Viana’s bone marrow donation made a life-changing difference to her father, Hai Trinh, who suffered from hypoplastic MDS/severe aplastic anemia.

His bone marrow transplant was a success!

“I am forever grateful. For my daughters, my wife, the UC Davis Health staff,” Hai Trinh said. “It was a miracle.”

Our Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant and Cellular Therapy team is proud to now offer this vital stem cell source for both adult and pediatric patients in the greater Sacramento area — and it is an example of the strength and collaboration of our combined pediatric and adult transplant programs.

Read the full story

“Everly is truly a miracle! Since her repair in October 2024, she has been absolutely thriving. She never let her condition get in her way, but now that she has recovered, she is unstoppable. She is currently enjoying dance, taking swimming lessons, doing well in school, and has a wonderful group of friends. She also became a big sister this year.

We are so grateful to the doctors and nurses at UC Davis for being such an important part of her journey.”

– Brianne Jacobsen, mother of Everly, whose daughter was born with her internal organs sticking out of her abdomen, a birth defect known as omphalocele.

Read Everly’s full story

Kantamneni first met Savon several years ago. At that time, he frequently visited the emergency department with injuries from falls during seizures. Even though he took high doses of medication for his epilepsy, Savon experienced up to 10 seizures a day. He was stuttering and had nausea, vomiting and constipation.

“There were four different medicines, and they impacted him very negatively,” said Francis Kageche, Savon’s father. “He was aggressive to his brother. He would pinch, scratch, and in some cases, bite him.” Savon also experienced attention and speech difficulties.

Savon’s family and care team attributed these troubling effects to many factors, including medications, uncontrolled seizures and a prior brain injury. So, Kantamneni initiated Savon’s evaluation for epilepsy surgery. This surgery would offer him the chance of a seizure-free life without medications.

Evaluation included a stay of several days in the UC Davis epilepsy monitoring unit, or EMU, in the hospital. There, Savon’s seizures were monitored in real time and recorded for analysis.

Read Savon’s full story

After hearing about our landmark clinical trial, the couple researched the CuRe Trial, the world’s first spina bifida treatment combining fetal surgery with stem cell treatment.

Surgeon Diana Farmer called the couple to ease their hesitation about the trial. Diana is an internationally renowned fetal and neonatal surgeon who helped pioneer this treatment for spina bifida. Lexy and Jack flew to Sacramento to meet with her and the team, and immediately enrolled in the trial.

“I was acknowledged as a mother, as a wife, as a human. It was unbelievable,” Lexy said. “I left there knowing I wanted that team to take care of me and my child throughout the whole journey.”

Spina bifida occurs when the spinal cord fails to close properly during the early stages of pregnancy. The birth defect can lead to a range of lifelong cognitive, mobility, urinary and bowel disabilities.

Lexy’s C-section was scheduled for late December, but Baby Millie had other ideas. Less than three weeks later, Lexy went into labor. Millie arrived at 28 weeks and one day on Oct. 31, weighing 2 pounds, 10 ounces.

Although a long hospital stay was not what the Harringtons had planned, the couple again found themselves in the right place. Not only is UC Davis Children’s Hospital home to the innovative CuRe Trial, it also has a level 4-designated NICU providing the highest level of clinical care for newborns and premature babies, like Millie.

Millie celebrated her 1st birthday last month and is developmentally on track.

Read the full story

Enter UC Davis Children’s Hospital, home to a comprehensive pediatric pulmonology and sleep medicine program that offers a variety of services for children with respiratory and sleep conditions.

Emilio’s family met with pulmonologist Dr. Kiran Nandalike and respiratory therapist Audrey Chikalla. A sleep study determined Emilio had obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a disorder characterized by repeated pauses in breathing during sleep. Emilio also has Down syndrome. Individuals with Down syndrome are much more likely to have OSA than individuals without Down syndrome.

