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CHOC Children's Stories
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These are real-life CHOC stories featuring our doctors, nurses, associates and patients. These dramatic profiles offer glimpses into the complex world of pediatric medicine and underscore how CHOC provides the most advanced medical care for Orange County’s critically ill or injured children.



Talan

Talan
Mari Smith learned that faith and trust in CHOC's NICU team - and in her son's strength - made all the difference in their journey home.


Dr. Yost

Dr. Yost
CHOC pediatric anesthesiologist Paul Yost, MD, has uncovered a few “remedies” to help children relax before heading into the operating room.


Dr. Goodman

Dr. Goodman
Dr. Gary Goodman is a "Hospital Hero"


Evi

Evi
When Evi was diagnosed with scoliosis in the 6th grade, she embarked on a journey that included successful surgery and the decision to pursue a career at CHOC.


Ryen

Ryen
Intense Feeding Therapy Frees Young Boy from G-Tube


Eric

Eric
CHOC's Music Therapist Eric Mammen Provides Unique "Medicine" for Kids


Dr. Abdenur

Dr. Abdenur
Dr. Abdenur and his team are blazing new trails in the field of metabolic disorders - helping save precious lives


Cesar

Cesar
Cesar Galvan is able to walk again thanks to treatment and physical therapy at CHOC.


Rachel

Rachel
Rachel Rosenblum helps comfort CHOC at Mission (CHM) patients with cuddly bears and messages of encouragement.


Sherrie

Sherrie
Teen volunteer, Sherrie Yu, and CHOC senior scientist, Calvin Li, are a winning duo when conquering stem cell research


Dr. Lubinsky

Dr. Lubinsky
Dr. Paul Lubinsky Provides Intensive Care to Children - and their Parents


Ryan

Ryan
The Christopher Family's Nightmare Gets Happy Ending - Thanks to the CHOC Orthopaedic Institute.


Jackson

Jackson
Jackson's Cancer is in Remission - Thanks to CHOC


Liz

Liz
Diabetes Educator Liz Beko Helps Patient Get His Holiday Wish


Sheila

Sheila
All in a Day?s Work for Orthopaedic Nurse Sheila Dunning


Dr. Sundine

Dr. Sundine
Dr. Michael Sundine, pediatric plastic surgeon, is giving his patients a reason to smile.


Dr. Aminian

Dr. Aminian
Internationally recognized orthopaedic surgeon Dr. Afshin Aminian finds his true calling


Riley

Riley
The Meuniers find answers - and life-saving treatment - at CHOC


Faith

Faith
Faith doesn't let anything slow her down.


Johnny

Johnny
Johnny knew that eventually he would come to Children's Hospital of Orange County for treatment - but not until he was ready.


Della

Della
Caitlin and Chad Calder are Grateful for Second Chances


Adam

Adam
Baby Survives Rare Congenital Disorder


Gwen Stefani

Gwen Stefani
Gwen Stefani's fashion sense enabled her to help one of her favorite charities--CHOC.


Miles

Miles
Mother and son bond during the road to recovery.


Christy

Christy
Child life Specialist Christy Campo Makes Cancer a Little Less Scary


Olivia

Olivia
A fragile beginning strengthened her heart.


Alexa

Alexa
Walking for the Gift of Life.


Kim

Kim
CEO Kimberly Cripe epitomizes those who work tirelessly for the well-being of children.


Bernie

Bernie
A Memory That Will Live Forever Through CHOC


Camron

Camron
Camron receives life-saving surgery after being transferred to the PICU at CHOC at Mission.


Hope

Hope
After seeing pictures of herself in the NICU, Hope knew exactly where she wanted her philanthropic funds to go.


Jeanne

Jeanne
Occupational therapist Jeanne Brexa incorporates everyday activities and play into customized hand therapy for CHOC patients.


Josie Y. S. Lee

Josie Y. S. Lee
Grateful Grandmother Donates $1.5 Million to CHOC.


Nicole

Nicole
Blood donations from friends and family helped save Nicole's life.


Cassidy

Cassidy
Cassidy started Kindergarten last July, one month after the major open-heart surgery that saved her life.


Ryan Seacrest

Ryan Seacrest
Ryan Seacrest helped make an in-house radio station a reality for CHOC's kids.


