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Carter’s Story: Empowering Families to Support Kids Ashley Burkman and her husband, Matt Chella, were thrilled to welcome their twin sons Calvin and Carter into the world in May 2019. The pregnancy had been a healthy one for Ashley with no signs of anything abnormal for the babies. However, shortly after the boys’ birth at 38

Beyond Hearing Loss: Annabelle’s Story When you are a child growing up with hearing loss, or the parent of a child who’s diagnosed with a hearing condition, you likely have lots of questions. What challenges will we face? Where can we find advice? Who else will understand? Annabelle Jacobs, age 17, has made it her

5 Ways Connecticut Children’s Supports LGBTQIA Patients and Families Connecticut Children’s is committed to making our patient care environment as welcoming and inclusive as possible for our patients and their families. As part of our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion journey, our organization celebrates the steps we are taking to ensure our

Beyond Muscular Dystrophy: Jacob’s Story Six-year-old Jacob doesn’t walk. He runs. He’s either climbing up or jumping off of something. He has devoted a lot of time to perfecting his Spiderman impression, and it shows. “He is always on the go,” says Jacob’s mom, Rachel. “He’s so, so active.” Jacob is also living with

8 Mental Health Tips for Parents By Bradley S. Jerson, PhD: How can parents and caregivers check on their own mental health so they can be there for their children? Connecticut Children’s pediatric psychologist Bradley S. Jerson, PhD, joins the Growing Healthy blog with tips.

Sports-Related Concussions: 5 Things for Athletes to Know By Imran Hafeez, MD: If your child, teen or young adult is an athlete, it’s important to talk to them about concussions. Pediatric Sports Medicine experts share five important things parents and athletes need to know…

Walk Right In: Ellie’s Story One bright October weekend, 9-year-old Ellie McOmber was flying high on a friend’s swing set. The next minute, she was falling. She fell from a height of about seven feet and landed on her side, fracturing her arm just below the shoulder…

8 Ways to Celebrate Asian Pacific American Heritage Month With Kids May Is Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Heritage Month, an opportunity to celebrate the rich history and culture of Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (AANHPI) in the U.S. It’s a great time to teach kids about these cultures, and what an

How to Check On Your Child’s Mental Health By Bradley S. Jerson, PhD: Many young people struggle with anxiety or depression, but don’t know how to ask for help. They may not realize that it’s okay to talk about what they’re going through. Or they may have trouble finding the words to describe their experience. Parents, caregivers and other trusted

5 Things You Might Not Know About Pride Month By Connecticut Children’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Team Happy Pride! As we come together to celebrate the LGBTQIA community, let’s also learn about some surprising facts behind Pride Month (June) and why we celebrate…

Beyond Spinal Muscular Atrophy: Fifi’s Story Eight-year-old Fifi is, in her mom’s words, a “firestorm of positivity.” Every day, she rises to the challenges of her rare disease with determination, kindness, and a knack for brightening even the darkest days. Through a clinical trial that recently concluded at Connecticut

10 Quick Tips to Help Your Child Reset From Stress By Kelly Ann Maynes, PsyD: When our electronics act up, we can usually just unplug to reset them. If only our emotions were so simple. But during moments of stress, there are still some trusty methods for kids and teens – and parents – to calm themselves down. We could all use the practice! Connecticut

16 Comfort Items to Bring to Your Child’s Doctor Appointment There are a few tried-and-true ways to prepare your child for a doctor’s visit: Talk about it ahead of time. Pretend through play. Practice calming exercises like making a coping toolbox. Best of all? Bring a few comfort items! (Your child will love this step.) Put your child in

Beyond Crouzon Syndrome: Emma’s Story By Monique France, Emma’s mom and Clinical Care Coordinator, Craniofacial Team at Connecticut Children’s When our daughter Emma was born, I was fortunate to work as a nurse in the Division of Otolaryngology (ENT) at Connecticut Children’s. Almost immediately we noticed that her

Beyond Wrist Surgery: Arianna’s Story When she fell hard after whiffing on a ball during club soccer practice, 14-year-old Arianna P. nearly laughed out loud through the pain. “Here we go again,” she said to her mother in the hospital room. She’d managed to break her wrist for the second time. Deep down, she knew