Patient Stories

"Our youngest son, Mitchell, was diagnosed with pectus carinatum in February 2015. No doctors in Cedar Rapids treated this condition and we had to take him to University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital for specialty care."

Gwen had been sick and weak for several weeks and had developed a rash in May 2017. She had seen several doctors but did not get a diagnosis until her dermatologist took a biopsy of the rash. Gwen was found to have juvenile dermatomyositis, a rare autoimmune disease that affects three in every 1 million children each year. In juvenile dermatomyositis, the immune system attacks blood vessels throughout the body, causing muscle inflammation. This can cause exhaustion from everyday activities like walking up stairs or lifting a backpack.

"It was the scariest time of our lives. Going from having a healthy 5 1/2-month-old to a baby that couldn’t even be awake 15 minutes before experiencing a seizure was a very hard time."

On Aug. 30, 2017, life changed for Ryan Manahl and his family (Cedar Falls, IA) when his 3-year-old son, Tate, was accidentally run over with a lawn mower. “I tried to keep him calm but I kept thinking the worst – ‘Is this really it? Is my son going to die in my arms right now and he hasn’t even started to live his life?’”

"The day we left, I cried. I cried because of the amazing care we received and the friendships I had made."

"I didn't understand, after so much that my husband and I had already gone through, why this and why now."

"Tricia, this is not for you to worry about. As of now, you are healthy, and you are pregnant. This is a journey you should enjoy. Don't stress. Any complications that come up are for us to worry about and manage, not you." I immediately knew I was right where I needed to be.

When Parker was 3 days old, a pediatric neurosurgeon confirmed my son’s diagnosis of congenital hydrocephalus. At 4 months old, he underwent surgery to place a VP shunt within his brain.

"It’s funny how life works. Had I not been born with a cleft, my parents never would have moved to Wilton – the small Iowa town where I met my amazing wife. Without her, I wouldn't have been blessed with my two daughters, my everything." - Chad Gookin