At 18 months, Veronica Mercado was diagnosed with high-risk leukemia and treated at CHOC. Now healthy and grown, Veronica is giving back … as a licensed vocational nurse in one of CHOC’s primary care pediatric clinics.
Mini Medical School: Bringing health education to housing-insecure youth in the community
Supported by philanthropy, Mini Medical School is a science and health education series for homeless youth in Orange County. The program was created in 2019 by CHOC providers to spark children’s interest in a STEM discipline—science, technology, engineering and math—and to offer consistent contact with caring healthcare workers to make the hospital experience less intimidating.
Former cancer patient becomes CHOC nurse to help others and give back
Coming full circle at CHOC, from being a former CHOC patient to a CHOC nurse, Veronica Mercado is fully committed to CHOC’s mission and lives it out wholeheartedly.
Esther’s story: Finding her way to communicate
After an evaluation at Providence Speech and Hearing Center (PSHC), it was discovered that Esther had a speech and language disorder that made it difficult for her to communicate. A year after participating in PSHC’s individual and group therapy, working with speech and language therapists, Esther has made incredible progress.
Seacrest Studios: Enhancing hospital stays through creative outlets
Seacrest Studios, CHOC’s in-house multimedia broadcast center, provides entertainment, welcome distractions through activities and music, and a creative outlets for patients throughout the hospital. And it’s all thanks to our partnership between the Ryan Seacrest Foundation and the Cherese Mari Laulhere Child Life Department.
Using Augmented Reality to ease anxiety for patients getting MRIs
Through philanthropy, The Sharon Disney Lund Medical Intelligence and Innovation Institute (MI3) continues to make groundbreaking developments toward a healthier future, including the creation of their new augmented reality app with an animated Choco Bear that will help ease the nerves of patients ahead of an MRI.