The team determined Emilio needed surgery to remove his tonsils and adenoids, the first line of treatment for OSA in children. Thanks to the surgeries, Emilio’s sleep apnea improved for many years. But when he began having trouble again, his medical team decided that Emilio would benefit from CPAP treatment, or continuous positive airway pressure.

Now a consistent CPAP user, Emilio enjoys much better sleep and much better days!

Read Emilio’s full story

His doctor figured Ryder’s injury was most likely a calcified contusion, a condition where bone tissue forms within a muscle after a bruise. He recommended rest, ice and physical therapy, which is usually effective in managing symptoms.

“He told us it would just go away eventually,” said Jennifer Phippin, Ryder’s mother. But the little bulge and hard spot in the skin kept getting worse.

By this time, Ryder was in excruciating pain, especially at night. On a return visit to the doctor, the medical team took an X-ray and the results were alarming.

“It was a surreal moment,” Jennifer said, recalling how she heard the doctor say, “osteoid osteoma.” “I didn’t know what that meant. She just kept saying ‘it’s not cancer, it’s not cancer.’ I was very confused by that and I was thinking, ‘You mean it could have been?’”

An osteoid osteoma is a benign bone tumor that is often characterized by injury to the area where the tumor occurs. The main symptom is pain which often gets worse at night. It was exactly what Ryder had experienced.

Ryder needed a pediatric orthopaedist. He was connected to UC Davis Health and to R. Lor Randall, a renowned pediatric surgeon and oncologist and also the chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at UC Davis Health.

“Osteoid osteomas aren’t typically that large, but his tumor was very large, over a centimeter and growing,” Jennifer recalled the doctor explaining. “He also said the tumor wasn’t showing up on the X-ray like a normal osteoid osteoma does.”

Despite the challenges, Randall assured the Phippins he could likely perform a CT-guided radiofrequency ablation, a modern procedure that burns out the tumor.

Read Ryder’s full story

My husband and I took her to the UC Davis Health Emergency Department. No parent wants to take their child to the ED, especially in the evening after bedtime. As someone who worked in emergency departments for many years, I was frankly wary about what we might experience in terms of patient care and had low expectations, given the late hour and the high patient demand that is so common in EDs.

Boy, was I wrong.

From the moment we checked Shea in, every staff member we encountered was absolutely exceptional! We were seen by triage within 15 minutes of arrival. My mind was blown.

The nurse who completed the initial assessment was so kind and gentle with our daughter. Another nurse came by and blew bubbles to distract her. I can’t tell you how much this meant to our family, to see people who clearly cared about their patients and went out of their way to make us comfortable.

I don’t think any of these staff members knew that I was a colleague, so this was not “special treatment” — this was simply them doing a wonderful job for one of their patients.

We were roomed and again seen very quickly by the Pediatric ED nurse and doctor. Our nurse was exceptional — she was kind, thoughtful, responsive and communicative. She consistently went out of her way to take great care of our daughter and support us completely-freaked-out new parents. This was a wonderful nurse working with a high level of integrity, competence and compassion.

Our doctors were all absolutely wonderful with Shea as well. Our initial doctor brought in a small flashlight to help distract Shea when he was assessing her, which she loved. The other doctors were similarly kind and playful, making this scary moment so much easier for our family.

In the morning, a new nurse signed in. He helped us sing to our daughter to distract her during vitals and he clearly made every effort to help our discharge go quickly and smoothly.

Shea is doing much better (terrorizing us, per usual) and all is well. I cannot express how much the compassion of the Pediatric ED team helped ease the stress of such a difficult situation and how proud I felt to work at this hospital after my experience with this team.

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

– Testimonial submitted by Liz Collentine-Cole, Shea’s mother

Robin sequence can cause an infant’s tongue to be pushed far back in the throat, prompting severe trouble breathing and swallowing without assistance. In severe cases, an infant will need a tracheostomy, a life-saving procedure where a surgeon opens a hole in the patient’s neck and connects a tube for unimpeded breathing.

