Meet the Patients Who Received Life-Changing Treatments

Patients are our inspiration, our motivation, and the reason for everything that happens at an academic medical center. As a community of health care providers, researchers, and students, we are united around one central mission: to improve patients' lives by providing superior medicine. At Columbia, we are thankful to the patients who entrust their care to us, and we celebrate their successes, including these stories. Their experiences provide comfort and hope to other patients and help fuel our collaborative drive to develop whole new advances in healthcare.

Cystic Fibrosis Clinical Trial Offers New Hope

After struggling with symptoms including recurrent bronchitis, Enid Katz was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when she was nearly three years old. She began daily treatments to open her airways and prevent infections alongside her baby brother, who also had the disease. At 21, her brother died. Devastated by his loss, Enid was devoted to his memory and resolved to keep fighting. Recently, Enid became the first patient to receive an experimental gene therapy through a clinical trial at Columbia. She considers the study part of the continuing battle against this life-threatening disease in the hope of finding new therapies for more patients.

Diagnosed with Cervical Cancer as a Teen, Now Thriving

At just 17, an unusually early age, Sheneque Hanse was diagnosed with advanced cervical cancer. Her studies as a college freshman came to an abrupt pause as she began an aggressive treatment regimen that included chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, and eventually immunotherapy. Sheneque's determination and resilience kept her going despite some serious setbacks, such as developing gradual waist-down neuropathy and temporary paralysis from the immunotherapy. Sheneque is now cancer-free and still carries the memories of her nurturing care team. She wants young cancer patients to know how much their mental health and well-being matter.

Finding the Cause of Excruciating Pain

For five agonizing years, Dennis Pearsall suffered from glossopharyngeal neuralgia, a rare condition causing intense pain that feels like being electrocuted in the jaw, neck, throat, ears, and tongue regions. Despite seeing various doctors and trying multiple treatments, nothing provided lasting relief. With the pain worsening, Dennis came to a Columbia specialist in cranial nerve disorders, who performed surgery to relieve the nerve pressure. Dennis is now pain-free and grateful for the care and compassion he received, which have transformed his life.

Uncovering Consciousness in a Coma

At 33, Nick LaRock suffered a massive brain hemorrhage, was discovered unconscious in his home, and was rushed to Columbia. Days later he was stable but in a coma, and his family wondered if he would ever wake up. The Columbia neurologist in charge of his care was conducting a clinical trial using EEG technology, supercomputers, and AI to analyze brain function in coma patients. The results revealed details of Nick's brain activity, and after a week, Nick slowly woke up. Now living independently, Nick’s recovery highlights breakthroughs in brain injury care and the need for more research to improve life-support and recovery approaches.

Fixing a Little Boy's “Swiss Cheese” Heart

Maverick Waler was born in 2017 with a rare condition involving several holes in the chambers of his heart, a so-called “Swiss cheese” defect. After a complicated delivery, baby Maverick underwent heart surgery and was expected to need an eventual heart transplant. He was a preschooler when his home doctor on the West Coast referred him to Columbia, where a heart surgeon had pioneered a technique that could help. Maverick’s family crossed the country for the six-hour surgery, which resulted in the successful closure of over a dozen holes. Now Maverick is thriving, with no need for a heart transplant in the future.