American Family Children’s Hospital is one of only a handful of centers across the country that have the capability to perform biventricular conversion – a three-surgery sequence for serious heart complications. After undergoing this highly specialized treatment, Joelle Devries is back home in Oklahoma chasing her siblings and enjoying life on the farm.

After nine months in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and more than a year on the medical surgical unit at American Family Children’s Hospital, 3-year-old Kingston Vang Wraggs finally got out of the hospital.

Cola, a golden doodle mix, joins Kiko at American Family Children’s Hospital as the only two facility dogs in the state of Wisconsin. Our facility dogs provide custom interventions in conjunction with coping plans for patients. This program is supported entirely by philanthropy.

While no family would choose to spend so much time in the hospital with their child, Sarah and Ryan Judd’s unwavering commitment to making hospital life as normal, if not fun-filled as possible, allowed their daughter not only to heal physically but emotionally as well. By trusting the doctors, nurses, therapists and child life specialists, Sarah and Ryan set the tone for Kinsley to view her care team as an extension of her family.

CHAMPs facility dogs provide comfort to sick kids.

“We can never say ‘thank you’ enough for what American Family Children’s Hospital has done for our family.”

“We are so happy to have this very fine children’s hospital as a part of the Madison landscape.” — Jerry Weygandt