June 16, 2021
After working with children around the world, UCLA Health nurse finds international humanitarian opportunity at home, 'For sure, this is the highlight of my career,' says Chai-Chih Huang, director of pediatric nursing. Fifteen years ago, Chai-Chih Huang, MSN, RN, began spending her vacation time volunteering with humanitarian medical missions across the globe. She's been to Nepal, China, Haiti, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Ecuador. Huang, UCLA Health's director of pediatric nursing, loves the international work so much she intends to dedicate herself to it full time when she retires. The COVID-19 pandemic put a halt to trips abroad in 2020. And then came 2021 – and in a surprise development, Huang found herself working full time on an international humanitarian mission right here at home. In April, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services tapped UCLA Health to provide medical care for unaccompanied migrant children from Central America at a new federal shelter at the Long Beach Convention Center. In less than 24 hours, UCLA Health workers set up an urgent care clinic, pharmacy, medical exam rooms and a COVID-19 isolation unit inside the empty convention center, along with a secure computer network to establish and track health records for every child. Huang has been overseeing nursing efforts at the emergency-intake site since it opened, caring for the more than 700 children who have passed through the center. “It’s amazing: We went from zero workload, zero protocol, to the robust infrastructure we have now,” she says. “That’s what makes me so proud of UCLA. For sure, this is the highlight of my career, that I get to experience all this.” A native of Taiwan who spent several years living in Ecuador before becoming a pediatric nurse at UCLA Health in 1996, Huang has long been drawn to working with children. “Their energy is just so different,” she says. “They’re very resilient. They can be upset one moment, but five minutes later, they’re fine and you can be best friends again. You can play with them and you can be silly and they play along with you. You can see in their eyes that they’re so sincere and genuine.”
Dedicated to children
Huang connects with this natural innocence and sense of wonder so deeply, she wanted to bring her skills to areas of great need, inspiring her to seek international volunteer opportunities. “I truly believe there should be no suffering in children, just around the world,” she says. “The children in Syria, the children in those countries where there are wars, for me, it’s so heartbreaking. I think that’s why I’m so committed to being a pediatric nurse and really to help children around the world. That has been my wish and my aspiration.” Huang’s love of children and pediatric nursing also has inspired and shaped her career. After working as a bedside nurse for six years, she returned to school and became a clinical nurse specialist, a teaching position that allowed her to help train future nurses. A few years later, her supervisor invited her to apply for a unit director position. “I struggled,” Huang says. “I said, ‘You know, I don’t really like to be an administrator. My passion is to be at the bedside with the nurses, to do rounds and to make sure that the patients are safe, and just that connection with families and with nurses. That’s what I do.’” Huang’s supervisor, however, convinced her she could have an even greater impact on nurses and patients as an administrator. Now, Huang oversees pediatric nursing for UCLA Health at both the Santa Monica and Westwood medical centers.
An international mission at home
Fluent in Spanish after so many years living in Ecuador, Huang is able to connect deeply with the children at the Long Beach Convention Center emergency-intake site, some as young as 4 and many of whom are homesick and scared. “Knowing the culture in Central and South American countries, I kind of know how they feel and can be sensitive in terms of where they’re coming from, and I’m able to read their facial expressions,” she says. With Huang, kids feel safe enough to say, “I miss my parents” or “I don’t like the food here.” In fact, the urgent care center where Huang works at the emergency-intake site has become a particularly popular place because it stocks snacks such as chips, pretzels, bananas and apples. “They’ll come in and say, ‘My stomach hurts. Can I have that snack?’” Huang recounts with a smile. “They’re very smart.” In recognition of Huang’s work, she recently spent an afternoon as a “Laker for a Day,” virtually touring the team’s training facilities with Lakers guard Alex Caruso. The visit included cameos and well wishes from players Anthony Davis, Markieff Morris, Jared Dudley, Kyle Kuzma and Andre Drummond. “I love Alex. He’s such a genuine, sincere person,” Huang says. “It was such an experience to be able to connect with him on that personal level.”
A future of service
Huang makes that same kind of personal connection with the children she cares for and the nurses she inspires. Though she plans to continue working at the Long Beach Convention Center as long as it remains open, Huang also has an eye on her future. On one of her missions to Congo, she learned about the plight of children in Zambia, where those born HIV-positive are often abandoned. Huang dreams of opening an orphanage there. “When I retire, the first country I’ll go to is Zambia,” she says, adding that she’ll seek help from her UCLA Health colleagues to make her dream come true. “I’m planting the seeds,” Huang says. “Like, we’re going to open an orphanage, we’re going to open a clinic, and the clinic is going to say UCLA. That’s going to be the first clinic in Africa with the UCLA brand name.” Even with all Huang does for children, she says they actually do more for her. “I’ve gained so much from doing all this,” she says. “Children show me their resilience, so I can be resilient. They show me their tenacity, so I can be like them. More than I’m something to them, they mean so much to me. It’s just so hard to describe, but I think they really are the ones who are my teacher.”
September 2, 2020
Musician CJ Erquhart had two great reasons to savor the honor of being Laker for a Day. First off, he felt lucky to be alive. CJ had suffered from cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle. His heart had ballooned to four times its normal size and could no longer function.
He underwent a heart transplant within UCLA Health’s Heart Transplant Program, which renewed his health and allowed him to return to his family and his music, which he makes under the artist name Seejai. “UCLA saved my life,” says CJ, who created a song, Keep Walking, and accompanying music video about his experience.
