At Texas Children’s Hospital, a tree farm allows hospitalized children to choose Christmas trees for their rooms, aided by a Roaming Robot Program that enables participation from isolated patients.

Houston Police Department said two 16-year-olds were killed, and 3 other people, including a 13-year-old, were shot in North Houston.

Texans players visit Great Wolf Lodge with children from Texas Children's Hospital, which was awarded $15,000 from Great Wolf Lodge.

Mark A. Wallace, CEO of Texas Children’s Hospital, will retire on October 4, marking his 35th anniversary with the institution.

Many parents are struggling with long wait times and a shortage of speech therapists.

Properly using a car seat is the best way parents can prevent car-related injuries in their young children. Texas Children's Hospital joins KPRC 2 News Today at 10 to share how to properly install a car seat.

Since Texas Children’s Hospital announced it laid off 5% of its workforce, KPRC 2 has learned several of those employees include therapists.

Since Texas Children’s Hospital announced its decision to cut 5 percent of its work force, several employees reached out to KPRC 2, saying they were among the roughly 1,000 who were cut.

Imagine getting your dream job and then moving across the country, only to be told that the job is no longer there. That's why one woman from California is taking legal action.

Dr. Jeff Shilt is an orthopedic surgeon at Texas Children’s Hospital in The Woodlands and a sports medicine liaison for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee. He oversees the Human Performance and Motion Analysis lab in The Woodlands, which has helped improve the performance of four Olympians and several Paralympians.

HPD patrol officers responded to a vicious animal call involving three Rottweilers

We know a lot of you are paying more for your medical bills with added ‘facility fees’. Some seeing hundreds of dollars in charges above your co-pay. Investigator Amy Davis has heard from a lot of you about these fees after the KPRC 2 Investigation earlier this month. In this week’s Ask Amy episode, Amy talked to experts about these fees and what you can do about it.

The Harris County Precinct 4 Constable’s Office said it happened in the 21200 block of Shadow River Lane in north Harris County.

Unexpected, unexplained fees are driving up the cost of doctor visits for families across Houston. We are talking hundreds of dollars in charges above your co-pay. They’re called “facility fees,” and patients are told days or weeks after their appointments they have to pay up. KPRC 2 Investigator Amy Davis is looking into these facility fees and getting answers for people who are worried about their own bills.

Learn about the top reasons Houston-area kids visit the emergency room during the summer months.

The paternal grandmother of the 7-year-old child injured in the Lakewood Church shooting spoke to KPRC 2′s Corley Peel on Tuesday and shared more about the shooting suspect’s reported mental health issues.

For the first time since the shooting at Lakewood Church on Sunday, the paternal grandmother of the 7-year-old boy fighting for his life at the hospital, is speaking out.

Common Bond has once again partnered with Sky High for Kids and Texas Children's Hospital to bring smiles to the faces of young warriors battling cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

Texans rookies celebrate Halloween at hospital

While nearly 80% of children with cancer in the U.S. will be cured, many face lifelong quality-of-life challenges or medical complications that come as a result of their treatment.

Heart patients at Texas Children’s Hospital received a surprise visitor Saturday.

Properly using a car seat is the best way parents can prevent car-related injuries in their young children. Texas Children's Hospital joins KPRC 2 News Today at 10 to share how to properly install a car seat.

The Purple Songs Can Fly program at Texas Children's Hospital gives children going through their cancer treatment a platform for their voices to be heard.

An all-volunteer medical mission team, made up of 30 people, traveled over 4,000 miles to Bolivia to save children with congenital heart defects. Two of those volunteers shared their experience on KPRC 2 News Today at 10.

Langerhans Cell Histiocytosis (LCH) is a rare disease of white blood cells in which an overabundance of abnormal dendritic cells causes damage to the skin, bone, and other organs, according to Texas Children’s Hospital.

At Texas Children’s Hospital, doctors said there are currently hospitalized babies with RSV and COVID.While CVS MinuteClinic practitioners say the main viruses driving patients into their clinics are COVID and strep throat.

Houston police are seeking a person of interest in the fatal shooting of a five-year-old boy in southwest Houston.

A second woman has been charged in the fatal shooting of a 5-year-old boy in southwest Houston in 2020, the Houston Police Department said.

