Patient Stories

Linda Norah-Davis: Patient and Research Participant

October 19, 2021

Linda says she found a new passion when she began participating in research at TIRR Memorial Hermann – she understands how these studies are beneficial for patients.

Carrie's Story: Baking Her Cake and Eating it Too

October 19, 2021

Wife, mom of two young daughters, and financial controller for a Fortune 100 company, Carrie Jobe is a self-proclaimed ‘working momma and boss lady.’ When a series of fainting spells led to a benign brain tumor diagnosis, she didn’t intend to let it slow her down for too long.

Lucky to Have Him: A Testimony from the Family of Jack Rieger

October 12, 2021

Jack Rieger suffered a severe fall causing numerous injuries. After 9 months in UCLA intensive care, Jack was transferred to TIRR Memorial Hermann. From the therapy and education provided by the Disorders of Consciousness program, he was able to return safely home.

Never Give Up: A Testimony from the Family of Nolan Whisenant

October 12, 2021

Nolan had just graduated high school in 2016 when he was involved in a rollover auto accident. He was ejected from the vehicle and suffered a severe traumatic brain injury. Nolan had an all-star, rock-star-level healthcare team at TIRR Memorial Hermann. Dr. Sunil Kothari, TIRR Memorial Hermann Di...

Susan's Story: Moving Forward after Guillain-Barré Syndrome

October 7, 2021

Susan received care as an inpatient at TIRR Memorial Hermann on two separate occasions and as a TIRR Memorial Hermann outpatient. Her large care team worked closely together to ensure continuity of her rehabilitation.

The Gift That Lasted a Lifetime, and Beyond

October 7, 2021

Over the years, Linda, her husband, Frank H. Marsters, III, and their growing family would be the beneficiaries of many skilled and compassionate nurses at Fort Bend Hospital, which later became Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital.

A Testimony from the Family of Eric Smith

October 4, 2021

While in the hospital in Washington, Eric’s neurologist suggested that the family look into the Disorders of Consciousness (DoC) Program at TIRR Memorial Hermann in Houston. Two weeks post discharge in May of 2018, Eric and Cheryl boarded a plane and traveled to Houston.

Car Crash Victim Loses Pulses for Over 30 Minutes and Survives

October 1, 2021

When EMS arrived, the 23-year-old Huntsville woman had an undetectable blood pressure, very little pulse and her body temperature was 81.7 degrees.

Mother of Eight Survives Stroke Thanks to a Trauma System That Works

October 1, 2021

Marrissa was transported from Memorial Hermann Cypress Hospital via Life Flight® to Memorial Hermann-TMC, an approximate 12-minute flight, where Dr. Blackburn stood by to perform a minimally invasive procedure to remove the clot that caused Miller’s stroke.

Direct-to-OR Protocol Instrumental in Saving Gunshot Victim’s Life

October 1, 2021

In 2018, the Memorial Hermann Red Duke Trauma Institute implemented a new process which enables eligible patients to be taken straight from the Memorial Hermann Life Flight® helipad to the trauma OR, bypassing the hospital’s Emergency Center. This process, was instrumental in saving the life of a...

16-year-old Avoids Heart Transplant With Innovative Biventricular Conversion Procedure

October 1, 2021

Rasheed Alshammari had been on the waiting list for a heart transplant at a California hospital for over a year. When the surgeon who was to perform the transplant left the hospital, Rasheed was removed from the list.

Teen Who Survived being Ejected from Single Car Motor Vehicle Collision Returns to School

October 1, 2021

Late last year, Sam Mills was living the carefree life of a teenager. However, the day after Christmas in 2020, the 17-year old’s life changed instantly, when he lost control of his car while heading home from work in Katy, Texas.

Don Pannell: Cancer-Free Following Innovative Robotic Prostatectomy

September 29, 2021

In the beginning, Don Pannell exhibited no obvious signs of prostate cancer. He had no issues with urination. No pain. And no family history of the disease.

Peggy’s Story: Atypical Ductal Hyperplasia

September 21, 2021

In May 2019, Peggy Setliff had her first 3-D mammogram following a 4-year lapse in annual mammograms."My younger sister was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 54, and my father died of three different forms of cancer," says the 66-year-old, who works at Memorial Hermann-TMC. "I had become lackad...

Treatment for Metaplastic Breast Cancer Dramatically Improves Patient’s Quality of Life

September 20, 2021

When Karen Cole finally sought medical care for the tumor growing in her right breast, the tumor measured 24 centimeters and weighed nearly 10 pounds. “I called it my monster,” says the petite 58-year-old from Montgomery, Texas. “I knew it was killing me, but I was upset and pan...

Multimodal Treatment of Aggressive Prostate Cancer in 58-Year-Old

September 10, 2021

During a routine physical in November 2020, 58-year-old Troy Griffin mentioned to his family doctor that he had been experiencing some minor urinary symptoms—a little stopping and starting of his urine stream and a bit of urinary urgency and frequency. His doctor performed a PSA test, which...

Abbi's Story: Dancing After Spinal Cord Injury

September 9, 2021

When Abbi first arrived at TIRR Memorial Hermann, she had mild weakness in her legs, patchy sensation in her legs, painful numbness and tingling in her legs, and difficulty with maintaining her blood pressure when sitting and standing because of her spinal cord injury from her tumor.

Myford's Story: Creating Success after Spinal Cord Injury

September 9, 2021

Myford Collins set numerous track and field records in junior high and high school and was a Texas All-Star, an All-American and an Amateur Athletic Union Junior Olympics champion headed for the Olympics. Then, as an 18-year-old freshman in Irving, Texas, his life changed when a drunk driver ran ...

Mason Mims: A Normal, Whole Heart and a Bright Future

August 9, 2021

Karen and Taylor Mims spent the first six years of their son’s life trying to accept the fact that he was born with half a heart and would eventually require a heart transplant. Now, thanks to an innovative procedure being performed by affiliated pediatric heart surgeons at Children’s...

Grant's Story: Back on His Feet After Minimally Invasive Gallbladder Surgery

July 7, 2021

Grant had been staying with his parents at their Katy home because the power was out at his Houston apartment when he suffered a severe gallbladder attack. “I had been having gallbladder trouble for over a year, and my gastroenterologist had recommended I get a surgery consult to have my gallbla...

A Double Diagnosis of Brain and Lung Cancer

June 7, 2021

Natascha Odom thought she might be coming down with COVID-19 when she began having trouble finding the right words. The 49-year-old fourth grade math teacher at Hubenak Elementary School in Richmond told a colleague who took her to see the school nurse. When Odom told the nurse that the curren...

RoxAnn's Story: One Woman, Two Liver Transplants

June 2, 2021

RoxAnn Martinez has had three livers. The 56-year-old from Baytown, just outside of Houston, has the care she received at Memorial Hermann Health System and two liver donors to thank for giving her a second – and third – chance at life.

Carter’s Story: Multidisciplinary Team Treats Newborn with Rare Congenital Tumor

May 28, 2021

At Sarah’s 16-week ultrasound, her obstetrician explained that one of the babies she was carrying had a 2- to 3-centimeter mass at the base of his tailbone. The doctor explained that the baby had a sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT), a tumor growing at the base of his tailbone. SCT is a rare condition...

Major's Story: Young Stroke Patient Returns to Family, Friends and Fun

May 11, 2021

Major Hudlin is a vibrant, active 7-year-old boy who loves to make TikTok videos and play outside with his siblings. So when his grandmother picked him up from daycare one day and realized that he was not lifting his right arm or moving the fingers on that hand, she became alarmed.

Lily Nail Celebrates Independence from Spina Bifida

April 28, 2021

Hailee Nail learned her baby had spina bifida on Aug. 13, 2020, when she saw her obstetrician in Tulsa, Okla., for her 20-week anatomy scan. “My OB/GYN told me that it would require surgery and gave me the names of several centers, but he wanted me to go to Houston,” she says.

Matthew Alvarez: Donor Kidney Gives Infant a Bright Future

April 22, 2021

Pamela Alvarez exudes gratitude. Like most parents, she and her husband, Mike, are grateful to have healthy children, but the couple are also eternally grateful for the generous kidney donor who gave their younger son, Matthew, a second chance.

Derek Hackworth: Infant Thriving One Year After Kidney Transplant

April 22, 2021

In April 2020, Keisha Howell and David Hackworth got the call they’d been waiting for. “It was about 11 o’clock at night, and a nurse from the Transplant Center called and said, ‘We have a match for Derek.’ I packed up Derek and headed straight there,” says Keisha.

Faizbano Rayani: Back at Work After Auto Accident

March 25, 2021

After the jaws of life extracted Faizbano from her vehicle, an ambulance took her to Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital. She had a cut on her head and had fractured several vertebrae in her back. As an employee of Memorial Hermann, she knew she was in good hands.

Young Dad Beats Colon Cancer, Welcomes Second Child

March 10, 2021

In 2017, Daniel Begnaud’s world as he knew it came crashing down when he was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer at the age of 30. A father of a 1-year-old son, he was initially told that it was unlikely he would ever have more children. On top of a cancer diagnosis, that was a hard pill to swal...

An ER Visit Results in a Shocking Diagnosis

March 10, 2021

When Elaine Delira’s legs began to swell, the 44-yearold would never have guessed the cause. After checking in at the Emergency Center at Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital, Delira underwent a full workup. Her blood work came back indicating she was anemic. A CT scan revealed a possible tumor. ...

Wanda Diamond: Therapy from the Comfort of Home

February 22, 2021

As an individual living with Parkinson’s disease, Wanda Diamond has frequent medical appointments. When the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the country, she wanted to find other options for her routine healthcare needs that would minimize potential exposure to the virus. One solution Wanda ...

Darryn’s Story: A Gender-Affirming Transition

February 20, 2021

It’s something most people take for granted: the ability to just be who you are in public. But for Darryn Hurt, it was a constant struggle. Knowing he was born in the wrong body, Darryn never felt like he fit in. After five years of testosterone therapy and 12 months of psychological counse...

Corey Nowlin: Learning to Communicate

February 19, 2021

In April 2020, Corey Nowlin suffered a severe head injury. Today, thanks to the TIRR Memorial Hermann’s Disorders of Consciousness program, he’s able to communicate again.

Redefining Wholeheartedness: Faith, Hope and a Nontraditional Approach Save Newborn’s Life

February 9, 2021

Kemberlee Burgert's baby was diagnosed with Ebstein anomaly, a rare congenital heart defect in which the tricuspid valve, the valve between the upper right chamber (right atrium) and the lower right chamber (right ventricle), isn’t formed properly, allowing blood to leak back into the right atriu...

Camryn and Morgan: Identical Again

February 9, 2021

At her 8-week maternity check-up, Chanelle Smith and her husband, Patrick, were surprised and delighted to learn that Chanelle was carrying identical twins. At 28 weeks, Dr. Ramos identified a small hole in the heart of one of the babies. Additional tests revealed that the baby suffered from a co...

