CHOP Primary Care, Harborview / Smithville

04/04/2025

Our patient Mason received a life-saving kidney transplant through the National Kidney Registry and our partnership with Penn Medicine. Read more in the Philadelphia Inquirer about how his love for the Philadelphia Eagles and his friendship with Brandon Graham helped him.

Mason Spencer’s love of the Eagles — and friendship with Graham — helped him survive a kidney transplant at 3.

04/03/2025

Colton came to our hospital at 12 hours old after experiencing a traumatic birth resulting in four brain hemorrhages. Our neonatal neurology experts worked with our Newborn/Infant Intensive Care Unit (N/IICU) team to stabilize, evaluate, do brain imaging and seizure monitoring and plan Colton's immediate care and long term rehabilitation and follow up. After 10 days, he was able to go home. Five years later, Colton continues to make amazing strides with his movement, balance, speech and learning!

Learn more about Colton's story from WGAL News Channel 8 Susquehanna Valley, Pa.: http://ms.spr.ly/6183qSh6t.

04/03/2025

Cameron came to see Dr. Eric Liao, a pediatric plastic surgeon-scientist, at only 16 days old after his family noticed a slow weight gain and some feeding difficulties. Cameron was diagnosed with a unilateral cleft lip and a nasal deformity. He ultimately underwent surgery at six months old. Today he is doing amazing, and his family is very grateful for the early, comprehensive care he received!

Learn more about our program: http://ms.spr.ly/6183qSiOc.

04/02/2025

Recently we were awarded Smoking Treatment Accreditation & Recognition (STAR) approval from the Health Promotion Council of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Inc. recognizing our commitment to helping patient families tackle the long-term effects of smoking and the growing problem of youth va**ng. Learn more here: http://ms.spr.ly/6187qUtnt.

04/02/2025

Meet Liam, a resilient born with congenital heart disease (CHD).

After a successful open-heart surgery at just 6 days old, complications arose and his doctors suspected (PVS), a rare condition that causes the veins carrying blood from the lungs to the heart to narrow, which often occurs in patients that also have CHD. Thanks to our PVS team and a novel treatment plan, Liam is now thriving at 18 months old - full of life, energy and curiosity and meeting all his growth and developmental milestones! ❤️

Read more about Liam's journey with PVS.

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Pulmonary Vein Stenosis (PVS) Program treats a baby’s severe PVS with medication typically used to treat cancer.

04/02/2025

Alexander experienced urination issues for a year before connecting with experts in our Pediatric Kidney Stone Center. Our team was able to provide answers and a long-term care management plan to get rid of his kidney stones and pain. Read Alexander's story below.

After a year of being misdiagnosed, Alexander’s parents found answers and a team they could trust at CHOP to manage his condition and prevent recurrent kidney stones.

04/02/2025

Meet our 2025 ambassadors below! We will be sharing more of their stories leading up to the event on Sunday, June 8 at Citizens Bank Park.

Find out how you can participate and register: http://ms.spr.ly/6187qUSxx.

04/01/2025

April is National Volunteer Month! We're excited to kick off the celebration with a few highlights of how our employees volunteered in our community. Since last year, over 700 employees (plus friends and family) have volunteered for nearly 300 activities including providing physical therapy workshops and CPR training to community groups, installing playgrounds at schools, processing donations of children's clothing, and so much more! These efforts totaled more than 3,500 hours in our local communities.

04/01/2025

Integrative health enhances traditional medicine with complementary therapies, such as acupuncture, to address the whole person. Learn from Erica West, one of our acupuncturists, about how and why acupuncture can help manage pain. ⬇️

Find out more about our integrative health team: http://ms.spr.ly/6189qodPX.

04/01/2025

April is Autism Acceptance Month, and a big part of raising children with autism is making sure their caregivers have the right knowledge and resources to offer the best possible support. Jamiel Owens, our family relations coordinator at the Center for Autism Research at CHOP, founded the annual Autism Fathers Conference to help other fathers and male caregivers find a supportive community as they raise children with autism. Learn more about the conference in this WHYY article.

The 2nd annual Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Autism Fathers Conference will be held April 5 at the Vanguard School in Malvern.

04/01/2025

16-year-old Frank can’t wait to start riding dirt bikes again. He was diagnosed with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated (ANCA) vasculitis, a group of autoimmune disorders that cause inflammation in blood vessels, potentially damaging vital organs. In Frank's case, his kidneys were severely affected, leading to kidney failure. He was on dialysis for about two years until last October, when he received the life-saving gift of a kidney transplant. We are thrilled to share that Frank is doing well, and he enjoys playing video games, basketball, and riding his bike.

03/30/2025

Building healthy eating habits in childhood helps improve health outcomes, but 30% of Philadelphia's children do not have consistent access to food. To bring fresh produce close to home, our Healthier Together initiative teams up with Bartram's Garden to set up garden beds filled with starter plants in families' yards. This partnership makes fresh food more convenient and supports healthy eating habits for families.

03/29/2025

We celebrate the rich diversity of our employees, patients, families and community, and send our warmest wishes for a safe Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr. To celebrate, our Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, the Spiritual Care Department and Global Medicine provided a nightly table with light refreshments for Iftar (opening of the fast), as well as the use of prayer/reflection rooms which are available for use by patients, families, and staff at all times.

03/29/2025

This summer, our Orthopedic Center and Center for Rehabilitation will be hosting Camp Rock, a rock-climbing day camp for kids and teens who have upper limb differences and differences in hand and arm abilities. This unique camp experience will provide these children and teens a chance to learn a new skill while connecting with peers in a fun, supportive environment.

Learn more below and be sure to tune in to the recent Rehab Roundtable podcast episode to hear from some of our team about how Camp Rock began.

Camp Rock is a free weeklong* rock-climbing day camp for kids with differences in hand and arm abilities, hosted by CHOP’s Orthopedic Center and Center for Rehabilitation. (*Ages 8-12, week of July 14. Ages 13-17, week of July 21.)

03/28/2025

Audrey's Children is in theaters today! As our first Chief of Oncology, Dr. Audrey Evans led groundbreaking work that revolutionized cancer care for children here and around the world. We are proud to be part of this incredible story that honors her extraordinary legacy.

Find it in theaters near you, below.

"Audrey's Children" is an inspiring film that tells the true story of Dr. Audrey Evans, a pioneering oncologist and co-founder of Ronald McDonald House Charities.

03/28/2025

Today is the I 🩷 CHOP Day of Giving! We thank you for supporting the people, places and programs that directly impact research breakthroughs, cutting-edge treatment and world-class care. Together, we can create brighter futures for every child who needs us.

Share why you 🩷 CHOP at the link below.

We’d love to hear from you! Share your story or a short message of why you ❤️ CHOP.

03/27/2025

Gavin was born with Jeune syndrome, a rare disorder affecting his bones, and has undergone numerous surgeries since he was a baby. He has had a tracheostomy and a vertical expandable prosthetic titanium rib (VEPTR) inserted. He travels from Texas to see Dr. Jason Anari, one of our orthopedic surgeons, and recently returned to CHOP for a follow-up visit. Gavin is attending college and is doing great. We’re so happy to see you, Gavin!

Learn more about our Spine Program: http://ms.spr.ly/6180qgvDC.

03/27/2025

Meet our 2025 ambassadors. ⬇️ We will be sharing their unique stories leading up to the Cure Sickle Cell Walk & Family Fun Day presented by West Pharmaceutical Services, Inc. on Saturday, June 7 at Citizens Bank Park.

Join our celebration and ceremonial walk for those with sickle cell disease: http://ms.spr.ly/6187qgQsJ.