Stanford Medicine Children's Health

01/23/2026

Get ready to go behind the scenes of our Access to Excellence advertising campaign! We're excited to share this sneak peek of what goes into crafting our creative spots. Be on the lookout for the advertising on digital and social.

01/21/2026

In our Fetal and Pregnancy Health Program, we care for more than 180 pregnancies at any one time, and our experienced and dedicated teams care for the most complex cardiac, nervous system, and multi-organ system anomalies. We are truly unique in our ability to care for pregnancies in which both a complex fetal anomaly and a complex maternal condition co-exist.

When expectant parents learn that their unborn baby has been diagnosed with a high-risk condition, they need guidance and support.

01/14/2026

Babies in utero whose kidneys aren't developing right or working properly now have a new chance at life. Recent innovations in amnioinfusions mean some babies have a better chance at surviving to dialysis or kidney transplant, options not available previously.

When expectant parents hear that their developing baby is in fetal renal failure and their kidneys are not working properly they can feel scared and overwhelmed.

01/07/2026

14-year-old Max Leib-Post is a rising star in the sport of Onewheel racing, thanks in part to a new treatment that helped get his cystic fibrosis (CF) under control.

Max recently won first place in his category at a national Onewheel competition and finished the season ranked No. 2 in the country in his category. That category includes many adult competitors, some of whom are professional Onewheel riders. Max’s rise through the Onewheel ranks is even more impressive because he has CF.

Two years ago, Max started modulator therapy, which helped him breathe better, gain weight, and fend off infections. Max was feeling better, which helped him engage in more physical activity. That’s when Onewheel became his passion. “If there’s a sport or activity you enjoy, get outside. It’s life-changing,” he said.

Onewheel uses an electric skateboard with a large wheel in the middle of the board. Riders place one foot in front of the wheel and one behind it. Riders race on courses that are similar to mountain biking trails and can reach speeds of 20 miles an hour or more. Max is in his freshman year of high school and planning to go pro next year.

01/02/2026

Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford rang in 2026 with a heartwarming moment — welcoming its first baby of the New Year on Thursday morning at 5:35 a.m. 🎊

First-time parents, Lesly Hernandez-Rodriguez and Jesus Lopez, from East Palo Alto, joyfully welcomed in their son, Felipe Lopez-Hernandez, weighing in at six and half pounds, on New Year’s Day. Baby Felipe is not only their first child but also the first grandchild of their family, and the start of a new generation.

Read more of their story. Tap the link in our comments.

01/01/2026

Christian Gomez, a two-time liver transplant recipient, shone at the 137th Rose Parade on New Year’s Day. His journey exemplifies the transformative power of organ donation, encouraging public involvement and awareness.

His inspiring story is shared in the comments section below.

01/01/2026

12/24/2025

Santa sighting! A visit from the jolly old elf confirms our patients at are officially on the nice list. Before heading out on his global delivery route, Santa stopped by more than 200 patient rooms to spread cheer with patients and their families. 🌎🦌🎅🏼

Santa shared special mementos—signed seasonal books featuring beloved holiday stories, including The Polar Express, How to Catch a Snowman, and First Winter, available in both English and Spanish. 📚

Families unable to receive visitors were still remembered, with Santa leaving handwritten notes and a Polaroid photo outside each room as proof he had been there.

From all of us at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, we wish you the happiest of holidays. ✨

12/21/2025

Continuing with our 2025 Highlights, meet Marcus, who was only about 1 day old when he was diagnosed with a rare form of congenital heart disease. After he failed a standard newborn congenital heart disease test, Nikola Tede, MD, a Stanford Medicine Children's Health pediatric cardiologist, ordered an echocardiogram, which revealed that Marcus had total anomalous pulmonary venous return (TAPVR). With TAPVR, the pulmonary veins that carry blood to the heart from the lungs do not connect in the right spot during fetal development. The only treatment is urgent neonatal heart surgery.

Marcus was transported by the Stanford Children’s Critical Care Transport team to Betty Irene Moore Children’s Heart Center for urgent heart surgery. Dr. Tede had put in a call to Michael Ma, MD, chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery at Stanford Children’s, and the two discussed Marcus and the heart surgery, which involves moving the pulmonary veins to their correct location in the back of the heart.

The heart surgery went just as planned. “The first hour after the heart surgery, Marcus was on a bunch of wires, but each day he overcame another obstacle,” Marcus’s mom, Lena, says. “It was pretty magical for a baby to have open-heart surgery and be back home within 10 days.”

Learn more about Marcus’s surgery and recovery: https://bit.ly/4rAgz6D

12/20/2025

12/19/2025

Our final feature in our 2025 Highlights series is a patient story featuring Mikayla, one of our heart transplant recipients.

Mikayla was 4 years old when she was referred to a Stanford Medicine Children's Health pediatric cardiologist after her pediatrician detected a heart murmur. “I didn’t think it was a big deal, since her doctor reassured me that many people are born with murmurs,” Mikayla’s mom, Stephanie, recalls. “And then suddenly, I got a call, and it was the cardiologist. She told me that Mikayla had restrictive cardiomyopathy. My daughter would eventually need a heart transplant to survive. I was immediately in tears.”

In June 2023, the family received the call they’d been waiting for: A heart was available for Mikayla. Two days later, Mikayla’s new heart beat in her chest for the first time, giving the little girl a second chance at life.

Today Mikayla loves to ride her scooter and bike. She sings, dances, and adores arts and crafts, and when asked what she wants to be when she grows up, Mikayla doesn’t hesitate: “I want to be a doctor at Stanford.”

Read the full story: https://bit.ly/3KG5HUb