Anthony: Working Hard In and Out of the Classroom

February 9, 2021

When the final bell of the day rang, 18-year-old Anthony Velasquez walked out of his high school just as he had on every other day. It was October 2019, and he was one of a group of teens crossing the street adjacent to his school when a car unexpectedly drove around a school bus and hit Anthony....

Emily Claire: Back on the Slopes

February 9, 2021

Emily Claire Jackson Sanders has been skiing since she was old enough to walk. Her father enjoys taking his wife and three daughters to Steamboat Springs, CO to ski during the winter months. So it was unusual when 20-year-old Emily did not come down the mountain one evening while skiing with her ...

David’s Story: Freedom from IV Nutrition

January 27, 2021

Eight-year-old David Martinez is finally free of the intravenous (IV) tube through which he has received essential nourishment since birth. His team of physicians at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) and Children’s Memorial Hermann Hosp...

Grant Lashley's Long Road Back from COVID-19

December 28, 2020

Emergency medicine physician Grant Lashley, MD, is among the many healthcare professionals who contracted COVID-19 while treating patients during the United States’ first wave of virus cases in April 2020. While working the night shift in the emergency department at Abbeville General Hospit...

Thom's Story: The Healing Touch

November 10, 2020

Thom Knapp's career was put on hold as his leg became severely infected and he had to be hospitalized at Memorial Hermann facilities. Thom was first hospitalized for approximately 5 days at Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital, where his diabetes was treated and it was determined that he had a severe i...

Pohla Boys Thrive Despite Mitochondrial Disease

October 20, 2020

Melody and Doug Pohla have much to be proud of and thankful for. Their three sons, Nicholas, 17, Nathan, 15, and Daniel, 12, are all bright, active and extremely accomplished young men, each in his own right. Their firstborn, Nicholas, earned his first Tae Kwando black belt when we was 8 years ol...

Karen Echols: The Warning Signs Were There

October 1, 2020

Karen Echols doesn’t mince words: “I think a lot of people don’t like to talk about their poop.” The 52-year-old Houston hairdresser and mother of three, now a rectal cancer survivor, says she knows a lot about poop. But because she kept ignoring the warning signs, she came by that knowledge the ...

Anthony: Taking a Victory Lap

September 18, 2020

A spinal cord injury that started as a tingling sensation in his fingers quickly developed into numbness and immobility in his legs. After diagnosis and rehabilitation with Memorial Hermann Rehabilitation Hospital - Katy, Anthony has returned home and is walking again.

Ruben: Returning to the Great Outdoors

August 7, 2020

The scenery was stunning—waterfalls and streams created an ideal site for hiking. Ruben Menchaca had always loved camping and being out in nature, but this time something was wrong. His lower back was hurting, and not letting up. He thought it was from the long drive he and his wife took in...

Andrew’s Story: Team Approach Cures Rare Lung Defect

July 7, 2020

When their unborn son was diagnosed with a rare and potentially life-threatening congenital birth defect, Carrie and Jordan Farrar knew they needed to find the experts, and fast. Fortunately, the couple from Tyler, Texas, was referred to The Fetal Center at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital. T...

Edgar Venson: Back in the Saddle

July 7, 2020

When a stroke threatened to take away Edgar’s ability to ride his horse or strum his guitar, he turned to Memorial Hermann Rehabilitation Hospital – Katy. In February 2018, Edgar was at home in Sealy, Texas, getting into bed for the night when he began feeling a tingling sensation in ...

Aryah’s CDH Story: Thriving at 4

June 30, 2020

Aryah plays basketball. She cheerleads. She rides horses. She jumps on the trampoline and loves water slides. “She’s ahead of the curve for her age,” says Courtney. But that wasn’t always the case. Before Aryah was born, Courtney and her husband, Robert, learned that their baby had congenital dia...

Michael’s Story: Minimally Invasive Hernia Repair

June 18, 2020

Looking back, Michael wonders why he waited so long to have his abdominal hernia repaired. An avid hiker and hunter, the 60-year-old Houstonian somehow managed to work around it—for 10 years. “It wasn’t particularly painful, but after being on my feet all day hiking or hunting, it felt like if so...

Kristy Martin: Atypical Presentation of Acute Myeloid Leukemia

June 5, 2020

“My whole life changed. Everything changed,” she says. “But it has been such a positive journey. It made me realize what’s important and what’s not. Everyone worked together. It all worked out.”

Lewis: Back on Stage Making Music

May 14, 2020

After retiring in 2017, Lewis Frey turned his part-time love of playing his guitar, into a full-time job. He had regular gigs around the Houston area, and he and his band were enjoying entertaining their audiences. But, in June 2019 he had a stroke which put a pause in his playing. After his inpa...

Phil Eaton: Road to Recovery

May 1, 2020

In March 2020, high school principal Phil Eaton was admitted to Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center with pneumonia. A short time later, he was diagnosed with COVID-19. His condition became serious, and he spent 21 days on a ventilator. After being discharged from acute care, Phil was ex...

Cathy's Story: Stroke Rehabilitation

April 16, 2020

After having a stroke and being rushed into surgery to remove a large portion of her skull to allow for brain swelling, Cathy was accepted into TIRR Memorial Hermann for rehabilitation.

To Grief and Back: Joy, Heartbreak and Gratitude in the Dugger Family

April 3, 2020

Christine and Blake Dugger learned they were pregnant with twins in December, 2017. “The entire pregnancy was a surprise,” Christine Dugger says. “We have two older daughters, who were six and three at the time, and we were very much not planning on having more children, but whe...

Sophia’s Story: Growth Modulation to Correct Bowed Legs

April 1, 2020

When Sophia was 6 or 7, her knees started to bow. At around age 8, she began experiencing knee and ankle pain. That’s when Leanne took her to see Dr. Younas, a pediatric orthopedic and scoliosis surgeon affiliated with Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital and an associate professor in the Departm...

Kevin's Story: Hometown Care

February 11, 2020

Knowing that patients and their families prefer to receive medical care in their hometown, Brant Lipscomb, M.D., a Memorial Hermann-affiliated orthopedic surgeon and team physician for The Woodlands High School (TWHS), rode home with TWHS football player Kevin Butts and his family after Kevin was...

Knee Replacement Surgery Gets Karl Back on the Golf Course

December 28, 2019

After knee replacement surgery, Karl was surprised how much his knee pain had diminished. He attributes this to the pre-surgery protocol that Dr. Mathis follows — taking pain medications, etc. Once he got through the eight weeks of physical therapy, Karl’s mobility increased considerably and he s...

Joseph Park: Advanced Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy for Early Stage Lung Cancer

December 1, 2019

When 78-year-old Joseph Park was diagnosed with stage IB non-small cell lung cancer in December 2019, members of Memorial Hermann’s multidisciplinary tumor board met to discuss his case and treatment options. Despite being in generally good health, Park has a history of smoking—he says he quit w...

Jaclyn Pellicotte: Small Steps Toward Her Goals

September 30, 2019

When Jaclyn was admitted to the TIRR Memorial Hermann Disorders of Consciousness (DoC) Program, she was not responding to any commands. But the first thing the therapist said when she arrived at TIRR Memorial Hermann was, ‘we’re going to get her up.’ At that point Jaclyn had bee...

Multidisciplinary Approach Gives Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) Patient a New Chance

September 9, 2019

Houston Deputy Sheriff Bryan Durham recalls the day he first felt something was wrong. “I was arresting a suspect who had become combative. I wrestled him for about 30 seconds to get him into handcuffs, and it felt like I had fought for an hour. After I subdued him, I couldn’t catch m...

Gage's Story: Pectus Surgery Puts Basketball Star Back on the Court

August 14, 2019

Gage Hulse is having the time of his life. The 19-year-old basketball star from Huffman, Texas, recently graduated from high school and is college bound on a full-ride athletic scholarship. During his senior year, he led his team, the Huffman Falcons, to a record-breaking season and a district ch...

The Lee Family's Story

August 6, 2019

After visiting Mr. Lee's Pearland convenience store one morning, as he had every day for 16 years, Officer Castillo noticed Mr. Lee didn't greet him as normal. As Officer Castillo turned the corner, he saw Mr. Lee laying on the ground bleeding from his head. "I told him to hang in there as the m...

Jennifer's Battle with Cirrhosis

May 17, 2019

When Dr. Hall first saw Jennifer, her weight had swelled to more than 200 pounds from the buildup of fluid from both liver and kidney failure. “She was so ill, so swollen. She couldn’t even walk,” Dr. Hall remembers. Transplant was her only hope, but the volume of water in her b...

Early Detection of Tubular Breast Carcinoma Saves Andrea Cain’s Life

May 3, 2019

Women who get routine mammograms know the drill: Before the exam, you’re typically asked if you have experienced any changes in your breasts—including pain or changes in appearance—since your last mammogram. Those questions prompted 55-year-old Middle School Principal Andrea Deneé Cain to recall ...

Cason's Story: Boy Born With Half A Heart Undergoes Innovative Procedure Giving Him A Normal Heart

April 22, 2019

During her 20-week ultrasound, Savannah’s obstetrician diagnosed that her unborn baby’s heart was abnormally small and referred her to a maternal fetal medicine specialist. The specialist ordered a dedicated fetal echocardiogram (“echo”), a specialized ultrasound of the fe...

A Miracle Baby for the Pinedas

February 6, 2019

When Brittany Pineda learned she was pregnant with her fourth child, she knew she would go to The Fetal Center at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston for pregnancy care.

Quieting a Traumatic Cardiac Storm

January 31, 2019

The team rushed Oscar to the heart catheterization lab to clear the blockages in the stent. But scar tissue from the heart attack had begun to form on his heart and he developed life-threatening arrhythmias called a ventricular tachycardia storm, basically, a severe electrical storm in his hea...

Aubree Ford: Positive Steps Towards Independence

January 7, 2019

Aubree was diagnosed as a baby with spastic triplegic cerebral palsy. In her case, both her legs and her left arm had spasticity – a condition that made her affected limbs rigid and stiff. Because of the spasticity, Aubree has had physical therapy since she was a baby to help manage it. She has n...

A Couple’s Determination - Dyane and Garrett's Story

December 3, 2018

As participants in the Memorial Hermann's NewStart program, Dynae and Garrett each lost 120lbs with NewStart. That's a combined 240 pounds. "Doing it as a team made it so much easier. You're going to get just a better quality of life and certainly a longer and happier life as a result of it. Why ...

Breast Cancer Survivor Skips Chemotherapy

November 5, 2018

Sonya Lira has a strong family history of multiple cancers, but when she was tested for genetic mutations that might be linked to her breast cancer, there were none. “We did comprehensive genetic testing involving a complete gene sequencing of her DNA, testing for all known mutations,&rdquo...

Double Total Knee Replacement Now I Can Enjoy More Family Fun

October 11, 2018

“My life turned around dramatically after total knee replacement surgery on both knees,” explains Gustavo Ayala, MD, who had the procedure done on both knees at the same time. Over a six-month period, Dr. Ayala’s condition worsened from experiencing moderate pain to battlin...

