CHOC

"When you go bald, I'm going to get bald with you." In Daya's final days, she made sure Jaime, a CHOC employee, stayed true to his words. Her final wishes were to be with her CHOC family, to be cremated, and to cut Jaime's hair. See Daya's fulfilled wishes: https://blog.chocchildrens.org/choc-patient-fulfills-final/

At CHOC Children’s, we’ve assembled a mighty brigade of experts dedicated to caring for children, whether they’re healthy or seriously ill. So, kids can get back to being kids. #LongLiveChildhood

It wouldn't be a CHOC holiday without babes in Christmas stockings. <3 Hope your holidays are safe and as special as our tiniest patients.

"This holiday may look different this year, but there is hope with vaccines right around the corner. May your family enjoy the magic and meaning of the season and may the coming year bring better, brighter days." Kimberly Chavalas Cripe, President and CEO of CHOC

Nothing puts CHOC in a festive mood like caroling does! Although caroling around the hospital could not happen this year, our #CHOCFamily still found a way to bring joy to everyone this holiday season. From all of us at CHOC, wishing you a safe and healthy holiday! Thank you to our Music Therapy team for leading and to Child Life for supporting the many activities for patients, families and staff alike.

If your child feels disappointed right now over missed holiday celebrations, let her express her feelings, and validate them. Children will be most comforted by parents’ words of reassurance that you will get through these challenging times together. Our experts provide a guide.

No. 1 reason why children fall from windows: furniture placed below. And that is exactly what happened with five-year-old Lauren. Her mom, Ruth, shares their story of how CHOC's multi-disciplinary saved Lauren's life and helped them prevent an accident like this again.

It’s a historic day at CHOC! Today our physicians and staff started to receive the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine. The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has directed first doses of the vaccine to high-risk healthcare workers and residents of long-term care facilities. The vaccines aren’t yet available to the general public. We are hopeful for this step forward in combating COVID-19 but encourage everyone to continue wearing masks, washing hands frequently, and maintaining physical distance.

2020 was the year we all had to pivot and adapt, but hope, inspiration and the commitment to healthier futures remained as a steadfast beacon for all of us at CHOC. Jacob's story is a true example of that. After 9 months of cancer treatment during a pandemic, five-year-old Jacob rings in the new year cancer-free!

Oh my gourd! Our patients made healthy pumpkin seed granola bars with our Clinical Nutrition team virtually! Individually packaged ingredients were delivered to the kids and they were able to follow along as a clinicial dietitian was broadcasted into their rooms from Seacrest Studios. You can follow along too with the recipe provided!

Join Dr. Sarah Ruiz, pediatric psychologist from CHOC, for an essential conversation on parenting during the pandemic. Together we will learn new ways to help our children to navigate change with confidence and resilience. Register today. Virtual event will be presented in Spanish and is in conjunction with Girl Scouts of Orange County.

As temperatures begin to cool and the community prepares for Halloween celebrations, CHOC Children’s experts provide 5 options on how to celebrate Halloween safely amid COVID-19.

When Caleb was 3, he was diagnosed with a rare disease that affects almost every organ system in his body. With the help of his family and a CHOC team that spans from Metabolics to Orthopaedics, Caleb is now 14 and takes every day as a gift. His story offers hope, inspiration and courage.

Our patients in the Cherese Mari Laulhere Mental Health Inpatient Center shared through artwork what mental health means to them. The striking visuals are a reminder that mental health can mean a variety of things to different people, and it should be taken seriously. In our stories, we're sharing a blank canvas for you to screenshot and draw what mental health means for you. #WorldMentalHealthDay For #mentalhealth resources, please visit CHOC.org/MentalHealthToolkit. #HealthIsHealth

Your mental health matters. You matter. During this pandemic, children's mental health has been impacted more than ever. Unfortunately, this impact has led to more youth deaths by suicide. We encourage you to learn the early signs of mental illness in kids and teens and to fight the stigma of mental health. Find resources at https://blog.chocchildrens.org/the-link-between-covid-19-a/... #WorldMentalHealthDay #MentalHealth #HealthIsHealth

French Toast, the therapy dog, surprised us with a visit! Due to the pandemic and change in visitor guidelines, our therapy dogs and volunteers were unable to come visit for the past few months. However, French Toast's owner is also a CHOC associateallowing the two to safely visit. Together with Child Life, a socially-distanced event was held with coffee, donuts and a side of French Toast.

Shiloh, 2, was born with complications that required multiple stays in CHOC’s NICU and PICU, as well as frequent visits to a variety of specialists. One of those specialities is Physical Therapy to help with developmental delays. However, when COVID-19 hit, his therapy sessions switched swiftly to video chat. It was an adjustment for both Shiloh’s family and the PT team, but soon, successes with Shiloh were being achieved. Shiloh went from crawling to assisted walking, then from unassisted walking to climbing stairs. They even caught his first steps on videoall thanks to his telehealth physical therapy appointments. See Shiloh's first steps: https://blog.chocchildrens.org/how-telehealth-physical-the/ #PhysicalTherapyMonth #Telehealth

Last October, we featured Walter, who had just graduated from our Small Baby Unita specialized unit within our NICU. We're happy to say that he recently celebrated his first birthday and is thriving! Happy birthday, Walter! Revisit the story: https://blog.chocchildrens.org/one-family-two-nicu-stays/

Three-year-old Austin is a cancer-fighting superhero who has made his mark on our oncology floor! In the 160+ days he has been at CHOC, he has chosen to be happy and inspires those around him to be happy as well. Read about his full journey at https://blog.chocchildrens.org/superhero-austin-fights-can/ #ChildhoodCancerAwarenessMonth

Did you spot our oncology patients in the stands at Orange County Soccer Club's recent game?! They may have all been cut-outs, but the night was special nonetheless! #ChildhoodCancerAwarenessMonth

For 57 days, 13-year-old Augustina was in critical condition in CHOC's Pediatric Intensive Care Unit from COVID-19. There were moments where her care team did not know if she was going to make it through the night. So, when the time came for Augustina to finally be discharged to a local rehabilitation facility as a step toward going home, everyone wanted to give her the hero's send-off she deserved. See the full story on Augustina's bravery and the success of our PICU team: https://blog.chocchildrens.org/augustinas-heroic-battle-wi/

Eighteen-month-old Cassidy is no stranger to CHOC. She has been seen by our Down Syndrome Program and various other services such as Gastroenterology since she was 10 days old. Most recently, she added two more services to her list: the Hyundai Cancer Institute and Rehabilitation. Cassidy was recently diagnosed with acute megakaryoblastic leukemia and has been receiving chemotherapy treatment. Since her treatment requires her to be inpatient for weeks, our Rehabilitation tea...m stepped in to help Cassidy continue her therapies. She has Down syndrome, which means she has lower tone throughout her body and is developmentally delayed, says Katie, Cassidy’s mom. Rehab therapies not only help her improve these things, but also help keep her brain stimulated. Her rehab treatment sessions focus on walking, generalized strengthening, fine motor skills, communication, play skills, and ensuring eating remains a positive experience throughout chemotherapy. All of this is a combined effort of physical, occupational and speech therapies to ensure Cassidy has the childhood she deserves. Cassidy has only been seeing the Rehabilitation team for a short while, but the bond she has created with each therapist is already undeniable. Every one of them has been so kind to Cassidy and I, says Katie. They’re so great to work with and great at providing me tips to continue Cassidy’s therapies. With the Rehab team and many others at CHOC, Cassidy is sure to reach her medical goals and remain a thriving toddler. Happy National #RehabWeek