Patient Ambassadors
Patients inspire our work every day. They also motivated the launch of It Starts With Yes: The Campaign for Seattle Children’s because we see a day where we can say yes to hope, care and cure for all kids.
We are grateful to every It Starts With Yes Patient Ambassador for sharing their stories in a number of ways. Meet a few of our ambassadors below.
It Starts With Yes Patient Ambassadors
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Meet Aliyanna
The challenges Aliyanna faced at birth were no match for her tenacity – or the outstanding care she received at Seattle Children’s. Today, a research trial for a new medication brings hope for her healthy future.
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Meet Charlotte
This boisterous toddler has a second chance at life thanks to open-heart surgery at the age of 4 months.
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Meet the Cornelius Family
For the Corneliuses, Seattle Children's Odessa Brown Children's Clinic (OBCC) is more than just a community clinic. To them, OBCC is family. Read more.
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Meet Iris
This terrific teen has benefited from an array of Seattle Children’s care and support services for 10 years — and counting!
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Meet Shanae
Faced with giving up sports forever or undergoing a novel surgery, Shanae chose the latter. See how her determination coupled with Seattle Children’s expertise put her back in the game.
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Meet Javi
This outdoor enthusiast focuses on H.O.P.E. to manage her mental health challenges – and to advocate for other young people in crisis.
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Meet Alex
Autism blocked her ability to communicate until intensive speech therapy opened doors to new words and new worlds.
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Meet Anna
A schoolgirl with dwarfism can now reach for the stars after limb-lengthening surgery at Seattle Children’s doubles the length of her upper arms – and gives her greater independence.
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Meet Avery
After a miracle surgery saved her from a deadly brain tumor, she was cancer-free but out of options if she needed future treatment. Now, a new immunotherapy trial gives kids with aggressive or recurring brain cancer another chance at life.
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Meet Caleb
An engaging first-grader with a fighting spirit finds his medical home at Seattle Children’s and lives his healthiest, most fulfilling life possible.
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Meet Camille
After her leukemia returned for a third time, a college student is on the road to recovery thanks to an immunotherapy trial and bone marrow transplant at Seattle Children’s – and her fighting spirit.
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Meet Carmen
A toddler moves from epilepsy to high school valedictorian – after a 10-hour brain surgery at Seattle Children’s frees her from daily seizures.
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Meet Cassidy
An aspiring Broadway star who uses music to navigate life’s ups and downs and recently wrote a song about her 41st surgery.
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Meet Emmy
This spirited preschooler battled and beat a deadly cancer thanks to expert clinical care and groundbreaking research.
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Meet Erin
A brave girl wise beyond her years beats cancer for the third time with the help of a game-changing treatment at Seattle Children’s.
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Meet Garrett
When Erin Smith went into labor with her second child, she never imagined the 42-day odyssey her son would endure in order to survive.
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Meet Jonah and Jeremiah
Two bright boys being raised by their grandmother receive integrated primary care at Seattle Children’s Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic.
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Meet Kira
A performer and musical actress since age 6, this teen suddenly struggled with tone and pitch. After an MRI revealed a tumor in her brain, she and her doctors found a way for her to keep pursuing her passion.
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Meet Liesel
She was so inspired after participating in a clinical trial, she is pursuing a degree in biomedical engineering at Harvard College.
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Meet Lillee
This bright, active 4-year-old experienced hundreds of seizures a day until Seattle Children’s surgeons stopped them for good.
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Meet Lincoln
At 7 months old, a heart transplant saved his life – and Seattle Children’s doctors say he can pursue whatever his new, healthy heart desires.
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Meet Luke
An active boy always ready with a joke, you’d never guess he was born with a heart condition requiring lifelong care.
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Meet Makenna
A teen who takes lifelong medical hurdles in stride – and says thank you to Seattle Children’s by making a difference for other kids.
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Meet Max and Beck
Max survived a deadly brain cancer thanks to a cancer clinical trial, while his younger brother Beck is learning to live with the challenges of OCD and ADHD. Together with their family, they advocate for Seattle Children’s brain health initiatives.
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Meet Miguel
After 31 rounds of chemotherapy, shoulder replacement surgery and nine months in the hospital, Miguel insists he’s just a regular guy. Learn how his positivity helped him kick cancer to the curb.
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Meet Oliver
Looking at this energetic toddler today, you’d never guess he required lifesaving surgery five days after his premature birth. Oliver faced unthinkable odds, but his fighting spirit – combined with Seattle Children’s expert care – gave him a new lease on life.
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Meet Roarke
A pinch of mother’s intuition and a cup of Seattle Children’s expertise yields one healthy boy.
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Meet Saleea
Since she was born, this 12-year-old has grappled with sickle cell disease, a life-threatening blood condition that requires constant treatment. It can be intense, but it’s no match for her winning attitude!
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Meet Tara
Tara shares her personal experience as the sibling of a patient at Seattle Children’s and explains why she approaches life with a lens of inclusion.
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About It Starts With Yes
It Starts With Yes: The Campaign for Seattle Children’s is a bold initiative – $1 billion bold – to partner with our community and deliver on our shared vision to transform children’s health for generations to come. With your generous support, we can envision a day when we can say yes to hope, care and cure for every child. See what your yes can do donate today.