Gray’s Story: Flawless Teamwork Saves 3-Year-Old Trauma Patient’s Life

October 10, 2018

What began as a typical weekday evening for the Guice family of Atascocita, Texas, almost became one of unimaginable loss when 3-year-old Grayson “Gray” slipped in the bathroom onto a ceramic trash can and was impaled by a broken shard. An injury of this magnitude could easily have co...

Grayson’s Story: Staying Ahead of Type 1 Diabetes

August 31, 2018

Thirteen-year-old Grayson likes typical kid things – basketball, taekwondo, running, pizza and birthday cake. For Grayson, these things, which a “typical” kid might take for granted, carry a potential danger. Without proactive management of his insulin intake, too much physical exertion can send ...

River Rasmussen: A Family Finds Hope

August 10, 2018

After an automobile accident left him bedridden and unresponsive, River's sister found hope for him with the TIRR Memorial Hermann Disorders of Consciousness Rehabilitation Program.

Mila Grace: The Little Smile Monster

August 7, 2018

When Natalie’s unborn baby daughter, Mila Grace, was diagnosed with spina bifida in utero, Natalie and her husband, Kevin, were stunned. After a routine ultrasound done just a week earlier, her obstetrician suspected that one of Mila Grace’s feet was clubbed and referred Natalie to a ...

Caleb’s Story: Successful Emergency Surgery for Obstructed Pulmonary Vein

August 7, 2018

A well-orchestrated chain of events saved the life of Caleb, a newborn with a rare and very serious congenital (present at birth) heart defect. Fortunately, that chain was populated by an experienced and collaborative team who worked together seamlessly to diagnose, transport and treat the baby. ...

Less Invasive Surgical Technique Used to Repair Baby Beau’s Heart

August 7, 2018

At three-and-a-half months old, Beau made Texas medical history when the hole in his tiny heart was closed with the help of a specialized, minimally invasive surgical technique offered at Children’s Heart Institute at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital. Jessica and Andrew learned th...

Grateful to Be Pain-Free, Doc Enjoys Hunting and Fishing

July 25, 2018

Doc Monical (“Doc”) returned from a fun four-day cruise early in 2018 with more than great memories of scenic adventures: the pain in his left leg was getting more severe. “The pain in my leg from sciatica was worse,” he recalls, “and I needed to find a solution.” Sciatica is a term that describe...

Surviving Breast Cancer at a Young Age Angel Marie Fields Moves on to Help Others

July 17, 2018

Angel Marie Fields was out with friends when she noticed that her chest felt tight and heavy. She felt a lump but did not give it much attention. After all, she was only 26. When she checked it again later, it felt like one big lump. She made an appointment with her ob-gyn, Hany Ahmed, MD, w...

Saving a Linguist’s Tongue

July 17, 2018

In summer of 2017, Beck had what he thought was a canker sore that was not healing. His dentist examined it and advised him to see a specialist for a biopsy if it didn’t heal in a couple of weeks. After a biopsy that fall, he learned he had stage 2 carcinoma of the tongue and was referred t...

Lexi’s Story: Bouncing back from a Shattered Femur

July 5, 2018

A double bounce on a trampoline at her brother’s birthday party sent 11-year-old Lexi spiraling out of control, landing hard on her right leg. Thankfully, Lexi would end up in the skilled hands of Lindsay Crawford, MD, an affiliated pediatric orthopedic surgeon at McGovern Medical School at UTHea...

Chadrick’s Story Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis

May 31, 2018

Fourteen-year-old Chadrick, who plays outside linebacker for his school’s football team, struggled with hip soreness and stiffness for months, especially when engaging in physical activities. He took anti-inflammatories and iced his hip, but the pain and stiffness kept coming back. When his fathe...

Cameron’s Story: Multidisciplinary Team Supports Boy on His Long Journey of Healing

May 9, 2018

Cameron is on the “A” honor roll in his fifth-grade class, a significant achievement for any kid. Cameron is not just any kid. He is a survivor. At 10 years of age, Cameron has already undergone 24 surgical procedures. Cameron was diagnosed with an extremely rare genetic condition known as Mandib...

Edna Doberson: Support Means Everything

April 12, 2018

A few years ago, Edna Doberson began to feel tired and immediately knew something was wrong. Edna was referred to Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center where a thorough evaluation diagnosed her with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)/interstitial lung disease, and she was shocked to learn she ne...

Gerrie's Story: Pain Management Keeps Spine Surgery at Bay

March 20, 2018

After being told she would not be able to walk within a year without back surgery, retired nurse Geraldine “Gerrie” Sullivan sought a second opinion and found neuroradiologist and pain management specialist John Beerbower, MD. With Dr. Beerbower’s help, she is not only walking, ...

New Year, New Body: A Life-Changing Weight Loss Story

March 2, 2018

In 2012, Brenda received her first wake-up call that she had to make a change when she was diagnosed with high blood pressure. Doctors prescribed her with medication to help with her diagnosis. However, her weight, a risk factor of high blood pressure, continued to be an issue.

Camden’s Story: Surgical Correction for Pectus

February 23, 2018

After year's of different diagnoses, Camden's breathing and chest pains were worsening until the doctors at Children's Memorial Hermann stepped in and got him the diagnosis and treatment he needed. Camden was diagnosed with pectus excavatum, also known as funnel chest, the most common congenital ...

Mina’s Story: Teen Gymnast Overcomes Vascular Anomaly

February 8, 2018

Fourteen-year-old Mina is a champion. Every day, she overcomes obstacles to pursue her lifelong goal of becoming a world-class gymnast. But recently, despite her hard work and fierce determination to be the best, Mina almost met her match. Mina was born with a venous malformation on her right che...

Hayes’ Story: Supravalvular Aortic Stenosis

February 2, 2018

Hayes appeared to be a perfectly healthy newborn. Three hours after birth, however, a nurse who was listening to his heart through a stethoscope heard an abnormal heart sound – a heart murmur – indicating a possible heart problem. A cardiologist ordered an echocardiogram (diagnostic cardiac ultra...

Adan’s Story: From Treating Patients to Becoming One

January 31, 2018

When Dr. Adan Rios was diagnosed with cancer, his physician, Dr. Karni, knew it was deeply personal. One morning, Adan woke up with the left side of his neck completely swollen and assumed he had developed a lymphoma. A biopsy revealed that it was sqaumous cell cancer. The next steps were imaging...

Aryah’s CDH Story: The First FETO Intervention Patient of The Fetal Center

January 8, 2018

Courtney and Robert both remember the feeling of pure joy in January 2016 when finding out they were pregnant with their second child – a baby girl – after three years of trying. Their happiness soon gave way to worry, though, when Courtney’s obstetrician said her ultrasound sca...

Pregnant after 40: Jennifer’s Story

January 8, 2018

As fall of 2011 approached, Jennifer Sailors was 40 years old and in the prime of her life. Between working and having a family, Jennifer was busy, but she was used to that. Then one day, she realized she was feeling run-down. “I thought, gosh I’m really tired,” she remembers. &...

Moving Back to Houston for the Twins

January 7, 2018

Already parents of two, the Agees knew this pregnancy was going to be a little more complicated than the others—but they didn’t yet realize it would mean a move back to Texas. It was when the Agees’ identical twins were 23 weeks along that the couple discovered they were sufferi...

In The Blood

January 7, 2018

Until Christmas Day in 2010, DaVonne Christopher’s first pregnancy had been rather unremarkable. But that evening, during dinner, she went into labor, giving birth to son Eli the following day. Though no complications occurred during the delivery itself, the newborn was quickly whisked away by me...

A Smile So Sweet: Jacob’s Cleft Lip Story

January 7, 2018

On April 21, 2014, Leah Yeglin gave birth to her son, Jacob. Moments later, she began to sense something was wrong – and soon learned her intuition was right. A nurse informed her that Jacob had a cleft lip but, thankfully, was otherwise healthy. “It was a shock,” Yeglin remembers. “I thought tha...

Bending the Curve: Mya’s Scoliosis Story

January 7, 2018

It was November 2014, and Mya Aguilar was three months into her eighth-grade year. She had been called down to the school nurse for an annual checkup. When the school nurse asked Mya to bend over and touch her toes, she noticed something wrong with the eighth-grader’s back. Mya’s mother, Geneva A...

Off His Chest: Dylan’s Pectus Story

January 5, 2018

Being a teenager is often difficult and confusing. For Dylan Palomino, that was compounded by his discovery, at age 14, that he had the genetic condition known as pectus excavatum, which causes the breastbone to sink into the chest, sometimes dramatically. “I was in junior high, a time when you’r...

Filling the Gaps: Gavin’s CDH Story

January 5, 2018

Amy Sager was 20 weeks pregnant with her second child when, during a routine ultrasound, she found out she was carrying a boy. But for Sager and her husband, Kevin, what should have been a joyous moment soon gave way to concern. The baby’s heart, the obstetrician informed them, was pushed to the ...

Max’s Story: Little Patients – More Than Just Small Adults

January 4, 2018

It was 6 a.m. on a summer morning when it happened: 3-year-old Max Mullervy, asleep next to his mother, Laura, rolled off the bed. He missed the cushions she had placed on the floor, and on the way down, hit his eye on the side table. Max’s scream woke his mom with a start. “It was a ...

Chloe's Journey With Dysautonomia

January 3, 2018

Chloe spent months in the offices of a local neurologist and neurosurgeon as they tried to determine what was wrong. Finally, one of them referred her to Dr. Ian Butler, a pediatric neurologist affiliated with Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, about her many health concerns: headaches, lack o...

Sticky Situation: When Glue Fixes a Brain and Saves a Life

January 3, 2018

When a very rare brain condition caused fourth-grader Lauren Lackey to slip into a coma, her parents, Sandy and Mark Lackey hate to think what would have happened to their daughter if the ambulance had not made the long drive to Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital. Mark remembers feeling i...

A Surgeon’s Secret: As She Operated on Babies’ Birth Defects, a Doctor Hid Her Own Diagnosis

January 2, 2018

For many years, Dr. Mary Austin could count on one hand the people who knew. There was her close friend through middle school, who helped her pee by pushing on her lower abdomen. Years later, during her surgical training at Vanderbilt University, she confided in a mentor. Her husband knew, of cou...

Finally at Ease: A Remarkable Surgery Cures a 3-Month-Old Baby with Epilepsy

December 28, 2017

By the time he was 3 months old, Wesley’s seizures were occurring up to 55 times a day — every minute or two while he was awake, and every 10 to 15 minutes when he slept. His doctor prescribed him nine different medications over the course of three months, but none provided long-lasting relief. D...

Lizzy’s NICU Stay: The Bright Spot in a Dark Cloud

December 7, 2017

Meghann had planned a natural home birth for her first child, Elizabeth Caroline (“Lizzy”). When she started having abdominal pains at 23 weeks, her midwife ordered lab tests that came back normal. A week before Lizzy was born on January 18, 2013, severe abdominal pain sent Meghann to...

