Join Club Car Wash in May to support CHRISTUS Children’s
Month-long Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals fundraiser will benefit local children Read More about Join Club Car Wash in May to support CHRISTUS Children’s
Allison
During a fun afternoon playing “capture the flag”, 14-year-old Allison attempted to jump over a stone bench to outrun her competitors. Allison’s foot did not clear the bench, resulting in a sprained ankle and a neck bone bruise. Allison’s physical therapist noticed her ankle wasn’t moving and requested brain and spine scans which all came back normal. She was then referred to Dr. Shawn Funk, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at CHRISTUS Children’s. While on the path to healing from an Achilles tendon lengthening procedure, Allison’s left hand began to curl in, completely out of her control. Dr. Funk immediately knew this was a neurological issue and admitted Allison for further testing. Doctors diagnosed her with dystonia, a neurological movement disorder that causes involuntary muscle contractions, resulting in abnormal postures and repetitive movements. Specialists concluded that the traumatic sprain to Allison’s ankle and neck bone bruise likely caused the dystonia to begin to present itself. It has been almost three years since Allison’s initial diagnosis, and she continues to push forward every day while advocating for herself and for other patients who might be facing the same diagnosis.
CHRISTUS Children’s Selected Among Top Grant Recipients from The Toy Foundation
CHRISTUS Children’s is one of 20 children’s hospitals and health systems to receive funding for play projects that will improve the care and well-being of pediatric patients Read More about CHRISTUS Children’s Selected Among Top Grant Recipients from The Toy Foundation
CHRISTUS Children’s Appoints New Endowed Chair Holder in Pediatric Neurology
Appointment given to Dr. Melissa Svoboda, Chief of Neurology
Join Gamers Playing for CHRISTUS Children’s on Extra Life Game Day, November 4
SAN ANTONIO, Texas (September 20, 2023) — Local gamers of all levels and from all categories — console, mobile, PC, table top, etc. — are uniting for one cause on Saturday, Nov. 4: To save and improve the lives of kids treated at CHRISTUS Children’s. Read More about Join Gamers Playing for CHRISTUS Children’s on Extra Life Game Day, November 4
Matching Grant from Wade Richmond Foundation Benefits CHRITUS Children’s and San Antonio’s First Epilepsy Surgery Program
SAN ANTONIO, TX (September 6, 2023) CHRISTUS Children’s and the CHRISTUS Children’s Foundation announced the total raised in August benefiting the city’s first pediatric epilepsy surgery program.
In response to a $400,000 challenge grant from the Wade Richmond Foundation to support the CHRISTUS Children’s Epilepsy Program, CHRISTUS Children’s announced 64 generous donors contributed $841,041 to match the Wade Richmond Foundation Challenge Grant. By meeting this challenge, these donors have helped raise $1,241,041 to ensure that children with epilepsy will be able to access the most comprehensive treatment options, including surgical treatment and the entire range of diagnostic testing, in San Antonio. The first program of its kind for our city.
The Richmond Family Foundation was established in 1999 and the Wade Richmond Foundation in 2006. Between the two foundations, they have held over 56 matching opportunities, supporting 33 different organizations, and generating nearly $16 million in donations, including this match. The Wade Richmond Foundation was created in memory of Wade Richmond, who died as a high school senior from a grand mal epileptic seizure.
Epilepsy is one of the most common medical conditions in children. Unfortunately, medications only control seizures in 60%; children who continue to have seizures often cannot attend school, work, or drive. CHRISTUS Children’s has established San Antonio’s first epilepsy surgery program. In children with drug-resistant epilepsy, surgery can cure or dramatically reduce seizures in 85%. Our epilepsy surgery program is led by Dr. Mark Lee, a national expert in epilepsy surgery with expertise in assembling the specialists and complex equipment necessary for such a program.
Love’s Travel Stops Fuel the Vision to Change Kids’ Health at CHRISTUS Children’s
Love’s collects critical donations for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals
Lane Creates His Own Path
Lane was a healthy and active toddler until early 2022, when he started complaining about shoulder pain that began just a few days after falling off the couch. Dr. Magnabosco suspected this was more than just a collarbone fracture. She felt there was something growing inside the bone that weakened the bone and made it much easier to fracture. She proceeded to send Lane for additional tests, resulting in a diagnosis that neither Ashley, nor her husband, Forrest, were prepared to hear – Lane had leukemia.
Violet G.
When 12-year-old Violet started losing weight, experiencing mild panic attacks, and losing color in her skin, her parents sought help from her pediatrician. After running labs on multiple occasions, results showed significant for moderate anemia, which prompted a referral to pediatric hematology at CHRISTUS Children’s. After more tests, Violet was diagnosed with myeloid-lymphoid neoplasm with eosinophilia (MLN-eo), a hematologic neoplasm in which, due to an underlying gene arrangement, the bone marrow makes too many copies of a type of blood cell called eosinophils. Her diagnosis is extremely rare in pediatric patients, especially in females, making the diagnosis very difficult and unusual. Violet’s doctors also did a baseline check of her organs and found that her heart had suffered some damage from her diagnosis. Violet started immunotherapy and heart treatment and she slowly began getting better. Violet is doing great today and hopes to grow up to pursue a career in the medical field to help other patients like herself.
Love’s Fuels Change at CHRISTUS Children’s
Love’s Travel Stops is helping CHRISTUS Children’s transform lives for kids and their families through Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals (CMN Hospitals)! Not only does Love’s Travel Stops provide fuel to customers, but they also change kids’ health to change the future. When you visit your local Love’s anytime between June 1-30, you can donate a… Continue Reading →