To prepare for the procedure, Alex Marston, a pediatric head and neck surgeon and a member on the multidisciplinary UC Davis Cleft and Craniofacial team, utilized a new technology called augmented reality, which is being used by some UC Davis Health surgeons.

Through augmented reality goggles, surgeons can project 3D computed tomography (CT) and MRI scans that overlay critical information directly into their field of view.

During the procedure, surgeons made a small incision under Ryder’s jaw on both sides of his neck. They cut his mandibular bone, commonly known as the lower jaw, on both sides to separate the front and back of the jaw.

The team placed two distraction devices on each side and attached them with pins to the front and back sections of the bone. Small activation arms were then connected to the distraction devices so that they could be turned and widen the cut mandibular bones.

A few days after surgery, the team maneuvered the activation arms to slowly move Ryder’s jaw forward, widening the space between the cut edges of the bone and allowing new bone to form in the space.

“We have the utmost gratitude for the UC Davis care team. They gave our child a chance to live a normal life,” said Katie Hunter, Ryder’s mother.

Read Ryder’s full story

From the beginning, the CuRe Trial team was supportive and kind. Maria and Amy gave me so much information and put me in contact with Dr. Farmer, the fetal surgeon. When I spoke with her, it was obvious she is passionate about improving the lives of kids with spina bifida and really knows what she’s talking about. Plus, she explains everything in a way that makes sense.

Any time I had concerns, Dr. Farmer was always willing to talk with me to make me feel more comfortable. I really appreciated that. If it’s possible for other families to participate in the trial, I encourage it. I feel really lucky to have had the opportunity. The CuRe team is amazing.

– Testimonial submitted by Jillian Banghart, mom to Leo, who graduated from the CuRe Trial, the world’s first spina bifida treatment combining fetal surgery with stem cells at UC Davis Health.

When Justin was born, there were no indications that anything was wrong. But soon after his birth, doctors informed his mom that Justin was missing a vital organ: a kidney.

This condition, called unilateral renal agenesis, affects 1 in every 1,000 live births. It is not typically fatal, and many people live normal, healthy lives. However, some do develop complications. Justin was one of those people. He was flown from Reno to UC Davis Children’s Hospital at four days old.

Now 15, Justin has faced a series of struggles. His first kidney transplant as a toddler failed when he was 7 years old. He has been on dialysis 10 hours a day every day since.

But in June 2024, Justin got the news he’d been hoping for: there was a kidney available. He had surgery on June 16 and now, a year and several follow-up appointments/labs later, there are no signs of rejection!

Read Justin’s full story

But Kristin Apicella had not experienced any of those symptoms during her pregnancy. Only afterward did she develop a low-grade headache. She tried to talk herself out of it.

“I knew it could still happen, but it’s very rare, especially with no other issues prior to delivery,” Apicella said. “As a new mom, I was so caught up with my baby. You’re often not looking out for things for yourself.”

Apicella reached for her blood pressure cuff and took a reading. Her blood pressure, which was usually low, was mildly elevated.

“It wasn’t crazy initially, but I kept monitoring my blood pressure through the day and it just kept creeping up,” Apicella said. “I still had a headache and some swelling in my feet, and when I took my blood pressure later that evening, it was in the severe range, so I decided to go to the ER near my home.”

“I was very tearful as I sat down with the triage nurse in the emergency room and shared what had been going on,” Apicella said.

Apicella was told that her headache was likely due to lack of sleep. The triage nurse attributed her high blood pressure to stress and her swelling to fluids during labor.

“As he’s telling me this, the blood pressure cuff is just squeezing and squeezing," Apicella said. “It can’t get a reading because it’s so high.”

When the blood pressure machine finally completed its reading, it displayed 182/110, which is dangerously high.

“He got a really shocked look on his face and then everything went really fast from there,” Apicella said. “I am shaking just thinking back to it.”

