Meet Samantha

At the age of 14, Samantha was busy being a normal teenager when her life changed unexpectedly. She played volleyball and had just completed a sports physical to tryout for her freshman team. But all that changed when she was admitted to Phoenix Children's with severe abdominal pain and bleeding, and had to undergo three procedures to identify abnormalities in her digestive tract.

And after her third procedure, Samantha was diagnosed with a chronic inflammatory condition, chronic ulcerative colitis (UC), which affects her digestive system. Her treatment included steroids; however, medications failed to help and Samantha ended up needing and receiving four blood transfusions. A few weeks after being admitted to the hospital, Samantha underwent a total colectomy and became very ill after surgery. She had difficulty breathing and developed skin lesions throughout her body.

That's when Samantha transferred to Phoenix Children's PICU (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit). Her mother, Stephanie, says, “She received assistance breathing, had a skin biopsy and was diagnosed with Sweet Syndrome.” Sweet Syndrome is an anti-inflammatory disease where the body's immune system attacks its own tissues.

“It really hit me when I came out of surgery. I was in the ICU, and I saw my stoma in the mirror. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. It wasn’t real,” Samantha, who is now 16, recalls of that time.

A stoma is a surgically created opening in the body created for various conditions affecting the bowel or bladder, and the presence of one can be a significant adjustment for patients, but it can greatly improve their quality of life by relieving painful symptoms and helping to manage their condition more effectively.

Initially, Samantha did not want to accept the stoma and developed anxiety during her stay at Phoenix Children's. Her care team stepped in to help ease her fears. Samantha received emotional support through therapy, and Nurse Brittany on Samantha's floor was a big motivation for the struggling teen.

“She motivated me to keep going,” says Samantha. “She would sit and hold my hand and give me a long speech about not giving up. She wouldn't leave until I believed what she was saying.”

Samantha adds that she found healing and hope at the Child Life Zone. She loves music and the jukebox is a huge highlight for her. Also, she found comfort from her pain through art, crafts, seasonal activities and Taylor Swift. Gertie, one of Phoenix Children's Animal-Assisted Therapy dogs, also helped Samantha relearn to walk after being in bed for so long. “She was so gentle and strong,” Samantha says. “Gertie intuitively knew what to do and leaned her body into mine when I felt weak.”

Samantha knows these programs are supported through philanthropy and says, “You are giving opportunities to someone who may never have had the chance to know ‘normalcy,' which was taken from me when I got sick. I missed the first two years of high school. Donors help bring the outside in for normalcy, and it matters. They give kids who are sick a pep. This will help me get one step closer to being okay again.”