Andrea: An Unusual Brain Tumor

November 28, 2017

When Andrea was 15, a CT scan showed an unusually large, dense mass in the back part of her brain - with a buildup of fluid. The imaging study revealed an unusually large, dense mass in the posterior fossa - the lower back of the skull containing the brain stem and cerebellum- with obstructive hy...

Iris’ Story: MoMo Twins Survive Rollercoaster Start

November 27, 2017

When Iris finally got her wish, an ultrasound revealed not one, but two heartbeats. Twins. Identical twins, in fact. Iris and her husband were elated. But the ultrasound indicated a potential problem, and her doctor referred her to The Fetal Center at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital.&n...

Life Flight Key to Young Father's Survival After Horrific Motorcycle Crash

November 21, 2017

Michael Cassidy was cruising home on his motorcycle after proudly passing a welding exam. That is when his life changed forever. Without warning, the back wheel of the motorcycle spun out, and Michael, 25, lost control. Incredibly, among the handful of people who had witnessed the accident were t...

Lisa's Story: Total Hip Replacement

November 17, 2017

Lisa - who had been an avid equestrian all her life - shares the story of her struggle with hip displaysia, and how the pain from it nearly forced her to give up her passion. Lisa was left devastated after the pain became too much to bear, but found hope again after learning about joint replaceme...

Treating a Life-Threatening Brain Injury: From Life Flight to OR Table in Nine Minutes

November 16, 2017

A small bump on the head during a game at his elementary school in Lufkin, Texas – at first Landon Courtney’s injury seemed minor. The seven-year-old was playing four corners in his P.E. class in early March 2016 when his feet got tangled with a classmate’s. He fell to the gym f...

Endoscopic Management of Sagittal Craniosynostosis

November 16, 2017

A rare condition that occurs in 1 in 2,500 babies born in the United States, craniosynostosis changes the growth pattern of the skull by premature fusion of its fibrous sutures. Robert is among the 40 percent to 60 percent of cases in which the sagittal suture fuses earlier than normal. Thanks to...

Pediatric Hydrocephalus: Another Infant Avoids a Shunt

November 16, 2017

Harper Lowery was born prematurely at 29 weeks 6 days, the larger of fraternal twins. A cranial ultrasound performed at 10 days of life revealed a bilateral intraventricular hemorrhage. With blood clots blocking the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), Harper’s head began to enlarge to accomm...

Saving George Grabowski’s Heart

October 25, 2017

George Grabowski, PhD, a physically active 64-year-old, is among those who benefited from the minimally invasive option. Last August, his internist Clifford Yut, MD, heard a heart murmur and referred Dr. Grabowski to Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Hospital for an echocardiogram. A diagnosis of se...

Luis' Story: Management of Type B Aortic Dissection

October 18, 2017

Forty-six-year-old Luis Perez was driving with a friend on a Saturday night when he felt a small pain and a sensation of pressure in his middle upper back. He pulled over, called 911, and was immediately rushed to nearby Memorial Hermann Northeast Hospital and immediately transferred to the Memor...

Noah's Story: Acute Appendicitis

October 17, 2017

When 9-year-old Noah complained of a stomachache, his mother, Susan, attributed it to everything he ate the day before. A few days later Noah went to a pediatrician, who took one look at Noah, touched his stomach and sent them straight to the nearest ER at Memorial Hermann Sugar Land. There, a CT...

Faith Hagler Five Years Later: Celebrating Independence from Spina Bifida

October 13, 2017

Picture the bounciest, bubbliest five-year-old you can imagine. Her songs and dance moves come straight from Beyoncé. She loves bright colors and runs to the mirror to check every outfit. Her goal is to be a superstar. And she is a child who was born with spina bifida, one whose immediate future ...

Nick Bone: Game-Changing Weight Loss Surgery

September 20, 2017

After tipping the scale at more than 400 pounds -- from years of fast food, sweets and a sedentary lifestyle -- Bone said he knew it was time to make some drastic changes with his weight. A family member had success with the gastric sleeve procedure, so Bone decided to give it a try. Before the s...

Robert Vasquez Esophageal Cancer Recovery

August 10, 2017

Robert visited Farzaneh Banki, M.D., director of the Esophageal Disease Center at Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital and professor of surgery at the McGovern Medical School, part of UTHealth in Houston.

A lifelong machinist, Robert remembers being nervous because the surgery to treat his ...

Monica Stark: A Hunger for Normalcy

August 10, 2017

After emergency surgery to remove most of her esophagus, Monica Stark had no idea it would be nearly a year before she could eat solid foods. The lifesaving surgery, performed in April 2016 in San Antonio, resulted from complications caused by scleroderma, a rare connective tissue disease that af...

Jimmy Fincher: Onward with an Active Life

August 10, 2017

Licensed Texas peace officer Jimmy Fincher struggled, for 15 years, with acid reflux caused by a hiatal hernia. With an aversion to taking medication, he inconsistently took the antacids prescribed to lower his stomach acid even when experiencing debilitating abdominal pain after eating large mea...

Ciaran Simon: A New Lease on Life

August 10, 2017

Ciaran Simon always discounted his heartburn as sensitivity to spicy food. It was not until his symptoms became debilitating that he sought medical attention. Ciaran underwent a laparoscopic Heller myotomy and a Dor fundoplication, a minimally invasive surgical procedure in which the muscle betwe...

Brian Southwell: A Walking Miracle

August 8, 2017

After working his usual night shift on a Tuesday, and then the day shift the following Thursday, Brian Southwell was lying in bed in the wee hours of the morning unable to sleep. It was 4:30 a.m. when the 45-year-old left his home in Onalaska, Texas, to make the 14-mile drive to Livingston. Along...

Anthony Vallone: Without Stopping

August 8, 2017

After a devastating automobile accident that nearly took his life, Anthony Vallone is back at work at Shell Trading with barely a limp, thanks to his strength of character, a supportive family and the orthopedic trauma team at the Memorial Hermann Red Duke Trauma Institute. “I have nothing ...

Dylan Pugh: In the Best Hands

August 8, 2017

Dylan Pugh remembers working that day, coming home and going out again to meet friends. On the drive home later that night, he swerved to avoid an oncoming car and his one-ton Chevy Silverado Duramax left the road, hit a ditch, went airborne and slammed into a tree. The crash occurred on Sept. 29...

Saving Maria Sonnen's Leg

August 8, 2017

Maria Sonnen and her daughter, Laura Sonnen, were hit from behind repeatedly by a man driving a Nissan Frontier pickup truck. The result was a severe injury to Maria's left leg and near complete loss of the skin from behind her right knee to her ankle putting her at risk for an above-the-knee amp...

Steven Fisher Makes a Comeback

August 8, 2017

Six months after sustaining multiple traumatic injuries in a motor vehicle crash, 38-year-old Steven Fisher was walking again, thanks to the skill of the multidisciplinary team at the Red Duke Trauma Institute at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center and the handiwork of his orthopedic traumatolo...

Ishaan Pavuluri Makes A Comeback

August 3, 2017

“It all happened in less than a minute,” Deepthi Bollu says. “We ran outside and looked around, then ran to the front and side of the house. By then I had a bad feeling, and when we looked in the pool, we saw him at the bottom.” After nearly three minutes of CPR administered according to instruct...

Chad Blackburn: On the Upswing

August 3, 2017

After a vehicle plowed into the back of his patrol car, rescuers used the Jaws of Life to pry apart the car and free Chad Blackburn, who was transported to a community hospital in south Houston, where surgeons removed his spleen, stabilized him and arranged for air ambulance transport to the Memo...

On Making the Breast Cancer Treatment Decision: A Personal Story

July 19, 2017

Leigh Rozelle found the lump purely by accident, just three days before Christmas. As she crossed her arms, she felt a golf ball-size knot on the outer side of her left breast. My family practitioner was able to squeeze me into her schedule the very next day,” says Rozelle, who is 38. “When she e...

John Sigmon: Living Proof

July 17, 2017

In 1996 at the age of 45, John Sigmon was diagnosed with acute hemorrhagic pancreatitis, a deadly disease with a 30 percent to 50 percent survival rate. Five months into his hospitalization, Sigmon lapsed into a coma and was put on life support. Three weeks later, he walked out of the hospital, t...

Martha Mazzola: A Day Unlike Any Other

July 13, 2017

Martha Mazzola recalls very little of the evening she suffered an acute ischemic stroke. “It started out as a day just like any other, and along toward evening I found myself sitting on a chair at our kitchen table with my husband on his knees beside me saying he was going to call 911&rdquo...

Returning to the Water, One Millimeter at a Time

July 13, 2017

In June 2013, Matthew Craig – then 15 – and his family were at their house on Lake Livingston enjoying some quality time when tragedy struck. While tubing behind a jet ski, Craig suddenly crashed into a boat dock. Right before impact, he attempted to protect his head as best he could ...

Janie Totten: Against All Odds

July 13, 2017

As a three-year of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), Janie Totten has defied the odds. After her surgery, the 60-year-old began exercising so she could return to a normal activity level and focused on keeping a positive attitude about her recovery. Totten and her husband, George, have also kept...

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords: On the Road to Recovery

July 13, 2017

The Mischer Neuroscience Institute took the national stage when U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords was transferred to Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center’s Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit on Friday, Jan. 21, 2011 after she was shot in the head. The Arizona congresswoman was shot at pointblank ...

Megan's Story: Deep Brain Stimulation Changes a Life

July 12, 2017

Five years ago Megan Collins’ life was marked by pain, social embarrassment and uncertainty about her medical future. Today, the 35-year-old considers herself lucky. Collins responded favorably to the treatment regimen for almost 18 months. Then her dystonia began to worsen and evolved aggressive...

Gary McGehee: Home on the Range

July 12, 2017

When 63-year-old West Texas rancher Gary McGehee began experiencing episodes of tingling in his left shoulder and arm in 2010, he was treated for heart disease in San Angelo, the town located nearest the ranch he and his wife Carolyn own in Irion County. His cardiologist diagnosed stress-related ...

Eddie Carlton's Story: Two Hip Replacements

July 7, 2017

When physical education teacher Eddie Carlton began feeling debilitating as he taught his students, he knew it was time to find relief. After being evaluated by Dr. Eddie Huang, an orthopedic surgeon at Memorial Hermann Joint Centers, he felt confident in his next steps for treatment.  Dr. H...

Beating the Glioblastoma Multiforme Odds

July 6, 2017

Van Buren, Arkansas, resident Lenord Lewis was working in Houston when his recurrent headaches became so bad that a co-worker drove him to Bayshore Medical Center in Pasadena, Texas. After reviewing the results of an MRI and CT scan, the emergency physician called an ambulance to transport the 55...

Thomas Campbell: Reversing Hydrocephalus-Related Dementia

July 5, 2017

In July 2012, the couple discussed a possible diagnosis of NPH with Raymond Martin, MD, a professor of neurology at McGovern Medical School at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) and medical director of outpatient neurology at Mischer Neuroscience Institute . After...

Lindsay Holstead: Back in the Saddle

June 30, 2017

Equestrian Lindsay Holstead was leading her warmblood to the pasture on an unseasonably cold day in April 2013, when he became rambunctious and began to buck. After he bumped her, she lost my balance and fell, and his hoof struck her in the right side of the forehead where it curves toward the te...

