Our Patients Copy
When Samantha found out she was pregnant for the first time, in December 2024, she imagined a smooth and joyful journey. And for the first 20 weeks, that’s exactly what it felt like. Everything checked out perfectly—until her anatomy scan, when doctors discovered a ventricular septal defect (VSD) in her baby’s heart. From then on,…
Watching 9-year-old Colten eagerly polish off a full plate of his favorite breakfast sausages is a moment of joy his mother, Nicole, will never take for granted. For most families, it’s an ordinary morning. For Nicole, it’s a miracle—one she once thought she might never see. Colten entered the world weighing just 1 pound, 11…
Masterfully navigating a baby in one arm and steering a stroller filled with medical equipment and monitors with the other, Deja Adams and her daughter, Jadai, emerged from their clinic appointment with reports of excellent progress. At 13 months old, Jadai is a sweet bundle of resilience, rocking her tracheostomy like it’s the cutest accessory…
Seventeen-year-old Olive is a stunning young lady. She is a high school junior with a recently acquired driver’s license; a self-taught acoustic guitar player with the world at her feet. Being able to attend school full-time in person, take a trip to Target, and walk the mall – these are the happiest and most “normal”…
During their 20-week anatomy scan, Kasee and David received news that their unborn son’s heart was very special. Baby Easton had hypoplastic right heart syndrome (HRHS) and Tricuspid Atresia – rare congenital heart defects where the right side of the heart (particularly the right ventricle and tricuspid valve) are underdeveloped. For children with HRHS, the heart…
Through Life’s Uncertainties…Hope Prevails In November 2019, the Kowalski family was looking forward to the holiday season like most families do. Mom – Jennifer, and Dad – Frank were parents to two healthy children, Alyssa and Logan – children who Jennifer emphatically states, “never got sick.” “I remember it was right before Thanksgiving and I…
From Fetal Diagnosis to Thriving Childhood Sitting with 7-year-old Kenzie in the SSM Health Cardinal Glennon cafeteria, you would never know the journey she has been on since birth. Happy, energetic and proud of her scars, she has been writing her own story for as long as her parents can remember. “Kenzie is our miracle…
Finding Strength, Support and a Smile That Shines Tara and Michael of Glen Carbon, IL, were the proud parents of two boys when they learned they were expecting Baby #3. At their 20-week anatomy scan in December 2022—just before Christmas—they were told their son might have a cleft lip and a hole in his heart.…
Dylan McCoo, from Albany, New York stands 6’2, 250 pounds at 18 years of age. Looking at his healthy, strong frame, you would never guess he had such a fragile beginning, back here in St. Louis, MO. In November 2006, Dylan’s mother, Penney was 24 weeks pregnant. She went into premature labor and 3 days…
Hailey McDonald of House Springs, MO recalls the day of her daughter, Elliot’s 20-week anatomy scan. “I remember sitting in the lobby for over an hour after my scan,” said Hailey. “That’s never a good sign, especially when you know both your tech AND your OB each have over 30 years’ experience.” Hailey’s OB brought…