An investigation has been launched into the drowning of a 2-year-old child on Saturday in northwest Houston, according to the Houston Police Department.

A pair of conjoined twins is going home after safely being separated during a complex surgery at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston in June.

The Legislature recently passed a bill that would bar minors from receiving this medical care, but it has not yet been signed or gone into effect.

Texas Children’s Hospital is in the hot seat and may face a hefty penalty after the U.S. Department of Labor said it failed to protect employees from patients.

Houston police said it happened in the 6000 block of Ranchester Drive at around 7:30 p.m.

A father and mother were arrested on Monday in connection to the 2022 death of their 5-month-old baby in southeast Houston.

Laissez le bon temps rouler!

Patients at the Texas Children’s Hospital were surprised after receiving gifts from wish lists to Santa’s “elves” ahead of Christmas Day.

Family members have released the identity of the woman who was shot and killed in a murder-suicide Sunday afternoon outside a children’s hospital in west Harris County.

A woman has died after being shot by a suspect who then turned gun on himself in the parking lot of Texas Children’s Hospital in west Harris County, according to the Houston Police Department.

RSV and the flu are hitting the pediatric population hard right now.

Inside the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Texas Children’s Hospital, the sounds of infants coughing can be heard down the hallways.

According to the Houston Health Department, Houston has the most sickle cell of all the regions in Texas.

In honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, therapy dogs visited children with cancer at Texas Children’s Hospital’s Cancer and Hematology Center.

September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month and KPRC 2 is going gold to bring awareness in our Fight 2 End Pediatric Cancer campaign along with our partners at Texas Children's Hospital.

As this school year starts, the country continues to see contagious illnesses spread.

Judge Hidalgo provided an update Thursday on Harris County’s distribution of the recent FDA-authorized pediatric vaccines with Texas Children’s Hospital and Harris County Public Health Department.

On Tuesday morning, Texas Children’s Hospital became the first location in Houston to begin vaccinating toddlers and babies as young as six months old.

Texas Children’s Hospital began administering COVID-19 vaccines to children ages 6 months to 5 years old Tuesday morning.

Try to imagine how you would feel if your 4-year-old son went to the hospital for laparoscopic surgery to solve a hernia problem and instead wound up getting what amounts to a partial vasectomy.

Texas Children’s Hospital and all Texas Children’s Pediatrics practices will begin administering the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine booster Friday to children ages 5 to 11, a news release said.

Doctors and nurses are heroes and walking a day in their shoes is no easy feat. Houston Life Reporter Joe Sam got a glimpse of what a typical day looks like for medical professionals working in the ER at Texas Children's Hospital.

Medical experts with Texas Children’s Hospital will provide parents with useful information about the baby formula shortage Wednesday.

A 12-year-old boy was shot while sleeping on the couch inside an apartment located across the street from a club in northwest Harris County Thursday, deputies said.

A child has been transported to the hospital after being found unresponsive in a pool Tuesday evening.

The nation’s largest children’s hospital is hosting a community drive to benefit Ukraine.

Sarah Herbek says Elsa’s retirement plan will consist of sleeping in, spending time on the couch eating lots of treats (NO MORE DIET FOOD!!), and lots of time outside.

To study the best way to administer the seizure medication, midazolam, so that fewer children arrive at emergency departments with an ongoing seizure: Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, the Houston Fire Department Emergency Services, Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital, and UT Health are forming a study called PediDOSE to determine the best way to stop them.

Texas Children’s Hospital said it plans to share updates regarding children, COVID-19 and the omicron variant during a news conference Monday in Houston.

It's never fun to have to be a patient at a hospital, but Texas Children's Hospital did their part this week to bring that holiday cheer to their patients' faces.

It wasn’t Donner, Blitzen or Rudolph but Elsa, Pinto, Pluto and Bailey that recently descended upon Texas Children’s Hospital to help patients get into the holiday spirit.

Mayor Turner is expected to announce an upcoming citywide vaccination effort during a news conference Monday at Texas Children’s Hospital Pavilion for Women.

A family is very grateful to have their 11-year-old home from the hospital after she was hit by an SUV while on her way to catch the bus.

