Children's Hospital Los Angeles

04/17/2026

We celebrated the Amerman Family Foundation Dog Therapy Program and the extraordinary impact it has had on patients, families, and team members over the last 25 years. Each year, more than 100 trained dog-and-handler pairs provide comfort and companionship through 100,000+ meaningful interactions, offering support during some of life’s most challenging moments.

From calming anxious patients to lifting the spirits of families and team members alike, this program reminds us that healing comes in many forms—sometimes on four paws.

Learn more about the Dog Therapy program: https://bit.ly/49rD0Es

04/15/2026

When it comes to complex congenital heart disease, no two hearts with the same diagnosis look the same. This was true for Samuel, whose exceptionally unique heart anatomy required an innovative treatment approach.

From fetal diagnosis to single ventricle heart surgery, CHLA’s Heart Institute experts collaborated across specialties to provide personalized, life-saving care—while allowing Samuel’s heart to lead the way.

“He would constantly show us how much he wants to be here—how much he wants to be alive,” says Samuel’s mom, Erica. “In many ways, his positive attitude gave us the energy we needed to keep going.”

Read about Samuel’s extraordinary journey on our blog: https://bit.ly/3QjxHiJ

04/14/2026

Meet Gustavo Lopez, Interfaith Chaplain in Spiritual Care at CHLA! He's supported families in the NICCU and 4E (Cancer and Blood Disease Institute) at CHLA for almost 5 years.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂?

As part of the care team in those units, I provide emotional and spiritual support to the families and patients. I support the families and patients by providing empathic listening, encouraging expression of emotions and validating them. I provide support to religious and non-religious families through non-judgmental presence. This presence occurs during daily check-ins and during times of crisis, such as end-of-life situations.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗛𝗟𝗔?

I love what we stand for as an organization. The CHLA community does its best to provide care to our patients and their families from all social, cultural, and economic backgrounds. As a theologian, I feel I am answering the call to provide a supporting and healing presence to those who need holistic support: physical, mental, and spiritual.

𝗙𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗷𝗼𝗯?

Patient care is my favorite part of my job. I recognize that it is a privilege to be allowed to walk into the space of the patient and family. I love learning about them — learning what gives them strength and hope. I want the families to feel supported and not alone when I accompany them during their journey at CHLA, getting to know the person and their story.

𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝗼𝗳?

I have been told many times that I have an ability to bring a calming presence to a room. I have also been told that I am good at bringing laughter into a room and that I am a versatile person during crucial times.

04/14/2026

CHLA is kicking off a new era of pediatric health care education with the appointment of Aarti Porwal, inaugural Executive Director of the Chuck Lorre Pediatric Health Education Institute!

Starting today, she's leading the first-of-its-kind in the nation Institute that encompasses every level of education at the hospital—and impacts more than 600 team members annually. With this work, CHLA is creating a new blueprint for workforce development that children’s hospitals nationwide can follow. This groundbreaking Institute is made possible by a transformational gift from The Chuck Lorre Family Foundation.

Learn more about the Institute here: https://bit.ly/4cpWLMC

04/10/2026

Autistic youth are 2-3X times more likely to experience suicidal thoughts and behaviors than their non-autistic peers. Yet most standard su***de prevention interventions were not designed to meet their unique needs.

Now, CHLA has launched a new clinical trial to test a su***de prevention intervention developed specifically for autistic youth and their families.

CHLA is testing a mental health intervention designed specifically for autistic youth in crisis.

04/09/2026

20 years after losing both eyes to retinoblastoma, a father fights for his son’s eyesight.

Jake Olson has built a life rooted in resilience as an athlete, motivational speaker, and advocate after the rare eye cancer left him completely blind by age 12. Then, in January 2025, Jake and his wife Audrey learned their newborn son Rowan had retinoblastoma too.

Knowing exactly where to turn, they traveled from their home in Florida to CHLA—one of the leading retinoblastoma centers in the world, and the same place Jake had received care throughout most of his childhood.

