Henry Walker
Henry’s mother Leticia was at a routine 20-week ultrasound when her obstetrician informed her that she had abnormally low amount of amniotic fluid, and that her growing baby’s kidneys AND bladder were significantly inflamed. She was quickly referred from her hometown doctor’s office in Carbondale, IL to the St. Louis Fetal Care Institute (FCI) at…
Conner Walkenhorst
Jennifer Walkenhorst sat at her 20-week ultrasound, puzzled and confused after witnessing the first technician leave the room after viewing what came up on the screen, followed by the second who took a look, and then a third. She ached to know what had left everyone “quiet” about her baby Conner, but was only given…
Reagan Hageman
We found out we were pregnant in July of 2016. We had two other sons and eagerly awaited our 20-week ultrasound in October. We hadn’t done a gender reveal with either of our other children and had planned a football-themed reveal for after practice with our eldest son’s team (dad was a coach on the team).…
Kevin Lowery
The simple act of playing with a ball might not have been possible without the help of a special device that enables Kevin to breathe easier. Called neurally-adjusted ventilator assist, or NAVA, the system has a unique sensing mechanism that detects electrical activity in the diaphragm whenever a patient wants to take a breath and…
D.J. Adams
Third-grader D.J. Adams is great at math. “He has won trophies and certificates in math. I don’t know where he gets that — his parents hate math!” says his mother, Andrea Dodd. But she knows the source of another of his outstanding traits. “He talks A LOT. He picks that up from me because I…
Michael Loness
Michael’s Superhero It was early in the morning so few people — or germs — were passing through the hospital’s atrium. Sarah Loness unbuckled Michael from his stroller and placed his feet on the floor. Spotting the water bubble sculpture across the room, he was off in a flash. Less than a month after a…
Caleigh Rae Jackson
I learned at my 10-week ultrasound that my husband and I would be blessed with having twins. When I returned to the doctor’s office at 29 weeks, I laid on the table to receive a routine ultrasound. The ultrasound tech seemed a bit different and almost eerie in her silence while looking at the screen. She…
Lily LaMartina
How are we so lucky? “Lots and lots of wonderful kids come into The Costas Center every day. Most of them are doing well and it is a really positive, upbeat place. Lily takes that up one or two notches,” says Christopher Hugge, MD, SLUCare physician of pediatric hematology/oncology at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s…
Aly Bauman
I never expected I’d have a child who needed more than me. Of course, no one ever does. My plan was to have baby number four, one we planned to the date, hoping to have a large family to share our love with. I expected the usual routine, bottles, diapers, sleepless nights. God had a…
Gage Dugan
Seven-year-old Gage Dugan loves to play baseball on the Britton’s Bullpen team from Olney, IL. In December of 2012 Gage was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in his shin bone and has been in remission since 2015. However, in 2014 he was diagnosed with cryopyrin-associated autoinflammatory syndrome, also known as CAPS, which makes him very susceptible to…