As a former college basketball forward for Eastern Michigan University, CJ could truly appreciate the insider tour he, his wife and three friends received of the UCLA Health Training Center. He inspected the Laker trophies and weight room and broke into a huge grin when he entered the locker room and spotted a Lakers jersey sporting his name and college basketball number. Then he and his pals stepped onto the practice court to shoot hoops, savoring their time together.
On game day March 6th, the group returned and enjoyed a courtside view of player warm-ups. They got to station themselves in the player tunnel for an up-close view of the Lakers running onto the court and then enjoyed viewing the game from their suite. During the second quarter, CJ came onto center court while spectators watched a video of his story and cheered him on.
Summing up his time as Laker for a Day, CJ said, “This is an experience I’ll never forget.”
August 19, 2020
One day in 2017, yoga teacher and fitness enthusiast Jennifer "Jenn" Greenhut-Tollin felt a lump under her arm. It turned out to be stage 4 triple negative breast cancer, the most aggressive form of breast cancer.
“There were a couple of weeks where I thought I was going to die,” she says.
At UCLA’s Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Jenn received chemo, radiation and surgery. The intense treatment paid off and she was declared cancer free.
Grateful for the success of her treatment and her medical team, as well as the love of family and friends, she launched Zero Negative. The accessories company promotes love and positivity and donates a portion of proceeds to the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center for cancer research.
Zero Negative’s first signature product was a tote bag featuring cut-outs of the word “LOVE.” It proved so popular that other items followed – including crossbody bags, make-up bags and tee shirts. They can be found at shopzeronegative.com.
As Laker for a Day, Jenn came with her family to the UCLA Health Training Center to tour the Lakers’ training facility. She brought her service dog, Bo, who was with her throughout her treatment. (Bo was diagnosed with cancer about a year after Jenn; he, too, is now cancer-free.)
During the game, Jenn was honored as Laker for a Day, accompanied by her husband and two Laker Girls on center court. Her face registered surprise and delight when she turned around to see Paula Abdul there to present Jenn with her Laker jersey. Jenn’s husband used to be Paula’s music manager. The Lakers fans cheered for Jenn and loved being a part of her surprise reunion.
March 3, 2020
Life changed in an instant for Ventura resident Franco Campana. The father of four and an avid boatman, Franco noticed he was favoring one side when he walked or swam. His wife Alicia wondered if Franco had experienced a mini stroke.
But the diagnosis was much more serious: Franco had cancer that had spread to his brain. He was told he had two to four months to live.
Determined to find the best care, Franco turned to UCLA Health. He underwent successful surgery to remove the brain cancer, but the cancer in his body had spread to his lymph nodes and lungs. He was found to carry a gene called HER2, which plays a role in breast cancer.
UCLA researcher Dr. Dennis Slamon helped develop a drug that treats HER2 breast cancer. Although the drug had not been used for Franco’s type of cancer, Dr. Slamon thought it might help. Franco received chemotherapy and gene therapy at the UCLA Health Primary & Specialty Care clinic in Ventura.
Halfway through his treatment he had a PET scan to check on his progress. His cancers had disappeared completely!
“UCLA saved my life,” he says.
As Laker for a Day, Franco brought his crew – his wife, children and new grandchild – with him to the Staples Center in January. They watched the Lakers warm up and high-five’d the players running from the tunnel onto the court. The family also posed with the Laker Girls and spoke with player Dwight Howard.
During the second quarter, Franco and his wife came on to the court. Wearing his personalized Laker jersey, Franco enjoyed basking in a sea of cheers as he was honored as Laker for a Day.
“It’s incredible to be part of the Lakers,” he says. “I feel really honored.”
February 6, 2020
Twelve-year-old William Ahern was born with a congenital heart defect and had his first surgery as a newborn. Since then, he has undergone three additional surgeries.
Throughout his treatment, William has maintained a positive outlook. “I know everything’s going to work out,” he said.
William was chosen as Laker for a Day, which recognizes UCLA health patients who face serious illnesses with courage, strength and determination. William is, as his dad describes him, “a superfan,” so the honor couldn’t have made a bigger impact.
The VIP treatment started with a private tour for William and his parents, Mike and Sara, of the UCLA Health Training Center, where the Lakers train. Admiring championship rings and trophies on display, William said, “I could stay here forever.” On the facility’s basketball court, William enjoyed a surprise appearance by his UCLA pediatric cardiologist, Dr. Daniel Levi, who presented William with a Lakers jersey and shot some hoops with him.
"I got to high-five the players and shake hands with them and take a picture with the players," Jayson excitedly reported afterwards.
“Being able to see kids like William with smiles on their faces as they tour the Laker facility is priceless,” said Dr. Levi.
William hopes to become a sports broadcaster, so on game day he was thrilled to meet Bill Macdonald, the Lakers play-by-play announcer on Spectrum SportsNet. Bill brought William and his brother to the broadcast booth where William sat in Bill’s seat, donned headphones and practiced doing color commentary.
From there, William went to the players’ tunnel, where he met Lakers sideline reporter Mike Trudell. The two strategized how William would approach his interview of Laker player Alex Caruso.
William interviewed Alex like a pro and then met Chris McGee and James Worthy, who interviewed William about his experience and included some of William’s interview of Alex Caruso on a live segment for Spectrum’s Access SportsNet Lakers show.
During the game, William stood at center court accompanied by two of the Laker Girls to receive recognition from the crowd. Looks like the superfan has lots of fans of his own.
