Although the headlines – and our Facebook page – were filled with news from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, there were still so many triumphs large and small amongst our hospital family. These were the stories that captured your attention in a year we won’t soon forget.
1. An emotional clap out brought tears to the eyes of everyone there. “Today was the happiest day of my life,” said 19-year-old Matt Driscoll. “After 3.5 years of receiving chemotherapy for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, I finally got my last treatment and got to ring the bell. This could not have been done without my family, friends, and God.”
On average, our Showers Family Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders cares for 8 newly diagnosed children with cancer each month. It’s moments like this that inspires us all. Best wishes to Matt for a healthy, bright future!
2. “Adorable I am, yes, hrrmmm.” Babies in the our Boardman Special Care Nursery and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital were ready to celebrate #MayThe4th thanks to the Loose Knit Group of Mahoning Valley.
The force was with 30 babies who received the adorable caps.
3. Caitlin Brohm wants other parents and caregivers to know what she learned – the importance of keeping newborns away from germs by limiting visitors and keeping them out of public.
Hazel Grace was born on Sept. 4, healthy and happily welcomed by her loving parents. In 25 short days, Hazel would lose her fight against HSV2 (herpes simplex viruses).
D’Ayshunah, aka Danah, suffered an anoxic brain injury in middle school that took away her ability to walk and talk, but after years of rehab and hard work, she left the Akron Public Schools with a 3.4 GPA and plans to pursue nursing and modeling.
Despite a lifetime of medical needs, parents Maricela and Orlando are determined to give Domingo the best life possible.
A group of our employees also crafted a statement in response to the protests happening in our communities and across the country.
Cody went through treatment for Leukemia at Children’s. As a nurse in the cancer center, he shares his journey with others who are on a similar path.
We encouraged our community to light a candle as a symbol of remembrance for the light and love brought to us by the babies taken too soon by pregnancy and infant loss.
9. 17-year-old Sidney has known Dr. Chandrakant Patel her whole life. In utero, he diagnosed her with a serious congenital heart defect called double outlet right ventricle (DORV).
After 3 open-heart surgeries and a lifetime of appointments, Sidney stopped to say goodbye to Dr. Patel as she gets ready for college.
10. If you notice a sweet, young chocolate lab prancing through the halls on our Akron campus, there’s a good chance you just met Chase! Handled by Officer Ramona Caley, Chase is an officer in training with our Department of Public Safety.
Chase is working to be both a bomb sniffing dog and a therapy dog! We suspect she’ll have a nose for smiles and giggles.