Apicella was soon diagnosed with a rare condition nearly identical to preeclampsia, only that it occurs after giving birth. Postpartum preeclampsia usually develops within 48 hours after birth but can appear up to 6 weeks or later postpartum.

Read Kristin’s full story

For a moment, Pedro’s future seemed to spiral into chaos, and his high school aspirations were overshadowed by a harsh new reality.

Enter the UC Davis team of doctors and nurses that not only had all the answers we needed but gave him hope of having his life back after a long and scary journey. Pedro went through two years of treatment at the UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center in Sacramento and three brain procedures. He is now graduating high school and dreaming of his college life, thanks to the amazing team of nurses and doctors that treated him:

• Neurosurgeon Dr. Edwards for lifting Pedro’s spirits
• Neurosurgeon Dr. Orin Bloch for performing a 6-hour brain surgery that removed as much tumor as possible, without deteriorating his vision
• Oncologist Dr. Reuben Antony for his support
• Ophthalmologist Dr. Allison Liu for lifting his spirits

Pedro’s vision problems were first revealed during a routine eye exam at an optometrist. As soon as he noticed that the issue was much more serious than vision correction, the doctor said the following words that Pedro and his parents will be forever grateful: “Don’t waste your time and go straight to UC Davis emergency care. If anyone can help your child, it’s them.”

He was absolutely right.

– Testimonial submitted by Carina Hollanda, Pedro’s mother

Faith had one final job to do before leaving UC Davis Children’s Hospital: She needed to ring the bell!

A brass bell hangs on the wall in the hallway of the unit. Patients ring it when they’ve finished treatment for cancer or a transplant. In Faith’s case, it was a stem cell transplant to treat a type of leukemia.

A nurse held a banner that said, “Way to go!” It was signed by her care team. Another sign read, “We are so proud of you.”

Faith grabbed the rope and rang the bell multiple times with a bright clang.

“Three cheers for the best feeling in the world,” shouted Faith’s mother, Angie Evans, which was met with more clapping and cheering.

The moment was made possible by the revitalized UC Davis pediatric stem cell transplant (also known as a bone marrow transplant) program. UC Davis Health is the only provider of this specialized service for children in the Sacramento area.

It is led by Lisa Madden, a pediatric hematologist and oncologist at UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center, who has expertise in the fields of stem cell transplant and cellular therapies.

“This is an exciting time to be in the field of stem cell transplant. We are constantly expanding the diseases for which we can offer transplant, sometimes using modalities that are less toxic to the patient,” Madden said. “Stem cell transplant is a procedure that is lifesaving. In the case of cancer, this is more immediately obvious. But stem cell transplant can be used to treat other lethal disorders in which there is a slow progression to organ failure, and in which lifespan is otherwise shortened and often painful. Diseases in this category include sickle cell disease and thalassemia, some metabolic disorders like Hurler Syndrome from which patients otherwise don’t live past early childhood, and also some immune disorders from which patients get constant infections. When things go well, they are cured, they no longer have to come to clinic constantly for things like blood transfusions. It can truly change their lives.”

Read Faith’s full story

I had heard of moms underproducing milk (and I know how stressful that is too, as it took a few days for my milk to come in), but I had never heard of anyone overproducing, so I was confused and disturbed by the changes I was experiencing when my milk did come in. The pain regularly woke me up at night, and the fast flow of milk caused my baby to cough, choke, and cry in frustration because he was hungry but couldn’t drink. I spoke with the wonderful UC Davis lactation consultants multiple times a week to try to figure out what was happening and manage it.

One time when pumping, I produced 250 mLs. Becca told me that was about 4 times what my baby needed at that age. After that, I completely stopped pumping (to prevent further stimulating production), I tried using ice packs, different nursing positions, block feeding, and even hand-expressing before feeds to relieve the pressure, but nothing helped. This also meant I couldn’t let my husband bottle feed (though he was willing and wanted to help shoulder some of the load), so I have been doing 100% of the feedings, and now my baby absolutely refuses to take a bottle.