Here are things to know for Monday, Nov. 15:

Here are things to know for Wednesday, Nov. 3:

Two brothers were the first children to receive COVID-19 vaccinations in person at Texas Children’s Hospital Wednesday morning.

Texas Children's Hospital said Tuesday that it has received its first shipment of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children 5-11 years old.

Texas Children's Hospital has opened appointments for children ages 5 and up to receive Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine beginning Saturday, Nov. 6, pending emergency use authorization and final sign-offs from the FDA, CDC and State next week.

A balloon release will be held Saturday for six-year-old Kaliyah Harris, who was struck by a truck and killed Wednesday moments after getting off a school bus in northwest Houston.

Wait until you hear about the Passport For Care program at Texas Children’s Hospital.

Three-year-old Christopher Ramirez was released from the hospital and returned to his Grimes County home Monday.

A big part of the care at Texas Children’s Hospital involves dogs: Yes, you read that correctly -- dogs.

Stuck between Biden's and Abbott’s competing vaccine rules for employees, public hospitals consider their next move even as most private systems already require vaccination for employees.

Texas Children’s Hospital said they’re accepting some pediatric patients from New Orleans since one of the children’s hospitals there has no power.

Dr. Brent Kaziny said most kids still have mild symptoms and will recover, but testing can be beneficial to look for delayed complications of COVID such as MIS-C.

A man accused of shaking his 7-month-old baby to death in January is now charged with murder.

Texas Children’s Hospital announced Wednesday it will require all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

A man is dead and a 5-year-old boy is in critical condition after the car they were in slammed into the back of an 18-wheeler in Montgomery County Wednesday, deputies said.

A teen is fighting for his life after he was severely shocked while trying to hang a business banner in Montgomery County.

A woman is still on the run after being charged in the fatal shooting of a 5-year-old boy who was struck by a bullet while standing on the balcony of his west Houston home, according to Houston police.

At Texas Children’s Hospital, they’re in the beginning phase of clinical trials for the Pfizer vaccine in young children.

Dr. Peter Hotez takes part in Antone’s Famous Po’ Boys ‘H-Town Originals’ initiative, crafting his own sandwich to help raise funds to support vaccine development at Texas Children’s Hospital. In collaboration with Antone’s Famous Po’ Boys, Houston’s Dr. Peter Hotez has created the next ‘H-Town Originals’ sandwich to raise funds to support vaccine development at Texas Children’s Hospital. Antone’s ‘H-Town Originals’ initiative invites local celebrities and chefs to create their own sandwiches to be sold at the restaurant, which will raise proceeds for particular causes and organizations. AdAntone’s will be donating 50% of the proceeds earned from its ‘H-Town Originals’ sandwich with Hotez to support the Center for Vaccine Development at Texas Children’s Hospital. His work has been and will continue to be life-changing for millions,” CEO of Antone’s Famous Po’ Boys, Craig Lieberman said.

HOUSTON – A major effort is underway by Texas Children’s Hospital to vaccinate young teens and adolescents with chronic and underlying health conditions. It may require advanced critical care,” said Dr. Jim Versalovic, the Interim Pediatrician in Chief at Texas Children’s Hospital. Hospital leaders with Texas Children’s said they have already identified more than 85,000 patients who would be eligible through their equitable allocation framework and under the State’s 1B plan which includes those 16 and older with chronic and underlying health conditions. AdAs the country’s largest pediatric health care system, leaders with Texas Children’s said it is more important than ever to get the message out. So far, more than 5,500 patients who were eligible have already been vaccinated at Texas Children’s Hospital.

HOUSTON – The Houston Texans and Texas Children’s Hospital announced that they have selected four local healthcare workers to attend the Super Bowl LV as their guest in Tampa Bay on Sunday. The healthcare heroes were selected based on their “unwavering commitment to their community throughout the coronavirus pandemic,” according to a release. The four workers, among other selected care workers who’ve been invited by NFL clubs, will participate in several Super Bowl LV activities at Raymond James Stadium. Those chosen to attend Super Bowl LV in celebration of their dedication include Kaitlin Hernandez, a respiratory therapist, Bhumi Patel, a registered nurse, Matthew Rivera, a registered nurse, and Dr. Matthew Pesek, a medical director for the pediatric intensive care unit at Texas Children’s Hospital West Campus. AdThe invitation will include a roundtrip flight on United Airlines, a two-night hotel accommodation, a Texans travel kit and Super Bowl LV Draft Experience, Gameday Tailgate and a ticket to the game.

