Five-year-old Khori was born with a congenital heart defect and has already undergone two open-heart surgeries in her short life. After her second surgery, it was clear she would need a new heart, so she was placed on the transplant list.

At 7 years old, Lily Hensiek's biggest worries were homework and getting her ears pierced. But when she started complaining of back pain, experiencing fevers and bruising easily, her family began to worry. 

In March 2016, all that should have been on seventh-grader Drew Estes’ mind was middle school baseball tryouts and basketball practice. But when he developed a persistent fever, his parents took him to the doctor to see what was wrong.

“A parent’s worst nightmare” is how Lametra Scott, PharmD, CCHP, describes the moment her son Rickey was diagnosed with sickle cell disease, a blood disorder that can cause blood clots and severe pain. As a new mom, Lametra was scared and had a lot of questions. Fortunately, she had a highly specialized program nearby at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

After getting hit in the head with a baseball, a scan revealed that Jordan had a cerebral cavernous malformation -- a large tumor on his brain. After researching the best programs in the country, the Johnsons decided that the neurosurgery team at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt was the right choice.