Megan, Matthew and Jacob

Megan, Matthew and Jacob
The Triumphant Trio and the Calamities they Clobbered.


Dr. Clark

Dr. Clark
Dr. Clark discovered her passion and brought it to CHOC.


Sophia

Sophia
The Amazing Battle of Sophia the Strong


Mickey and Friends

Mickey and Friends
The Walt Disney Companies and CHOC share a vision of bringing a smile to children's faces.


Dr. Downes

Dr. Downes
Dr. Maureen Downes uses her experience as a working mother to help others balance work with family.


Spencer

Spencer
When Spencer began having seizures, his mother had no idea what kind of battle lay ahead for her little boy.


The Anaheim Ducks

The Anaheim Ducks
Anaheim Ducks flock to CHOC to spread cheer to patients and their families.


Jesse

Jesse
Wishing to help kids less fortunate than himself, Jesse ran 124 miles to raise money for CHOC.


Lance

Lance
CHOC NICU Graduate Scores a Big Victory


Dr. Krumins

Dr. Krumins
Dr. Krumins remembers how it feels to be a kid.


Seth

Seth
Like most kids, seven-year-old Seth couldn't wait to grow up.


Sarah

Sarah
An ordinary trip to the grocery store becomes an extraordinary experience for a CHOC nurse - and one frantic mother


Vinny

Vinny
Diabetes doesn't slow top ranked baseball player.


Zoey

Zoey
For Zoey's mother, the fact that Hoag and CHOC collaborated to save her daughter's life is something she will never forget.


Millie

Millie
CHOC Volunteer Millie Kegel is Just One of the Kids


Paige

Paige
CHOC was there for the Harmon family when the unexpected happened.


Zachary

Zachary
CHOC Doctor Uses Minimally Invasive Procedure To Correct Chest Deformity


Brady

Brady
NICU Graduate Continues to Reach New Milestones


Danny

Danny
Former CHOC Patient Celebrates 10th Anniversary of Successful Transplant


Dr. Chang

Dr. Chang
Renowned specialist leads the CHOC Heart Institute with the Japanese philosophy of kaizen top of mind.


Danielle

Danielle
CHOC Nurse and Radio Lollipop Volunteer Danielle Vasquez is a Kid at Heart.


Christopher

Christopher
Christopher's attitude and outgoing personality helped him survive his cancer.


Jace

Jace
Young burn victim beats the odds after being given a 10 percent chance of survival.


Ruth

Ruth
Ruth McCarty addresses the whole mind, body and spirit of the patient through the use of alternative therapies.


Ryan

Ryan
Fast thinking and a quick response by the CHOC at Mission trauma team helped save a young boy's life.


Junior

Junior
Junior's mom could not afford a wheelchair for her 8 year old son, but CHOC associates made it possible.


The Griffith Family

The Griffith Family
The Griffith Family hopes to create a legacy of philanthropic values for generations to come.


Dr. Muhonen

Dr. Muhonen
World-class neurosurgeon, Michael Muhonen, treats his patients and their parents as though they were family.


Christina

Christina
Type I diabetes has not kept Christina off the playing field.


Dr. Minon

Dr. Minon
Dr. Minon shows her strong commitment to CHOC and the community it serves.


Sarah

Sarah
Eight-year-old sarah loves robots. Especially the one that saved her life.


Dr. Sender

Dr. Sender
Dr. Sender strives to give the best care anywhere.


Michael

Michael
Micheal Driscoll was 15 when he was diagnosed with stage III melanoma. Today, he is in remission.


Airic

Airic
Complex heart valve surgery saves boy's life.


Sarah

Sarah
Sarah Birdzell only weighed 1 1/2 pounds at birth.


Dog Volunteers

Dog Volunteers
Pet therapy dogs play a vital role in the treatment of patients.


Hunter

Hunter
Hunter's mom didn't plan for a premature delivery. Luckily we did.


Susan

Susan
"Joining the nursing team at CHOC at Mission was an easy decision to make based on CHOC's reputation in the nursing community."


Erica

Erica
5-year old girl survives congenital heart condition and fatal lung disease.


Mark

Mark
CIO Mark Headland keeps patients connected to what's important in life.


Dr. Anas

Dr. Anas
Dr. Anas feels a strong personal commitment to the children and parents of Orange County.


