GET TO KNOW OUR HONORARY CAPTAINS

MEET EMILY: FEBRUARY 27, 2026

One year ago, Emily was experiencing symptoms of dizziness and double vision.  When her family thought she needed a new prescription for her glasses, they took her to her eye doctor.  Their eye doctor was able to see swelling in Emily’s optic nerve and sent them to the ED at URMC.  After an MRI the next day, Emily was unfortunately diagnosed with a medulloblastoma, a type of malignant brain tumor.  A few days later, she had a brain surgery where the surgeons were able to remove the entire tumor. 

She spent 28 days in the UR Medicine Golisano Children’s Hospital ICU, 7th floor, and rehab areas recovering and regaining her strength.  In the spring of 2025, she received 6 weeks of radiation therapy as an outpatient.  During the summer of 2025, she also received 4 months of chemotherapy, spending time both admitted to the 7th floor of UR Medicine Golisano Children’s Hospital, as well as many long afternoons in the outpatient clinic.  On October 17th, with Taylor Swift’s new song “Life of a Showgirl” playing in the background, Emily rang her bell in the lobby of UR Medicine Golisano Children’s Hospital celebrating the end of her treatment.  She continues to recover from her treatments at home with physical and occupational therapy.  Her MRIs remain completely clear, indicating that she is clinically cured.

MEET LANDON: JANUARY 23, 2026

On April 12, 2024 an outpatient MRI revealed a tumor compressing Landon’s spine. We were immediately sent to UR Medicine Golisano Children’s Hospital, where an incredible team from pediatric neurology, oncology, and surgery quickly developed a care plan. That weekend was spent undergoing additional testing, and celebrating his 12th birthday in the hospital. On April 16, 2024 Landon underwent thoracic spine surgery performed by Dr. Melissa LoPresti and her team. He was discharged almost a week later and returned to school a few weeks later. The day he was discharged, we found out the tumor was a benign schwannoma. After several months of physical therapy, Landon was cleared for non-contact activity in December 2024 and for all activity in April 2025. This fall, he proudly returned to the ice to play hockey with the Rochester Coalition, Team Hysell. We are so grateful for the extraordinary care, compassion, and support we received from everyone at UR Medicine Golisano Children’s Hospital during one of the most difficult times in our lives.

MEET RYAN: DECEMBER 19, 2025

Ryan was diagnosed with Spina Bifida and Chiari II Malformation . He was born and underwent his first two surgeries at just one day old. From the beginning, doctors told us he would never walk, crawl, or even roll over. But Ryan has shown us time and time again that no matter the obstacles or limitations placed on you, God is bigger. This past July, Ryan underwent his 36th surgery — a full spinal fusion spanning most of his back. It was, without question, the hardest surgery he’s faced. He was expected to bounce back within a few days, but instead it took much long before he was stable enough to come home. At his post-op visit, we learned he had an infection. Over the next seven days, he was taken back into surgery four more times to clean out the infection. It was one of the most challenging and overwhelming times for us. There were things that should have gone differently, but even in the struggle, Ryan had an incredible community rally around him. We would not have made it through without our friends and family who brought food, gifts, prayers, and showed up for us every single day. We are also deeply grateful for some exceptional healthcare providers like Tori Fraass — Ryan’s favorite nurse and Dr. Present- who went above and beyond. Their compassion and dedication made all the difference during an incredibly difficult chapter in Ryan’s journey.

MEET TAVI: NOVEMBER 7, 2025

Tavi was brought to the ER on January 26, 2025. We thought he would get a few breathing treatments for his recent diagnosis of pneumonia, and we would be back home that night. Instead, Tavi was admitted to the PICU at Golisano Children’s Hospital. A happy, healthy, athletic 7-year-old boy was critically sick and needed to be intubated that night, before surgery to be put on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) was required to save his life. 

During the stay at Golisano, the doctors and nurses became a second family. We cannot say enough wonderful things about the care we received at Golisano. Followed by the rehab unit at Strong where Tavi learned to walk again (special thanks to Tavi's PT Anna Arrington and his OT Machala Andrews!). 

Today, Tavi is thriving and back to playing all his favorite sports (football, basketball, and baseball) and is a great brother, son and friend - all thanks to Golisano Children’s Hospital.

MEET ZOEY: MARCH 21, 2025

We adopted Zoey when she was 10 days old, and about a week after that, we got a call that her newborn screening test for Sickle Cell Disease came back positive. We were terrified, but one of the first things Dr. Noronha said to us, "this is probably all new to you, and it's scary, but I'm going to be with you every step of the way,” and she has kept her word.

 Zoey was hospitalized almost ten times in her first two years of life, and at every ED visit and admittance, the nurses, doctors, techs, and behavior specialists treated us with such kindness and understanding. As Zoey has gotten older, and more clinic visits, hospitalizations, blood transfusions, pain crises, and other challenges have come up, her support team has helped her understand and deal with not only the physical parts of the disease, but also the mental and emotional impacts, and has provided the tools and support she’s needed.

Zoey has thrived under the care of the Golisano Children's Hospital team.  She has always been active, and Dr. Noronha has been so helpful in encouraging her to do this, while always having a care plan in place.  Because of this, Zoey started playing soccer and doing gymnastics at age 4, and when she was 8 years old, she started ninja warrior classes, and she is now known as the "Tatar Tot Ninja" and trains locally at ROC City Ninja and competes throughout our region.  Her goal is to someday compete on the TV show American Ninja Warrior and hopefully inspire other kids with Sickle Cell Disease to follow their dreams. Zoey is a brave, strong, and resilient sickle cell warrior, and much of that is because of the incredible support that Golisano team has provided.                 

MEET TREVOR: FEBRUARY 7, 2025

Trevor was born via emergency C-Section at 37 weeks weighing 5 lbs. 1oz. Doctors said he most likely stopped growing at 33 weeks. Early on we knew Trevor was not developing typically.  He had hypotonia, right sided weakness and delayed development and started physical and occupational therapy at 8 months old. Vision therapy and speech therapy followed shortly after. At one year old Trevor had an MRI that showed he had 2 CVAs, (strokes) one on each side of his brain, in the parietal lobes. He was then given the diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy. He has triplegic spastic CP. Trevor has routine appointments all over Golisano Children’s Hospital and URMC. 

In September of 2021, Trevor had a right femoral derotational osteotomy with internal hardware placement and an adductor tenotomy. He was in the Golisano Children’s Hospital for 5 days. In December of 2023, Trevor had bilateral hamstring lengthening and hardware removal from his hip surgery. This was to help him straighten his legs to make it easier and less painful for him to stand and walk. There will be more orthopedic surgeries in the future as he grows. CP causes muscles to contract causing tightness, which then affects bone growth. Trevor is a happy, funny, determined boy. He is the toughest person I know. He is just sunshine. 

We are so lucky to have Golisano Children’s Hospital here in Rochester. Most people might not really think about such a thing until they need it. Most kids will get a broken bone or stitches or have a few ER visits throughout their childhood, but for those with serious or chronic conditions, it really is much more than just the children’s unit or ER at the local hospital. It’s the comfort of knowing that they know just what your child, and you, will need.