Patient Stories

"UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital helped save Grayson’s life. Without their expertise, Grayson could’ve had a very different outcome." Sara Erbes

"It's terrifying to us because many times he does not display serious symptoms of any kind and by the time he does, it's already to the point of him needing to be taken to the emergency room or hospital for breathing support."

Laura Corbett, RN, MNHP, nurse manager in the NICU at UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital, knows firsthand how teamwork pays off in newborn health and survival.

High-risk obstetricians, neonatal specialists give micropreemie family a new beginning.

Mila Stottmeister has been a fighter since her first moment in this world. Born at 28 weeks gestation and just over 2 lbs, Mila defied the odds, and her parents thank our NICU for their unwavering support for the family.

"She didn't know her name, she gave her birthdate scrambled, and she couldn't do simple things like pulling or pushing. After the CT results came back, we were told that Lexy had a tumor on the right side of her brain, and a build-up of fluid and pressure that required immediate attention. Lexy was then airlifted to UI Stead Family Children's Hospital." —Rebecca Johnson

My daughter, Leda, was born a perfectly healthy baby. During the two days after her birth she had a little trouble eating and spit up pretty much anything she ate. However, because she didn’t lose too much weight during those two days, we were sent home with our healthy baby (who just happened to spit up a lot).

Charlie was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a condition in which the side of the heart that pumps blood to the body is severely underdeveloped. Charlie had heart surgery four days after birth.

When Kyle Nelson's own newborn son needed emergency care, the 25-year-old Hillsboro, Iowa father knew where he wanted to go. He had no idea the trip would turn into a reunion.

Blaine fell when he was 2 years old and needed neck surgery, and Arnold Menezes, MD, discovered he had a cervical stenosis–the protective area around the spine had degenerated and become narrow.