Some 15,600 doses of Pfizer's COVID-19 vaccine arrived at hospitals on Tuesday in El Paso and Edinburg, and more will land in Laredo, McAllen, Brownsville and El Paso later this week. El Paso County Judge Ricardo Samaniego said he’s concerned about community spread continuing as the vaccine begins to be administered. The pandemic has disproportionately affected El Paso and Hidalgo counties compared to areas of similar or larger sizes in Texas. As of Wednesday, there had been more than 91,000 cases recorded in El Paso County, the fourth-highest total in the state. This is an exciting time,” said Mielke, the University Medical Center of El Paso spokesperson.

HOUSTON – Houston Methodist Hospital, UTMB in Galveston, Ben Taub, Memorial Herman, and Texas Children’s Hospital all say they plan to begin vaccinations next week. “Our personnel are ready to accept vaccines as early as this weekend, should it arrive, but we probably anticipate it arriving on Monday or Tuesday,” said Roberta Schwartz, executive VP of Houston Methodist. Memorial Hermann said with two effective vaccines likely coming to their doorstep, they’ll eventually be able to vaccinate every employee. Key dates:- Dec. 14 is when the state says they could begin rolling out the Pfizer vaccine to hospitals. AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson are two other companies that could be following close behind them but they have yet to apply for EUA.

The Houston-area’s first batch of the coronavirus vaccine will include 59,475 doses of the inoculation, state health authorities announced last week. Greg Abbott said that the state would receive its first allotment of the vaccine — approximately 1.4 million doses from the drug makers Pfizer and Moderna — beginning in mid-December, pending federal approval. 21 hospitals in Harris County, four in Montgomery County, one in Galveston County and one in Fort Bend County were selected to receive the vaccine. “I intend to take the vaccine and I intend to get vaccinated in a very public way. Here’s a list of the local hospitals set to receive the state’s first allocation of the vaccine.

Here are things to know for Wednesday, Oct. 14:1. ‘They’re threatening to kill me and my kids:’ Houston woman seen kicking dog in viral video tells her side of storyThe Houston woman seen in a viral video kicking and punching a yelping dog said the dog, which is not hers, had just attacked her 5-year-old son. Harris County sets record for turnout on first day of early votingVoters in Harris County shattered records for turnout Tuesday on the first day of early voting. The record for highest day turnout during early voting was broken after 4 p.m. when the number passed the 100,000 mark. The previous record of 100,005 was set in 2016 on the last day of early voting.

TOMBALL, Texas – A 25-year-old man was sentenced to 60 years in prison for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl in Tomball on Jan. 21, 2018, according to Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg. Glenis Dionicio Cordova-Lopez, also known as Fernando Lopez, was sentenced Monday for aggravated assault of a child. “I want to thank the first Harris County jury since COVID began for showing up, listening to the testimony, reviewing all the evidence, and finding a sexual predator guilty,” Ogg said. “I am glad his victim knows that she was believed and that he will serve a long prison sentence for his crimes against her. The girl reported the assault to family members and was taken to Texas Children’s Hospital where she was examined, according to prosecutors.

The 14th court of appeals denied the family’s motion, saying there was not enough evidence to rule in favor of baby Nick, the attorney said Friday afternoon. According to the court of appeals, three judges found “no error” in the initial decision that Judge Roth made on Oct. 2 and rules in favor of Texas Children’s Hospital Friday evening. He said, currently, baby Nick is not being given the nutrients he needs to help his heart continue beating. Baby Nick was rushed to the hospital on September 24 after he was found unresponsive in a bathtub. A doctor with Texas Children’s Hospital said that Nick’s brain is not working and that his lungs and kidneys are not functioning.