Brianna

Brianna
1-year old survives nearly fatal infection


Denise

Denise
Nurse sets the pace for career, and life, at CHOC.


Ron

Ron
"From the first time I cared for a young child and was able to calm his fears and make the "hurt" go away, I was hooked."


Dr. Winokur

Dr. Winokur
Dr. Robert Winokur loves being a host - at home and in his ER.


Jeffrey

Jeffrey
Multiple seizures interfered with Jeffrey's development and made him unable to walk or function.


Nathan

Nathan
Nathan Akiyoshi receives surgery at CHOC to repair holes in heart.


Dr. Kukreja

Dr. Kukreja
Tiny patients inspire doctor to run big race in their honor.


Sara

Sara
Sara suffered from cerebral palsy, and came to the CHOC Neuroscience Institute for treatment.


Brant

Brant
Experience at CHOC leads Brant Whiting to make a positive difference in the lives of others


Carol

Carol
In 1968, it was an honor to wear a nurse's cap. But Carol honored her patients even more.


Mary Ella and Justina

Mary Ella and Justina
Young philanthropists use their talents to raise money for CHOC.


Dr. Lam

Dr. Lam
Dr. Lam went from gravely-ill child to Pediatric Pioneer.


Danny

Danny
Danny Allan, RN, Brings Experience as a Patient to his Role as a CHOC Caregiver


Lauren

Lauren
Lauren Gray describes life at "Camp CHOC" during her stay for surgery to correct Pectus Excavatum.


Wayne

Wayne
Occupational therapist Wayne Centra gives patients the power of karate.


Derek

Derek
Derek came to us with water on the brain, and now, thanks to an advanced surgical procedure, he's back in the pool.


Sarah

Sarah
Diagnosed with leukemia, Sarah gets cutting-edge treatment at the CHOC Cancer Institute.


Mason

Mason
Emergency Brain Surgery Saved Mason's Life


Nathan

Nathan
When you're only one of a handful of kids on earth to have a rare form of cancer, where else on earth would you go?


Gene

Gene
As a father and a second-generation male nurse, Gene Paredes enjoys educating new dads.


Amanda

Amanda
Amanda is healthy and happy after quick diagnosis and treatment by team of pediatric experts at CHOC.


Sawyer

Sawyer
Little Sawyer had a rare metabolic disease. Even more rare was the team assembled to treat him.


Cynthia

Cynthia
Cynthia's passion for CHOC is evident in everything she does on - and off - the job!


Shirley and Eleanore

Shirley and Eleanore
CHOC Volunteers help bring smiles to the Hospital's most intense floor.


Nina

Nina
Nina Subramanian was brought to CHOC where doctors successfully removed her brain tumor with risky surgery.


Cianna

Cianna
Cianna's poor vision does not dull her bright vision of the future.


Juan

Juan
Thanks to the CHOC Heart Institute, Baby Juan will grow up to steal the hearts of many admirers.


Nadia

Nadia
Nadia came to us with heart failure, liver failure and kidney failure. Today we consider her an amazing success.


Janelle

Janelle
Grateful for the care she received at CHOC, Janelle is even more grateful to be an employee!


Gail

Gail
Diabetic Teen Completes Run of her Life


Garrett

Garrett
Bone marrow transplant to treat myelogenous leukemia causes development of Graft versus Host Disease


Christine

Christine
For CHOC OICU Charge Nurse Christine Magnus, the battle for her life led her to a new calling.


Paige

Paige
Life is an adventure for a young girl that has endured five open-heart surgeries, leg amputations and a skeletal deformity.


Spencer

Spencer
Spencer's 2-year nightmare ended with innovative IVIG therapy


Zoe

Zoe
A second opinion gave Zoe the chance to look forward to a normal childhood.


Maria

Maria
Maria thought her progressive scoliosis condition would confine her to a wheelchair, but everything changed when she came to CHOC.


Colin

Colin
Colin was diagnosed with rare chromosome disorder. After several months in the CHOC NICU, he was finally able to go home.


Monique

Monique
For the first 2 months of her life, Monique was fighting to survive. Today she faces a normal, healthy childhood.


Garrett

Garrett
Garrett thinks he's a super hero. Thanks to the super team of doctors and nurses at CHOC, he's now a thriving 3-year-old.


Leapfrog Top Hospital    CAPE Award   Magnet   Best of Orange County