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GROW Thoughtful: Danny’s Story 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

Changing How We Talk to Kids About Wearing Masks During COVID-19 By Melissa Santos, PhD: Our kids have been through a lot during this pandemic. Many have lost people in their own families due to COVID-19. Because of this, we’ve told them that masks are how they help to save people’s lives—and they did a good job at taking this mission seriously. On March 1, 2022, the

8 Tips to Help Kids With Special Needs Adjust to a New School Year By Jennifer Twachtman-Bassett, MS, CCC-SLP: Kids with autism and other special needs can have a tough time getting used to new routines, people and places. And of course, a new school year includes all of the above. This year, your child may need extra help with transitions. After all, they aren’t just adjusting to school

7 Things To Do When Your Child Doesn’t Want to Go Back to School By Bradley S. Jerson, PhD: This article was originally published in July 2021, updated in December 2023 and again as of August 11, 2025. If your child is dreading going back to school this fall, or is having a series of "off" days about going to school at all, how can you help? Connecticut Children’s

Connecticut Children’s Increases Minimum Rate of Pay for Team Members

Little Warrior: Jazz’s Story Milagros knew in her heart that her daughter was sick. But for a long time, no one else seemed to believe her. Jazz, age 3, had been plagued with mysterious symptoms for months. She’d been spitting up for no reason, and waking with bad headaches. Milagros brought her to doctors

Beyond a Rare GI Disorder: Gracyn's Story Last time 6-year-old Gracyn-Rose was staying at Connecticut Children’s, she turned to her long-time nurse Meaghan Schneider. “You’re my second mom,” she told Meaghan. “You’re my hospital mom.” In her young life, Gracyn has been hospitalized more than 20 times for a rare

3 Steps for Teens to Master Time Management By Vanessa R. Laurent, PhD: This article was originally published in 2022 and was last updated in June of 2025. Grades, friends, sports, extracurricular interests – teens have a lot on their plates. All of these obligations can quickly go from fulfilling to overwhelming, especially during times of

Summertime is Trauma Season By Brendan Campbell, MD, MPH: By: Brendan Campbell, MD, MPH and Kevin Borrup, DrPH, JD, MPA Summer is a time for fun and play for children, but it is also a time when injuries occur at greater frequency compared to other times of the year. The time period between Memorial Day and Labor Day is referred to as

The Layers of Optimal Health, Development and Well-being When it comes to promoting the optimal health, development and well-being of children, there are many layers to consider that go beyond the parameters of traditional medical care. Connecticut Children’s Office for Community Child Health embraces an approach that takes into

What is Good Program Definition? By Scott Orsey: By: Scott Orsey Are you struggling to explain your program to potential supporters? Is your program a wild success and worthy of replication, but others just don’t get it? Are you looking to put pen to paper and document your program definition? A quick internet search will turn

A Vision to Help Children Thrive By Paul Dworkin, MD:

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

Honoring Pride Month With Kids Pride Month provides an opportunity to teach children about the tremendous contributions and accomplishments of people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex and asexual (LGBTQIA) during past and present times. At Connecticut Children

Women Physicians Address Diaper Insecurity Women physicians and surgeons at Connecticut Children’s recently teamed up to raise awareness about diaper insecurity and collect diapers for families in need. The PoWER group, which is Connecticut Children’s affinity group for women physicians, and the Women in Surgery group