HOUSTON – An appeals court ruled Monday in favor of Baby Nick Torres' family, allowing the family to keep him on life support for longer. Baby Nick was rushed to the hospital on September 24 after he was found unresponsive in a bathtub. A judge gave Nick’s parents and lawyer, Kevin Acevedo, until 6 p.m. Monday for the court of appeals to review the case and the motion. At 3 p.m. Monday, Acevedo held a press conference and said after they filed emergency appeals, they had not yet heard from the appeals court. Watch his full press conference below:WATCH LIVE: Attorney speaks after Baby Nick's family files an emergency appeal Monday to keep him alive.

HOUSTON – The Bill O’Brien era is officially over in Houston. McNair didn’t feel a turnaround would occur unless he gave O’Brien, the teams General Manager since January, his walking papers which he did on an afternoon phone call to O’Brien. Associate Head Coach Romeo Crennel was tabbed by McNair as the Texans Interim Head Coach for the remainder of the season. Here are some of the top quotes from the now former Texans GM and Head Coach. I will leave here with very fond memories of the Houston Texans organization.

HOUSTON – One Texas family is not giving up on seeing their loved one at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. This health battle has been tough for the Swearingen family. One Texas family is not giving up on seeing their loved one at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston. At Texas Children’s our highest priority is the health and safety of those we serve. We need our families' assistance and support in protecting our patients, families and caregivers by following our visitation restrictions.

HOUSTON – Texas Children’s Hospital is notifying its patients of a data security incident involving one of its vendors, the hospital announced in a release Monday. Blackbaud said it has no reason to believe the attackers have another copy of the hospital’s database or released the data publicly. As soon as Texas Children’s Hospital was notified, they mailed its patients who were affected by the security incident. Texas Children’s investigation determined that certain free text fields in the database may have contained certain patients' names, dates of birth, department(s) of service, treating physician, and/or limited clinical information. Importantly, no patients' Social Security Numbers or financial records were involved in this incident," according to a release by the hospital.

HOUSTON A new study suggests expecting moms can possibly pass the coronavirus to their unborn babies. The study looked at 31 women in Italy that had COVID-19 and later gave birth. Out of these 31 different women, there were three instances that were suspicious for having transmitted SARS-COV-2 from mom to baby, said Dr. Kjersti Aagaard. Some sort of transmission at very low levels, so rare instances, might be occurring but it wasnt conclusive, she said. We and other people have published that there is a risk of stillbirth that occurs with moms, who are sick with COVID-19 disease.

HOUSTON – Leaders from the four largest hospital systems in Houston said Thursday that they are in good shape to handle a surge of coronavirus patients if it happens. Still, CEOs from four leading hospitals in the medical center say they’re prepared to handle surge capacity. Houston hospital leaders discuss capacity Houston-area hospital leaders are discussing capacity at their facilities amid the coronavirus pandemic. However, the hospitals in the Texas Medical Center are equipped to deal with a surge in COVID-19 hospitalizations. “What they are showing is an increase in cases, increase in hospitalizations, increase in intensive care unit stays, and an increase in deaths for the next couple of months,” he said.

HOUSTON – To help create additional capacity for adult hospitals in the Houston area, Texas Children’s Hospital is now admitting adults, a spokesperson said. Other hospitals in Greater Houston are prepared to “activate surge plans.”COVID-19 hospitalizations in Texas have more than doubled in the last month, Gov. “There is a limit to the number of hospital beds that we currently have and hospitals are seriously considering activating their surge plans,” Houston Health Authority Dr. David Persse said. A surge plan is an emergency plan to expand available ICU beds above normal maximum capacities. “When challenged with those surge plans, (which) are very resource-intensive, and that’s probably not something they would be able to do for a long period of time,” Persse said.

HOUSTON – Texas Children’s Hospital is giving all employees separate checks this Friday with a special stipend of $500 for those working full-time and $250 for those working part-time, president and CEO Mark A. Wallace announced. Wallace said he wants to honor the “dedication and commitment” of employees for the professional and personal sacrifices they have made while working to take care of patients amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The next few days, weeks, and months will be critical, and we are going to face some incredible challenges. As such, all employees will receive a separate check this Friday with a special stipend of $500 for those working full-time, and $250 for those working part-time. You are the heart and soul of everything we do at Texas Children’s, and I simply cannot thank you enough for the support you’re providing, wherever you may be.

KPRC 2′s health reporter Haley Hernandez took the time to answer some of your questions regarding the impact of COVID-19 here in the Houston area.