Connecticut Children's Blog

There is no one else quite like Youssef Shahine. Sure, when he’s blasting music on his headphones or glued to a video game, he’s a typical 14-year-old. But ask him a question about life, and he’s wise beyond his years. “I like to look at the good stuff,” says Youssef. “Yes, there are rough times. […]

Before COVID-19, Jillian Duffy, Miss Connecticut 2019 and 2020, visited the Medical Center once a month and made her way room-to-room meeting with patients. The visits are part of the partnership between the Miss America Organization and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, and they connect directly with her platform “Jillian’s Journey: Pediatric Cancer Research and Awareness.” […]

Editor’s Note: Hannah is a 13-year-old patient at Connecticut Children’s. Here she shares the story of her diagnosis. There are lots of moments in your life that you remember. Some can be good, some can be bad. This moment happens to be one I’ll never forget. I’m Hannah Forstell, and I am going to tell […]

When 26-year-old Jonathan Sales was diagnosed with cancer for the second time in his life, he and fiancée Alyssa Griffin, 27, had an emotional conversation. With all the uncertainty ahead, there was one thing they knew: They didn’t want to wait any longer to be married. Jonathan, a seventh grade science teacher at Oakville’s Swift […]

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 […]

It started like every other family dinner. Kelly sat around the table with her parents, grandparents, and two older siblings. They each talked about their days. Kelly, who was 10 at the time, mentioned that she felt an odd pain in her left leg. Her parents assumed it was growing pains—both of her older siblings […]

Armani Hernandez’s father, David, was apprehensive in the fall of 2015 when 14-year-old Armani said he wanted to play football at school. “He was a baseball player,” David says, “and I was skeptical about football because it has such a high injury rate.” And sure enough, soon after starting football, Armani complained that his arm […]

Charlotte Wesoloskie is a sweet, soft-spoken girl with a big heart and an even bigger message for children diagnosed with cancer: “Don’t be scared and never give up!” As a cancer survivor, 11-year-old Charlotte speaks from experience and truly “walks the walk.” And, as the inspiration behind a growing fundraising phenomenon known as PJ Day […]