Ariana Charts Her Own Path
Ariana has defied expectations since day one. She was born with one kidney and a cloaca, a condition in which a single opening serves the digestive, reproductive and urinary tracts. "I saw the look on the nurses' faces and knew something was wrong," says her dad, Roland. "It was heartbreaking and supposed to be the happiest day of our lives."
Connie held her daughter for just seconds before doctors referred her to Children's National Hospital. That night, Ariana had her first surgery, and monitoring followed in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Her parents drove back and forth from their home in Annapolis, Maryland, each day to see her. "Her life was hanging in the balance," Connie says.
Three days later, Ariana had a major hemorrhage in her lungs. Connie and Roland received a call to prepare to say goodbye. "I sprinted through the hospital to see her," her dad says. "Security tried to chase me down."
By the time Ariana's parents arrived at the NICU, her care team had stabilized her. They experienced a rollercoaster of emotion and profound gratitude. "She is a fighter," Roland says. "Ariana knew she was going to make it before we did."
Ariana's parents expected that she would need additional procedures as she developed. They did not know if she would be able to walk with vertebrae missing in her lower spine.
At 10 months, Ariana took her first steps. Throughout her childhood, she ran track, danced and swam.
"Learning about my condition made me want to do more and push myself," says Ariana, now 20.
By age 7, she had undergone eight reconstruction surgeries and, with education, started to lead a healthy life. She learned to insert her own urinary catheter, a tube to drain the bladder.
Her family found a wealth of resources and comfort from her care team, including Hans Pohl, MD, our division chief of Urology. "Dr. Pohl was an essential part of her life through age 18," Roland says.
Patients like Ariana and her family make the day-to-day hustle so rewarding. Her parents' cheerful optimism reflected their conviction that she would lead a long and fulfilling life.
― Hans Pohl, MD
Division Chief, Urology
Ariana lights up when she talks about Children's National. She remembers listening to music during MRI scans, watching her favorite movies and coloring with child life specialists. "I love the environment so much," she says. "Even when circumstances were scary, the staff did everything they could to make me feel safe. It felt bittersweet to move on."
She now studies communications at Loyola University in Maryland, with an interest in medical writing. One day, she hopes to write a book to share her story through a research lens. "I never met someone like me growing up," Ariana says. "That’s why I found a passion for writing. I want others to feel less alone."
Connie says Ariana's resilience inspires her. "It's a testament to the human spirit and the incredible support we found," she says.
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