Deja's Story

June 07, 2021 – Deja was diagnosed with sickle cell disease at birth due to both parents having the sickle cell trait. Throughout all her life, Deja has been receiving treatment for her condition. She currently visits Nicklaus Children's every few months, where she is admitted for a few days for pain management, and to help prevent further complications.

Surgeons Use Mixed Reality to Plan Rosemaylee's Complex Heart Surgery

June 01, 2021 – Rosemaylee has always been an active child. The 13-year-old’s cheerleading activities came to an abrupt halt when her pediatrician noticed a heart murmur that had previously gone undetected. Further evaluation revealed she had a serious and complex heart condition. The Advanced Projects Laboratory at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital created multiple three dimensional models of her heart to plan the complicated surgery.

Patient of the Month: Michael C.

May 28, 2021 –

Michael C. is a very active athlete whose life changed last year when he was diagnosed with a very rare and aggressive form a leukemia. This month, as we honor Mental Health Awareness Month, we bring you his heart-wrenching and inspirational story.

Alia's New Beginning

May 11, 2021 – Alia is one of the smallest babies to undergo open-heart surgery and one of the tiniest in the world to survive and thrive after her complex operation. Baby Alia faced several life-threatening problems when she was born three months early, creating unique new challenges even for veteran congenital heart surgeon, Dr. Redmond Burke.

Nyla's Story

April 30, 2021 – Nyla had a one in four chance of being born with sickle cell disease due to her parent's genetic makeup. At birth, she confirmed to have the disease and began a lifelong journey of treatment. When Nyla was a few years old, her mother Iriamy decided to take her to see the specialists at Nicklaus Children's Hospital.

Patient of the Month: Bradley

April 28, 2021 – After being transferred via LifeFlight ambulance to Nicklaus Children's Hospital shortly after birth, Bradley was placed on medication to help control his overproduction of insulin. After tests showed he suffered from diffused white matter damage, aggressive intervention was required. Overcoming countless challenges, 54 days later Bradley graduated out of the NICU and was able to continue healing at home.

Isabel's Story

March 17, 2021 – Isabel George was diagnosed with scoliosis during a routine physical at only 11 years of age. Although she had never complained of back pain and was a very active child, Isabel was diagnosed with a severe curvature of the spine of 60 degrees.

Patient of the Month: Mariana

March 16, 2021 – Just as the COVD-19 pandemic began, one-year old Mariana wasn't eating regularly and began making grunting noises that concerned her mother, Odaymis. After being rushed to Nicklaus Children's, Mariana's problems began to be identified, but a bigger fight was on the horizon. 

Celebrating Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month with Kyrie

March 12, 2021 – Kyrie was born prematurely at only 24 weeks and was later diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a toddler. Life keeps getting better for Kyrie after a life-changing surgery at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital that has enabled him to do things his parents never before thought possible, such as swimming and horseback riding. He is now walking independently and continues to show his fighting spirit.

Ortho Athlete Spotlight: Motocross Racer Colt Golembeski

February 18, 2021 – At only 12 years of age, Colt is already an accomplished motocross racer. In January 2020, Colt went from being at the top of his game to enduring a devastating injury at a moment's notice. During a training event in Georgia, Colt jumped off the side of his motorcycle and felt his knee pop. He had torn his ACL.

Patient of the Month: Ezra

February 15, 2021 – Ezra was diagnosed with several heart defects and needed immediate corrective surgery. After being airlifted to Nicklaus Childrens Hospital, the Division of Cardiovascular Surgery team was ready and waiting. Since that first visit, Ezra has undergone two successful heart surgeries and will need an additional operation to accommodate his recent growth, but he's on track to living a happy, healthy life!

Colton's Success Story

January 26, 2021 – Colton has been a fighter from early on. When his mother was four months pregnant, Colton’s surgery journey began. Colton his first fetal surgery for ureteric atresia and placement of a bladder stunt during gestation. At only 7 days old he had a dialysis catheter placed and began treatment at Nicklaus Children's Hospital

Allison's Story: Top Gymnast Bounces Back After Injury

January 22, 2021 – Allison Roca is among the top 100 gymnasts in the nation for her age division. Her rigorous routine came to a halt in the summer of 2020 while performing a stunt known as a front tuck. When she landed with her knee hyperextended her mother almost immediately knew that something was not right. Allison was in a lot of pain.

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.

Patient of the Month: Lavondre

January 01, 2021 – At three weeks old, baby Lavondre was diagnosed with Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD), which means he had a hole in the wall that separates the right and left lower chambers of the heart, and he needed surgery to survive.

A New Beginning for Victoria

December 16, 2020 – A move to Miami in 2019 led to a happy transformation for little Victoria Carias and her parents. Victoria, who was born prematurely in 2015, still had the tracheostomy tube that was placed in her neck to support breathing when she was an infant. Thanks to the Airway Program at Nicklaus Children's Victoria successfully went through a trach tube removal (decannulation), which would make a big difference in her life.

Patient of the Month: Gabriel

December 03, 2020 – Gabriel struggled with head pain, loss of balance, and more when his parents rushed to Nicklaus Children’s. He was diagnosed with an Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid tumor, and immediately underwent treatment. Now, he’s back on the field in more ways than one.

Francesca: Born August 19, 2019 at Nicklaus Children's Hospital

November 09, 2020 – At their 20-week anatomy scan, Olivia Bittles and her husband Bobby learned their unborn baby had esophageal atresia, a genetic condition in which the esophagus does not connect directly to the stomach. This news came as a shock.

Adrien: First Baby Born at Nicklaus Children's Hospital

November 09, 2020 – Emily Granados was 20 weeks pregnant with her third child when she found out something was wrong with his little heart.