Center for Disabilities and Development Patient Stories

When Mason was 6 months old, his parents noticed he wasn’t reaching certain milestones such as sitting up on his own or trying to crawl. When he was 1 year old, he woke up from a nap and unexpectedly had a 13-minute seizure.

Sam was born in Uganda with hydrocephalus, spina bifida—a birth defect in which bones don’t properly form around the spinal cord—and malformations in his bowel and bladder. He lived in an orphanage where specialized medical care wasn’t readily available, but he was adopted in 2015.

When Emeline’s parents learned their daughter had Down syndrome, they knew they wanted her to be born at UI Stead Family Children's Hospital. Newborns with Down syndrome often have health issues, and they wanted a hospital that could care for all of her needs.

Paetra’s first helicopter ride was when she was two; she was having a seizure and turning blue in her car seat. They found help at University of Iowa Children's Hospital.

Taylor Phillips has spastic quadriplegia with hypertonia, meaning her limbs are stiff. But with the help of speech therapy, occupational therapy, and physical therapy, she loves riding tandem bike with her father and hanging out on their acreage with her brother, Brody.

The only treatment for preeclampsia is to deliver the baby. At 25 weeks pregnant, Julie was taken by ambulance and Abi was born the next day, weighing just over 1 pound.