Erick Sandoval: A Successful Brain Surgery Changes a Young Boy’s Career Choice

June 28, 2017

At first Debra Johnson didn’t associate her 11-year-old son’s unusual behavior with seizure activity. He would go through periods of seeming spacey, and she couldn't figure the issue out. After an MRI revealed a small tumor in his right temporal lobe, the family was referred to Dr. David Sandberg...

Carlos Velázquez: Cancer Is Just a Word

June 27, 2017

Every other month, Carlos Velázquez and his wife, Mónica Costa, make the 12,500-mile round trip between their home in Asunción, Paraguay, and Houston, Texas, where Velázquez is undergoing an innovative treatment for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). The Paraguayan couple and their Texas Medical Cent...

Martha’s Story: Partial Gastrectomy for Gastric Neuroendocrine Tumor

June 26, 2017

An upper gastrointestinal scope revealed bleeding in Manning's stomach, caused by a gastric neuroendocrine tumor of the stomach. Confirming the diagnosis, Dr. Rowe referred her to affiliated surgeon Curtis Wray, MD, for surgical removal of the tumor. Says Martha, "When Dr. Wray told me I would ne...

Back in the Pool After Knee Surgery

June 22, 2017

As a Master’s Swimmer for the past 23 years, Rebecca expects top performance from her body. “Swimming is a very important part of my life — I used to compete and I wanted to still be able to do the breaststroke since that’s my preferred stroke,” says Rebecca. When the pain in her right knee becam...

Robin Schroeder: Woman on Fire

June 7, 2017

Opportunity often arrives disguised as misfortune. After Robin Schroeder was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, she set out to ride the MS 150, a two-day cycling event organized by the National MS Society to raise funds for research. Her success led to an even greater accomplishment. “I’d never ...

Treveon's Story: Scoliosis Surgery Puts Treveon Back in Action

May 31, 2017

Since he first began playing football at age 5, Treveon, now a high school sophomore, has dreamed of playing college ball, maybe even going pro. But in eighth grade, he was temporarily sidelined, when a routine visit to his pediatrician revealed a hump on his upper back. X-rays showed a curvature...

MaKayla’s Story: Scoliosis Strikes Out

May 31, 2017

MaKayla’s scoliosis diagnosis came as a complete shock. The petite 13-year-old was a cheerleader, tumbled and played competition softball. By all appearances, she was perfectly healthy. Yet, in September 2015, a visit to a chiropractor for a back injury resulting from a trampoline incident ...

Alan Benson: A Successful Nonsurgical Fix for Back Pain

May 9, 2017

Alan Benson had suffered from very painful sciatica for six long weeks by the time he arrived in the office of interventional pain management specialist Divya Chirumamilla, MD. Two physicians work together at Mischer Neuroscience Associates-The Woodlands to ensure their patients access to fast, c...

A Floridian Travels to Houston for World-Class Care

April 3, 2017

By the time Randy Whitesides made it to the office of internationally recognized glaucoma expert Robert M. Feldman, MD, the Floridian had lost the vision in his right eye. After contracting a bacterial infection in Mexico 30 years ago, he developed reactive arthritis, an autoimmune condition in w...

Meticulous Surgery Saves a Young Trauma Patient’s Vision

April 3, 2017

On New Year’s Eve 2012 Brendan Diffley’s father, Shane Diffley, and his stepmother, Jennifer Diffley, drove the 12-year-old to nearby Memorial Hermann Katy Hospital after he shot himself in the eye with a pencil while fashioning a makeshift paper crossbow using online directions. He w...

Successful Treatment Inspires a Young Woman to Study Nursing

April 3, 2017

Three days after she had LASIK surgery at another institution, 19-year-old Amy Truong noticed a white spot in her right eye. When a three-week course of antibiotics failed to resolve the issue, her eye surgeon referred her to cornea and external disease specialist Gene Kim, MD, at the Robert Cizi...

Grace’s Story: Overcoming CDH

March 31, 2017

For some parents, a newborn’s cry can cause distress. But for Marlen and Kevin, hearing their daughter Grace’s first cry brought relief and joy. Grace was born with a congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), a condition that occurs during fetal development that can lead to severe respiratory and ot...

Jamie Wright's Hydrocephalus Story: A Personal Matter Becomes a Professional Motivation

March 22, 2017

Since Jamie Wright was a child, she has wanted to change the outlook for people who struggle with a diagnosis of hydrocephalus, which is the most common reason some children require brain surgery. Out of every 1,000 babies born in the U.S., about one to two are born with hydrocephalus, a conditi...

Kevin and Karla: Supraglottoplasty for Neonatal Laryngomalacia

February 15, 2017

Kevin and Karla Urrutia were born at term, but as twins they were both underweight – the boy weighing in at 4 pounds 10 ounces and the girl at 4 pounds 15 ounces. “Karla was eating fine after birth, but Kevin had stridor caused by a soft, immature cartilage of the upper larynx that ob...

Laryngotracheal Reconstruction: A Long-Awaited Resolution for Jayda Hector

February 15, 2017

Pediatric otorhinolaryngologist, Sancak Yuksel, M.D., at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital has provided care for Jayda Hector since shortly after she was born in October 2010 at just 26 weeks’ gestation. After 12 trips to the OR at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, the si...

Cristian Serrato: Deep Brain Stimulation Transforms a Life

January 11, 2017

Much of neurology is detective work. Like good sleuthing, successful practice demands profound knowledge, honed investigative skills, persistence and a measure of artistry. In the case of Cristian Serrato, diagnosis and treatment of a challenging disorder required all of these talents and more. U...

Thea’s Story: Hemangioma, an Angel’s Kiss

December 29, 2016

During a routine well-baby checkup shortly after Thea was born, her pediatrician noted a small red spot on Thea’s temple, adjacent her right eye. Colleen , Thea’s mother, recalls, “Our pediatrician knew immediately that the red spot was a hemangioma, and he told us it would grow...

Bill Gets Moving with a New Hip

December 27, 2016

Bill liked the fact that Memorial Hermann’s main focus after surgery is to get the patient moving in order to jumpstart the healing process. When it came time for Bill to select a physician for his total hip replacement surgery, he knew exactly who he’d choose. “I selected affiliated orthopedic p...

Back from the Brink: Dominic's Story

December 22, 2016

Dominic was only 18-months-old when he followed the family dog out the back door and fell into the family’s hot tub. He was transported to the emergency room at Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital. During his stay, he was put on ECMO, which is an advanced life support treatment for critically il...

Becky Anton's Weight Loss Surgery Story

December 22, 2016

Kindergarten Teacher Becky Anton and her bariatric surgeon decided to pursue gastric bypass after discovering pre-cancerous cells in her esophagus. The procedure has not only relieved the discomfort in her esophagus, but her weight loss journey has renewed her spirit and her health.

Jon Bounces Back from Joint Pain

December 21, 2016

While exercising at the gym one day, Jon felt a slight twinge of pain in his neck. Thinking nothing of it, he continued his workout and daily activities. During a spring break ski trip, that slight twinge became increasingly painful with each day and he developed radiating arm pain and weakness. ...

Leila Pedraza’s Light at the End of the Tunnel

November 1, 2016

Three-year-old Leila went to her first ballet class in September 2016, an experience that might have been beyond her reach without the medical skills of Amy Schefler, M.D., FACS, an affiliated ocular oncologist and retinoblastoma specialist at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital’s Te...

Darius Sonia: The Perfect Candidate for Selective Dorsal Rhizotomy

October 10, 2016

A caring and informed mother, a knowledgeable physical therapist and an expert in the surgical management of spasticity have transformed the life of eight-year-old Darius Sonia. Born seven weeks early, Darius suffered an intraventricular hemorrhage in the first few days of life – a common occurre...

Fred Carpenter: Joint Center Patient

September 27, 2016

When Fred Carpenter could no longer take a walk with his grandkids, he asked a friend who's an orthopedic surgeon who he would recommend. "He answered Memorial Hermann Joint Center. I would give Memorial Hermann - the whole system - the highest marks. From the very beginning to the very end, it ...

Pamela Bah - See Her Joint Center story

September 27, 2016

“Before my surgery, I was in constant pain. My quality of life was, like, 30%. I had to limit what I was doing. I was not able to fully participate in the kids' education. And it was just very difficult for me as a teacher. So I had to make a decision. I found Memorial Hermann Joint Center throu...

Jacob Smith: Your Attitude Defines Your Future

August 22, 2016

Jacob Smith was returning home with other students at his high school, after attending a leadership conference in Corpus Christi for members of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA). The last thing he remembers was buying snacks when the four-car caravan of students and teachers...

Tato Stanley Makes a Statistically Improbable Recovery

August 22, 2016

At the end of a family vacation in Snowmass, Colorado, 17-year-old Clay “Tato” Stanley was seriously injured in a snowboarding accident. “They were doing jumps, and Tato lost control on the landing and was immediately paralyzed,” Tato’s mother, Alice Stanley says. Ta...

Evelyn Suber: Like Family

August 22, 2016

In July 2013, Evelyn Suber was hospitalized for dehydration – the result of a serious viral infection. At some point during the two weeks she was ill, she noticed numbness in her legs. A month later, when the numbness persisted, neurologist Suresh Roongta, MD, admitted her to Memorial Hermann Gre...

Macy's Story: Cleft Lip and Palate

July 15, 2016

As Kenzie and Ricky attended their routine 18-week ultrasound, they expected everything to go smoothly; however, they received unexpected information about their baby girl, Macy. Their unborn daughter was diagnosed with a unilateral cleft (a split occurring on one side) that extended all the way ...

Cassandra's Story: Gastroschisis

July 15, 2016

As Sabrina sat at her 16-week checkup, she was expecting her appointment to be ordinary. However, after receiving her ultrasound, she found out her baby girl was diagnosed with a birth defect known as gastroschisis. Shocked and scared about her baby’s health, her obstetrician referred her to The ...

Remmy’s Story: Repairing Patent Ductus Arteriosus

June 8, 2016

When seven-year-old Remmy had occasional shortness of breath and seemed more tired than usual, it never occurred to his parents that he might have a problem with his heart. Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) is a birth defect that occurs when the baby’s blood vessel known as the ductus arterios...

James and Tracy: A Good Match for Life

May 23, 2016

Tracy and James met at a 7-Eleven store in Bryan, Texas, and the two have been together ever since. Neither would have imagined that they would one day share a kidney. James and Tracy had been married for nearly 10 years when his physicians recommended kidney transplantation.

Freddy and Bernarda: A Match Through Kidney Paired Donation

May 23, 2016

When Bernarda learned none of her three sons were a match for kidney donation, their search led them to the Kidney Transplant Program at the Memorial Hermann Transplant Center in Houston, where they learned that Bernarda had a high number of circulating donor-specific antibodies targeting human l...

