Atrium Health Levine Children’s Brenner Children’s Hospital

11/16/2025

Five-year-old Hadley was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL) in February 2025. What began as a stubborn fever turned into a life-changing journey, one she’s facing with incredible strength and spirit.

Under the care of Dr. Ann Bird Mahoney and her wonderful nurses, Hadley has been in treatment since February and still has more than two years to go, but nothing slows her down. She calls her chemo drip a “waterfall” and faces every challenge with a smile. She loves preschool, pizza, swimming, and cheering for her favorite team – The Deamon Deacons!

Hadley was treated to a special experience as our MVP guest at a Wake Forest Football game. The cheer team surprised her with her very own uniform and signed her on as honorary cheerleader for the day!

As Hadley continues on her courageous journey with ALL, let’s keep cheering h

11/09/2025

Born at just 27 weeks, Elias entered the world weighing less than 2 pounds. His first months were spent in the NICU, where every breath and heartbeat was a victory. Milestone after milestone marked his journey: surviving emergency surgeries, taking his first breath off the ventilator and finally learning to eat by mouth after months with feeding tubes. When Elias went home, he brought with him a trach, ventilator, and feeding tubes, but he also carried an indomitable spirit. With each passing year, Elias reached new heights—losing the trach, saying goodbye to the ventilator, and trading medical equipment for sneakers and shin guards. Today, he’s a thriving 8-year-old who loves third grade, scores goals in soccer, breaks boards in taekwondo and roots for his favorite sports teams with contagious energy.

Elias’ mom, Katie, found her calling in pediatric care after her own experience in the NICU and PICU with Elias. Having previously worked in the Adult Trauma ICU, she felt drawn to help families in similar situations and pursued a role in the Atrium Health Levine Children’s Brenner Children’s Hospital PICU. Katie began shadowing nurses, eventually joining the team, and dedicating the past eight years to supporting children and families at Brenner Children’s Hospital. Inspired by Elias and the compassionate care they received, Katie and her family have made Winston-Salem their new home to remain close to the hospital, cherishing the strong relationships with the nurses and doctors who have been there for every milestone. The road wasn’t easy, but every step forward was a testament to their resilience and the support of their care team.

Recently, Elias celebrated his journey as our honorary guest at an App State Football game. In true MVP fashion, Elias got to be recognized on the field, cheered on the team from the sidelines and made unforgettable memories.

10/31/2025

Our teammates are all dressed up today — not just for Halloween, but to bring extra smiles to our patients! From playful costumes to creative flair, we’re celebrating with heart and a whole lot of joy. Wishing everyone a safe and Happy Halloween! 🧡✨

10/31/2025

Our sweet pumpkins are bringing big smiles this Halloween! Babies from our Dale and Karen Sisel Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) are rocking costumes that will melt your heart.

Big thanks to our partners for supporting our patients:
Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Piedmont Triad
Spirit of Children
Preemies of the Carolinas
Photographer: Alison Hensley Photography

Please note: All babies photographed are in our neonatal intensive care unit, under constant monitoring to ensure their health and safety. These images are artistic and do not reflect AAP Safe Sleep recommendations. Please follow all safe sleep recommendations with your baby at home.

10/31/2025

Five-year-old Ripken was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia just two weeks before his fourth birthday. Throughout the course of his treatment at Atrium Health Levine Children’s Brenner Children’s Hospital, Ripken has bravely faced more than 35 infusions, 300+ total daily chemo pills and quarterly spinal chemotherapy injections. With his unwavering spirit and the support of his loved ones and care team, Ripken just celebrated a special milestone — starting kindergarten! This animal-lover enjoys life on his family farm, especially playing outside with his little brother, Memphis.

Ripken was celebrated as our honorary coin toss kid at a recent Wake Forest Football game where he got to oversee the coin toss with the refs and captains, and enjoy the game with his family as our special guests.

You inspire us, Ripken, and we wish you the best of luck in your first year of school!

10/24/2025

10/24/2025

When life gives you lemons… you give back! 🍋💛

Meet 3-year-old Finley, the daughter of Stephanie, a Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Adolescents Clinical Educator at Atrium Health Levine Children's Brenner Children’s Hospital.

In honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, Stephanie and Finley set up a lemonade stand to raise money for our pediatric hematology and oncology patients and families. From stickering cups to serving up “the most delicious lemonade ever", Finley learned the joy of giving back, and together, they raised over $400!

