Every sneaker has a story
2019 was a big year for Ethan Ellis: he got a new heart, and he designed a Nike sneaker. Ethan was born with a congenital heart defect called hypoplastic left heart syndrome. He underwent three...
Category: Doernbecher Freestyle
A walk down memory lane (in some pretty incredible Doernbecher Freestyle sneakers)
Since 2003, nearly 100 young designers – all who have faced serious illness or injury – have participated in the Doernbecher Freestyle program to create internationally renowned Nike footwear and...
2016 in review: Doernbecher’s top stories
Safety first! Tips and tricks to keep kids safe and healthy reigned supreme on our blog this year – from Pokémon GO to laundry detergent packets. At OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital, we are...
Braylin’s Doernbecher story
When she was 8 years old, Braylin Soon was diagnosed with Autoimmune Hepatitis and underwent an emergency liver transplant. We sat down with her parents, Kevin and Delinah, to learn more about...
Advocating for hope: Chehayla’s Doernbecher story
Ten years ago, Doernbecher patient Chehayla Hyatt was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. Over the years, Chehayla and her family have dedicated their efforts to raising awareness about CF and its impact...
‘Grass Strong:’ Andy’s Doernbecher story
In December 2014, a sneaker wave hit 10-year-old Andy Grass and his brothers while visiting Rockaway Beach, Ore. The boys jumped on a log to avoid the sneaker wave, but Andy fell and the log rolled...
2015 in review: It’s all about the patients
Social media is great for connecting families, patients, employees, donors and community members with one another and with the hospital as a whole. We love sharing Doernbecher stories and news to...
Behind the scenes: Doernbecher Freestyle XII
Being nominated and selected to work on the Doernbecher Freestyle collection is a once-in-a-lifetime experience – both for our patient-designers and for the Nike employees chosen to be involved in...
Isaiah’s Doernbecher story
Last year, Isaiah’s Neumayer-Grubb’s family discovered that he had a brain tumor that would need to be surgically removed. We sat down with his mom, Melissa, to learn more about Isaiah and his...
Lizzy’s Doernbecher story
When 10-year-old Doernbecher Freestyle patient-designer Lizzy Olivan came down with a fever last summer, her mom Beatriz knew something wasn’t right. We sat down to learn more about Lizzy (now 11)...