January 24, 2020
Twelve-year-old Jayson Bush has battled cancer twice in his young life. At the age of six, he was diagnosed with a form of lymphoma and went through five rounds of chemotherapy to treat the disease. Four years later, another form of lymphoma invaded his body. Jayson underwent a bone marrow transplant, a grueling process, at UCLA Medical Center with Dr. Ted Moore and Dr. Jacqueline Casillas. The silver lining was that one of his brothers, Andrew, donated his bone marrow and the treatment succeeded: Today, Jayson is cancer free.
Jayson has returned to school and experiences life as "the normal, happy kid that he should be," says his mother, Kimberly Bush.
As Laker For a Day, Jayson and his family enjoyed pregame festivities, including an up close and personal view of the team warm-ups. He received a Lakers jersey adorned with his favorite number and served as Honorary Team Captain for the game. At center court, he met LeBron James and Anthony Davis! Later in the game, Jayson was introduced to the crowd as Laker for a Day, accompanied on the court by two Laker Girls.
"I got to high-five the players and shake hands with them and take a picture with the players," Jayson excitedly reported afterwards.
The activities continued the following day, when he and his family participated in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Light the Night walk in Century City. Jayson met legendary former Bruin and Laker Kareem Abdul Jabbar, and the two compared experiences as fellow leukemia survivors. Jayson's mom marveled at how, in that moment, Jayson and Kareem were one in the same. Kareem also presented Jayson with a signed basketball.
"To see Jayson walk onto the [Laker's] court and be recognized as a special guest... I can’t even put into words how it felt seeing him out there," said Kimberly.
Learn more about UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital.
March 23, 2019
Willow Crisostomo’s middle name, Lux, means light in Latin. At five years old, she is a bright light of smiles, love and curiosity. But Willow’s future looked dim when she was born at less than 23 weeks, about half the length of a normal gestation. Just 14 ounces, Willow weighed about the same as a football.
Her parents, Stephanie and Joseph, who live in Bakersfield, were told that Willow had only a five percent chance of surviving. She had serious respiratory issues and needed surgery to correct a heart defect. Stephanie and Joseph decided to put their trust in the UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit).
After four months in the NICU, Willow was finally strong enough to go home. Her parents were grateful for the care they received at UCLA. “Everyone from the doctors to the respiratory therapists to the housekeeping staff made us feel like we were taken care of and a vital part of Willow’s team,” said Stephanie. “It’s a place that exemplifies a culture of care,” said Joseph.
Willow, her sister, parents and grandparents visited the UCLA Health Training Center and spent a day touring the facility. Willow met two Laker Girls who presented her with her own Laker Girls outfit and practiced some cheers with her. Willow couldn’t have been happier as she learned dances and cheers with the girls. Her presence really lit up the floor.
Two weeks later, the family returned for a Lakers game, dining in the Chairman’s Lounge and hanging out with the Laker Girls during the game. It was a great day for a sunny little girl and her family. During a timeout, Willow and some of the Laker Girls took the floor for her recognition. Willow was the star of the game.
February 14, 2019
As he posed for a family photo near half court, one of Donovan’s favorite players walked up behind him.
“Which one of you is Donovan?” asked Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma.
Donovan stared in awe as Kuzma pulled out custom Lakers jerseys for him and his siblings. They all put on their jerseys and played HORSE on the team’s practice court. Kuzma made things easy at first, then turned up the competitiveness to seal a friendly win against Donovan and his family.
Of course, Donovan has scored his share of victories. That he could even participate in such a moment with a member of his beloved Lakers is proof enough.
Donovan was born with pulmonary atresia, a type of heart disease in which the pulmonary valve does not form properly. He counts three open-heart surgeries and five stint surgeries among the health hurdles he has overcome, so it’s easy to see why he enjoyed being the UCLA Health Laker for a Day so much.
“I’ve been a Lakers fan ever since I could remember,” says Donovan.
As part of his Laker for a Day experience, Donovan had an amazing time at the UCLA Health Training Center – the home of the Lakers. He watched practice with his brothers Duncan, Brody and Isaiah as well as one of his sisters, Frankie, and their parents, Inez and Mike.
The Lakers had more than one surprise for Donovan. They first brought Donovan to the court to watch the end of their practice, where he met and took pictures with Lakers coach Luke Walton and 7-footer JaVale McGee. The Lakers invited Donovan and his family to shoot around on the same floor where the team had just practiced, and that’s when Kuzma came out of the locker room for the jersey surprise.
The family also received a tour of the team’s headquarters. Their favorite part was seeing the sparkling championship rings outside of Lakers owner Jeanie Buss’ office, where they debated which ring had the most diamonds in it.
Donovan arrived early to the Lakers’ game against Phoenix on Jan. 27, watching warm ups and getting to hang out in the Chairman’s Lounge for dinner. The fans applauded Donovan when the video of his story played during an on-court presentation, a moment Donovan and his family will always cherish.
“He always says to me, ‘I got to do well. I shouldn’t be living, so I got to make the best of my life,’” says Donovan’s father, Mike. “I go, ‘Well, you will.’”
December 2, 2018
Shebyon Bedgood has had a lifetime’s worth of hospital visits. She was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes as a youngster, received a kidney transplant as an adult and later developed urinary tract infections, among other complications. Despite enduring so much already, Shebyon had to overcome yet another major health hurdle: breast cancer.
Shebyon has endured through it all, and her perseverance earned her special recognition as a UCLA Health Laker For A Day honoree this December. But all she ever really wanted was to be healthy enough to spend time with her sister, two daughters and three grandchildren, and so of course she used the opportunity to include them in the experience.
“You can have all the money in the world. You can have all the things in the world – all the fancy cars, all the homes. But if you ain’t got health, you don’t have nothing,” she said.