David and Jackie: 34 Years and Counting

May 23, 2016

Although the early years of kidney transplantation were marked by high rates of rejection and allograft failure, a clinical trial of the immunosuppressive drug cyclosporine dramatically changed the outlook for transplant recipients. The trial began in 1979, and three years later, David was among ...

David and Gam: A Son Gives Life to His Mother

May 23, 2016

Diabetes and high blood pressure are the two most common causes of end-stage kidney disease. The progression of both conditions over more than 15 years of Gam’s life led to chronic kidney disease. By 2010, the 66-year-old mother of four boys was in borderline kidney failure, and her nephrol...

Maria Flores Defies the Odds Against Deadly Form of Brain Cancer

May 23, 2016

For those diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), one of the most common and deadly types of malignant brain tumors, the outlook for long-term survival can be devastatingly grim. The average life expectancy after diagnosis hovers near 15 months, and the five-year survival rate is less than ...

With A Heart Full of Gratitude: A Former Patient Thanks The PICU

March 1, 2016

Erinn Brown was 34 weeks pregnant when she realized something was wrong with her baby. An ultrasound showed that the left ventricle of the baby’s heart was very small and nearly nonexistent. Brown’s doctor referred her to The Fetal Center at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital....

Miles McDonough: Unstoppable

February 14, 2016

In September 2011, alpine enthusiast and search-and-rescue team member Miles McDonough fell 65 feet while scaling Mount Stuart in the North Cascade Mountains of Washington state. In the accident, he fractured his right humeral head and scapula, an injury that damaged the brachial plexus nerves co...

Baby Luke's Battle With CDH

February 10, 2016

Jayden and Luke. Two-year-old identical twin boys. They run and wrestle, giggle and converse in their own shared lingo – jibber-jabber only they understand. But Jayden is taller, more robust. Luke wears the same size clothes as the boys’ younger brother Cooper. Each of the twins in his own way is...

Hannah’s Story: Beating the Odds to Run Again

December 28, 2015

When sixteen-year-old Hannah Hendricks faced the biggest setback of her life, she showed her grit to be the kind that comes from deep inside, the kind that keeps you going against the odds. And Hannah knows all about beating the odds. On the morning of July 25, 2013, Hannah, an incoming high scho...

Daniel Turya: Recovery After a Biking-Related Brain Injury

November 19, 2015

It was Daniel Turya’s eighth birthday and he couldn’t wait to take his new birthday gift from his parents out for a spin. It was a shiny new bike, and even though he didn’t have a helmet, he was just riding right outside of his apartment doorstep with his buddies. Soon after he got on, he acciden...

For Scott Carriker, Form Follows Function

October 15, 2015

Scott Carriker was in a bucket truck, changing out an electric utility circuit pole, when he grabbed the wrong wire and suffered an electrical injury that badly burned both his hands. He was admitted to the hospital’s John S. Dunn Burn Center and underwent eight surgeries in 10 days, the la...

Therapy Gives Natalie Fraker Strength and a Boost of Confidence

September 23, 2015

A couple of months shy of her fourth birthday, Natalie Fraker’s voice grew a little hoarse. An endoscopic examination by an otolaryngologist revealed a partially paralyzed vocal cord. On biopsy, it was identified as a grade II astrocytoma, a tumor that arises from the star-shaped cells that...

James Durham's Story

September 22, 2015

James Durham was on his motorcycle headed home after an employee dinner. “I was about two miles from home. A woman was stopped at a traffic light but didn’t have her blinker on so it seemed that she was trying to make a U-turn,” says Durham. “When she pulled away from the ...

Samantha Shines On

September 22, 2015

When Samantha Shine came to TIRR Memorial Hermann Pediatric Outpatient Rehabilitation at the Kirby Glen Center, the 3-year-old was still eating puréed food – very slowly – and was underweight for her age. Six months later, she eats breakfast, lunch and dinner with her family an...

Mikayla Williams Makes a 180-Degree Turn

September 22, 2015

Easter Sunday in April 2014, out of the blue, Mikayla Williams had a seizure – a dramatic occurrence for an otherwise healthy 12-year-old girl. A CT scan and blood tests done at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital produced inconclusive results, and Mikayla was sent home with an anti-...

Christine Smid: Relief from the Suicide Disease

September 21, 2015

Twenty-five-year-old Christine Smid was in good health until 2007, when she began to notice a burning, shocking pain in her face that began just below the eyelid and extended down to her upper teeth and lip. While visiting family in Lake Jackson, Texas, she saw her hometown dentist, who recognize...

Hilary Cannon: Supraclavicular Brachioplexus Leiomyosarcoma

September 15, 2015

Leiomyosarcoma is a rare malignant tumor of the smooth muscle cells that can arise almost anywhere in the body, but is most common in the uterus, abdomen or pelvis. The cancer typically spreads through the blood stream to attack the lung, liver, blood vessels and other soft tissues in the body. L...

Eileen Guerinot Bogar Returns to Her Life as an Attorney and Single Mom

September 1, 2015

Eileen Bogar’s recovery was not at all what her acute care physicians predicted. After suffering a severe bilateral brainstem stroke in mid-December 2012, she was tucked away in the intensive care unit at a hospital in Houston for five weeks. She was on a ventilator for the first two weeks ...

Jason Roy: From Zero to a Hundred

August 31, 2015

As a child, Jason Roy wanted to be a baseball player or a police officer. He initially gravitated towards sports, but then shifted gears and joined the Houston Police Department as an officer. Roy, by then a five-year veteran of the department, flipped his squad car several times during a high-sp...

Daquan Minor: The Determination to Win

August 31, 2015

Eighteen-year-old Daquan Minor, who suffered a fractured skull and a T-6 incomplete spinal cord injury in an auto accident in February 2013. Two years later, he was a key contributor to the 2015 TIRR Memorial Hermann junior Hotwheels win of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association’s Nationa...

Dara Lewis: From Patient to Neuroscience Nurse

May 26, 2015

Two semesters short of graduation from nursing school, Dara Lewis began having severe headaches. In a sudden shift from student nurse to patient, Lewis worked her way through the referral process from primary care physician to neurologist to neurosurgeon. In October 2011 she found herself in an e...

Judith Harris: An Accomplished Academic Triumphs Over an Unexpected Physical Challenge

May 4, 2015

“Maybe it’s just stress,” thought Judith Harris when she suddenly experienced a severe pain in her neck while lying on the couch in her downtown Houston home. A professor of criminal justice at the University of Houston Downtown, Harris juggles a heavy workload and academic publication schedule. ...

Maria Trevino: Back at Work After DBS for Parkinson’s Disease

April 28, 2015

Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, Maria describes herself as “a new person” thanks to the skill of the deep brain stimulation (DBS) team at the Mischer Neuroscience Institute. Approved by the FDA for the treatment of Parkinson’s disease in 2002, DBS uses a surgically imp...

Donate for Life: Ezra's Story

April 16, 2015

After Ezra's family started to notice him getting sick, they sought medical advice before finally ending up at Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital for care. Ezra's rare disease led to him needing a liver transplant. After finding a match, his medical team went into action to perform the transpla...

Mike's Story - Lung Cancer

February 23, 2015

Jafri sent the slides to a specialist, who confirmed small cell lung cancer, a form that shares common neuro-endocrine features with carcinoid cancer, but tends to be extremely aggressive.

For Mike Autrey, the treatment began with 12 weeks of chemotherapy given along with radiation to the ...

Jordan’s Story: Stroke at 16

February 6, 2015

During a routine football practice Jordan suddenly felt dizzy and showed signs that something was wrong. He was immediately taken to Memorial Hermann where affiliated pediatric neurologist Dr. Ian Butler along with neurologist Dr. Nicole Gonzales diagnosed Jordan as having had a stroke. Later aft...

Floyd’s Story: a Family With Heart Trouble

February 3, 2015

Floyd went to the heart doctor because of a family history of heart disease and death. After experiencing consistent heart burn and indigestion symptoms he went to see the specialists at Memorial Hermann Heart & Vascular Institute. After receiving a ventricular stress test, his physician said...

John Keller: Miracle in Progress

December 31, 2014

When 33-year-old John Keller was first admitted to TIRR Memorial Hermann on March 26, 2008, he was in a vegetative state. On impact, Keller suffered a fractured skull and pelvis and an intracranial hemorrhage resulting in a severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). Nine days later, he was transferred ...

Rehabilitation for Dysautonomia: TIRR Memorial Hermann and Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital Collaborate to Treat a Complex Genetic Disorder

October 24, 2014

Eighteen-year-old Justin Lamb is one of many patients to benefit from a unique collaboration between TIRR Memorial Hermann and the pediatric neurology and pediatric cardiology services at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital. Working together, the two institutions have developed a program t...

Braxton Taylor: From Total Assist to Independence

October 24, 2014

When 20-year-old Braxton Taylor arrived at TIRR Memorial Hermann in August 2013, he was unable to walk, transfer, eat or manage other activities of daily living without total assistance. When he was discharged on Halloween, he could walk with assistance and was independent in most aspects of dail...

Angelina: Heart Attack Survivor

October 23, 2014

Angelina was on an overnight flight in Louisville, Kentucky when she was awoken by strong heart palpitations. The very next day, she flew home to Houston, TX and saw a cardiologist. An echocardiogram showed an enlarged and weak heart. Dr. Jalal and the affiliated team at Memorial Hermann Southwes...

Cory Smith Rises to the Challenge

October 22, 2014

In May 2012, Cory Smith, a straight-A student and star basketball player at Clear Springs High School in Houston, suffered a severe intracranial empyema, an infection that arises most commonly as a complication of sinusitis or otitis, particularly in males in later childhood, adolescence or early...

Wes Brown: Back on the Road Again

October 22, 2014

Wes Brown was hauling a load of saltwater from an oilfield in East Texas to a nearby disposal site when the tires on the rear axle of his 18-wheeler hit a pothole and bounced onto the shoulder of the road. As he tried to center his trailer, the steer tire on the passenger side hit another pothole...

Dawn's Story of Surviving a Heart Attack

October 17, 2014

Dawn Manuel, mother of four, was visiting her husband in the hospital when she began noticing symptoms of a heart attack: most notably, the feeling of someone sitting on his chest. This worried her enough to go to the emergency room at the bottom floor of the hospital and asked for an EKG. Soon a...

Kelly Williams Is Getting Another Wonderful Birthday Present This Year

October 16, 2014

Kelly and her husband, Chad, count themselves very lucky. The diagnosis of an open neural tube defect, or myelomeningocele, led them on a journey of education, referral, consultations and, ultimately, to open fetal surgery for spina bifida repair. Spina bifida – a major birth defect involving the...

The Berry Family Story: Three Kids Inspire a City

September 22, 2014

In July 2011, three young siblings lost their parents in a tragic car accident on the way home from summer vacation in Colorado. The Berry family was traveling back to Houston when their vehicle was struck head-on by an SUV that had veered into their lane. The two brothers, Peter and Aaron, who w...

