Patient of the Month: Zuri

October 22, 2020 – When Zuri was only a couple weeks old, her parents received a call that would change their lives forever.  Zuri was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, but she received the treatment she needed to go on to live a healthy, happy life.

Fetal care program helps mothers, babies with high-risk births

September 18, 2020 – Kristen McManus was one of the first mothers to deliver her baby at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, under the care of the Fetal Care Center, a program that provides care to infants who will need access to medical care immediately after birth.

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.

Jayden Hong: A Gastroenterology Success Story

September 04, 2020 – Jayden Hong’s gastrointestinal symptoms started when he was just a few months old.
“He would wake up around 4 a.m. every night choking. It was a constant checking on him at night and very stressful. We put him on reflux medicine, but it just kept getting worse,” said Andrea Ramos. “He would eat and food would get impacted.”

Patient of the Month: Tyler

September 01, 2020 – When Tyler began to complain about pains in his shin, his dad thought it was a simple soccer injury. After multiple complaints, Tyler’s dad began to take it more serious. Following a series of exams and an osteosarcoma diagnosis in Jamaica, Tyler was referred to Dr. Temple, orthopedic surgeon at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital for limb saving surgery.

Jarel Santiago: A Cardiac and ENT Success Story

July 23, 2020 – Jarel was born healthy, according to the doctors, but in the days following his birth, Maria Lourdes and her husband began having concerns about Jarel’s breathing. His respiration was rapid and he seemed to have trouble breathing.

Madison Stays on Track Thanks to Virtual Appointments with Nicklaus Children’s Pediatric Specialists

June 08, 2020 – Like many parents who have had to adjust to a new normal due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, Joanna Glazer worried how her daughter Madison Glazer, age 10, would stay on track with her studies and therapy sessions with social distancing.

Patient of the Month: Juan Diego

June 01, 2020 – After a completely normal pregnancy in Nicaragua, Juan Diego was born with blue skin and shortness of breath. He was immediately diagnosed with a congenital heart disease and given a 50% chance of life if mom and dad didn’t seek treatment. Check out how far Juan Diego has come with the help of the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Heart Institute!

Supporting Children with ADHD While Social Distancing

May 01, 2020 – Children who have transitioned to the home-school or virtual-school setting may experience difficulties focusing. This can be especially true for a child with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Through structure, tailored behavior management plans, and reinforcement strategies, children with ADHD can thrive in this “new normal.”

Julian's Telehealth Success Story

May 01, 2020 – Parents worry anytime a little one falls ill, but imagine if your child becomes sick during a national health emergency. That is exactly what happened to my 4-year-old son amid news of the coronavirus pandemic affecting our community.

Killian Basketball Player Has Heart of a Champion

February 27, 2020 – Toniyah Washington grew up on the basketball court. It is her passion, but four years ago this week, Washington underwent life-saving surgery and her road to recovery provided more challenging than you could imagine.

Tomas' Ketogenic Diet Journey

February 06, 2020 – Tomas was a typical, developing three-year-old when he had his first seizure. At first, his parents thought it was related to a temperature spike, but when he had another one the next day, they knew something was terribly wrong. The next 24 hours were a whirlwind.

Patient of the Month: McKenna

February 01, 2020 – Imagine going through most of your pregnancy with hopes of having a surprise gender reveal at birth, just to be told your baby girl will be born with heart complications during one of your last ultrasound appointments.

Patient of the Month: Mayra

December 01, 2019 – Close your eyes and picture a fun-loving toddler learning a new language, singing songs, and exploring her environment – eager to learn about the world around her and everything it has to offer. That’s Mayra, a two-year-old girl who was born with a very rare case of cloacal malformation, a developmental disorder that affects nearly one in every 50,000 babies. Mayra’s life was at risk due to impending renal failure and time was running out.

Lizzie's Story

November 05, 2019 – When Elizabeth “Lizzie” Debowsky was only 7 years old, she began experiencing a sudden pain in her hip. Her parents Shari and Stuart immediately worried when the pain became so severe it was affecting her ability to walk.

Julen Smiles

November 01, 2019 – Three days in the hospital, 44 medical appointments, numerous X-rays and ultrasounds, two urinalyses, three blood draws, a salivagram and a swallow study. This was the medical agenda for baby Julen in May 2019, the last full month he was able to be mostly at home with his family. After that, the little boy’s condition deteriorated and he was hospitalized for most of the rest of his days.

Patient of the Month: Gianna

August 01, 2019 – After noticing that her daughter was unable to crawl, stand, or do the things her friend's children were doing at six months of age, Idalmis decided that it was time to seek help. Sure enough, after some consultations and genetic testing, Idalmis' gut feeling was right.

Brenden's Story: A Matter of the Heart

July 23, 2019 – Brenden was only days old when he was diagnosed with a hole in his heart. His parents traveled all the way from Naples on the West Coast of Florida to plan for his surgery with the Heart Institute at Nicklaus Children's Hospital.

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.