Zoey

For Zoey, who dreams of one day becoming a YouTube Star, her Ulcerative Colitis (UC) is just a small part of what makes her special. UC is a disease that causes irritation and inflammation in the large intestine. Learning to embrace and manage the side effects of her disease, she doesn’t let UC hold her back. Zoey educates and advocates for kids who deal with medical issues yet don’t appear sick on the outside.

Zoey says that the Child Life department at St. Louis Children’s Hospital has helped her understand UC. Zoey has nicknames for all the specialists who help her though scary procedures as well as make her laugh when she goes in for monthly treatments.

Zoey’s mom says she is wise beyond her years. Zoey wants to be a scientist. She hopes to find out what doesn’t work in people and fix it. Zoey is a natural leader and hasn’t met a challenge that she can’t overcome.

Zoey loves to play video games. You can find her and her younger brother starring in videos she creates. Zoey loves to dance and listen to music.

How CMN-STL Funds Help Zoey

Child Life Specialists are a key part of Zoey’s hospital routine. She knows all the specialists by name. They comfort and distract her when she gets procedures. Without Child Life, hospital visits would be much harder on Zoey and her family.

February 2023 Update:

Zoey’s mom reports that, “Zoey is doing really well medically and continues to see her wonderful doctors at St. Louis Children’s Hospital for follow ups.  Zoey is now 13 years old and is thriving in school. She loves school and being social.  Zoey is drawn to the medical field and aspires to do something in medicine.  She loves to dance, and does so 3 days a week. She is also on the cheer team at school. Zoey enjoys hanging out with friends and has become really involved in a variety of service activities on a personal level. We are excited to see what the future holds for her.”