I was finally referred to a doctor who specializes in lactation. Under her guidance, I have tried multiple medications and supplements which helped to reduce my production to an extent, but I am still basically producing enough for twins. I am in constant fear that the fast flow will cause my baby to develop an aversion to nursing, so fingers crossed this next medication helps regulate my production.

All that said, there is a silver lining to all this pain, frustration and stress. Every time my baby feeds, I collect the milk from the side he isn’t nursing on (because apparently my body thinks there’s a baby on that side too), and I have now saved almost 20 liters (over 5 gallons) of milk in our freezer. I jumped through the necessary hoops and have been approved as an official milk donor for the UC Health Milk Bank. I am happy to say I just donated 13.5 liters of this milk so that it can help other babies in need at UC hospitals across the state.

I hope that by sharing this, I can raise some awareness about hyperlactation and how difficult overproducing milk can be. I also hope to encourage anyone who may be overproducing to consider donating to your local milk bank or sharing with other local moms/babies in need. I am so grateful for the support I have been receiving from the UC Davis lactation consultants and the UC Davis breastfeeding support group, and encourage other moms to reach out to them early and often with any issues you may have.

– Testimonial submitted by Jamie Nakatani

After a visit to the ER for an enlarged stomach, AJ Moreno was diagnosed with a stage 4 Wilms tumor, a form of pediatric kidney cancer. The tumor had spread to his lungs, and surgery wasn’t an option. After six weeks of chemotherapy, the tumor shrunk enough for a successful surgery to remove it and his left kidney, followed by more chemo and radiation.

The Lodi community supported AJ and his family through it all.

“Landing on the doorstep of UC Davis was probably one of the biggest blessings throughout all of this,” Christina, AJ’s mother, said. “And not only do we have support, love and good care from UC Davis, our community continues to rally around us.”

Now 8 years old, AJ is back to doing what he loves — excelling in soccer, basketball, and baseball!

Learn more about AJ’s journey

She was 22 weeks and 3 days pregnant and experiencing back labor. She went to her local hospital and was told that they weren’t equipped to care for a baby that premature if she were to deliver.

UC Davis Children’s Hospital was the nearest hospital that could handle such an early delivery. Its Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the highest level available, cares for premature babies as young as 22 weeks gestation.

It was after midnight when she and her partner packed up their blue Honda to drive north to UC Davis Children’s Hospital.

Just over a half hour into the drive, she wondered if they would even make it. Her contractions were getting stronger and more frequent.

“By the time we got to Elk Grove, I said, ‘We need to call 9-1-1,’” remembered Jazmin. Her partner worried they might not get the immediate care they needed and would be left waiting on the side of the road.

They soldiered on toward the hospital — and almost made it.

Near the 12th Avenue freeway exit in South Sacramento, Jazmin felt a rush of warm fluid.

Their baby girl was born in the front passenger seat.

Firefighters to the rescue

The baby was still in its amniotic sac, when Jazmin called 9-1-1 and connected with the emergency dispatcher who assured her that first responders were on their way. The dispatcher then walked her through the steps to break the sac and perform CPR on her baby. Jazmin, a mother for the first time, wrapped her baby in a sweatshirt to keep her warm.

Of all the medical emergencies that Sacramento Fire Department Engine 6 responds to, this one stood out.

“The call came in at 2 a.m. Most of us have had labor and delivery calls, but not for someone this premature,” said Engine 6 Capt. David Fike, who was called to the scene that morning.

Firefighter Eric Chin said it was extremely stressful once they realized the nature of the call.

Five firefighters arrived within five minutes.

Chin opened the car’s front passenger door and Jazmin transferred the tiny baby, about the size of a pear, into his hands.

Once in the ambulance, the team continued to perform CPR, gently using just one finger on the baby’s delicate chest. They cranked up the heat to keep the ambulance warm. They dried the baby using towels and absorbent pads.

