Stanford Medicine Children's Health

04/22/2026

Each pinwheel in the Dawes Garden at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford is a symbol of a child waiting for a lifesaving transplant. There are 59 kids from our transplant program waiting for an organ.

You can save lives. Register to be a donor today at https://register.donatelifecalifornia.org/lpch4life

04/22/2026

In a quiet corner of Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford, the detritus of modern medicine—tiny plastic caps, once destined for landfills—is being given a second life. 🌍

Through a collaboration with the ReCap Project, the hospital’s Sustainability Program and ECO–Green teams collect and sort discarded medical supplies with meticulous care, transforming what was once waste into the raw material of renewal.

Each quarter, more than 16 pounds of plastic are diverted, handled and sanitized by staff who balance environmental ambition with the uncompromising demands of patient safety.

At the center of this effort is Brandon Lin, a high school student whose initiative has quietly scaled beyond its modest beginnings. In his hands, a kaleidoscope of needle caps—sorted by color and shape—becomes both medium and message. Shredded and remade into objects like clipboards and frames, the plastic returns to the very institutions that once discarded it, closing a loop that is as practical as it is symbolic.

Over time, more than 100 pounds of caps have been repurposed, part of a broader vision that has already kept over a million pieces of plastic out of the waste stream.

The work unfolds without spectacle, yet its implications are expansive. As Stanford Medicine Children’s Health moves toward ambitious climate goals—cutting emissions in half by 2030 and reaching net zero by 2050—projects like this suggest a blueprint for change rooted not in sweeping gestures, but in accumulation: one cap, one act, one reimagined possibility at a time.

04/21/2026

How much is too much for your child to play their favorite sport? Check out this video featuring Dr. Arvind Balaji, a pediatric sports medicine specialist at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, to find out. Dr. Balaji practices in Pleasant Hill as part of our partnership with John Muir Health. https://bit.ly/4vJuvNQ

04/20/2026

Dr. Nicole Dudaney highlights must-have items for your medicine cabinet, along with expert tips for treating colds and managing emergencies. Read more on our blog, and continue listening on the HealthTalks podcast. https://bit.ly/3QcbCD3

04/17/2026

Calling all local NICU grad families and anyone who wants to support our NICU. Please join our neonatology team at tomorrow’s March for Babies event in San Jose! https://bit.ly/4erbx8i

04/17/2026

Meet Jennifer Alvarado, a remarkable young woman and BTS superfan who faced the challenging path of a double lung transplant with unwavering spirit and the uplifting music of BTS.

Early diagnosis and a complex journey led Jennifer to Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, where she received outstanding care from the only Pediatric Lung and Heart-Lung Transplant Program on the West Coast.

Fueled by her love for BTS and their empowering song "Dis-ease," Jennifer kept her spirits high. She even danced to their choreography during her hospital stays, turning away from negativity with her oxygen tank by her side.

After persevering through prehab, a complex transplant evaluation, and gravitating toward her trusted care team, Jennifer surpassed expectations—improving her health enough to pause her transplant wait. Then, in July 2024, her lung disease progressed, and Jennifer bravely underwent successful transplant surgery with new donor lungs.

The story doesn't end there! Jennifer will attend her first BTS concert at Stanford on May 16, 2026—a lifelong dream finally realized.

Jennifer says triumphantly, "Even though people say they are just a band, for me they are so much more.”

Join us in celebrating Jennifer's incredible journey, where music and determination create hope and healing.

Read her story here: https://bit.ly/41ALwfn

04/17/2026

04/16/2026

Put me in coach! Last weekend, Nora got to throw out the first pitch at a the Stanford Softball game.

Nora is a fifth grader who loves playing sports, especially volleyball. She recently returned to playing club volleyball after tearing one of the ligaments in her knee.

Nora’s hard work and commitment, her family, and her pediatric orthopedic surgery and rehab team at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health in Sunnyvale got her through the recovery process and back to play stronger than ever.

04/15/2026

In recognition of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, Stanford Medicine Children's Health planted gardens with more than 100 blue pinwheels at the hospital and clinic entrances to raise awareness. Blue pinwheels are a national symbol of child abuse prevention, representing the healthy and happy childhoods that all children deserve.

04/15/2026

Today marked Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford’s annual flag raising ceremony in honor of organ donors to celebrate recipients and raise awareness for the importance of organ donation. 💙💚

Currently there are 59 kids on the transplant waitlist for solid organs at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health.

Anyone can register to save lives, leaving a lasting legacy of hope. https://register.org

04/13/2026

During April's National Donate Life Blue & Green Day, our staff wears blue and green to engage in sharing the Donate Life message and promote the importance of registering as an organ, eye and tissue donor. We encourage Americans to register as organ, eye and tissue donors and to honor those that have saved lives through the gift of donation. Give hope. Register today.💙💚https://register.donatelifecalifornia.org/lpch4life

04/09/2026

We’re deeply grateful to Stanford Medicine Children's Health ❤️

A generous $250K grant will help strengthen food security and economic stability for low-income families across Santa Clara and San Mateo counties – providing enough food for 500,000 meals for children and families in Silicon Valley.

Because of this support funded by a grant from Stanford Medicine Children's Health, Palo Alto, California, more neighbors will have access to the nutritious food they need to thrive – at no cost.

Together, we’re building a more food-secure future for our community, one meal at a time.