The 12-year-old was a healthy and happy girl who enjoyed dancing, modeling, acting, and swimming until she received her diagnosis.

While it may take months to determine if the treatment is successful, doctors say early signs are encouraging.

Brianna was listed for a transplant on April 17, and just seven days later, received the call that a liver had been found. On April 25, the team transplanted Brianna and gave her a second chance at life.

When I was talking to him, he started presenting with stroke-like symptoms and weakness on the left side.

She was diagnosed with preterm premature rupture of the membranes (PPROM), and was two centimeters dilated, despite only being 23 weeks along.

Arango’s excitement about her pregnancy quickly turned to worry after an ultrasound at 35 weeks revealed a potential anomaly in her baby’s brain.

During the visit, Isabella was unable to distinguish anything other than hand movement, and reported having a fever and light sensitivity for a week. Byron Lam, MD, an ophthalmologist at Bascom Palmer, found she had optic neuritis, or optic nerve swelling, in the right eye.

“You expect to go home with your baby. Then you don’t, and they tell you he was going to die. I couldn’t do anything at that point but cry. I felt all hope was lost,” Phipps said.

We got there so fast that I watched the helicopter land knowing my son was inside,” Matos said. “That was the last time I was behind the wheel of a car since.”