At 15 months old, life should be fairly simple for a toddler. The days are filled with learning words, learning how to walk, playing, eating, and sleeping. But for little Tristen, a complicated journey was about to begin. It started with him undergoing eye surgeries at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Soon thereafter, Tristen was being followed by our Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders. Recently Tristen has also become a patient of Nationwide Children’s Center for Colorectal and Pelvic Reconstruction, Gastroenterology, and Interventional Radiology.

Like Tristen, things were simpler during the early days of Nationwide Children’s Hospital. We began in 1892 when a small group of philanthropically-minded citizens formed an organization to care for impoverished, sick children. In the first year of existence, six staff members cared for 70 patients in a nine-bed facility. Since then, Nationwide Children’s Hospital has grown into one of the world’s premier pediatric healthcare institutions with more than 600 beds, and over 9,500 employees who provide care for 1.2 million patient visits a year. We are the largest children’s hospital in the nation, serving patients from every county in Ohio, all 50 states in the nation, and 41 foreign countries around the world.  Throughout the years, we have remained dedicated to our mission to provide the highest quality of care to children and their families regardless of ability to pay. We do so through CARES: patient Care, Advocacy for children and families, pediatric Research, Education, and outstanding Service to accommodate the needs of patients and families. We provide $97 million in charity care and community benefit annually.

“Nationwide Children’s Hospital means the world to us. They have been so helpful when we have been there and stayed in the hospital for weeks at a time. If there was anything that we needed, they made sure that we had it.  I can’t express enough how much we love Nationwide Children’s Hospital,” says April, Tristen’s mom.

Yes, things are not as simple as they were for Tristen when he was a toddler. Beyond the multiple conditions he is being treated for, Tristen has also developed a multi-faceted love for play. Tristen loves monster trucks, NASCAR, mud bogs, Paw Patrol, playing on his iPad, and baseball. During the 2016 Special Olympics Summer Games in Columbus, He took 2^nd place in the baseball throw. Tristen has something in common with the participants he will be cheering on as they pass through his mile. He also loves participating in races too! He took 2^nd place in the 50 meter dash in the Special Olympics this year!

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• Name: Tristen C.Tristen Cooper
• Condition(s): Multiple Diagnosis
• Age at Treatment: 15 months
• Age Today: 10/26/200617 Years

At 15 months old, life should be fairly simple for a toddler. The days are filled with learning words, learning how to walk, playing, eating, and sleeping. But for little Tristen, a complicated journey was about to begin. It started with him undergoing eye surgeries at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Soon thereafter, Tristen was being followed by our Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders. Recently Tristen has also become a patient of Nationwide Children’s Center for Colorectal and Pelvic Reconstruction, Gastroenterology, and Interventional Radiology.

Like Tristen, things were simpler during the early days of Nationwide Children’s Hospital. We began in 1892 when a small group of philanthropically-minded citizens formed an organization to care for impoverished, sick children. In the first year of existence, six staff members cared for 70 patients in a nine-bed facility. Since then, Nationwide Children’s Hospital has grown into one of the world’s premier pediatric healthcare institutions with more than 600 beds, and over 9,500 employees who provide care for 1.2 million patient visits a year. We are the largest children’s hospital in the nation, serving patients from every county in Ohio, all 50 states in the nation, and 41 foreign countries around the world.  Throughout the years, we have remained dedicated to our mission to provide the highest quality of care to children and their families regardless of ability to pay. We do so through CARES: patient Care, Advocacy for children and families, pediatric Research, Education, and outstanding Service to accommodate the needs of patients and families. We provide $97 million in charity care and community benefit annually.

“Nationwide Children’s Hospital means the world to us. They have been so helpful when we have been there and stayed in the hospital for weeks at a time. If there was anything that we needed, they made sure that we had it.  I can’t express enough how much we love Nationwide Children’s Hospital,” says April, Tristen’s mom.

Yes, things are not as simple as they were for Tristen when he was a toddler. Beyond the multiple conditions he is being treated for, Tristen has also developed a multi-faceted love for play. Tristen loves monster trucks, NASCAR, mud bogs, Paw Patrol, playing on his iPad, and baseball. During the 2016 Special Olympics Summer Games in Columbus, He took 2^nd place in the baseball throw. Tristen has something in common with the participants he will be cheering on as they pass through his mile. He also loves participating in races too! He took 2^nd place in the 50 meter dash in the Special Olympics this year!