Shebyon’s family pushed her to seek better care and proved to be the catalyst in her turnaround. When she came to UCLA Health, she was introduced to 11 different specialists, all independently treating her with a variety of antibiotics and medications. Then, last year, UCLA Health launched an initiative for patients with complex conditions called the Extensivist Program, which helped Shebyon receive the comprehensive care she sought.
“If I had the other plan, I know I wouldn’t be here,” shes said. The program brings a group of specialists together to produce a unified care plan. The team includes a primary care physician, medical oncologist, endocrinologist, urologist and students from the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
“We went from fractured care, to complete care,” said Shebyon’s sister, Angela Burrell.
Shebyon’s Laker For A Day experience began with what she wanted most: time with her family. Shebyon hosted a family barbecue that included Dr. Sun Yoo, her primary care physician and medical director of the Extensivist Program, and Kevin Noel, care coordinator for the Extensivist Program. As the barbecue ended, they surprised Shebyon with a custom Lakers jersey, three LeBron James jerseys for her grandchildren, and four tickets to the Lakers game against the Phoenix Suns on Dec. 2.
Shebyon brought her sister, brother-in-law and her grandson Javaras, who was celebrating his birthday, to the game. The crowd reception was nothing short of amazing when Shebyon took the floor and shared her story. Javaras also competed in the Half Minute to Win It Challenge—an on-court shooting challenge that gives a young fan a chance to earn a scholarship to Camp Lakers, presented by UCLA Health. To top it off, Shebyon met Hall of Famer Bill Russell and enjoyed a Lakers win!
November 15, 2018
Nigel has come a long way in the last three years to become the strong 10-year-old he is today. In 2015, Nigel was having difficulty breathing, so his parents took him to the emergency room. Doctors discovered Nigel had a large tumor in his kidney, also known as a Wilmstumor. Doctors removed Nigel’s kidney, and he endured many rounds of chemotherapy following the procedure.
Nigel learned his cancer had returned after tests showed he had an elevated white blood count that led to his diagnosis of leukemia, which required a bone marrow transplant; Dr. Ted Moore and his team at UCLA were on top of it. Nigel’s first match for a transplant never materialized, so Nigel’s father stepped up as a haplo match, or half match. As he recovered, Nigel was unable to attend school and lacked the energy to hangout with his friends. Luckily, he could play interactive video games where he could communicate with his friends.
When asked how he processed his diagnosis, Nigel said, “I just try to be positive all the time and stay happy.”
Nigel’s fight, determination and maturity is an inspiration to both UCLA Health and the Lakers family, earning him Laker For A Day honors.
In early October, Nigel was invited to have an exclusive look at the UCLA Health Training Center: Home of the Los Angeles Lakers. The facility is where the Lakers train, practice and hang out when they are not playing games. All of the Lakers staff work out of the building as well.
During the tour, Nigel and his family got to enjoy some time in the office of team owner Jeanie Buss. They were amazed by seeing their own reflection in the 10 NBA championship trophies that line the windows overlooking the practice court. As he prepared to share his story to a video crew, Nigel jokingly said: “I feel like I’m getting ready to be interviewed by Bryant Gumbel.”
Nigel got the full tour of the facility, from the offices to the court. The Lakers even had a special surprise for him. As Nigel walked into the players’ locker room, he saw plaques above each locker that read, [Lebron] James, [Lonzo] Ball, [Kyle] Kuzma, [Rajon] Rondo...and then he saw his last name stitched on one of the jerseys! The Lakers presented Nigel with his own Lakers locker along with the custom uniform so he could truly look the part of a Laker For A Day. He raced to put on the uniform and took the court for a shootaround with his dad, Brian. At the game, Nigel received an on-court recognition which caught his newest fan’s eye: actor Denzel Washington. As Nigel walked off the court to a standing ovation, Washington asked the UCLA Health Laker For A Day for a picture. Nigel left the arena with more than enough stories to share with his friends at school all week.
May 21, 2018
Wrapped in bandages, Joey Paulk woke up at a military hospital more than two weeks after he nearly burned to death in Afghanistan. He saw his mother crying by his bedside, then began asking questions.
“My mom, she kind of leaned over. I said, ‘What’s wrong with my hands?’” He recalls. “She said, ‘Well, they had to amputate your fingers.’ I said, ‘Well, how many?’ She said, ‘All of them.’”
Paulk also sustained severe burns, deforming many of his facial features. Other wounds were not as visible. But Paulk persevered, and the strength he showed in his recovery earned the former Army specialist UCLA Health Laker for a Day honors for the game against the Utah Jazz on April 8.
Paulk’s injuries occurred July 5, 2007, when the tactical vehicle he was in drove over a mine. The vehicle flipped over and the fuel tank ignited, killing his team leader, ejecting Paulk and engulfing him in flames.
By the time Paulk regained consciousness at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, he could barely recognize himself. His lower left eyelid drooped. His upper left eyelid and nostrils were gone. His upper lip melted upward, and his lower lip turned inside out. Both of his ears were partially amputated.
“At first, I didn’t really understand what happened or how badly injured I was,” he says. “I didn’t really feel any pain. And then slowly but surely, it started kicking in. And then I really kind of knew that I was in trouble.”
Paulk tried to blend back into society, which proved difficult. People would stare at his injuries. Children, not knowing any better, would make comments. Paulk eventually started wearing long sleeves and a hat to try to conceal himself.
“I was really uncomfortable with it and I started isolating myself,” he says. “That’s when my family kind of stepped in and said you need to do something.”
