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Mastermind Advisor Spotlight: Luis Rivera Research shows 90% of children’s health is driven by the complex interplay between social, behavioral, environmental, and genetic/epigenetic factors. Connecticut Children’s Childhood Prosperity Lab (the Lab) incubates and accelerates social innovations that address the social

Support Beyond Imagination: JJ’s Story Connecticut Children’s new Westport Specialty Care Center already has a happy family. John B. Jr. — “JJ” to his family — is a giggly, boisterous 16-month-old from Stratford. Every couple months, he’ll visit the Neurosurgery team at the new Westport center, which opened its doors

Why Your Child Needs Their Flu Shot ASAP (and Maybe a Second Shot, Too): A Note From Our Physician-in-Chief By Juan C. Salazar, MD, MPH, FAAP: This is a hectic back-to-school season for many families – but don’t be tempted to put off your child’s flu shot. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, it’s important to get kids vaccinated for the flu as soon as possible. Physician-in-Chief Juan Salazar, MD, MPH shares why you

Beyond Spinal Cord Injury: Ava’s Story By Jonathan Martin, MD: Besides competing on the high school swim team and earning high honors, her chief concern was getting her driver’s license. “I was this active kid who always wanted to be out doing something, always with that competitive edge,” she says. Then, a few weeks after her 16th birthday

Beyond Hemophilia: Adonis’s Story By Amanda Zuse, APRN-BC: When Adonis, age 7, rolls into the clinic at Connecticut Children’s Hemostasis & Thrombosis Program, something special happens. Every face lights up. Word spreads among the care team. An unofficial receiving line starts to form. “People come out of the woodwork just to say hello

Hazards of Hot Cars By Amy Watkins, MPH: By: Amy Watkins, MPH The statistics are alarming: about 40 children die from heat stroke every summer in the United States after being trapped inside hot cars. In more than half of these deaths, a parent forgot and unintentionally left their child behind in the car. Connecticut

Beyond Congenital Heart Defects: Carter’s Story By Dennis Mello, MD: Greg was at home, doing a frantic final prep of the house, when his phone buzzed. His wife, Anneliz, was calling from the hospital, where she’d just given birth to their first child. Her voice sounded shaky. The doctors know what’s causing Carter’s heart murmur, she said. He has

A Conversation with Kirsten Carlone on Strengthening Families in North Hartford By Annika Anderson, MPH: In February of 2025, Childhood Prosperity Lab (the Lab) led the second North Hartford Ascend Strengthening Families Protective Factors Community of Practice with 12 service providers and leaders. The Strengthening Families Protective Factors Framework (SFPFF) is a research

5 Questions with Foundation President, Paulanne Jushkevich, MA, CFRE Paulanne Jushkevich joined Connecticut Children’s Foundation (the Foundation) in September of 2023 with over 25 years of experience in professional fundraising–15 years at the executive level– where she led teams of hospital/health science fundraisers through substantial change

Our Framework to Enhance Diversity, Equity and Inclusion By Larry Milan: By: Lary Milan As a critical community resource, Connecticut Children’s must ensure that our team members, patients and their families, and community partners all feel welcome and respected here. To strengthen our culture, we have worked to develop a Diversity, Equity and

Through the Storm: Keilany’s Story When Tropical Storm Isaias hit Connecticut this past August, it toppled trees and knocked out power across the state. It also hit the campground where Keilany Palma and her parents, siblings and grandmother were celebrating her 12 th birthday. Keilany’s actual birthday had been

Seven-Figure Gift Supports Connecticut Children’s New Clinical Tower and Expanded Pediatric Services Hartford, CT—Connecticut Children’s, the state’s only health system 100% dedicated to children’s well-being, has received a transformational 7-figure gift from the Burton and Phyllis Hoffman Foundation to support the hospital’s new eight-story clinical tower and the expansion of

Thriving Beyond a Swallowing Disorder: Amila’s Story Like many medical stories, Amila Watt’s begins with a mystery. For the first few years of her life, she struggled with one illness after another — usually, infections in her lungs or ears. Ear tube surgeries stopped the ear infections, but the respiratory illnesses kept coming

Grow Focused: Michael’s Story At indoor track practice this past winter, Derby High School shot putter Michael Hyder, age 15, was hit in the back of the head with a shot put – a metal ball about the size and weight of a small cannonball. It knocked him unconscious, and he fell face-forward onto the gravel

Heart of a Champion: Jordyn’s Story Bethany Ty expected a problem when she was pregnant with her second daughter, Jordyn. Her older daughter had been born with a heart issue and is a patient of pediatric cardiologist Olga Toro-Salazar, MD . Care at Connecticut Children’s Heart Center begins before birth – so her