Margetta Thomas

My Recent Work

Children's National Hospital Foundation •

Raising Karter: A Mother's Journey Navigating Sickle Cell Disease, Support and Resilience | Children's National Hospital Foundation

Chrystal refuses to let sickle cell disease define her son.
"Whenever Karter feels down about being different than other kids his age, I tell him he's special and uniquely made," Chrystal says.
That strength was forged early on, shortly after Karter's birth. A routine newborn screening revealed that Karter had sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder in which red blood cells become rigid and sickle-shaped. This blocks blood flow and causes pain, organ damage and other potentially life-th...
Children's National Hospital Foundation •

Three Siblings, One Care Team: Ashley's Family Finds Hope and Healing | Children's National Hospital Foundation

For more than a decade, Ashley's three children have received compassionate care at Children's National Hospital as all three navigate a range of conditions that impact their breathing and digestion.
The family's treatment journey began with the oldest son, Jonah. In his first few years, Jonah faced severe digestive and respiratory challenges."Doctors would say he just had a virus, but I knew something else was wrong," Ashley says. "His asthma doctor referred us to Dinesh Pillai, MD, a pulmonolo...
Children's National Hospital Foundation •

One in a Million: Groundbreaking Procedure Gives Hope for Rare Disease | Children's National Hospital Foundation

Daws is a 20-year-old state champion hockey player and golfer. You would never know that he has achalasia, a rare disease that makes it difficult to swallow food and liquids.
“In 2018, he started to have chest pain and struggled to keep food down,” says his mom, Nikki. “And several times during the holidays, he would come back to the table at family dinners with water eyes and I'd ask if he was OK. He'd say, ‘Yes, mom, I just choked. That choking sensation was the first sign that his esophagus...
Children's National Hospital Foundation •

Ella's Journey: Turning Challenges into Inspiration | Children's National Hospital Foundation

Ella’s daily routine is quite different from most 20-year-olds. She relies on medical devices like feeding tubes and central line total parenteral nutrition (TPN), which supplies all essential nutrients directly into her bloodstream through a catheter. 
“I wake up at 6 a.m. to connect to my TPN and then go back to sleep for a little while,” she says. “Everything I do takes so much energy, so I have to move at a manageable pace."
Ella has postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and Ehler...
Children's National Hospital Foundation •

Eli and Emett Find Care Close to Home | Children's National Hospital Foundation

Mike and Katie see Children’s National Hospital as a colorful, welcoming space that helps their kids feel their best. Their oldest son, Eli, found expert care for respiratory challenges. And their youngest, Emett, was born with an eye infection and spent a week in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
“When your child has breathing issues, you feel nervous right away,” Katie says. “But the doctors quickly put us at ease. The team made a personalized plan for Eli to help him recover and get ba...
Children's National Hospital Foundation •

Science Meets Strength: New Treatment Offers Hope for Santiago | Children's National Hospital Foundation

Children's National Hospital has more than 50 pediatric subspecialties and is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization. Your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. No goods or services are provided in exchange for your generous donation.

Children's National Hospital has more than 50 pediatric subspecialties and is a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization. Your contribution is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. No goods or services are provided in exchange for your generous...
Children's National Hospital Foundation •

Believe Magazine | Children's National Hospital Foundation

Gifts to this fund ensure world-class care for every patient. They allow us to pursue new opportunities and respond to unexpected challenges. See how the fund helps us deliver our best when our community needs us most.

Gifts to this fund ensure world-class care for every patient. They allow us to pursue new opportunities and respond to unexpected challenges. See how the fund helps us deliver our best when our community needs us most.

Helping Cierra Thrive as a Mom

Cierra works in childcare. When she was pregnant with Drake, she knew the first few months of motherhood would be challenging — and they were. She had anxiety, depression and felt like she was letting her family down. Meals, bath time and getting Drake to bed created big challenges. She felt self-conscious asking for help.

“I felt like my world was crashing. Every therapist I called was busy,” Cierra explained.

When Drake vomited a strange color, she brought him to the Children’s National Emer

Unlocking the Secrets of our DNA

“My high school science teacher partnered with Yale University to give us a chance to work in real genetics labs,” says Christina Grant, MD, PhD. “I remember thinking, wow, this is awesome.”

That experience set Dr. Grant on her path to medical school. A clinical genetics rotation introduced her to a whole new world of discovery. Today she is a medical geneticist at the Children’s National Rare Disease Institute. Her research changes the lives of children and families.

One of Dr. Grant’s patien

Omid Conquers Fear with Music

Neil Aleger, DDS, a dental fellow at Children’s National, builds trust with his young patients by acknowledging any fears they might have while in the dental chair. Even the simplest procedure can involve anxiety-producing noises and feelings.



Omid, at age 8 had 10 procedures in one year. "He's always had a hard time at the dentist,” says his mom, Zeinab. “As a parent, it’s really painful to watch.”



Dr. Aleger had a plan. He asked Omid about his favorite books, cartoons and music, cre

Care for Mila and Me

My daughter Mila is a feisty, caring little girl. She loves music, loves to dance and gives the best hugs.



Mila wasn’t breathing when she was born. It took doctors an hour to revive her. Five days later, Mila flew to Children’s National Hospital where she spent eight months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). It was the longest eight months of my life.