Paulk found his way to UCLA Operation Mend, which began in 2007 as a collaboration with the military and the Veterans Health Administration to provide free specialized care to wounded warriors and their families. He underwent cosmetic surgeries at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center that helped realign and restore his face – and, in the process, his self-confidence.
“They helped me physically. That immediately helped me psychologically. I owe everything to them,” he says.
Paulk is now retired and lives in his hometown of Oceanside, California. He was joined at the Lakers’ game with his girlfriend Ashley. They received an up-close view of warmups and met Coach Luke Walton, and Paulk discovered he and Walton had a shared connection. Paulk bowls every week with Walton’s high school basketball coach. It’s one of several sports Paulk can partake in again.
“I’m just very excited to represent the military and represent Operation Mend,” he says. “Being a Laker for a Day is a dream come true.”
March 16, 2018
The epileptic seizures would come on so strong and so frequently – as many as 40 an hour – that Gio Silveira’s parents lived in “absolute fear” every time the attacks began. They worried constantly about the toll the seizures were taking on their 4-year-old son and wondered whether a cure would ever come.
“We would ask him, ‘What are you feeling?’ And he described it as being electrocuted,” says Ronnie Silveira Jr., Gio’s father.
What gave them comfort was the resilience and fortitude Gio often showed. He would tell his father: “I have epilepsy, I’m not epilepsy.”
That uplifting attitude guided Gio and his family throughout their journey and earned him UCLA Health Laker for a Day honors for the game against the Miami Heat on March 16.
After a series of tests in 2015, UCLA pediatric neurologist Raman Sankar discovered Gio had developed a brain abnormality in utero known as cortical dysplasia. The abnormality was located in the left frontal lobe, an operable area of the brain that would not negatively affect cognitive function, speech or motor skills.
A medication regimen provided two years without seizures for Gio before ending in “abrupt chaos,” Ronnie recalls, as the seizures returned to as many as 25 per day. The family had hoped to avoid surgery but made the difficult decision, in consultation with Dr. Sankar and the UCLA team, to pursue a procedure that would remove a portion of Gio’s brain.
UCLA pediatric neurosurgeon Aria Fallah performed the seven-hour surgery at UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital. Gio emerged from the operating room and said, “I love you mommy and daddy.” Four days later, the family was back home in Las Vegas with a seizure-free Gio.
Gio, along with his father, mother Marie, three brothers and a family friend, returned to Los Angeles to watch the Lakers. They were treated to a behind-the-scenes tour and a VIP experience, including an in-game video montage of Gio’s journey that seemed surreal to his parents.
When you have epilepsy, you feel a constant sense of dread that something is going to break through,” Ronnie says. “So a year later, to be a Laker for a Day and see him on a jumbotron, it’s unimaginable for me. I would love to think that he will look back and be like, ‘I can share my story and hopefully it will improve the lives of other people.’”
For more information about pediatric epilepsy treatment, visit uclahealth.org/mattel/pediatric-neurology.
February 23, 2018
His father’s failing health weighed on his mind every day.
Brian Gilliam, a shoe salesman at Nordstrom’s, had been watching his dad, Dana, 69, slowly deteriorate from end stage kidney disease for more than two years. His father endured daily, 12-hour dialysis treatments while he waited for a kidney donation.
“Watching my dad go through this was not easy,” said Brian, 48, who lives in the city of Westminster in Orange County. “He was always a strong guy and we were watching him lose his drive through all of it.”
Brian and his wife, Roxie, started seriously discussing the idea of Brian donating a kidney to his dad.
“I was thankful that he wanted to donate his kidney but I was mindful of what that might do to him,” Dana said. “But he was very plain about what he wanted to do.”
Once Brian made the decision to donate, he said he noticed little signs reinforcing his choice starting popping up —a reference to kidney donation on a TV show, something he heard on the radio, a news story about a surgeon donating to a colleague.
Then came the biggest sign.
An avid Los Angeles Lakers fan, Brian always watched the team’s social media feeds. He was casually scrolling his Facebook page when he saw a video about a woman named Dawn Dorland Perry, who was being recognized as a Laker for a Day in February 2017 by the team and its health partner, UCLA Health, for donating her kidney to a stranger.
As it turned out, she and Brian’s dad shared the same surgical team at UCLA.
“This was my final sign, my tipping point, my inspiration,” Brian recalled. “It felt like a calling to me.”
With his mind made up, Brian contacted the UCLA kidney transplant program and began the donor evaluation process.
Even if he was not a match, Brian was determined to donate his organ as part of a kidney chain at UCLA. A chain is where donors who don’t match with a loved one give their kidney to someone else. In turn, it helps their loved one get a kidney from another donor in the chain.
After the donor evaluation, the family learned that the father and son were a match.
On Aug. 9, 2017, the team removed Brian’s kidney and immediately transplanted it into Dana, who lives in Los Alamitos, California. The healthy, pink kidney started working immediately.
“Dana’s transplanted kidney functioned beautifully,” said Dr. Jeffrey Veale, director of the UCLA Kidney Exchange Program. ”Brian did something really big for his dad.”
Months later, that Lakers connection with Dawn’s video was still on Brian’s mind.
He emailed the Lakers to tell them how her story affected his family. And he wrote that he wanted to nominate his dad, a lifelong Lakers fan, to be a Laker for A Day to help raise awareness of the need for organ donation.
When he heard back, it was an invitation for the father and son to both be honored as Lakers for a Day. And, they would be featured in their own social media video, like Dawn Dorland Perry, who they eventually met during the taping of the video.
“Meeting Brian and his dad was so gratifying,” Perry said. “When I went through the process, I did not count on how powerful the gesture would be.”