“There was no other choice in our minds,” Jake says. “We knew we had to come to CHLA for Rowan’s treatment, even if it meant traveling across the country.”

Read the full story on our blog: https://bit.ly/3O6sOJp

04/09/2026

When Sofia was diagnosed with Biliary Atresia—a rare liver disease—as an infant, her family knew she would one day face a liver transplant. Then, at 2 years old, Sofia’s doctor in Nevada referred her to CHLA for the life-saving transplant. When her family learned there was a liver available, they quickly made their way to Los Angeles.

After about 15 hours, the transplant surgery was complete and Sofia was on her way to recovery. A few weeks later, she was cleared to leave the hospital and continue her recovery with her family.

April is , and stories like Sofia’s are possible because of the life-saving gift of organ donation.

Congratulations Sofia—we’re cheering you on every step of the way.

04/06/2026

Zoey was born prematurely in February 2025, weighing only 2.2 pounds. At just 3 weeks of life, she was emergently transferred to CHLA for care in the Neonatal and Infant Critical Care Unit (NICCU). She was cared for in the Small Baby Unit because she was so tiny, where she battled many health issues related to her prematurity. She faced and overcame many problems including pneumonia, necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), an atrial septal defect (ASD) requiring closure in the cardiac catheterization lab, and severe chronic lung disease requiring prolonged respiratory support.

She spent months on the NICU cardiac-focused team, where the neonatologists, cardiologists, and the multi-disciplinary team worked together to provide care related to her prematurity as well as the issues with her heart. She then transitioned to the Chronic Lung Disease(CLD) Program within the NICU, where a multidisciplinary team focused on babies with CLD oversaw her care, continuing to make incredible progress every step of the way.

After 8 months of specialized care and countless victories, both big and small, she officially graduated from the NICU and was discharged home on November 7th, 2025.

"We are deeply grateful to the entire team at CHLA, each and every individual who was involved in her care," says her mom Jessica. "It has been a blessing to me, and I am truly thankful to all the doctors, nurses, the people who refilled her medications, the maintenance staff, social workers, the cafeteria who provided us with delicious meals, and the cuddler team who came to hold her and cuddle when I was not able to be there. Everyone treated her as if she were their own child."

04/03/2026

CHLA's Office of Community Affairs was proud to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to patients and their families, reinforcing our commitment to care that goes beyond clinical spaces. By strengthening community connections and improving access to healthy food, we help build healthier futures for children and families.

In partnership with Mother’s Nutritional Center, 20,000 total pounds of fruits, vegetables, and starches were distributed.

For more on CHLA's community impact efforts, visit https://www.chla.org/community-impact.

04/03/2026

Thank you to everyone who helped us celebrate 125 years of CHLA! 🎉

“The story of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is a 125-year commitment to saving and transforming children’s lives,” says Paul Viviano, CHLA’s President and CEO “Our physicians, nurses, researchers, and team members have continually pushed the boundaries of care, developing therapies and surgical approaches that have improved outcomes for generation after generation of children throughout the world.”

Learn more: https://bit.ly/4v6YAGJ

04/02/2026

Baby wearing is a generations-old practice that remains widely popular. CHLA Care Network physician Dr. Cameo Carter shares the benefits and the do's and don'ts of baby wearing.

For many parents, the age-old custom of keeping your infant close against your body as you go about your day is both practical and healthful.

04/01/2026

125 years of hope, healing, and innovation 💙🎉

Today, we celebrated Children’s Hospital Los Angeles’ 125th anniversary with a birthday party! 🎂 Team members got together for a fun celebration with a photo booth, therapy dogs, origami, cake cutting, an original song performance, and special partner giveaways.

Since opening in a small house in 1901 and caring for just 14 patients in its first year, CHLA has grown into one of the nation’s leading pediatric academic medical centers. We now oversee more than 750,000 patient visits each year and serve families from all 50 states and more than 90 countries. Here’s to a legacy of clinical excellence, surgical innovation, and scientific discovery.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/4v6YAGJ