Patient Stories
Crossing the ocean: Kathryn learns how to manage chronic pain
When Kathryn Chechile, 11, “graduated” from Boston Children’s Pediatric Pain and Rehabilitation Center (PPRC) last year, she painted a tile to hang on the wall of the Center’s space. It’s a fun ritual for patients who complete the intensive day program aimed at helping kids manage chronic pain. Kathryn’s design features a girl looking out ... Read More about Crossing the ocean: Kathryn learns how to manage chronic pain
Patient Stories
From swallowing troubles to doughnuts: How vascular ring treatment helped Everly
By the time she was a year old, Everly Parisee was frequently wheezing. Then she had trouble swallowing foods. Her parents sought help from local pediatricians and specialists, who, in turn, couldn’t pinpoint a diagnosis. It turns out Everly had a type of vascular ring — a rare congenital defect that can constrict critical parts of the ... Read More about From swallowing troubles to doughnuts: How vascular ring treatment helped Everly
Research
Mapping cells to create targeted treatments for interstitial lung disease
John Kennedy, MD, MSc, remembers the relative simplicity of his first genetic mapping project. In a Harvard Medical School lab, he helped map a gene for the neurological disease mucolipidosis type IV in less than a year. “I was fresh out of college. I thought with the global momentum of the Human Genome Project, we were going to ... Read More about Mapping cells to create targeted treatments for interstitial lung disease
Patient Stories
Faced with a rare type of liver cancer, Ramie focuses on the positive
When Ramie Darling learned that his liver cancer had recurred, he thought for a while and then simply said, “OK.” Asked by his parents if he understood the situation, he replied, “I know I need more treatment. But whenever there’s a ‘down’ in life, I just think of the ‘ups.’” It’s an attitude that has ... Read More about Faced with a rare type of liver cancer, Ramie focuses on the positive
Research
Blood across our lifetimes: An age-specific ‘atlas’ tells a dynamic story
The stem cells that form our blood, also known as hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs), are with us throughout our lives. A new study reveals how HSCs ramp up and pivot their activities depending on the body’s needs at the time, from before we’re born until old age. Researchers at Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders ... Read More about Blood across our lifetimes: An age-specific ‘atlas’ tells a dynamic story
Research
AI-enabled medical devices are burgeoning, but many haven’t been tested in children
Medical devices that incorporate artificial intelligence and machine learning are proliferating. In 2013, the FDA approved fewer than 10 such devices; by 2023, this number had grown to nearly 250. Devices include software to help interpret radiology images, wearable devices that monitor the heart and flag risks, and devices that analyze brain signals for potential ... Read More about AI-enabled medical devices are burgeoning, but many haven’t been tested in children
Research
Years of experience support the safe use of fine-needle aspiration for pediatric thyroid nodules
Ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration (FNA) has long been used as a safe and effective way to evaluate thyroid nodules in adults, usually without sedation. Less is known about the safety and tolerability of FNA in children, although small studies suggest that the approach can be performed without sedation and with minimal complications. Now, a report by ... Read More about Years of experience support the safe use of fine-needle aspiration for pediatric thyroid nodules
Patient Stories
A small act of kindness: Blood donations get Sadie off the sidelines after her aplastic anemia diagnosis
In March of 2024, Sadie’s life was interrupted. A busy high school senior with classes to attend, soccer matches to play, and a much-anticipated trip to France on the horizon, Sadie was very active and felt generally healthy. But when a follow-up appointment at her pediatrician’s office led to an urgent referral to Boston Children’s ... Read More about A small act of kindness: Blood donations get Sadie off the sidelines after her aplastic anemia diagnosis
Research
Changing lives through genetics: The Children’s Rare Disease Collaborative
A 14-year-old girl was having back pain after a car accident and visited an orthopedic clinic at Boston Children’s Hospital. In the course of her care, she joined the Children’s Rare Disease Collaborative (CRDC), a hospital-wide effort to enroll children and adults with rare diseases in genetic studies. Genetic testing revealed that both she and ... Read More about Changing lives through genetics: The Children’s Rare Disease Collaborative
Research
Model enables study of age-specific responses to COVID mRNA vaccines in a dish
mRNA vaccines clearly saved lives during the COVID-19 pandemic, but several studies suggest that older people had a somewhat reduced immune response to the vaccines when compared with younger adults. Why? Researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital, led by Byron Brook, PhD, David Dowling, PhD, and Ofer Levy, MD, PhD, found some answers — while providing ... Read More about Model enables study of age-specific responses to COVID mRNA vaccines in a dish