Three Years After the Accident, the Berry Siblings Return to Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital

September 15, 2014

In July 2011, three young siblings lost their parents in a tragic car accident on the way home from summer vacation. The Berry family was traveling back to Houston when their vehicle was struck head-on by an SUV. The two brothers, Peter and Aaron, sustained serious spinal cord injuries that paral...

Nation's First Mobile Stroke Unit Successfully Transports First Patient

September 12, 2014

We're proud to announce the UTHealth Mobile Stroke Unit has successfully transported and helped save the life of its very first patient. The unit, the first and only one of its kind in the nation, is a specially equipped ambulance with a CT (computed tomography) scanner that allows a stroke unit ...

Tommy Smith: A Walking Miracle

June 17, 2014

In the nine months that passed before 63-year-old Tommy Smith found his way to the office of Daniel H. Kim, M.D., FACS, FAANS, he gradually lost muscle function to the point of paralysis. By November 2012, he could no longer walk, feed himself or move his right hand. “I could see myself deterio...

Meena Outlaw: Spinal Cord Injury and Pregnancy

June 12, 2014

Meena Dhanjal Outlaw was injured on January 23, 2000, after she stepped onto the balcony of her newly built home and was locked out of her house. Concerned about the safety of her 3-week-old son, Miles, and 3-year-old daughter, Jasmine, she attempted to climb down from the balcony. She ended up f...

Angela Wrigglesworth: Spinal Muscular Atrophy

June 12, 2014

At 16 months of age, Angela Wrigglesworth was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, a progressive motor neuron disease that causes weakness in the arms, legs and torso. This prevented her from walking and she began using a wheelchair at the age of 5 years. She was admitted to the TIRR Memorial ...

Meena Outlaw: Spinal Cord Injury and Pregnancy

June 12, 2014

Meena Dhanjal Outlaw was injured on January 23, 2000, after she stepped onto the balcony of her newly built home and was locked out of her house. Concerned about the safety of her 3-week-old son, Miles, and 3-year-old daughter, Jasmine, she attempted to climb down from the balcony. She ended up f...

Joseph Huerta: Recovery After a Skiing Accident

June 12, 2014

Joseph Huerta and his siblings took off for a skiing trip. As he skied down the hill, Joseph lost his balance and went over a 15-foot cliff hitting his head on a tree. After being rushed to the hospital, going through surgery and being in a coma for 12 days, Joseph beat the odds and regained cons...

Joseph Huerta: Recovery After a Skiing Accident

June 12, 2014

Joseph Huerta and his siblings took off for a skiing trip. As he skied down the hill, Joseph lost his balance and went over a 15-foot cliff hitting his head on a tree. After being rushed to the hospital, going through surgery and being in a coma for 12 days, Joseph beat the odds and regained cons...

Saleh Alzahrani: Rehabilitation After Cancer

June 11, 2014

Saleh Alzahrani was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 12. He underwent a successful surgery to remove a brain stem tumor and then went back to his daily life. At the age of 25, Alzahrani learned that his cancer had returned and another operation was required to remove a tumor, which was located...

Saleh Alzahrani: Rehabilitation After Cancer

June 11, 2014

Saleh Alzahrani was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 12. He underwent a successful surgery to remove a brain stem tumor and then went back to his daily life. At the age of 25, Alzahrani learned that his cancer had returned and another operation was required to remove a tumor, which was located...

Conjoined Twins Share Their Story 18 Years Later

June 9, 2014

Caitlin and Emily may seem like your average identical twin sisters. But at one time in their lives, the twins shared something much more significant and they have the visible scars to prove it: Emily and Caitlin were born conjoined. Conjoined twins are an extreme rarity, only occurring once in e...

A Good Night’s Sleep for Jaclyn

May 27, 2014

Jaclyn Barbosa’s polysomnogram showed she was waking up six to 10 times an hour, leading her doctor to diagnose her with mild obstructive sleep apnea. He fitted Barbosa, who felt claustrophobic using CPAP, with a mandibular advancement splint. The appliance protrudes the jaw in a forward pos...

Cleft Lip and Palate Program Brings New Smiles to Life

May 20, 2014

Daniella Coca’s son Anthony was born with both a cleft lip and palate. Coca was five months pregnant when she received the diagnosis after a 3-D ultrasound, which afforded her and Anthony’s father several months to meet John Teichgraeber, MD, and his team, determine a plan of action and better pr...

Physicians Bring Smiles to Patients Abroad

May 2, 2014

Pediatric surgeons have the ability to bring smiles to patients and their families. Dr. John Teichgraeber, director of the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery in the Department of Pediatric Surgery, recently brought smiles and positive outcomes to patients in Mexico as part of a medica...

The Rocket Scientist Meets the Brain Surgeon

April 28, 2014

For 33-year-old physicist William Hartman, undergoing any type of brain surgery to treat his epilepsy – even the minimally invasive kind - commanded a giant leap of faith. As part of the team responsible for analyzing how the International Space Station and its experiments interact with the...

Pitching in to Help Haitian Children with Hydrocephalus

April 24, 2014

Last December, an eight-member neurosurgical team extended their practice beyond the walls of Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital and McGovern Medical School at UTHealth to Haiti, where they spent four days on a medical mission to treat children with hydrocephalus. “Like all mission trips, we ha...

Savanna's Pediatric Epilepsy Story

April 14, 2014

Savanna and her twin brother, Austin, were happy, healthy babies, but at about 6 weeks old, Savanna began having what episodes – short periods during which she would be nonresponsive and withdrawn. Nine months later, the Lininger’s made the decision to move to Houston to be closer to ...

Julie Batsche: Decades of Quality Care for MS

April 2, 2014

When Julie Batsche was diagnosed with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) by Jerry S. Wolinsky, MD, she was fresh out of college. Much has changed since her original diagnosis in 1984, yet one thing has remained a constant in Batsche’s life – her deep respect and admiration ...

Jennifer’s Story: Heart Attack at 32

February 17, 2014

32-year-old Jennifer Cooper Cheak was playing with her 3-week-old baby and son when she started to feel tightness and pressure in her chest. A few minutes later, she experienced a heart attack and was rushed to a local hospital. She was transferred to Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center where s...

Leslie Martone: A New Kind of Normal

February 12, 2014

For those diagnosed with a potentially debilitating disease such as multiple sclerosis (MS), it would be understandable to surrender to feelings of despair and hopelessness. But that’s not the case for 39-year-old Leslie Martone, who refused to give up hope and instead has chosen to focus o...

Rare Double Heart Transplant

February 11, 2014

After receiving a heart transplant in 1994 due to a Sudden Cardiac Death attack, Clarence Fontenot experienced another heart attack two decades later. Fontenot was ready to keep fighting, and so were his physicians. 13 weeks later, Dr. Gregoric made an incision in Fontenot's chest along the ...

Jared Dunten: Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury

January 27, 2014

While on a camping trip in the Chisos Mountains in Big Bend National Park, Jared Dunten dove into the Rio Grande with a bar of soap to clean himself up – and hit a sandbar. He woke up in an intensive care unit in Lubbock, Texas, paralyzed from the neck down and breathing with the help of a ventil...

Barry Oakes Recovers From Stroke

January 13, 2014

In September 2010, 49-year-old Barry Oakes collapsed in his home while walking to the bathroom in the middle of the night. An EMS team rushed him to the hospital, where doctors diagnosed a massive ischemic stroke and administered tPA. The stroke left him with a large basilar artery thrombosis in ...

Down But Not Out

January 1, 2014

Needville High School freshman Cody Kalinowski lives for football. So it’s no wonder he was disappointed at the prospect of missing most of the season after breaking his left ulna (one of the two long bones in the forearm) during a scrimmage in late August. To the surprise of many, Cody returned ...

Timely Diagnosis and Treatment for TTTS Saves Mother and Her Twins

December 17, 2013

When Johanna Quezada-Ventura discovered she was pregnant with identical twins, she was both shocked and excited. As a mother of a 4-year-old daughter, she anticipated yet another uncomplicated pregnancy similar to her first, and didn’t think too much about the risk factors associated with i...

Mason: Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome

December 17, 2013

At my 22-week ultrasound, the baby’s positioning made it difficult to get a clear image of the baby’s organs; however, we could clearly see that we were expecting a boy. Weeks later, at my 34-week ultrasound, my physician requested another ultrasound be performed so that better images...

Jim Hyndman: No Guts, No Glory

December 11, 2013

By the time Jim Hyndman was diagnosed with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) in 2009, he was unable to walk and suffering intense, painful lower extremity muscle spasms. Today, he stands upright using a walking stick decorated with medallions from his travels. He credits the transform...

Melanie's Unexpected Concussion

November 20, 2013

While riding her first BP MS 150, Melanie was about 25 miles from the finish line when a rider ahead of her clipped the tire in front of the person in front of him. Melanie was not able to react in time and hit the rider in front of her, causing her to go straight down. She remembers waking up wi...

Chance Bothe Survives Near-Deadly Texting and Driving Accident

September 12, 2013

In the middle of sending a text, Chance Bothe drove off of a cliff and sustained serious injuries. After spending time in an ICU, he was sent to TIRR Memorial Hermann for rehabilitation where he recovered tremendously. "They would get him outside, and he would play basketball. We would go out and...

Don Mathews' Recovery From Brain Damage

August 6, 2013

Don Mathews' inspiring story begins on the night of his 21st birthday party in September 1998. A successful student at Sam Houston State University, Don was celebrating with some of his college friends at a lake house on Lake Livingston. Don and his date were on their way to their vehicle, comple...

Laura Snell Leg Amputation

August 6, 2013

In October 2000, nine days after her second baby was born, Laura Snell became very ill. Doctors at a Houston emergency center diagnosed a urinary tract infection and treated and released her. As she walked to the car, she collapsed. Laura went into septic shock and lapsed into a coma for several ...

Oscar Rangel: Guillain-Barré Therapy

August 6, 2013

Leaving work one day, Oscar noticed his vision was strained in one eye. Over the next few days, Oscar lost vision in one eye and the ability to swallow and stand. He was admitted to a hospital and diagnosed with Guillain-Barré, a rare nervous system disorder that results from nerve damage ...

A Young Boy Benefits From Rehabilitation Following Treatment for Glioblastoma Multiforme

May 7, 2013

In February 2008, Tina Bailey scheduled an office visit with her son’s pediatrician when he developed croup and a bad cough. While at the doctor’s office, 22-month-old Scottie exhibited right hand curling and right shoulder drop. Bailey’s pediatrician ordered an MRI, which revea...

Ralph's Story: New Opportunities

May 2, 2013

Ralph was tired of not having energy and buying larger and larger clothes. When you tailor the procedure to the patient the results are better. The duodenal switch was a great tool for him. In this operation you, number one, reduce the size of the stomach, and number two, you re-route the small i...

Making Better Decisions After Surgery

May 2, 2013

Katia was having trouble doing exercise, going on bike rides with her kids and having problems with her back. She is young, has three beautiful children and a wonderful husband, and she wanted to get healthy. For her situation, gastric bypass would yield the best results. Bypass is a two componen...

