Category Archives: patient story

‘She’s alive today because of them’

Posted on April 16, 2018 by

BY SUSAN KEETER Eight-year-old Kaelynne Driscoll and her father, Christopher, were riding an inner tube on Skaneateles Lake on July 6, 2016, when a wave knocked them off the tube and under water. They were struck by a boat and injured, … Continue reading →

Posted in bones/joints/orthopedics, brain/spine/neurosurgery, emergency medicine/trauma, health care, patient story, surgery, Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital/pediatrics | 1 Comment

Burn survivor: New laser assists in patient’s recovery from house fire

Posted on April 13, 2018 by

BY AMBER SMITH She lies on her stomach, exposing her bare back to a laser wielded by her surgeon. “Dr. Dolinak saved my life,” Stephanie Bridge says emphatically, as she positions herself for treatment that will help restore the texture … Continue reading →

Posted in dermatology/skin care, emergency medicine/trauma, health care, patient story, surgery, technology | Tagged , , , , , , ,

Lasers treat pediatric brain tumors, epilepsy

Posted on April 6, 2018 by

BY AMBER SMITH Maisie Chapman of Cortland was just 3 months old when her seizures began. Ethan Stinson of Pierrepont Manor, near Watertown, was 15. Both wound up as patients of  Zulma Tovar-Spinoza, MD, a pioneering pediatric neurosurgeon at Upstate University … Continue reading →

Posted in brain/spine/neurosurgery, health care, patient story, surgery, technology, Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital/pediatrics | Tagged , , , , ,

Talent and imagination: Teen artist spends chemotherapy time drawing original characters

Posted on February 28, 2018 by

BY SUSAN KEETER A new sketchbook was the perfect gift for Julia Nguyen on Sept. 13, the day she was diagnosed with primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma. Over the summer, around her 16th birthday, Nguyen developed swelling in her face and felt … Continue reading →

Posted in adolescents, cancer, health care, patient story, Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital/pediatrics

Surgical solution: Ear specialist helps her hearing, balance problems

Posted on February 19, 2018 by

BY AMBER SMITH They weren’t life-threatening, but the symptoms that plagued Jolie Bower were so debilitating she had to stop working. She had a spinning sensation of vertigo and nausea that would come on without warning. Her head would feel … Continue reading →

Posted in ear, nose and throat/otolaryngology, health care, HealthLink on Air, patient story, surgery | Tagged

Overcoming a painful disease: Battling juvenile arthritis is a long-term proposition for this fourth-grader

Posted on February 12, 2018 by

BY JIM HOWE Nora Powers started feeling pain in her feet when she was 2 years old. That led to trips to her pediatrician, then a podiatrist, then an orthopedist. When she was 5, a pediatric rheumatologist diagnosed what caused … Continue reading →

Posted in arthritis, health care, patient story, Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital/pediatrics

Medically fragile, mentally strong: Preschooler thrives, despite cardiac and neurological problems

Posted on February 9, 2018 by

BY AMBER SMITH In 2013, friends of Kristy and John Cornell told the couple about a woman who gave birth to a baby girl in the Buffalo area. The baby was to be adopted, and she had health problems. The Cornells … Continue reading →

Posted in allergies/asthma, cancer, health care, heart/cardiovascular, lung/pulmonary, patient story, surgery

Advanced imaging, clot-retrieval help save stroke patients during holiday at Upstate Comprehensive Stroke Center

Posted on December 29, 2017 by

The Christmas feast was about to begin. Twenty-three of Judy Klein’s loved ones were gathered in her Syracuse home. Her grandson had prepared a plate for her mother, Fannie Barber, 101. Klein’s daughter was talking with the matriarch, who was … Continue reading →

Posted in aging/geriatrics, brain/neurology, brain/spine/neurosurgery, emergency medicine/trauma, health care, medical imaging/radiology, patient story

Cows for cancer: Grateful granddaughter raises livestock to brighten patients’ days

Posted on December 22, 2017 by

Thomas Elwood lived his whole life on his farm in the village of Walton, in New York’s Southern Tier, with steers, pigs and chickens. He was retired from Breakstone, the local creamery, where he worked for 45 years. He beamed … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, community, fundraising, health care, patient story

Catching cancer early: Routine mammogram spotted technician’s breast cancer

Posted on December 15, 2017 by

BY AMBER SMITH In 28 years as a clinical technician at Upstate University Hospital, Kimberly White, 47, has cared for a wide variety of patients, including adults with cancer. Today she has a new appreciation for the disease, as a … Continue reading →

Posted in cancer, health care, medical imaging/radiology, patient story, prevention/preventive medicine, surgery, women's health/gynecology | Tagged , , , , ,