Compassionate care at Children’s National gave me hope. The nurses were like family. They listened and talked to me. I would a

Compassion Brings Smiles

My daughter Jocelynne is a ball of sunshine. She loves animals and her siblings spoil her. She’s a thriving toddler today because of Children’s National Hospital.During my 20-week prenatal anatomy scan, I learned that Jocelynne had hydronephrosis. An excess build-up of urine caused her kidneys to swell. My pregnancy was now high-risk.Urologist Tanya Davis, MD, was truly a blessing in our lives. I spoke with her twice during my pregnancy. After every conversation, she would tell me to feel free t
CureSearch for Children's Cancer •

From the mountains to the aisle: CureSearch Ultimate Hikers find love on the trail

James and Elizabeth Gunnett have participated in Pacific Crest Trail Ultimate Hike since 2018, raising critical funds to support the next breakthrough in childhood cancer.

The two struck up quite the conversation out on the trail for their very first hike. So much so, they ended up hiking a few extra miles together that day! Little did they know, that very first trek on the Pacific Crest Trail would lead to a walk down the aisle three years later!

2018 was a difficult year for James. He lost h
CureSearch for Children's Cancer •

CureSearch to lead impact study on cost, treatment benefits of molecular testing for childhood cancer patients

Bethesda, Md. – January 18, 2023 – , a national nonprofit dedicated to ensuring that every child diagnosed with cancer has a safe and effective treatment option, will lead a healthcare economic study to determine how molecular testing could benefit treatment decisions for pediatric cancer patients.

Cancer is the number one disease killer in children in the US. Although survival rates for the most common types of childhood cancer have greatly increased in recent years, there has been little impr
CureSearch for Children's Cancer •

Support kids like Caden this holiday season

In November of 2020, Shannon Marshall heard the heartbreaking words that more than 15,000 families in the US hear every year, “Your child has cancer.”

Her son Caden was diagnosed with B-cell leukemia. At just 10 years old, he spent weeks in the hospital enduring toxic chemotherapy. At one point, he was getting the highest dose of methotrexate and had to be monitored around the clock.

“The side effects were grueling,” Shannon explained. “I had to watch my little boy suffer from nausea, extreme
CureSearch for Children's Cancer •

Childhood cancer survivor working to bring new therapies to kids like him

As a pediatric emergency medicine physician, Kim Giusto is no stranger to the symptoms of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), an aggressive form of blood cancer, in children. In 2013, her professional life became her personal life. She noticed her son, Cole, had been sick for five days with cold symptoms, a fever, and a rash known as petechiae.

“I also noticed he had gained some weight and was breathing a little fast, which concerned me that something more serious was going on,” said Kim. “I br
CureSearch for Children's Cancer •

Scientific Advisory Council Spotlight: Elizabeth Fox, MD

With the expert leadership of the CureSearch Scientific Advisory Council (SAC), which sets the academic priorities for research initiatives and evaluates projects on scientific merit, CureSearch funds projects with commercial potential and the ability to quickly reach patients who need new and better treatment options.

The SAC includes best-in-class pediatric oncologists, such as Elizabeth Fox, MD, senior vice president of clinical trials administration at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
CureSearch for Children's Cancer •

175 miles in seven days – hiker treks across the country for kids with cancer

Ryan Sickler is going the extra mile to tell children’s cancer to “take a hike” by taking on all seven 2022 CureSearch Ultimate Hikes to raise funds and awareness for better childhood cancer treatments.

The CureSearch Ultimate Hike is the nation’s only endurance event dedicated to childhood cancer. Hikes take place throughout the year on some of the country’s most beautiful trails in Texas, the Carolinas, Virginia, California, Minnesota and Arkansas.

In 2019, Ryan laced up his boots for his fi
CureSearch for Children's Cancer •

Ultimate Hiker takes on famous pilgrimage for childhood cancer research

How far would you hike for children with cancer? For Steve Hay, it’s 165 miles.

More than 17,000 children in the US are diagnosed with cancer every year and most current standard treatments were approved before 1990. There is an urgent need for new, safe, effective treatments.

Through the CureSearch Create Your Own Adventure program, Steve went the extra mile – 165 miles to be exact – to raise funds for the development of new treatments for children with cancer. This was Steve’s first CureSear
CureSearch for Children's Cancer •

Volunteer, mother of childhood cancer survivor to host Northern Colorado CureSearch Walk

CureSearch funds next-generation childhood cancer research, and that wouldn’t be possible without our dedicated volunteers who work every day to fundraise and bring awareness to the urgent need for new treatments for the kids who need them most.

In 2018, Kathleen Sullivan and her family’s world turned upside down. Her 17-year-old daughter, Sherilyn, was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a cancer of the blood that starts in the bone marrow and spreads to the bloodstream. Kathlee
CureSearch for Children's Cancer •

Mom and childhood cancer advocate shares daughter’s story on anniversary of diagnosis

Mom and childhood cancer advocate shares daughter’s story on anniversary of diagnosis

Fourteen years ago today, Stacy Distefano heard the words that more than 17,000 parents in the U.S. hear every year – “your child has cancer.”

On April 29, 2008, Stacy took her four-year-old daughter, Avery, to the pediatrician after weeks of stomach problems and complaints of a headache. Bloodwork showed that she was dehydrated, so Avery was sent to the ER for IV fluids.

“The ER doctor ordered an MRI just t
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