The firefighters called ahead to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit team at UC Davis Children’s Hospital so they were prepared to receive the patient when they arrived.

“When EMS brought the baby to our Emergency Department, the baby had a good temperature and a good chest rise,” said Janelle Beall, UC Davis neonatal nurse manager.

The Emergency Department and neonatology teams took over resuscitation efforts. The baby was then transferred to the NICU, where the staff praised the life-saving work of the firefighters.

Read Jazmin’s full story

In August, 17-year-old Callie was hospitalized at UC Davis Children’s Hospital for a cold that turned into walking pneumonia, which developed into a life-threatening lung injury. She was placed on ECMO, a heart-lung bypass machine. Then another complication: Callie was getting her blood drawn daily and her blood was clotting before it got to the lab. She was diagnosed with cold agglutinin disease, a rare autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system attacks red blood cells.

Callie’s mother, Cara Cosentino, calls Callie’s recovery a miracle. She credits a lot of prayers and her daughter’s care team, who got her through the toughest days. “The doctors, nurses, the whole team were amazing. We just can’t thank them enough. They saved my baby,” she said.

Callie and her mom returned to the hospital to show the team how far she has come. “So often, our patients leave the ICU, and we do not get to see them again,” said assistant nurse manager Laura Kenny.

Read Callie’s full story

“From where we started and all the worries we had to where we are now is like a dream,” said Katy, Ruthie’s mom. “I would tell other parents to trust the experts. You are in good hands. We certainly were.”

Read Ruthie’s full story

He would often take the mask off after two to three hours, claiming he did not know when or how it came off. Some nights, he refused to use CPAP even when his mom reminded him to put his mask on.

During clinic appointments the hum of mother/son tension was noticeable in the background. After a year of meeting, tweaking CPAP settings, changing masks, we were still in the same place with marginal compliance except that now the hum of relationship tension had become a roar.

We made a deal. If Eduardo used his CPAP faithfully on school nights, he could take the weekends off. If he did not, he would owe CPAP time on the weekends. Mom also agreed to allow Eduardo to earn gaming time for CPAP compliance.

Finally, a breakthrough!

At CPAP clinic a month later, I began with my standard greeting, ‘Hey, Eduardo, how’s CPAP going?’ I wasn’t even able to finish my sentence before Eduardo, with a proud smile on his face, blurted out, ‘I’m wearing it every night!’ Surprised, I looked over at mom. She smiled and nodded her head in confirmation. We talked a bit more and agreed to meet one more time to develop a summer plan. The most striking part of the visit was the absence of the mother/son tension in the background. In its place was a comfortable quiet.”

– Testimonial submitted by Audrey Chikalla, UC Davis respiratory therapist

When Nixon was diagnosed with spina bifida, we began searching high and low for anything that would shed light on his condition and provide hope for a better future. That hope presented itself when we stumbled across a local news article discussing the CuRe trial.

This led us to begin researching everything we could on this trial. Soon enough we met with professional and medical staff at UC Davis and discovered that we absolutely wanted in on the CuRe trial. As time went on, we realized just how special this trial was and what made it so special were the doctors, medical staff, and professional staff at UC Davis. We saw the vision for what life could potentially be for those with spina bifida and recognized the life’s work that has culminated into this trial.

Fast forward nearly two years later and Nixon is making remarkable strides. He is developing cognitively, emotionally and physically. Nixon has been making great progress as he crawls all around the house and has begun taking steps with the assistance of his little push cart (it might be the cutest thing you’ve ever seen)! We couldn’t be more full of gratitude for our little miracle boy and everyone at UC Davis who has made his miracle possible.

– Testimonial submitted by Lindsey, Nixon’s mother

Shine is a 6-year-old boy who was born with two rare conditions. He received life-saving care at UC Davis Children’s Hospital, including 14 surgeries. His surgeries and prosthetic fitting have allowed Shine to shine in every way! He’s taken on running, surfing, fencing, biking and so much more. He even has dreams of becoming a Paralympian.

