Dr. Dina Bambrey

07/17/2025

When you run into one of your favorite patients in another country, on a random street of a random neighborhood…you have to get together for a late night girls’ outing!!

06/24/2025

I was gifted this awesome artwork yesterday in all my favorite bright colors! She even drew my buttertooth/toothfly logo. Not too shabby for a 7 1/2 YEAR OLD!!! Artist-in-the-making. Thanks Maggie!

05/14/2025

I've got S-U-N-S-H-I-N-E on this cloudy day! My Rosie, a newly-minted 104, came to see me today and made everything better. I thought I'd share a pic, as always, to help brighten the day of so many of my patients who are struggling with loss right now. Loss of jobs, loss of parents, loss of babies, and the list goes on. Thank you Rosie for always making everything brighter!

04/30/2025

The day's not over so not too late to wish this lady, my forever-dynamo, the happiest of birthdays! I hope you had double chocolate intake on my behalf! Not a week goes by that multiple people here don't ask about you, so here's a pic with Levi and baby-to-be, for all to see. Happy, happy, happy birthday my Taryn, my co-worker extraordinaire, piece of my heart! I missssssss you!

04/16/2025

It's been a challenging day for me since I was informed last night that this beautiful woman, Shirley Hughes, passed away. Mrs. Hughes was my figure skating coach growing up, and influenced my life more than any other person, aside from my mother. When I took a group lesson from her as a young tike, she told my mom she thought I had talent and encouraged her to keep me in skating. She, and the sport, shaped my entire youth. My mom was a single mother for quite some time, and skating is very expensive. Mrs. Hughes would have my mom drop me off in the wee hours of the morning at her house to help shuttle me to the rink. I remember watching her apply her makeup so carefully and perfectly, and then she, her daughter Heather (an incredible skater!), and I would race off to the rink. She was married to a wonderful military man, Mike, and they seemed to host many events at their home over the years. My mother is an amazing baker. So, Mrs. Hughes would always barter with her...my mom's delicious desserts to serve at the event in exchange for free lessons. I believe Mrs. Hughes was ahead of her time in many ways. She was a female 'force' before females were viewed in that capacity. She was forward-thinking in having us journal and visualize; in requiring us to do jazz, ballet, weight lifting, and trampoline work all as off-ice training to improve our skating. Just last month I found a stack of 'skating report cards' she gave me through the years. She was a staple of the Washington Figure Skating Club and Mt. Vernon Rec. Center. I will never forget the sound of her voice and laugh, or the way her head moved fluidly along with our music and skating, when she'd watch us compete. She 'felt' every moment. There's not a winter that goes by that I'm not bombarded with questions from patients, new and old, about all the ice skate decor I have, and the many pairs of my old skates that I bedazzled that decorate my office! This is where it began and ended...with this one singular woman whom I will always love. Thank you Mrs. Hughes. You truly always have, and always will, hold a special place in my heart and I will never, ever forget you.

01/30/2025

My heartfelt sympathies go out to all the families, friends, and colleagues who are affected by last night’s tragedy here over the Potomac. I know many families have lost more than one person and that is devastating.

As a competitive skater for my entire youth and a proud member of the Washington Figure Skating Club, it hits especially close to home. There is a camaraderie in the skating world among skaters, coaches, and ice rink workers that I have not ever felt again.

And to the military members, I thank you for serving our nation.

May all those who perished be remembered in the highest esteem and may their memories be eternal.

01/27/2025

In light of the world in which we are living, I felt the need to commemorate this day. I will never forget all the family lineage I lost to those camps, and forever grateful to my incredibly strong grandparents, Friedrich (Fred) & Friederike (Rita), who were survivors in their own right...eventually, after many years, making their way to the United States and giving their children the ability to live and prosper.
-My great grandmother Bertha: Auchwitz's last shipment
-My great grandfather Alexander: Birkenau
-My great Aunt Rebecca: Auchwitz
-My great Aunt Rikchen and her daughter Ruth: taken from Holland never to be heard from again
-My great Aunt Anna and her 3 children: various concentration camps
-A myriad of other cousins taken from all over Germany never to be heard from again

01/17/2025

Been a pretty great past week or so...showered with flowers and gifts from patients for no particular reason, and also given this sweet card that made me so happy.

12/24/2024

12/13/2024

It's that time of year again! Children's National Medical Center is doing their Miracle Maker donation drive. Hoping everyonnnne who sees this can reach into their pockets and donate, even if it's only 20 dollars. Money goes towards amazing things---from big things to small things. To fund Skybear, their medivac chopper; to the Healing Garden on the top floor of the hospital; to medical research to develop the most innovative ways to pack the most effective treatment or chemo. into the littlest bodies; to installing cameras over every single NICU bed (they have nearly 300!!!) so parents can see their babies every second of every day; to parental support, art therapy, pet therapy, and the list goes on and on! They expect to see over 275,000 families in 2025. Yes, that is correct. Over 300 parents brought their child to the ER last night. From preemies to infants to toddlers to kids to tweens to teens---they treat them all!!

Please donate. That is what the holidays truly are or should be about.

You can call 1-866-927-4361!
Children’s National Hospital

11/27/2024

Who wouldn't be thankful if they got to see this little nugget and have her baby blues brighten your day! And those n-a-i-l-s! 103.5 trips around the Sun...that's a wholeeeee lotta' Thanksgiving celebrations to have had.

11/25/2024

I'm a little behind, but this funny guy came in to see me on his actual birthday! Sooo...we had to snap a photo. He always cracks me up and that day was no different!