor in her brain, occupying most of the lower part of her head.

Making a Difference for Michael

January 23, 2015 – Michael Hadler is a busy high school student, an ambassador and volunteer for the Best Buddies Program and Miracle League athlete whose favorite subjects include creative writing and world history. Oh, and Michael also has spastic cerebral palsy.

Amanda's Emergency Success Story

March 19, 2014 – Amanda was in a terrible car accident that caused her a traumatic brain injury. After three weeks in a coma and three brain surgeries, she is now a happy six year old attending kindergarten.

Mirabel's Success Story

November 22, 2013 – Just before her first birthday, little Mirabel began experiencing epileptic seizures that shattered early dreams of a normal childhood. After a 10-hour surgery a malfunctioning portion of the left parietal region of her brain that was causing the seizures was successfully removed.

Paul's Success Story

January 31, 2012 – Paul underwent phase 2 of testing for surgery and after the first application of the leads, Paul developed a massive blood clot which nearly took him from this earth. Due to the expertise of Dr. Sandberg, he noticed Paul was slipping into a coma and performed emergency surgery to remove the leads. 

Brandon's Success Story

February 18, 2009 – Brandon's future looked bright. He was a straight-A honor student at Pine Crest Preparatory School and, at just 15, Brandon was already a basketball legend in not only his local community—but nationwide as well. One day in February 2007, however, it looked like Brandon might never play basketball again.

Janessa's Success Story

July 17, 2007 – A portion of Jannesa’s skull had been forced five and a half inches into her brain and she had an orbital fracture that threatened her right eye. Doctors advised that Jannesa be transported to Nicklaus Children's Hospital where a neurosurgeon and other specialists would be waiting for her.

Sebastian's Cerebral Palsy Success Story

July 16, 2007 – Sebastian was diagnosed with a severe case of cerebral palsy, a condition that causes difficulty with muscle control. In Sebastian’s case, it would make it nearly impossible to pass key milestones like chewing solid foods and walking.

Ryan's Neurosurgery Success Story

July 16, 2007 – Ryan had regular headaches, which were revealed to be caused by an arachnoid cyst embedded at the center of his brain. The doctors of Division of Neurosurgery at Nicklaus Children's successfully removed the cyst, restoring Ryan to his usual playful self.

Alyssa's Success Story

January 15, 2007 –

Alyssa was born with myelomeningocele spina bifida, a birth defect in which the backbone and spinal canal do not close before birth. She had kidney surgery which was a great success, but had to return a week later due to an infection.