Connecticut Children's Blog

Last summer, Ben Kline couldn’t make it from the kitchen to his bedroom without hugging the wall. He was having trouble balancing. He had a constant headache. He was so sensitive to light, he had to stop playing video games. He was so sensitive to sound, his younger sister stopped having friends over. He lost […]

Oh, tummy troubles! Abdominal pain is among the most common reasons kids visit their pediatrician or obtain a referral to a gastroenterologist. What’s a parent to do when they hear, “My tummy hurts—I can’t go to school,” more and more frequently, even after a visit (or two) to the doctor? Are these complaints “legit” or […]

If it races, rolls or jumps, 8-year-old Finnbar Prenty has probably mastered it – from skis to scooters to skateboarding. But not long ago, this kind of activity was out of the question. Finn began his health journey at another hospital in the state, where he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, a condition that causes […]

The staff at the hospital where Natalia Rodriguez Sabala was born hadn’t seen a patient like her in seven years. She was born with cloacal exstrophy, also known as OEIS syndrome: Her bladder and portions of her large intestine were on the outside of her belly, and her bladder was split open into two halves. […]

From the time he was an infant to the year he turned 21, John Hoffman could mark the months by visits with Jeffrey Hyams, MD. Dr. Hyams, an internationally-recognized researcher who heads Connecticut Children’s Division of Gastroenterology and the Center for Digestive Diseases, Hepatology and Nutrition, helped guide John’s care through the liver transplants that […]

When 5-year-old Sofia Cortese hears she won’t be going into school today – whether from a doctor’s appointment, school holiday or because classes will be online this week – she has a predictable reaction. “She’ll say, ‘But my friends are going to miss me!’” says mom Renata. And she’s right. Everyone in Sofia’s school building […]

Jackson Shorette, who is about to turn 3, practically lives within walking distance of his pediatric gastroenterologist. But to get care, he doesn’t even need to leave the house. Sarita Singhal, MD, practices at Connecticut Children’s location in South Hadley, Western Mass., right around the corner from the Shorette family. When the office opened in […]

Science, gymnastics, basketball, Chinese — at age 11, Samara has a lot of passions, and a signature approach to all of them. “I really like winning,” she says, flashing a megawatt smile. “My classmates voted me ‘Most Competitive’ and I’m proud of it.” But not long ago, her ambitions were sidelined by health issues. She […]