Payton
10-year-old | vascular patient
When it comes to dreams, Payton shoots for the sky – and sea.
Engineer happiness and laughter
Whether on land, air or sea, make sure you are doing what you love. Ten-year-old vascular patient Payton wants to be an engineer when he is older, building boats and planes. With the remote-controlled car he built, he’s got every form of travel covered. See what else he has in store for his future engineering firm.
Favorite Care Team Member
A boy’s best friend
During Payton’s stay at Children’s Health℠ Dallas Campus, he felt most at home and comfortable when Van and Blair came to visit. Pet-assisted therapy helps children cope in an unfamiliar and scary environment. And they sure did that for Payton. He collected a few of the dogs’ trading cards and created an art project all about Blair.
Patient Story
Building a new spine from a rib
At age 9, Payton was diagnosed with Bowhunter’s syndrome, an extremely rare vascular disorder that caused a tear in the wall of his vertebral arteries, causing him to have a number of strokes. After eight days in the ICU, Payton underwent a spinal fusion at Children’s Medical Center Dallas where Bruno Braga, M.D. used part of Payton's rib to fix the tear in his neck. Today, he is back to being an energetic little boy.
Favorite Pastime
Creating a winning team
Due to his condition, Payton can no longer play his favorite pastime sport, football, but that didn’t stop him from coaching his team – right from his hospital bed. In fact, his teammates made him an honorary coach complete with whistle and whiteboard to write out plays. Want to take your sports training to the next level?
Current Invention
Devising inventions as big as his imagination
From a car made out of a skateboard to a robot made out of parts he found in the garage, Payton is already putting his engineering skills to the test. In fact, he is taking a robotics class every Tuesday to learn even more. Want to see what Children’s Health is working on to make life better for children?