All CHLA Blog Posts
Published on January 17, 2019
The effects of childhood cancer seemed destined to thwart Alberto’s brilliance at the piano, until he was introduced to a university engineering professor who had an idea.
By Jeff Weinstock
Of the two ways to get on Alberto’s good side, the more obvious one is to stand to... Read More
Published on December 19, 2018
The holidays are here which means your kids may be home from daycare or school. Here are some ways from our Rehabilitation and Audiology team to keep your children occupied, entertained, and active while working toward building motor skills and promoting language.
Published on December 10, 2018
Emmy Award-winning writer, director and producer Ryan Murphy is known for championing underrepresented groups in Hollywood, such as women, people of color and the LGBTQ community. In his personal life, too, Murphy channels his energy into causes that impact the lives of others.... Read More
Published on December 9, 2018
Each and every donor makes an impact at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. And when donors band together, the effect can be exponential. The Ambassadors—a community of philanthropic partners who raise funds and awareness on behalf of the hospital throughout the year—underscore... Read More
Published on December 8, 2018
Grants from the St. Baldrick's Foundation are among the most competitive in the field of pediatric cancer. Since 2005, Children's Hospital Los Angeles has received nearly $7.4 million in philanthropic support from St. Baldrick's, the largest private funder of childhood cancer... Read More
Published on December 7, 2018
Doctors at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles team up to solve the puzzle of a child’s vision problems.
By Candace Pearson
One ordinary, random morning, when he was barely 5 years old, Reiter woke up and “he was a different child,” recalls his mother, Stephanie.
“I see two... Read More
Published on December 7, 2018
For five weeks in 1987, Joan Anderson found herself living at Children's Hospital Los Angeles—staying day and night with her infant daughter, who needed surgery and treatment for a stomach blockage and infection. "It was scary," Anderson recalls. "But my doctor, Dr. Robert Adler... Read More
Published on December 6, 2018
At 97, Sophia Scano Fitzmaurice has been investing in research into thalassemia, an inherited form of anemia, for 64 years. In that time, she has seen treatment outcomes and life expectancies improve dramatically—in no small part because of investigations she supports at... Read More
Published on December 4, 2018
Cue-based feeding is a broad term to describe a process by which parents and medical providers can successfully attend to developmental cues to promote optimal feeding opportunities. It is also referred to as infant-led or demand feeding. This approach may be used to heighten... Read More
Published on November 29, 2018
By Katie Sweeney
Meet Richard. He’s in fifth grade, loves his teacher, enjoys running, swimming and drawing, and has an ear-to-ear smile that makes him friends wherever he goes. And he’s gone a lot of places lately—while he lives in Los Angeles right now, his real home is in... Read More
Published on November 21, 2018
Six officers race on all seven continents for the sake of helping others.
By Michael Y. Park
An experienced runner who’d traveled around the globe to race, Randy Pentis was used to seeing courses lined with gawking onlookers.
But this? This was something else entirely.
He... Read More
Published on November 13, 2018
When 7-year-old Evabelle was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, her parents found empowerment and support at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
By Candace Pearson
Sometimes, the early signs that a child is ill can be so subtle, a family may not realize what’s happening—until... Read More
Published on November 1, 2018
A dying 3-year-old boy. A desperate email. A stranger’s astonishing gift.
By Katie Sweeney
They were flying down the 101 freeway through Santa Barbara—the kids in the back seat, Chris at the wheel, and Holly next to him, frantically poring over the medical file the doctor... Read More
Published on October 25, 2018
An unconventional treatment at CHLA heals a fluke injury, and helps a baseball phenom get back on track.
By Matt Villano
Yes, his name is really Win. It’s appropriate considering what the 12-year-old Manhattan Beach phenom does on the baseball diamond. It also applies to how... Read More
Published on October 24, 2018
Swelling in a child can happen for different reasons, but most commonly happens after trauma or medical condition. Another common cause of swelling is a condition called lymphedema. Since I often work children with lymphedema, parents will ask me questions regarding the cause... Read More
Published on October 11, 2018
By Bhavana Arora, MD, Medical Director, CHLA Health Network
Have you ever chased your toddler around with a spoon, flying it like an airplane, hoping to land one morsel of food in the child’s mouth? If so, your child might be a picky eater. Picky eaters respond to a... Read More
Published on October 11, 2018
CHLA’s Heart Institute gives an 11-year-old baseball player a chance to get back in the game.
By Matt Villano
When it comes to baseball, “heart” is one of those intangibles in a player that scouts covet.
Generally, the word refers to a variety of attributes including hustle... Read More
Published on October 3, 2018
Phyllis D’Ambra will never forget the day that changed her life. A teenager sitting quietly among her peers in a classroom at Mary Star of the Sea High School in San Pedro, Calif., she was summoned to the principal’s office.“There were 62 of us in the senior class and the... Read More
Published on September 21, 2018
By Jeff Weinstock
Urged on by a mantra started by her parents, Tessa fought like a tiger to overcome leukemia.
It was an innocent question, one for which Meredith had the good fortune of not knowing the answer—otherwise she wouldn't have asked it: "What are labs?"
After a... Read More
Published on September 14, 2018
By Katie Sweeney
Please, let this be an infection. Please, an infection—not leukemia.
Those were the words running over and over through Nina’s head on April 12, 2013, as she sat by her 3-year-old son Alex’s bedside at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Earlier that... Read More