The two super fans got their special day on Feb. 23 at the Lakers’ home game against the Dallas Mavericks. They were treated with a behind-the-scenes tour of Staples Center, dinner at the Chairman’s Lounge and V.I.P. seats.
They were also recognized on the court during the game giving them the spotlight to promote organ donor awareness.
“Because of Brian, I am alive,” Dana said. “He gave me the gift of life.”
November 29, 2017
When he was 8 years old, Kenny Thomas lost a significant amount of weight, developed a constant cough and struggled sleeping. His family took him to the emergency department searching for an answer, which came following an X-ray of Kenny's chest.
"The doctor, when he came back, he had a very different look on his face. That's when he told us that it was cancer, that he had a mass in his chest," says Kenny's mother, Lori. "I literally fell on the floor and I screamed and I started crying. One of the male nurses came in and lifted me off the ground, and he said, 'Come on. We're going to fight this.'"
Kenny has come back stronger. He was honored as the UCLA Health Laker for a Day on Nov. 29, when he watched his hometown team take the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors into overtime.
Back on Sept. 9, 2012, Kenny's life changed forever. He was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma after the X-ray revealed stage 3 cancer in his chest.
"I asked (my mom) if I could die from cancer. She said, 'People have in the past, but you're strong so you won't. We're going to fight this together,'" Kenny recalls.
He underwent countless procedures, numerous hospital stays and chemotherapy three times a week for eight months.
"Seeing him struggle with the chemo, seeing him have many sleepless nights, it was tough," says his father, Kenneth. "But he hung in there and he fought a good fight."
After three years of treatment, Kenny's cancer went into remission. Now Kenny can focus on his favorite things in life: family, friends and basketball. He was able to do all three during his Laker for a Day experience, receiving a behind-the-scenes tour of Staples Center and watching warmups from the floor with his parents and physician, Theodore Moore, Chief of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology at UCLA.
Kenny, who has been a Lakers fan as long as he can remember, hopes his Laker for a Day platform will help raise awareness about pediatric cancer research.
"It's great and it's an honor," Kenny says.
For more information about pediatric cancer treatment, visit uclahealth.org/mattel/pediatric-hematology-oncology.
November 5, 2017
Malisa was at the movies, just a few weeks away from giving birth to her first child, when she felt a sudden pain in her chest. She sought an evaluation from a cardiologist, who told her she had a life-threatening tear in her aorta. Malisa, who lives about 80 miles from Los Angeles, was immediately airlifted to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
"It was moments like that you knew just how serious it was," she says. "They're staring at you like, 'No, we can't wait.'"
Malisa has been on quite the journey since. She was honored as the UCLA Health Laker for a Day on Nov. 5, shining a light on heart health as she watched the Lakers notch a 107-102 win over the Memphis Grizzlies at the first NBA game she ever attended.
There have been many firsts for Malisa this year.
After her diagnosis, she was told doctors at UCLA would perform an emergency cesarean section to save the baby, then immediately start heart surgery. Her husband, Josh, a master sergeant in the Air Force, was on assignment in South Korea and quickly made plans to travel back to California. They spoke briefly by phone as she was wheeled in a gurney to the helicopter.
Malisa arrived at the hospital to find a UCLA team of 23 specialists assembled, including heart surgeons, obstetricians, anesthesiologists, neonatologists, nurses, a perfusionist and experts from respiratory therapy and neurophysiology.
"The only thing I know is that all the doctors standing around me seemed so sure about everything that I wasn't actually that worried about the surgery," she says.
Following the procedures, Josh was there to greet her – and so was their newborn son, Connor.
"As soon as they put him in my arms, I cried. He's my miracle baby," she says. "As my husband says, he's also my hero because I don't know how fast I would have gone to the emergency room if I wasn't pregnant."
Malisa was able to celebrate her recovery and bring attention to the importance of seeking medical care during her Laker for a Day experience. Malisa and a friend received a behind-the-scenes tour of Staples Center, eating dinner in the Chairman's Lounge and watching warm-ups on the floor. She also received a surprise video recorded by her husband in South Korea that was shown throughout the arena during a break in the game, drawing applause from fans.
"Being Laker for a Day gets your story out so people don't wait," she says. "If I wasn't pregnant, I might have waited a few days. When it comes to your heart and your chest, it's so important to seek help."
For more information about UCLA Health, visit uclahealth.org.
October 25, 2017
Nearly five years after her initial diagnosis, Lila Javan thought her cancer was long gone. She had everything but her plane ticket booked for a dream climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro when results from a routine blood draw put plans of scaling Africa's highest peak on hold.
"Immediately my heart sank because I knew that the cancer was back," Lila says. "I decided, 'OK, my trip is not canceled. It's just merely postponed.'"
Lila has literally been climbing back ever since, celebrating another milestone in her recovery as the UCLA Health Laker for a Day on Oct. 25, when she watched the Lakers pull off a 102-99 overtime win over the Washington Wizards at Staples Center.
Lila, who was first diagnosed with a blood cancer in 2010, refocused on her goal when a friend gave her a poster that showed Mt. Kilimanjaro through the frame of a window. Lila hung the image in her hospital room, grabbing every visitor's attention.
Dr. Sarah Larson, her oncologist at UCLA, was so inspired by Lila's strength and resilience during treatment that she joined Lila's group of friends on the journey up Kilimanjaro in January 2017. Lila, a cinematographer, documented their ascent.
