Our Patients

Twelve-year-old Justin Ybarra likes to joke around, and he likes to have fun. Very rarely does he take life too seriously—even though there have been plenty of things in his life that have been plenty

Katie Hawley was a rising young soccer star when cancer hit at age 9. Now she balances a desire to be a “typical” teenager with the challenges of a life-threatening disease. At 18, Katie Hawley is

Even before Angelique Garcia was born, doctors at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles knew she had a severe form of congenital heart disease called complete atrioventricular canal defect (CAVC), thanks to

My name is Grace Rose and I’m 15 years old. I was born with cystic fibrosis, which is a life-threatening disease that attacks my lungs and digestive system. I need to be watched carefully and treated

Superheroes come in many shapes and sizes. In the movies and the comics, they’re most often big and strong, with bulging biceps and superpowers unlike anything we earthlings have ever seen. In real

CHLA’s Home Mechanical Ventilation Program Marks 40th Anniversary There was a time when it was devastating news for a parent to learn that in order to survive, their child would need to be

On a picture-perfect summer day at the lake in August 2016, William Lievense, then 9, stood at the edge of the dock, ready to jump gleefully into the water one more time. At that moment, his life was

After beating back two life-threatening illnesses, the resilient teenager has a new heart to take forward and a bout with cancer to leave behind. Consider this a chicken-and-egg discussion no one ever

Fifteen-year-old Zerkari Payne is back at school these days, hanging out with his friends again and “shooting some hoop.” The outgoing high school sophomore has more energy than he can ever remember.

For a 4-day-old infant, 3½ hours is a long time. For his mother, it feels like a lifetime—when he is having open-heart surgery to correct a congenital heart defect. Benjamin Clark was born at a