“My daughter was born with three holes in her heart,” discloses Gregory Vahanian, a member of the Parents Advisory Council and UCLA Health. “After her second birthday, we woke up and she was unconscious. She was diagnosed with AML leukemia and we basically lived at the hospital for the next eight months. A few weeks in, three of the physicians did a spot check in our room to get feedback on our experience. I spent close to an hour singing the praises of all the care we were getting, but they still wanted to know what could be improved. I shared with them a couple of things and they asked me to be part of the council. I’ve been part of it for seven years now, exploring how we can bring a little more grace and ease to the patient experience. We’re focused on the hospital ethos. We’re caring not just for the patients, but for the families.”

Tags: AML leukemia, featured, Parents Advisory Council, Patient Story, Pediatric Cancer, Pediatrics, UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital