![\"Pediatric](\"https:\/\/lpfch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/ART-THERAPIST-300x188.png\")
Only-at-Stanford Care<\/strong><\/p>\n On a warm September day in 2022, Carrie was chaperoning Sadie\u2019s school field trip to the zoo. Sadie complained of a sore throat and stomachache, and she was a little out of breath.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought she was coming down with a cold,\u201d Carrie remembers. But Sadie\u2019s symptoms worsened, and discomfort turned into 911 calls, ER visits, and specialist referrals. When it became clear that she needed a lung transplant, Lucile Packard Children\u2019s Hospital Stanford was the obvious choice for her care.<\/p>\n Stanford is a national leader in pediatric solid organ transplants and performs the highest volume of procedures in our region. What\u2019s more, we are the only<\/em> pediatric lung transplant center on the West Coast. <\/strong><\/p>\n As a former nurse, Carrie was immediately impressed with the world-class facilities at Packard Children\u2019s. Her confidence grew even more when she met Sadie\u2019s team of experts, who provided compassionate care and \u201cwatched her like a hawk\u201d while they waited for donor lungs\u2014a process that lasted 11 months.<\/p>\n In December 2023, the call finally came: \u201cWe had a match!\u201d Carrie recalls. \u201cNothing prepares you for news like that.\u201d<\/p>\n Sadie\u2019s medical team sprang into action, keeping her family updated every step of the way.<\/p>\n Her surgery was a success, and Carrie will never forget when her little girl emerged from anesthesia. \u201cI could see the tiniest hint of a Sadie smile. My baby was healing! She was getting better! We had a long road ahead of us, but we were on our way.\u201d<\/p>\n From Loneliness to Childhood Joy<\/strong><\/p>\n Sadie spent about a year in and out of the hospital, including about a month post-transplant. To keep her safe while her lungs were vulnerable, Sadie was often isolated to her room and was lonely. Carrie\u2019s heart broke thinking about her spunky little girl passing day after day in a hospital room, deprived of the opportunity to play or interact with other children.<\/p>\n Thankfully, Sadie received regular visits from the hospital\u2019s Child Life and Creative Arts teams, made possible by the generous support of Fondo para la Infancia<\/em> donors like you<\/strong>. \u00a0Child Life Specialists would play games with Sadie, giving her company and something fun to look forward to during her day. They also provided distractions like stress balls and iPads loaded with her favorite shows during frightening procedures . Sadie\u2019s music therapists even recorded Sadie singing a hymn to the rhythm of her own heartbeat!<\/p>\n Hyun A Lee, MA, LMFT, ATR, is an art therapist and a member of Sadie\u2019s dedicated team. She would suit up in full protective gear to keep Sadie healthy during their visits. \u201cArt therapy was a gentle, guiding light for Sadie, providing a secure environment to express herself during her challenging journey,\u201d says Hyun A. \u201cIt offered essential developmental support and allowed her resilience to blossom.\u201d<\/p>\n Giggling Once Again, Thanks to Donors Like You<\/strong><\/p>\n Sadie is now back home with her family. She enjoys dancing, practicing the violin, and playing with her big sister, Colette.<\/p>\n Carrie\u2019s heart fills with joy every time she hears Sadie laugh. She remembers when just a giggle would set off a coughing fit. \u201cI am happy to report that Sadie laughs all the time now!\u201d Carrie says with a grin.<\/p>\n\n Provide world-class care and comfort for families like Sadie\u2019s.\n <\/h2>\n\n \n