Our Patients
Before cancer entered his life, 14-year-old Leo Gardner was rarely sitting still. The Belleville, Illinois teen spent his days playing basketball at neighborhood courts and local playgrounds, hanging out with friends and making frequent stops at Chick-fil-A and Walmart. Life revolved around sports, school and family, including his parents, Danielle and Nathan, and his younger…
Aurora—known lovingly as Rory—entered the world earlier than anyone expected. From the very beginning, her story and life would be anything but simple. For parents, Samantha and Dylan, Rory is their only child. Early in their relationship, Sam became pregnant with twin boys, whom they lost at 6 and 16 weeks. After time to heal,…
Olivia Spiess was born at 30 weeks’ gestation in January 2021, the youngest of four children to parents Gretchen and Don. Following a pregnancy complicated by pre-eclampsia and COVID infection, Gretchen, delivered Olivia by emergency C-section, and from her first moments of life, Olivia faced extraordinary challenges. She struggled to breathe at birth, requiring prolonged…
Before February 2026, Quincy was a healthy, highly active 17‑year‑old junior at Rockwood Summit High School. A dedicated multi-sport athlete, he trained year-round and was accustomed to intense physical demands, pushing through injuries and conditioning seven days a week. Quincy was being scouted by colleges for athletic scholarships and maintained a full academic and extracurricular…
Bristol is a sassy, outgoing 3‑year‑old and a true “girly girl.” She loves Frozen—especially Elsa and Anna—playing dress‑up in her princess gowns, singing at the top of her lungs, and watching K‑Pop Demon Hunters on her tablet. She owns multiple pairs of cowboy boots, her favorite pair covered in rhinestones. She lives in Marine, Illinois,…
Before hospitals, transfusions, or isolation ever entered his world, Wyatt was simply Wyatt: an active, unstoppable 3‑year‑old growing up on a busy farm almost two hours southeast of SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. His days were spent riding tractors, chasing goats and donkeys, helping bale hay, and exploring acres of open land with his…
Brody Finnegan, a bright‑eyed little boy from Ballwin with an infectious smile and a love for Cheetos and Gummy Skittles, has grown up surrounded by care, courage, and community. The hospital feels like an extension of home for him and his parents, Katie and Allan. Their doctors, nurses, therapists, and caregivers are his friends. During…
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…