"When Lila relapsed and I would go into her hospital room, seeing those pictures of Kilimanjaro and it looking so breathtaking, but then now being here, I think that's part of why it feels surreal," Dr. Larson told the camera crew atop the mountain. "Just to see where we are compared to May of 2014, again, it just doesn't feel real."
Lila says climbing Kilimanjaro exceeded her expectations and drew parallels with her cancer journey.
"If you go too quickly, you're going to have trouble climitazing and you're going to have to go down the mountain," she says. "And that really is an analogy to cancer and cancer recovery. You can't push yourself beyond your daily limit, but if you keep putting one step in front of the other and just having the faith that that will get you there, you'll be at 19,341 feet before you know it."
Dr. Larson also accompanied Lila during her Laker for a Day experience. Lila received a behind-the-scenes look of the game and even sat a few seats away from former soccer star David Beckham, which had her feeling star struck.
"I'm so proud to be a Laker for a Day," Lila says, "and maybe help inspire people to find mountains that they can climb."
For more information about UCLA Health, visit uclahealth.org.
June 8, 2017
Jonathan Koch stood on the hardwood floor at Staples Center, swishing shots at the same basket where Laker legends have delivered many awe-inspiring performances.
For Jonathan, an entertainment executive who received a hand transplant at UCLA six months earlier, this was a made-for-TV moment even he couldn't script.
Just two years earlier, a sudden illness led to the destruction of tissue in Jonathan's feet and hands, threatening to take his limbs – and his life.
"I got a text that basically said, 'Call me. Very serious,'" recalls his wife, Jennifer. "I was told that he had a 90 percent chance of dying. He had multiple organ failures, and from that loss of oxygen going to his hands and feet, which in essence made his hands and feet die."
Following treatment at two out-of-state hospitals and knowing that his left hand would need amputation, Jonathan sought a rare hand transplant at UCLA. He hired a personal trainer and kept himself in peak shape to give himself the best opportunity for a successful recovery, all the while dealing with constant pain.
In October 2016, at age 51, a team of surgeons led by Dr. Kodi Azari, surgical director of the UCLA Hand Transplant Program and a professor of orthopaedic surgery and plastic surgery, performed the operation to replace Jonathan's left hand. The surgery took about 17 hours and required perfect precision to connect his nerves and tendons.
"Functionality came almost in flashes. One second I couldn't do it, and then the next second I could move my thumb. And it would happen like every 10 minutes," Jonathan says.
Jonathan, a husband and father from Los Angeles, has mixed emotions because he knows none of this would have been possible without the incredible gift of the donor and their family members who agreed to make the hand available for transplantation. He remains forever grateful for the life-changing donation.
As with any organ transplant, Jonathan must now take immunosuppressant medications to help prevent his body from rejecting the new hand. He also is working with occupational therapists at UCLA to improve his movement and muscle memory. Already, Jonathan has used his new hand to hold a jump rope, unscrew a bottle top and swing a tennis racquet.
Jonathan's most impressive performance since the transplant might have come before the Lakers game against Grizzlies on April 2. That's when Jonathan showed off his healthy shooting stroke as the UCLA Health Laker for a Day. He participated in the Jr. Lakers Shooting Contest, helping a lucky young fan win a scholarship to the camp this summer.
"Just watching him with his first shot swish a basket really means the world to me," says Dr. Azari, who joined Jonathan and his friends at the game.
Even for someone who has helped bring many reality shows to TV, Jonathan's journey has been quite the Hollywood story – and he looks forward to sharing it more in hopes of inspiring others.
"Being Laker for the Day means the world to me," he says. "Because it means the world has the opportunity not only to experience what's possible in this medical miracle, but also what's possible within themselves to do whatever it is to do what they set out to do."
May 11, 2017
Jamil Newirth was told he had 17 months to live. That was five years ago.
Today, thanks to doctors at the UCLA Brain Tumor Center, Jamil is healthy and taking in all that life has to offer – including attending a Lakers game. With the partnership between the Lakers and UCLA Health, Jamil enjoyed a behind-the-scenes experience as the UCLA Health Laker for a Day on March 26th at STAPLES Center.
It has been quite a journey for Jamil, a long-time Laker fan who lives in Hawaii and travels frequently to receive care at UCLA. He started experiencing headaches and nausea in May 2012. He went to the emergency room and doctors diagnosed him with a glioblastoma multiforme brain tumor, telling him he might have little time left to live.
Jamil received radiation treatment for three months and chemotherapy for a year before undergoing successful surgery at the hands of Dr. Linda M. Liauat UCLA. "After the brain tumor surgery when I saw my MRI, my family and I were very relieved, kind of joy and hope at the same time," Jamil says.
Since his surgery, Jamil has passed the bar exam to become a lawyer and is able to partake in one of his favorite Hawaiian activities: surfing. His positive outlook and zest for life was certainly on display during his game-day experience, which included taking pictures with the Laker girls and watching pregame warmups courtside.
For more information about UCLA Health services, visit uclahealth.org
May 3, 2017
Julian White says he has never let cancer stop him from doing anything. So, as a lifelong Lakers fan, of course nothing would prevent him from enjoying a behind-the-scenes game experience as the UCLA Health Laker for a Day.
Doctors diagnosed Julian with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia, an aggressive form of blood cancer, in January 2016. He has been receiving treatment at UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital ever since, undergoing chemotherapy, blood and platelet transfusions, diagnostic imaging and other treatment procedures, including spinal taps and bone marrow biopsies.
"It's been a journey," says Julian, now 16.
Julian has been unable to attend school regularly due to a weakened immune system from the treatment. That often means restricting visitors at his home to protect his health. "The toughest thing about it is not being able to really do anything about it and just hoping, hoping, that he does not get discouraged," says his father, Ron White, who joined Julian at the Lakers game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 24th.
