In May of 2019, Brooklyn has continuous high fevers and was totally exhausted.  After several emergency room visits and urgent care visits, we were admitted to Children's Hospital for 20ish days.  We spent a majority of that time in the PICU-intubated and in a medically induced coma while trying to figure out what was going on with her. We prayed for her strength and healing while trusting doctors and their hard work. She finally began improving and we were transferred to the Children's Home for an undeteremined amount of time so Brook could do inpatient therapy including OT, PT, feeding therapy, and speech therapy.  She had to rebuild her strength, learn to walk and talk again, relearn to swallow, and much more.  Due to her strength and incredible resilience, we only spent about a week at the Children's Home before they decided she could be successful at home.

I am forever grateful to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh for their immaculate care, dedication, hard work, and support.  They made me feel heard and cared for, answered my neverending questions at all hours of the day and night, and saved our family. We continue to follow up with her pulmonologist, Dr. Kurland, every 6 months and he is incredible. I’m so grateful for him and his attentiveness to me and her. 

I invite you to celebrate strong little Brooka with us and show your support for other families at children's by strolling with The Squad and making a donation to Children's.  When you give to Children's, you invest in transforming kids' lives.

Every child deserves the chance to just be a kid. But for kids who are sick or injured, hospital visits and treatments can take time away from the activities that make being a kid so special.

Families at Children's shouldn't need to worry about if they can afford for their child to get the best care, because they will, regardless of their ability to pay. Gifts made to Children's help our families focus on what they need to focus on, and that's getting their child better.