UPMC Children’s Hospital Foundation

While many of us were cheerfully ringing in 2021 with friends and family, 5-year-old Sophia and her parents were grappling with devastating news — doctors had discovered a tumor in her pelvis.

Juju is a typical 4-year-old. She loves music and drawing, and has seen Frozen and Frozen 2 “at least 30 times.” Over the past 10 months, Juju has done all of this while battling cancer at UPMC Children’s.

Rilyn’s parents’ lives were turned upside down just weeks after the onset of the pandemic, in April 2020, when they noticed persistent bruising under Rilyn’s eye. When the bruising didn’t heal, they brought her to the emergency department at UPMC Children’s.

Seven-year-old Landon, from Beaver County, Pa., has had a complex medical history, including five open heart surgeries, seven open chest surgeries, and countless days spent at UPMC Children’s.

Lowin came home two days after a 9-hour brain surgery that most surgeons wouldn’t dare to attempt because her tumor location is inoperable. Her parents are forever grateful that Dr. Abel was theirdaughter’s surgeon, and they say they will always sing his praises.

Joey was always the life of the party, very inquisitive and an overall silly and active boy, so it wasn’t long before his parents noticed something was very wrong.

At 2 weeks, Frankie seemed lethargic and was down nearly two pounds total. Concerned, Frankie’s pediatrician sent the family to the Emergency Department (ED) at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.