The funds helped purchase special items from the unit's Amazon Wishlist, including patterned NG tube tape, PICC arm sleeves, band aids, character pillowcases, animal ice packs, sound machines and more, all chosen by our nurses with our patients in mind.

Stephanie’s compassion for her patients is truly infectious, and she’s passing that same kindness on to the next generation. Thank you to Stephanie, Finley and those in our community who graciously donated!

If you feel inspired to give, click here to learn ways you can help make a difference in the lives of our patients and their families: https://bit.ly/4njdip2

10/17/2025

In early January 2021, Lyric’s parents noticed something wasn’t quite right. What began as occasional complaints of pain while walking or playing soon escalated. Lyric, once full of energy, began turning down playtime and eventually resorted to scooting and sliding around the house to avoid walking. Her parents knew it was time to seek professional help.

They took Lyric to a local pediatric clinic where initial tests raised concerns and referred them to an orthopedic specialist. After observing her walk, they immediately urged her family to get her to Atrium Health Levine Children's Brenner Children’s Hospital in Winston-Salem without delay.

At Brenner Children’s Hospital, Lyric was diagnosed with osteomyelitis in her hip and spine—a serious bone infection that required immediate and intensive treatment. She spent 11 days in the hospital, enduring IVs, blood draws, antibiotics, ultrasounds and other testing. During her stay, she lost 10 pounds and had to relearn how to walk.

Despite the severity of her condition, Lyric’s care team made her feel safe, seen and supported. They loved her infamous purple glasses and treated her with warmth and honesty. Lyric’s family says that the care team’s world-class professionalism and compassion helped make an incredibly difficult time more bearable.

Lyric’s recovery was fueled by faith, family and fun. She stayed motivated through prayer, singing, playing games and even basketball with her dad using a wheelchair.

After her recovery, Lyric tried out for cheerleading, basketball and volleyball but didn’t make the teams. Then came track—a sport she had no prior experience in, despite both her parents having run in high school. It turned out to be the perfect fit.

Lyric began competing in events like the 400m, 4x400m relay and high jump at the Junior Olympics, and also participated in other events and long jumps for her school and AAU team. When she qualified for the Junior Olympics, her excitement was palpable—it was her first and second year ever in sports and she was already making waves.

Inspired by Lyric’s strength and story, her mom, Kayla—an artist and writer since elementary school—created a coloring book that brings Lyric’s journey to life. Featuring illustrations of Lyric, her teammates, coaches and word search puzzles, the book is designed to be both relatable and enjoyable for kids and adults alike. Its message is clear: faith, patience and perseverance can carry you through even the toughest battles.

Lyric’s story is a testament to resilience, the power of a loving care team and the beauty of finding your stride—even when the odds are stacked against you.

10/14/2025

Two-year-old Zariah’s journey with type 1 diabetes began when she was only 10 months old. After a 12-hour emergency room visit to a nearby hospital nearly ended in discharge without answers, her mom and grandmother refused to give up.

During the visit, bloodwork was conducted to get a better idea of what was going on. “Her dad has type 1 diabetes, so it had always been a fear of mine,” said Zariah’s mom, Kaitlyn.

After a check on her glucose levels revealed that Zariah had an unusually high glucose level, she was rushed into critical care. Zariah was transferred to Atrium Health Levine Children’s Brenner Children’s Hospital and our pediatric team got to work right away. “Everything went so smoothly from there,” says Kaitlyn. From the moment they arrived, Zariah was surrounded by compassionate, expert care. Nurses and doctors worked swiftly to stabilize her, and her mom recalls feeling like she could finally breathe.

Today, Zariah is thriving thanks to her insulin pump, continuous glucose monitoring and the support of her family and care team.

“Initially I was waking up every 4 hours to do finger pricks and give her insulin shots, so both of these things were a game changer for diabetes,” says Kaitlyn.

Her advice to other parents? Always advocate for your child.

“We know our babies best,” says Kaitlyn. “Diabetes is hard to manage, especially in a toddler, so it’s not perfect, but we’re doing the best we can. My parents and my boyfriend were truly my rocks. I couldn’t have managed everything as a single mom without their support through it all.”

10/06/2025

No trending audio needed. Just the sights and sounds at Atrium Health Levine Children’s Brenner Children’s Hospital. 🏥🎶🔔

10/03/2025

Life of a Showgirl dropped and so did the glitter, giggles and the karaoke mic. 🎤

From friendship bracelets to dress-up props, Sophie's Place came RED-y with an album release party. Starring our favorite Swiftie and child life specialist, Cheyenne, our teammates made an enchanted afternoon for our patients and their families.