Liam’s Super Heart: Care from Birth at the Heart Institute

a boy dressed as a superhero pretending to fly while his father holds him up

Baby Liam wasn’t breathing when he was born. He spent the first five nights of his life in the NICU at his local birth hospital, struggling to survive. He was diagnosed with a genetic illness called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the heart muscle becomes thickened and stiff, making it harder for the heart […]

Celebrating Your Impact: Five Years of Healing Through the Arts

Five years ago, a vision of healing turned into a vibrant reality. Today, we celebrate the Nora Grace Kaufman Center for Creative Arts Therapy at UPMC Children’s — a place where creativity meets compassion, and young lives are transformed in ways that words cannot fully capture.

Home Away from Home: How Zoey’s Medical Team Kept Her Comfortable

Zoey’s journey at UPMC Children’s began with a few minor but unsettling symptoms. The four-year–old began experiencing random fevers and soon stopped eating altogether. Her concerned mother, Asterria, sought answers from their local hospital. The diagnosis was strep throat—an explanation that didn’t quite fit the severity of Zoey’s condition. Determined to find an answer, Asterria […]

Patient Update: Lowin’s Story

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.

Moving Mountains: Kenny’s Remarkable Recovery

On March 4, 2024, Emily experienced what can only be described as every parent’s worst nightmare. She was holding her 2-year-old, Kenny, in her lap, attempting to rock the toddler to sleep. Suddenly, Kenny grabbed her chest, vomited, and went limp in her mother’s arms. Panic-stricken, Emily immediately called 911. Kenny was rushed to the […]

A Hospital Reunion, Decades in the Making

When Matt Kocher and Victor Flinko met nearly 20 years ago during their treatments at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, then located in the Oakland neighborhood, they had no reason to believe that they would someday meet again.

Christian’s Compassionate Care for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Christian, a patient with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

When Christian’s pediatricians, Sarah Gilmour, MD, and Ashley Hall, MD, at Renaissance Family Practice – UPMC, noticed he was not yet talking at his two-year checkup, they referred him for a full evaluation at the CDU (Child Development Unit) of UPMC Children’s.