Julian attended games as a youngster with his father, so coming back to STAPLES Center was a symbolic way to celebrate the strength and determination he has displayed throughout his recovery. He toured the Chairman's Lounge, met Lakers co-owner Jeanie Buss and watched pregame warm-ups courtside before being recognized during a halftime presentation.
Since first coming to UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, Julian and his family have met many members of his interdisciplinary care team, building relationships that no doubt will last beyond his three-year treatment plan. Julian hopes his experience can have a positive impact on others who are facing a similar recovery process.
"Being Laker for a Day means that I have an opportunity to give kids who might have what I have hope," he says. "Or give them someone to look up to, saying, 'Oh, he did it. So I can do it.'"
For more information about UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital, visit uclahealth.org/mattel
March 10, 2017
In many ways, Walter Sanchez looked like any other father chasing his two young daughters around the court before a recent Lakers game. Except Walter's life started out anything but normal.
Walter was born with only one ventricle in his heart, so instead of two ventricles pumping blood – one to the lungs, another to the body – he has just one to the body. Thanks to doctors at UCLA Health, however, Walter was able to undergo a procedure that allows him to lead a relatively normal life.
"The surgery essentially linked his veins up with his pulmonary arteries," says Dr. Jamil Aboulhosn, director of the UCLA Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program.
Walter enjoys spending time with his two charismatic daughters, 7-year-old Samantha and 8-year-old Danielle, who infuse energy and enthusiasm into his daily activities. That was especially evident during their behind-the-scenes tour of Staples Center, where they were treated to dinner in the Chairman's Lounge and had an opportunity to meet and mingle with Lakers co-owner Jeanie Buss before the Valentine's Day game against Sacramento.
"What keeps me going is I have my two daughters," Walter says. "I take care of myself so I can provide for them. As of right now my heart is repaired and, God willing, I won't need a heart transplant."
Dr. Leigh Reardon, director of Transitional Cardiac Care at UCLA, says medical advances developed at UCLA and other research centers now allow people like Walter to recover and enjoy everything that life has to offer – including taking in a Lakers game.
"UCLA was one of the first places in the world to treat adults with congenital heart disease, and we're one of the premier places for adults with congenital heart diseases in the world," Dr. Reardon says. "And because of advances in medicine, we've been able to let people live full and productive lives, have families, exercise and live their dreams."
For more information about UCLA Health, visit uclahealth.org
February 27, 2017
Dawn Dorland Perry wanted nothing more than to soothe the suffering of a stranger. Touched by an article she read about living kidney donations, Dawn decided to take action with a selfless and life-saving act of her own.
On June 24, 2015, Dawn donated a kidney to a stranger experiencing renal failure. Hours after her kidney retrieval surgery at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, that stranger — a father in the Los Angeles area — received a second chance at life.
"I realized I had something I didn't need that someone else desperately needed," Dawn says. "And I knew that if I didn't donate my kidney one day, it would probably nag at me my entire life."
The Lakers invited Dawn and Dr. Jeffrey Veale, who performed the surgery at UCLA, to a game against the Detroit Pistons at Staples Center on January 15. They were also treated to a dinner at the Lexus Club followed by a behind-the-scenes tour of Staples Center before the game.
Dawn had hoped all along that a member of her recipient's family would also donate a kidney (that did not match with their loved one) to another stranger. Sure enough, inspired by her extraordinary act of kindness, the recipient's wife donated the gift of life to a young mother in Oregon the same day as Dawn's procedure.
While many are motivated to donate a kidney to a friend or relative in need, Dawn recognized the struggle for strangers is just as real. She had read that wait times in California for a deceased-donor kidney could be excruciatingly long, and she knew that living-donor kidneys tended to last longer after transplant. With advances in medical technology making one of her kidneys safely available to someone who needed it to survive, Dawn refused to wait any longer.
She had just completed a graduate degree and relocated to Los Angeles for her husband's job. Financial stability, a loving spouse and living a short distance from UCLA's campus and hospitals made Dawn's desire to help someone materialize quickly.
"I saw her just after she woke up and the very first thing Dawn told me was, 'I'm really glad I did this,'" says her husband, Chris Perry. "And that blew me away."
Dawn feels happy, healthy and grateful each day to be in a position to give, and she encourages others to do what they can to help someone in need.
"Chances are that in your lifetime you will know someone that has been impacted by renal failure, and you yourself might consider giving your kidney," Dawn says. "And if living donation isn't for you, everyone can help solve the organ shortage by registering to become an organ donor, and you can do that today."
November 30, 2016
Lakers fans, meet Sarai Sanchez: A brave and fun-loving 15-year-old who has spent a lifetime battling the complications of a spina bifida diagnosis, including kidney disease. Sarai underwent a life-saving kidney transplant in June of 2015 at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA – and her dad was her donor.
Sarai is a passionate basketball fan, and even spent the night of her transplant watching the NBA playoffs with her father as they awaited their surgeries at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.
Sarai arrived early for November 20's Lakers vs. Bulls game to watch some of her favorite Lakers warm up at Staples Center. After a tour of the facility, Sarai and her family were invited to have an exclusive dinner in STAPLES Center. And to top it all off, Sarai was able to enjoy the game courtside.
"Being a 'Laker for a Day' means so much to me because it's a great opportunity for me to distract my mind and forget about everything I've gone through this past year," Sarai says. "My favorite part of the day was sitting so close to all the action!"
To learn more about Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA, visit uclahealth.org/mattel.