Two days after the start of third grade, John was at home playing video games with his dad. He suddenly screamed, “I can’t see!” and then began vomiting and went unconscious. The eight-year-old was rushed to an emergency room in Staten Island where a CT scan showed bleeding in his brain from a...
Laney McGowan was first diagnosed with Dravet Syndrome when she was four months old and had her first seizure. Laney received intensive physical, occupational, speech, and feeding therapies at Blythedale to help her regain her ability to use her left side
Six-year-old Laney McGowan was diagnosed with Dravet Syndrome when she was just four-months old and had her first seizure. Dravet Syndrome is a rare form of treatment-resistant epilepsy which causes prolonged seizures. In December, Laney struggled with several upper respiratory infections and...
Max's Story
Meet Max, an aspiring content creator who - at age 12 - is taking on the world while recovering from congenital heart disease and an hypoxic brain injury. Max attends the Robert Stone Day Hospital at Blythedale Children’s Hospital which offers a specialized program for children who are able to live...
Battling Back from Brain Injury
"In the Blink of an Eye" is the inspiring story of two children at Blythedale Children's Hospital and their complex road to recovery following devastating brain injuries. Watch Xiomara and Easton as they navigate an unexpected future with the help of their medical team, family and friends. See the...
Dancer Dazzles with Emotional Encore After Beating Brain Tumors, Stroke
“Since I was little, dancing was everything to me.” The spotlight shined brightly on Trejah as a young, talented performer. Before even becoming a teenager, she had taken the stage numerous times in ballet and dance, even joining the famed Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at Lincoln Center in New...
For one special inpatient at Blythedale Children’s Hospital, Election Day was a particularly momentous occasion. Eighteen-year-old Amoonthays (Amoon) Khrisat Velazquez cast her ballot in the important midterm elections and voted for the very first time. The teen was admitted to the Hospital last...
Walking into a major league ballpark is often an impressive sight to see, but for one Blythedale Children’s Hospital patient and his family, attending a recent baseball game held even more meaning. Nine-year-old Rocky, a previously healthy and active child, suffered a stroke in July. He was rushed...
Driven Teen Excels in Recovery from Stroke
For the first fourteen years of his life, Theo was healthy and active. He spent time with his family, hung out with friends, played sports at summer camp and excelled in school. But in November 2016, everything changed. While at his home in Manhattan, the teen unexpectedly developed severe headaches...
LVAD Dependent, Pre-Transplant Patient Returns After Cardiac Surgery
“I’ve never had a child, who’s had a major organ transplant, come back so quickly.” Dr. Mary Didie, Unit Chief of the Day Hospital Program at Blythedale Children’s Hospital, proudly uttered those words upon the return of nine-year-old Malka in March 2018, less than three-weeks after receiving a...
Driven Teen Battles Back from Cancer and Strokes
Nicole began her junior year at Greenwich High School with much to look forward to. An honors student and tri-varsity athlete, the vivacious teen was looking forward to learning to drive and prepping for college. A diagnosis of leukemia was not in the plans. Nonetheless, when she received the news...
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At Blythedale we understand the value of balancing work and family. Our employees have the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally while making a meaningful contribution to improve the lives of children.
