Connecticut Children's Blog

A week after baby Kikiolaoluwa was born, her doctors in Nigeria found a hole in her heart. At first, they told Kiki’s parents – mom Moninuola and dad Oladapo – to wait and see if the hole closed on its own. But several months later, everything was worse. Kiki was losing weight. She was often […]

Fredrik was two months old when he started struggling to keep down food. No matter what parents Marie and Josh Pinheiro tried, “he was spitting up and vomiting at all hours of the day,” says Marie. “Nothing helped.” Two months later, the wheezing and coughing started. At an age when he should have steadily put […]

One day, when Danny Sullivan was 8 years old, he began to feel very tired. Everyone thought it was allergies, maybe, or a growth spurt. He’d always been a healthy kid, with nothing more than the occasional cold. But this time, it got worse. Suddenly, he could barely stand up. His father had to carry […]

Seven-year-old Claire is never one to drag her feet. “She doesn’t walk, she bounces,” says mom Tracy. And that was true even before she was born, when at 33 weeks pregnant, doctors announced that baby Claire was on her way – seven weeks early. She would need highly specialized care from the moment she was […]

“Nothing can prepare you for the moment when you realize you will not be able to hold your newborn,” says Marisol Casado. But there it was: Just 20 weeks into pregnancy, a routine ultrasound showed an abnormality in her baby’s heart. “The second my doctor told me, my heart dropped. I could feel it in […]

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 […]

Alexandra was the first baby born in Danbury Hospital, an event celebrated in the local newspaper. As she grew, there was more cause for celebration: She became a formidable athlete. Swimming was her love, but when she got to Danbury High School, they didn’t have a swim program, so Alex decided to try running. And […]

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. […]

For eight years, every time Jordan DeMatteo stepped onto the soccer field or basketball court, she didn’t just brace herself for competition. She braced for pain. At any moment, her right kneecap could shift out of alignment, an issue she’d dealt with since age 8. It was excruciating, and it happened almost every time she […]

When Cameron Soto had a life-threatening injury three years ago, a highly specialized team saved his life. Surgical innovation transformed his future. And compassionate care got him through it all. But if you met Cameron today, you couldn’t know any of that. You’d just see a sweet, chatty 4-year-old with bubbling-over enthusiasm, who has a […]