Please consider making a planned gift, for the future of Children's Specialized Hospital. You will leave a lasting legacy that will help children like Nikos receive the specialized care they need.
“The doctor explained to us scientifically what this diagnosis was and what to expect, saying that our son would never walk or use the bathroom on his own, and that he would need a shunt to drain fluid from his brain,” shares Nikos’ mom, Nicole. “I remember crying, thinking my son was going to have no quality of life, asking this doctor to tell me there is a chance, even just a 1% chance that my son would be able to do these things, and he said, ‘No.’”
Nicole and her husband, AJ, contemplated the option of performing in utero surgery to try to close the hole in their baby’s spine and reached out to friends and family for support. One friend recommended a neurosurgeon for a second opinion, so that’s what they did.
The rest of Nicole’s pregnancy went smoothly. The day after Nikos was born, the neurosurgeon performed surgery on his spine. As Nikos grew, he continued seeing his doctors for check-ups and evaluations and began early intervention at Children's Specialized Hospital before his first birthday and has been consistently working with his physical therapists since.
Nikos went from a dismal diagnosis to being a happy child who loves pirates, the TV show Peppa Pig and doing karate with his older brother, Arman.
“Everything Nikos has gone through is a miracle,” states Nicole. “The team at CSH do their job with such heart and they love these kids…it makes a difference. I can’t say enough good things about what they have done for my son. We are so blessed. We love them with all our heart.”
When you make a planned gift, you are leaving a lasting legacy that will help children like Nikos receive the specialized care they need. To learn more or discuss leaving a gift to Children’s Specialized, please contact Elena Herskowitz at 1-201-618-3133 or 1-888-CHILDREN ext. 55462 or by email at eherskowitz@childrens-specialized.org for more information.