Read Shine’s full story

When Yang gave birth to her daughter in November of 2009, the first-time mom was excited to take her healthy newborn home. But by the time of Annabelle’s well-child visit at 2 months old, Yang was worried. Her daughter seemed to be breathing heavily.

“I was a brand-new mom, but mother’s intuition told me Annabelle was not acting normally. Her doctor at the UC Davis clinic agreed to run some tests,” Yang said. “I am so glad she listened to me.”

A chest X-ray and an electrocardiogram (EKG) revealed that the infant was in congestive heart failure. She was whisked from the doctor’s office to UC Davis Children’s Hospital by ambulance.

“She was admitted immediately. My world became a blur,” Yang said. “I was in survival mode and so was my daughter.”

Annabelle underwent open heart surgery at UC Davis Children’s Hospital, home of the Pediatric Heart Center and the Children’s Surgery Center. Her rare defect, referred to as aortopulmonary window, is a hole between the blood vessel that feeds the heart (the aorta) and the blood vessel going to the lungs (pulmonary artery). Because of this hole, blood from the aorta rushes into the pulmonary artery, and too much blood flows through the lungs. Aortopulmonary window accounts for less than 1% of all congenital heart defects.

Annabelle also had pulmonary stenosis, where the pulmonary valve – which allows blood flow from the right ventricle to the lung – narrows and causes the right ventricle to pump harder to get blood past the blockage. These combined defects contributed to secondary pulmonary hypertension, which happens when the pressure in the blood vessels leading from the heart to the lungs is too high.

According to UC Davis Children’s Hospital pediatric cardiothoracic surgeon, Gary Raff, children with aortopulmonary window can have a delayed diagnosis.

“This results in too much blood entering the lungs at high pressure and can result in early pulmonary vascular disease that can make surgical care challenging,” Raff said. “We work closely with our multidisciplinary pediatric pulmonary hypertension service to manage children like Annabelle.”

Read Annabelle’s full story

When Sydney was diagnosed with an aggressive osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer which tends to occur in teenagers and young adults, she had several treatment options. Her family put their trust in UC Davis pediatric orthopedic surgeon Dr. R. Lor Randall and an uncommon surgery technique that would make a new upper arm using her collarbone.

“We found out that people come from all over the U.S. to see Dr. Randall for surgery,” said Sydney’s mom Kacy Engle. “We totally trusted him, 100%. We put our child in his hands knowing how serious he is about what he does.”

Read Sydney’s full story

Julia Lynn was a talented gymnast. She had just taken first place at a regional gymnastics competition and her future looked bright. On a day out with friends in June 2022, that future changed dramatically when Julia went out water tubing, an activity where participants ride an inner tube pulled behind a boat by a tow rope.

The fun outing at Shasta Lake turned scary when two tubes being pulled behind the same boat collided. One tube landed on the other, trapping the 15-year-old. When the tubes hit another wake, Julia was freed but was thrown into the water. The accident left her without feeling on the left side of her body.

“At first, I didn’t really realize I was hurt. But then my arm got super swollen,” Julia said. “It turned blue and got really cold. I knew that was not normal.”

When she arrived at the local hospital near her home in Cottonwood, in Shasta County, Julia couldn’t feel anything as doctors poked her. No response to the hot and cold test either. Julia’s mom Melissa Lynn recalls the doctor saying it might be a spinal cord injury.

“I thought it was a pinched nerve or something,” Melissa recalled. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

The next thing the Lynns knew, Julia was being transported to UC Davis Children’s Hospital for critical care. This was possible thanks to patient-centered partnerships with more than two dozen hospitals across Northern California, as UC Davis Health works to improve access to care across the region.

“I flew in a helicopter to the airport and by the time we boarded the plane to Sacramento, I had no feeling in my leg at all,” Julia said.

Read Julia’s full story