Kids patient stories

Diagnosed with cancer at age 1, Kinsley shows how resilient even the sickest kids can be. A lovable “social butterfly,” Kinsley and her family look forward to a much more normal life ahead, thanks to UW Health Kids.

Toddler Kinsley Judd wearing a snowman holidy outfit and dancing while in the hospital for cancer treatment

Kinsley dances through life — even in the hospital

Battling through 121 straight days in the hospital, Carson and his family are very grateful to UW Health Kids for helping him survive a large brain tumor that was found just before he turned 13. 

Carson Schmudlach smiling in a wheel chair

Sense of humor helped Carson through treatment for medulloblastoma

Life with sickle cell anemia is never easy for little Kaliyah. When she needs care, however, her mom completely trusts UW Health Kids because “they know her from A to Z” in Madison. 

Toddler Kaliyah Nelson being held in a parents' arms

Toddler Kaliyah and her family find treatment, comfort at UW Health Kids

After developing acute liver failure, 6-year-old Ephraim needed a new liver to save his life. His father, Josiah, answered the call by giving a portion of his liver to his son. UW Health Kids transplant experts did the rest.

Ephraim’s life is saved by a liver transplant from his father

Lucas was only 4 months old when he was diagnosed with a rare liver disease that could have taken his life. Through social media channels, an old high school friend of Lucas’ mother donated a part of her liver so that UW Health Kids’ transplant experts could save this little boy. 

Baby Lucas Hougom and his liver donor Christina Wettstein

'Everything turned out the way it was supposed to' for Lucas

One of the sickest children seen by the UW Health Kids transplant team, Kingston is finally on his way to a better life after overcoming countless hurdles, culminating with his receipt of a new kidney. 

Kingston Vang Wraggs with his father, Tommy Wraggs

Boone’s family did its homework when their little boy Boone needed open heart surgery. Learning that UW Health’s Pediatric Heart Program has a stellar reputation, they drove a little farther from their small Iowa town to  Madison to ensure that Boone received outstanding care.

Boone battles back from serious heart defect

Amber was still pregnant with her baby, Daxton, when she learned he would be born with a complex heart defect. Open-heart surgery performed at UW Health Kids just after Daxton’s birth paved the way for a remarkable recovery. 

Newborn Daxton Noggle and parents Amber and Dustin

Little Joelle needed several open-heart surgeries to repair a complex heart defect. Even after moving from Wisconsin to Oklahoma, her family still drove 16 hours each way to UW Health in Madison when Joelle needed major medical intervention. 

Joelle Devries with Dr. Petros Anagnostopoulos

Joelle’s heart is a aglow, despite complex defect at birth

James doesn’t let anything hold him back from playing sports and loving life. Born with clubfoot, he was treated with an essentially painless approach called the Ponseti Method and hasn't missed a beat.

Young boy in glasses and blue button down shirt smiling while holding hands with an adult on each side of him.

Special technique helps fix James' clubfoot

A rare disease that prevents bone growth prevented Raleigh from enjoying a normal childhood. Today, she is chasing chickens and riding her bike, thanks to a novel orthopedic  treatment approach from UW Health Kids.

UW Health Kids gives girl with rare bone disease a chance to have normal childhood

Jacob is an athlete who loves being active. But doctors discovered a problem in his neck that left him one collision away from grave danger. Thanks to the teamwork of UW Health Kids doctors, he’s now back on the field and court.

Care for growing bones, muscles and joints

Physical challenges have been plentiful for Caitlin, but nobody has overcome them with more relentless determination, backed by UW Health Kids experts in many different medical fields.

Caitlin’s fierce drive takes on life’s obstacles

After suffering from seizures for months without improvement, Milena underwent a complex brain surgery performed at UW Health Kids. The results were startling, and Milena has been seizure-free ever since.

Paige was born with a rare condition that prevented the bones in her head from joining properly. UW Health Kids surgeons fixed the problem, allowing this delightful, spunky girl to grow up without a visible trace of the deformity. 

A child receiving a kiss on the cheek from a parent

You’d never know now that as a baby, Paige’s head was misshapen

UW Health Kids is one of just a handful of places in the U.S. that could help Colton, who suffers from a rare form of dwarfism. Today, he is a happy, social and smart little boy who charms the ladies with his smile.

Toddler Colton Cox, swinging a plactic baseball bat at a tee, wearing a Kansas City Royals jersey and hat

Surgery provides 'night-and-day' change for Colton’s rare bone condition

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In a perfect world, no child would ever need to be hospitalized. Stories about hospitalized kids touch us deeply because we hate to see any child battling a tough disease. Fortunately, most of these children heal and live healthy lives. Hear directly from some of our remarkable pediatric patients and their family members who express incredible gratitude for their care from UW Health Kids.

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