Meet our kids
Here are the stories of just a few of the children whose lives were changed by research and care at the University of Minnesota.
Grace O'Masta
At 1 month old, Grace wasn’t expected to survive the night because of her enlarged and weakened heart. But thanks to a heart transplant at Amplatz Children’s Hospital, Grace, now 4, can enjoy being a preschooler. Read more.
Addison Brynteson
Four-year-old Addy was sidelined with severe aplastic anemia—a rare condition causing extreme tiredness, high infection risk, and uncontrolled bleeding. But after receiving a blood and marrow transplant at Amplatz Children's hospital, Addy is dancing and riding her bike again. Read more.
Sabrina Ness
Thanks to U of M discoveries that have added decades to the lives of children with cystic fibrosis, 12-year-old Sabrina, who has CF, can pursue her dream career as a singer. Read more.
Keric Boyd
EB, a rare skin disease, had Keric facing a future of pain and limited activity. But after a pioneering blood and marrow transplant at Amplatz Children’s Hospital, Keric, 10, is busy going to school and participating in 4-H. Read more.
Emma Michael
Rebecca and James Michael were expecting their second child in early November. But baby Emma could only wait until July 11, when she was born at one day over 23 weeks’ gestation, weighing a mere 1 pound 6 ounces. Read more.
Molly and Luke Williams
Imagine facing the devastating diagnosis that your child has a rare condition that is fatal if left untreated...twice. For Julie and Brandon Williams, their worlds were turned upside down when both of their children, Luke and Molly, were diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). Read more.
Tanner Buck
Tanner Buck, 11, is personable and polite, but plays hockey with a vengeance—he just won third place in a Wisconsin youth hockey shootout. Tanner also has cystic fibrosis (CF) and has been treated at the University of Minnesota Cystic Fibrosis Center since he was 10 days old. Read more.
Gabby Burington
Gabby Burington performs in jazz and tap dancing competitions, something her mother didn’t imagine possible when Gabby was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis as a toddler. But this six-year-old doesn’t let her diagnosis define her or even slow her down. Read more.
Margo Freeman
Ten-month-old Margo Freeman couldn’t have looked any healthier. Yet, when Don and Robyn Freeman learned that their adoptive baby girl was waiting for them in Ethiopia, they turned for help and support to the University of Minnesota’s International Adoption Clinic. Read more.
Reid McCants
Eight-year-old Reid McCants doesn’t really seem to mind being in a hospital bed—keeping busy playing with Pokémon cards. But he isn’t visiting University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital for fun and games. Reid is enrolled in a TrialNet clinical study aimed at advancing type 1 diabetes research and helping kids like him beat the disease. Read more.
Elliott Doherty
Susan Doherty calls her 13-year-old son’s experience with Hepatoblastoma—a rare pediatric liver cancer—a “life-altering experience.” Following treatment at University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital, the cancer is gone, Elliott has gained 20 pounds, he’s on the track team, and he’s made the honor roll at school. Read more.
Rosie Jones
Any child diagnosed with cancer faces the battle of her life. But what if her family lives in an unstable country and cannot see a doctor? That’s what happened to Rosie Jones, who lived in the West African nation of Liberia. Thanks to an immigration lottery, Rosie and her family were able to seek out treatment at the University of Minnesota. Read more.
Jared Deines
Jared Deines has a bright smile that exudes boyish charm. He also has the natural poise of the athlete he is. He plays baseball, football, basketball, and his favorite, golf. But on a sunny summer day, Jared is not home in Iowa practicing his golf swing. Instead, he is stretched out on a hospital bed at the University of Minnesota, tethered to an intravenous drip. Read more.
Parker Aslakson
It was a lazy September morning, and Rachel Aslakson was enjoying watching her 1-year-old son, Parker, sleep. She couldn’t have imagined that in two hours, she and Parker would be racing north in an ambulance from Red Wing, Minn., to University of Minnesota Amplatz Children’s Hospital in Minneapolis. Read more.
Jacqueline Dunlap
If you’re like most people, you’ve never heard of neurofibromatosis (NF). Neither had JoAnne Pastel and Bill Dunlap, of Wayzata, until their 5-month-old daughter, Jacqueline, was diagnosed with the tumor-causing disorder, for which there is no known cure. Read more.
Cassidy Skogen
Right from the start, newborn Cassidy Skogen sounded congested, her chest rattling as she breathed. So at her one-year wellness checkup, her pediatrician recommended an ultrasound, which revealed a hole between the upper chambers of her heart. Read more.
Logan Motzko
When Misty and Matt Motzko’s son, Logan, was born unexpectedly at 24 weeks, weighing only a pound and a half, the whole family needed expert care. Nothing could have prepared the Motzkos for their baby’s harrowing entry into the world—but under the circumstances, Misty says, they couldn't have landed in a better place. Read more.
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