Tiffany's Success Story

January 24, 2013 – Misdiagnosed several times after freak accident, until Dr. Asghar diagnosed her with a rare spinal disorder: Klippel-Feil syndrome.

Brayden & Alaina's Success Story

January 24, 2013 –

Siblings Brayden and Alaina Grover, suffered from incessant and uncontrollable seizures since infancy. The medical team at Nicklaus Children's was able to treat them with medication and surgery, restoring hope to their parents.

Thomas's Success Story

December 11, 2012 – On August 28 2011 Thomas experienced Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT). He was hospitalized at Nicklaus Children's Hospital, formerly Miami Children's Hospital, and was put on medication. A few weeks later he had a heart cath with an ablation.

Deborah's Success Story

December 04, 2012 –

Deborah had one leg shorter than the other. She was treated at Nicklaus Children's Hospital until she was 18 years old and can now walk on her own.

Jesse's ECMO Success Story

November 29, 2012 – 17 years ago Jesse underwent heart-lung bypass treatment at Nicklaus Children's, now he's the quarterback of his high school football team

Lindsey's Success Story

November 27, 2012 – Lindsey Kaufman was athletic and successful in school – a happy girl whose childhood had never suggested any medical challenges. So her parents were puzzled when, at age 10, Lindsey began experiencing small “blankouts,” her mind seeming to wander briefly before she resumed consciousness.

Caroline's Success Story

November 27, 2012 – 14-year-old Caroline Pallidine found the care she needed to overcome leukemia and the strength to face the world without the once-flowing tresses she lost to chemotherapy. Caroline was hospitalized in the Oncology Unit in July 2011, when a visit from musician Armando “Pitbull” Perez, as part of the national “Get Well Soon Tour,” inspired her to shed the wig she had been wearing when out in public.

Brisa's Success Story

November 27, 2012 – Little Brisa Gutierrez-Guerrero started life with a severely broken heart, and her frailty seemed destined to break her mother’s heart as well. Brisa had only one lung and so many heart defects that physicians in the north Florida community where she was born in October 2011 encouraged her mother to prepare to say farewell to the tiny newborn.

Melissa's Miracle Story

November 06, 2012 – When Melissa was just a day old, she was diagnosed with a diaphragmatic hernia, a birth defect involving an abnormal opening in the diaphragm that results in abdominal contents moving into the chest cavity. Melissa was transported to NCH for emergency surgery to repair the baby’s diaphragm.

Linet's Success Story

July 10, 2012 – Born in August 2006 with an esophagus that was connected to her trachea and without an anus, tiny Linet was transferred to Miami Children's Hospital, within hours of her birth. In 2007, with five major reconstructive surgeries behind her, Linet was wowing her doctors and family, eating pureed food on her own and making strides with toilet training at only 18 months of age.

Alex's Success Story

July 10, 2012 – When Alex Rodriguez was 8 years old, he began experiencing numbness in his right hand, particularly when trying to grip a pencil. Alex’s mother, Lisi Guerrier, first assumed that her budding student was simply trying to dodge his homework. She was completely unprepared for a Broward neurologist’s diagnosis: Alex had a tumor in the left lobe of his brain, perilously close to the area that controlled his motor movement. Having heard about the world-renowned team at Nicklaus Children's Brain Institute, Ms. Guerrier brought Alex to see neurosurgeon Dr. David Sandberg in July 2006.

Natalie's Success Story

May 03, 2012 – Natalie Thompson of Hobie Sound, Florida, was only 2 when doctors at Nicklaus Children's diagnosed her with stage IV neuroblastoma, an aggressive childhood cancer. Little Natalie, now 4, has completed her 120-week treatment and is cancer free. She is enjoying life and making huge strides in regaining ground lost during her prolonged illness.

Rosa's Success Story

February 02, 2012 – I had heart surgery at Nicklaus Children's Hospital, formerly Miami Children's Hospital, in 1996 to repair an atrial septum defect. Dr. Richard Zakeihm was my cardiologist.

Brenna's VSD Success Story

February 02, 2012 – Brenna was diagnosed with a moderate sized VSD before she was born. At six months old she was finally big enough to undergo the VSD repair. She is now doing fantastic and is a very happy and active one and a half year old.

Mitchell's Success Story

February 01, 2012 – Born at twenty two weeks old, Mitchell and his twin brother had the odds stacked against them to survive. When Mitchell was four years old, a severe case of kidney stones was discovered almost by accident at Nicklaus Children's Hospital, formerly Miami Children's Hospital. He had come in for a severe case of bronchitis and his condition was discovered. He spent about two and a half months at Nicklaus Children's Hospital under the care of the best nurses, doctors, and staff.

Elizabeth's Success Story

February 01, 2012 – Elizabeth began working for Nicklaus Children's Hospital in 1985. A past patient herself, during her time as an employee, both her daughters were patients, and she feels blessed to have offered tehm the best pediatric care.

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. 

Rolando's Success Story

January 30, 2012 – At 9 years old, Rolando was diagnosed with juvenile dermatomyositis, a rare autoimmune disorder. Since then, Rolando has been cared for by the rheumatology team at Nicklaus Children's as an inpatient and outpatient.

Ricky's Success Story

January 30, 2012 – Ricky was right in the middle of an extremely active and athletic childhood when he awoke one morning with surprising stiffness and pain in his lower legs. Under the care of the Nicklaus Children's Division of Rheumatology, Ricky began treatments with medications and regular physical therapy that helped him regain function lost as a result of his arthritic flareups.

Kristen's story (juvenile arthritis)

January 30, 2012 – Kristen was diagnosed with juvenile arthritis at 2 years old. Despite the medications prescribed by her doctor, her arthritis kept progressing. At Nicklaus Children's Hospital she found the treatment she needed.