Connecticut Children's Blog

When Amanda and Derek Williams learned they were expecting twins, they knew they would be introducing their two year old son to a doubly fun big brother experience. But stockpiling on diapers, wipes and onesies took an immediate backseat when one of their little boys was diagnosed in-utero with aortic coarctation – a congenital condition […]

“The nurses and doctors were kind and told me what to expect after my son was born. But nothing can prepare you for the moment when you first realize you will not be able to hold your newborn,” Marisol Castano, a self-assured and intelligent woman with bright eyes and cascading curls shared while sitting in […]

It was December in paradise – a week before Christmas 2015, in fact – when Elizabeth and Cesar Lopez knew they had no choice but to pack up their family, travel over 1500 miles from Puerto Rico to Connecticut and leave the only home they had ever known. It was a move they never planned […]

Do you have some lawnmower parenting tendencies? You’ve heard of helicopter parenting, but there’s a new phrase making the rounds now: lawnmower parenting. Lawnmower parenting refers to a parenting style that strives to “mow down” all obstacles, challenges or difficulties in a child’s path. Of course, no one really wants to be a lawnmower parent, […]

By Jenn Long My younger son, James, is 5 years old, and he has two settings: off and on. When he’s on, he goes full speed. He keeps me on my toes, but he’s always happy. He loves to play video games with his older brother, Nathan, who’s 10. James doesn’t sit down much. He’s […]

By Melissa Santos, PhD, Tim LaVigne, PhD, and Michael Reiss, PsyD Parenting teenagers can be hard, especially as they become more independent (or as they like to call it: I can’t wait to live on my own!). Teenage years are also the time when many children first experience mental health struggles. Research from the CDC […]

Anthony had been in remission for more than three years when a routine MRI scan revealed another ependymoma, his third brain tumor. “It was devastating,” says Jennifer, Anthony’s mom. “Things had been going so well for so long.” To make matters worse, Anthony had already received the maximum amount of radiation during treatment for the […]

by Sasha Dagnall I can’t imagine having a better daughter than my little girl, Rylie. She’s 16 and a sophomore at Hall High School in West Hartford, Connecticut. Rylie’s an honor-roll student and plays on the school tennis team, among other activities. I know the teenage years often involve drama, but Rylie understands better than […]

By: Kelsey Otero My daughter, Leilani, is a lively little 6-year-old. She loves coloring and making arts and crafts projects. She’s so happy, and she’s a lot of fun. There isn’t much in life that fazes Leilani, which I find amazing. Early in her life, Leilani was diagnosed with a rare disease called Langerhans cell […]