Lap Band Surgery Lowered Cholesterol, Solved Bladder & Knee Problems

May 1, 2013

Susan had struggled to maintain a healthy weight since childhood. "I was always teased about being overweight, which took its toll on my self-esteem," she said. "By the time I was in the eighth grade, I weighed 185." During her junior year in high school, Susan played basketball and ran cross-cou...

Belinda's Story: Lap Band Success

May 1, 2013

Before her gastric band surgery, Belinda's weight fluctuated between 203 and 205 and her health had begun to deteriorate. In addition to the general aches and pains that accompany excess pounds, she developed heart palpitations and sleep apnea. At the time of her surgery, she was 36-years-old. "I...

Weight Loss Surgery Cured Heartburn and Hiatal Hernia Complications

May 1, 2013

By May 2010, seven months after the surgery, she achieved a major victory and her weight had dropped from a preoperative high of 251 to between 180 and 185; and she's still losing. Asthma, which she's had all her life, no longer plagues her. Her knees are improving, she no longer sleeps with the ...

The Right Weight Loss Surgery and Losing 220 Pounds

May 1, 2013

When Steve began considering weight loss surgery at the age of 56, he was a Type II diabetic with high blood pressure, high cholesterol and unbearable pain in his knee joints. In addition to medications for these conditions, he was taking a diuretic to reduce the swelling in his legs. During his ...

Diabetes-Free After Weight Loss Surgery

May 1, 2013

Gwen began having problems with her weight after the birth of her first child. Before her pregnancy she weighed 125 pounds but by the time she delivered, she had jumped to 299, a weight she maintained during her second pregnancy and delivery. She developed type 2 diabetes, urinary incontinence an...

Rodney Janczak: 25 Years Later

April 12, 2013

Rodney Janczak took his first helicopter ride on July 3, 1987, when he was nine years old. Following an automobile accident in a suburban area of northwest Houston, he was flown by Memorial Hermann Life Flight to the Red Duke Trauma Institute at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, formerly kno...

Gabrielle Giffords' Extraordinary Journey

April 10, 2013

On January 21, 2011, United States Representative Gabrielle Giffords was transferred from the University of Arizona Medical Center to Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center’s Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit. Rep. Giffords’ physician team upgraded her condition from serious to good fou...

Successful Therapy to Help Patient Regain Use of Arm and Leg Following Stroke

April 9, 2013

When Malone was stabilized, she was transferred to the hospital’s 23-bed inpatient neurorehabilitation unit for comprehensive care and an aggressive program of physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech/language pathology. Mischer Neurorehabilitation's multidisciplinary team – ...

Isabella: Occupational & Physical Therapy

March 26, 2013

Karen and Vincent adopted Isabella from a Chinese orphanage in 2008. They took her to an international adoption doctor to complete the adoption process. The doctor informed Isabella's parents she had developmental and speech delays.

It was likely that Isabella did not receive the stimulatio...

Alyssa: Severe Seizures

March 26, 2013

After episodes of shaking and seizures, Alyssa, age 8, was diagnosed with epilepsy in January 2007. Alyssa’s medications were not working; she was forgetting everyday things, even the alphabet. A dancer, she was not able to remember dance steps she had learned, forgot dances she used to perform a...

Brittany's Story: Pediatric Spinal Cord Injury

March 26, 2013

In November 2008, Brittany and her family were moving from College Station to Katy when they had an accident on a two-lane road. Brittany, 11, hit the roof of the van and sustained a T5 spinal cord injury, several broken bones, a collapsed lung and other internal injuries. She was rushed to Memor...

Curran: Language Delay

March 26, 2013

In November 2008, 2-year-old Curran started treatment for a language delay. When he started treatment, he was nonverbal and communicated only by using hand gestures and vocalizations. The speech-language pathologist suggested Curran’s family encourage English as his primary language, and after pr...

Moya's Story: Cerebral Palsy

March 26, 2013

As an infant, Moya was diagnosed with a global developmental delay and, as a toddler, she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. She was delayed in movements and milestones that a toddler normally accomplishes, such as sitting up, standing and saying a few clear words. Moya had received therapy befor...

Dan Hammers: Infertility in SCI

March 25, 2013

In June 2012, Dan Hammers marked the 20th anniversary of an accident that changed his life. At the age of 19, he dove off a 10-foot building into a pool containing 4 feet of water. Hammers, who is a C4 quadriplegic, considers himself better off for the experience. In 2009, after seven years of ma...

Tristen: Back in the Saddle

February 5, 2013

Laura and James were unloading hay from a lowboy trailer near their barn when the horses trotted up and began to nibble at the bales. Standing on the trailer, their five-year-old daughter Tristen, a rodeo rider, began waving her arms to shoo them away. Spooked by the motion, the horses turned to ...

Kara Beatty: Recovery from Neurotrauma

February 5, 2013

Kara Beatty was on her way to summer school at a community college when a truck ran a red light and T-boned her car. She lost consciousness, and emergency responders had to use the “jaws of life” to free her from the wreckage. She remained in a coma for three days in the Neurotrauma ICU, with a m...

Logan Schaefer: Teenager Recovering From Traumatic Brain Injury

February 4, 2013

On July 12, 2010, 14-year-old Logan Schaefer had a wakeboarding accident that left him unconscious, unresponsive and seizing following a traumatic brain injury. After an emergency craniotomy to relieve pressure on the brain caused by a subdural hematoma, the following day Logan awakened just long...

Roberta Reclaims Her Independence with Rehabilitation

January 29, 2013

While Roberta was enjoying time on her daughter’s porch in Sealy, Texas, her family became concerned that she did not look well. She had been having some headaches, but nothing that seemed out of the ordinary. On September 21, after getting what her family described as a “glazed and f...

McKenzy Winne: Traumatic Brain Injury

January 10, 2013

On September 15, 2007, McKenzy Winne was riding with two friends on the tailgate of a pickup truck. Suddenly and without warning, McKenzy was thrown from the tailgate. She tried to stand up, then collapsed in the street. After being flown to the Red Duke Trauma Institute at Memorial Hermann-Texas...

David: Surgery to Treat Complex and Risky Brain Aneurysms

December 27, 2012

When David Baker started having headaches, his parents were concerned enough to schedule an appointment with his pediatrician. David Baker's pediatrician prescribed a strong medication that failed to stop the pain. When a second dose of the medication provided no relief, the physician sent them t...

After Being Paralyzed During an NFL Game, Kevin Everett is Standing Tall

December 23, 2012

When Buffalo Bills’ football player Kevin Everett arrived at TIRR Memorial Hermann in September 2007 after suffering spinal cord injury on the field, he was paralyzed from the neck down. After months of aggressive therapy led by a group of physicians, physical therapists and occupational th...

Lexie's Story: Pediatric Spinal Cord Injury

December 23, 2012

Eleven-year-old Lexie Bolds was having fun visiting a friend in Jasper, Texas, when she was involved in an accident that left her with a broken neck and arm. She injured vertebrae C2-C4 and injured her spinal cord at C4. Rushed to Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center by Life Flight® helicopt...

Marquita's Story: Fighting Esophageal Cancer and Winning

November 30, 2012

In early 2010, Marquita Spell knew something wasn’t right. She was beginning to have difficulty swallowing and getting food down was becoming increasingly painful. “The discomfort was unlike anything I had ever experienced before,” Marquita explained. “I never had issues w...

Ray's Story: Hospital Stay Ends Four Years of Achalasia

November 30, 2012

It was late 2004 when Ray Williams went to the doctor for the first time complaining of severe headaches. In fact, Ray had hit his head – not once, but twice – and it was a coworker who helped jog his memory of the first event. After returning to his physician for further evaluation, ...

Faith: Surgery in the Womb to Repair Spina Bifida

October 26, 2012

Faith’s story begins before she was born. But unlike others, her history was complicated by a prenatal diagnosis of myelomeningocele – spina bifida – at the age of 20 weeks. A complex and permanently disabling birth defect, spina bifida involves incomplete development of a porti...

Achieving Balance After a Concussion

January 1, 2012

Nearly two years after Jonathan Hardegree's football- ending concussion, the pain of walking away from the game is still raw. What he considered a good defensive hit turned out to be so severe that he had to withdraw from school. Though the gifted quarterback wrestled with accepting life without ...

Linda's Story: Hiatal Hernia Repair Ends Years of Suffering

November 30, 2011

Linda Hudson-Smith is no stranger to medical care. By age 56, she had undergone four complex surgeries involving abdominal incisions and had recently completed a third procedure to repair a hiatal hernia as a result of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). To compound her condition, Linda had a...

Grace's Journey to Life Without GERD

January 12, 2011

When Grace White was diagnosed with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) in the mid-1990s, she never imagined how much the disorder would one day transform her life. “At the time – and for several years afterwards – the reflux was easily managed through medication,” she ...

A Strong Comeback

January 1, 2010

Wide receiver Christian Jones was running a route during spring practice that he had run at least 100 times before. This time, the turf held his foot and his knee twisted. The Westfield High junior went down. At first, the ESPN.com four-star recruit wasn’t sure what had happened. “It wasn’t a pai...

Rennie Overcoming Joint Pain

The nagging pain in both of Rennie Swift’s knees began about 15 years ago. Looking for relief, Rennie had arthroscopic knee surgery on both knees, which helped with his pain for several years. “The pain returned with a gusto,” he admits. “Especially, the right knee.”...

Steve's Story: Heart Transplant

After several heart attacks and multiple unsuccessful attempts to manage his congestive heart failure, Steve sought a heart transplant team to begin a new journey. The process of heart transplantation can be daunting but the heart surgeons’ and specialists’ display of high competence ...

Larry’s Aortic Stenosis Story

During a visit with his cardiologist Larry was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect: aortic stenosis. With this condition, the valve gets very tight and limits blood flow to the entire body. Larry was then referred to Memorial Hermann Heart & Vascular Institute affiliated cardiothoracic a...

Mackenzie's Story: A Ray of Sunshine

Mackenzie Wysong’s positive attitude and cheery outlook make the difference in how she approaches life and its challenges.

Mackenzie had only been living in Houston a little more than a year when she received a breast cancer diagnosis in 2013.

Mackenzie made up her mind to hav...

A Return to the Mound

When medication and rest failed to bring pain relief to pitcher Henry “Quinn” Stroube’s throwing elbow, his parents decided to seek a second medical opinion. With MRI in hand, they met with Peter Sabonghy, M.D., a Memorial Hermann-affiliated orthopedic surgeon who serves as medical director of th...

Venola's Story: Hard-Won, Heart-Felt Victory

Venola was so overcome with joy – and shock – at winning that the sweet victory did not sink in immediately. After all, it was only about 17 months after her lifesaving heart transplant. She had suffered from ischemic cardiomyopathy and coronary artery disease - also called coronary h...

Tony's Story: Tonsil Cancer

Thanks to a referral to Ron Karni, MD, who routinely does surgery for oropharyngeal cancers using transoral robotic surgery with a CO2 laser, Lentola avoided the toxic treatments, the effects of which are particularly pronounced in head and neck cancer patients.

"By combining the laser and...