All CHLA Blog Posts
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
Published on September 5, 2018
Tips from Ronald Ferdman, MD, pediatric allergist-immunologist from Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Seeing your child struggle with asthma can be difficult. However, getting ahead of it and knowing your options can help prevent the asthma attack or lessen the severity. These... Read More
Published on August 16, 2018
CHLA physician Dan Thomas, a former standout collegiate miler, drew on his history as a runner to help him overcome a near-fatal onset of Guillain Barré syndrome.
By Jeff Weinstock
Doctors do the darndest things. Take the one who walked right up to Dan Thomas, MD, at a... Read More
Published on August 13, 2018
Nursemaid elbow has many names: pulled elbow, radial-head subluxation, annular ligament displacement. Basically, it is when the elbow is pulled into malalignment or partially dislocated. Whatever you decide to call it, it is pretty scary the first time it happens to your kid... Read More
Published on August 2, 2018
By Katie Sweeney
First, he wiggled his fingers. Then he wiggled his toes. Now, he moves his head side to side, and he furrows his eyebrows when he doesn’t agree with you.
For 3-year-old Ali Al-Mutawa—and for his parents and family, and his doctors, nurses and therapists at... Read More
Published on August 1, 2018
By Bhavana Arora, MD, Medical Director, CHLA Health Network
Lisa Stern, MD, a Santa Monica pediatrician, is used to hearing her patients in late summer express apprehension about the upcoming start of school. What’s sometimes surprising is the source of the stress: their... Read More
Published on June 21, 2018
A quartet of teenage siblings makes CHLA happier, one song at a time
By Matt Villano
To many, they’re The Runaway Hamsters—a talented band of child musicians who sing country pop and strive to help those in need.
To Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, however, the four Keen... Read More
Published on June 7, 2018
Written by Kohl's Safety and Injury Prevention Program
It is in every parent’s interest to keep his or her children safe at all times. We tend to associate safety with areas in which we are most familiar, like our home, but did you know that about 4.5 million children are... Read More
Published on June 5, 2018
On Saturday, June 2, 2018, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles hosted its first inaugural joint Walk and Play L.A. Last year, both events were held separately and the first of its kind for CHLA.
The community event, which was held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and... Read More
Published on May 31, 2018
Andrew Cole, ORT/L, BCP, Occupational Therapist on the Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit Diana Hanley, MA, OTR/L, Occupational Therapist and Co-Director of Handy Heroes Therapy Camp Elizabeth Kpachavi, OTD, MA, OTR/L, Occupational Therapist
The inability to use one side of your... Read More
Published on May 24, 2018
In the wake of the first anniversary of his newborn son’s passing, a father finds solace in skydiving and triathlon training, making sure to never be far from the loss.
By Jeff Weinstock
“Have you ever jumped out of an airplane?”
You got the wrong guy, buddy. Any points... Read More
Published on May 17, 2018
By Katie Sweeney
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 serious.
So when you ask him why he got along so well... Read More
Published on May 11, 2018
When tragic or violent events occur, parents may wonder about how to help their kids understand the graphic images and emotional video footage that they may see. Stephanie Marcy, PhD, psychologist at Children's Hospital Los angeles suggests a few guidelines to keep in mind so... Read More