The Recker Family
Trisha felt her water break at 22.5 weeks gestation. She was pregnant with fraternal triplets and knew that she needed to go to the hospital as quickly as possible. She and her husband Travis departed for the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. Trisha was on bed rest at the hospital for seven before […]
The McGovern Family
Doctor appointments during pregnancy are full of excitement and nervous expectations. When time came for their ultra-sound, however, the McGoverns learned more than they expected. Diagnosed with Lissencephaly, a rare gene-linked brain malformation, Cade has what is sometimes referred to as a smooth brain. The McGoverns were told that Cade would most likely not come home […]
The Hull Family
Last year, Landry wanted to give back during the season of giving to a place that meant so much to his family. He asked his community to collect toys and wish list items for the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois. Landry was born at 27 weeks gestation only 1 pound […]
The Rauen Family
Thomas was born on May 13, seven weeks before his due date. First time parents, Amanda and Tom were already nervous about their high risk pregnancy. They were seen at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital for appointments and planned that Thomas would be born in Iowa City. They knew there would be many […]
The Murphey Family
Jamie Murphey was treated as an infant at his local hospital for bilateral clubfoot. Unfortunately, as Jamie grew his feet regressed. The Murpheys decided to seek a second opinion with Dr. Morcuende at the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. During the first round of treatment they had heard about the Ponseti method, developed […]
The Reuter Family
Feb 2nd is a day the Reuter Family will remember forever: Deacon was born. The day was filled with swirling emotions and tough decisions. He was born with a rare disorder called Oculo Auricular Verbal Syndrom (OAVS); which affects the left side of his body. Some of his symptoms include: only having one lung, his left […]
The Lentz Family
When Eva Lentz was born with end stage renal disease, her mother Rachel was told that she would eventually need a kidney transplant. As Eva gained weight and grew large enough for transplant, she endured daily dialysis while her mother was tested to see if she was a match for donation. Testing showed that she […]
The Kohn Family
It’s was a year like no other for the Kohn family. Born with a rare heart defect, their son Will—just six-years-old—had already undergone multiple open-heart surgeries. In February, while awaiting a life-saving heart transplant, he became the first patient to move into the new University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. After the move, the […]
The Tysdahl Family
It was a seemingly normal day for Carrie Tysdahl. Despite a few pains that she dismissed as a typical part of pregnancy, she went about her daily routine. But after a last minute appointment with her doctor to get some peace of mind, she learned that things weren’t normal after all—her water had broken at […]
The DeWolf Family
When Tara and Brandon DeWolf toured the birth center at UnityPoint Health – St. Luke’s Hospital, Tara remembered passing the Ronald McDonald Family Room and thinking, “This is great, but I hope we’ll never need to use it.” Not long after, daughter Annabelle was born five weeks early and the DeWolfs found themselves in a […]