01/22/2026
When Charlee was born in March 2020 at a small hospital close to home, her parents never imagined how quickly everything would change.
By May, Charlee needed specialized care her hospital couldn’t provide. As the world shut down due to COVID-19, calls went out for help, and for a time, no one could say yes. Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital did. 🏥 It’s the reason Charlee is alive today.
Charlee was transferred to the NICU during one of the most uncertain moments in healthcare. Her family faced unimaginable fear, including multiple life-threatening episodes where her care team stepped in to save her life.
Because of COVID restrictions, Charlee’s parents weren’t allowed to hold her skin-to-skin in her first NICU. At Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, they finally shared their first kangaroo holds at 74 and 75 days old, moments they will never forget. Charlee was diagnosed with a rare genetic condition, mosaic trisomy 9, and required care from multiple specialists. During her NICU stay, she was followed by Monica Arroyo, MD, Pediatric Neurologist, who later referred the family to someone she trusted deeply.
For the past two years, Charlee has been under the care of Syndi Seinfeld, Medical Director of the Epilepsy Program, and a Pediatric Neurologist, at the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Neuroscience Center. A routine EEG revealed spike-and-wave discharges, and while Charlee has not experienced seizures, she now receives annual EEGs so any changes can be addressed quickly, giving her family peace of mind.
Today, Charlee is thriving. Yes, she still has specialists. Yes, she still has therapies. But she’s here. She’s growing. She’s living her life. From her NICU days to ongoing neurological care, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital has been with Charlee every step of the way.
“Without Joe DiMaggio, she wouldn’t be here,” her mom says. “We are thankful every single day.”
At Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, we fight the unfair, for Charlee, and for every child. ❤️
