Alexa H. | 2025 All Star | Connecticut Children's Foundation

A teen athlete’s comeback

At 14 years old, Alexa was an accomplished athlete, playing both basketball and soccer. But in the summer of 2022, she began experiencing double vision. Her parents, Pam and Malcolm, sought answers. Their journey first took them to Boston, where a series of tests led to a diagnosis: myasthenia gravis (MG), a rare chronic autoimmune disorder affecting roughly 20 out of a 100,000 people. There is no cure for MG, but with proper treatment, its symptoms can be managed.

But Alexa’s condition worsened, taking a toll on her both physically and emotionally.

“It was really hard just to do basic tasks,” she remembered. “I was always fatigued. The double vision got worse sometimes, and it was hard to talk or breathe." Her parents were frustrated that Alexa’s treatment wasn’t working. "It was very challenging. We were trying to find answers to help Alexa feel healthy,” Pam said.

In the summer of 2024, when Alexa was 16, everything came to a head. She suffered a seizure, and Malcolm rushed her to the emergency department at Bristol Hospital, where a physician recognized the need for pediatric medical expertise and urged them to go to Connecticut Children’s.

A new approach

At Connecticut Children’s, they met Gyula Acsadi, MD, PhD, Division Head of Neurology. Dr. Acsadi decided to try a new approach, putting Alexa on a combination of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and rituximab. IVIG helps regulate the immune system, while rituximab targets a type of white blood cell (B-cells) that produce the harmful antibodies seen in MG.

The results were a game-changer, eliminating Alexa’s symptoms and allowing her life to go back to normal. “I haven’t had symptoms in months. I’m grateful that the treatment is working," she said. The success of her treatment also allowed her to return to the basketball court. Despite her passion for the sport, there had been times during treatment when she doubted her ability to play at the higher level she aspired to.

“Being an athlete and having an autoimmune disorder—you don’t really hear a lot about athletes going through that. It was hard, thinking that I might have to quit eventually,” she said. In the middle of all this, she began attending a new high school, Hamden Hall Country Day School. Starting at a new school, combined with treatment and the fatigue caused by MG, made for some exhausting days. “There were times when I thought I’d never play basketball again. I was struggling in school. I was really focused on my future—what’s going to happen long term with this disease?”

A child with a serious illness impacts an entire family. “The staff at Connecticut Children’s treated not just Alexa, but me, Pam, and Alexa’s brothers, Austin and Jacob,” Malcolm said.

One of the nation’s top experts in fetal care

Bouncing back Today, in addition to sports, Alexa is busy with extracurricular activities at school—including the Black Student Union, Girl Up, and clubs for photography and baking. Her favorite classes are history, human rights, and English, so it’s no surprise that she’s interested in studying liberal arts in college and pursuing a career in political science. She still receives IVIG therapy at Connecticut Children’s Infusion Center in Farmington but no longer needs to go every month. “She’s still got the myasthenia gravis, but she’s a different person than she was two years ago,” Pam reflected. “When you’re a parent and you’re scared, when you’re a kid and scared, knowing someone is there who’s really seeing you and wanting to help you, I think that"

From the patient care assistants and nurses to security and folks doing cleanup, they all got to know Alexa. The kindness that they showed her and the time they spent speaking with her was just as important as the medical treatment she received.”
Malcom, Alexa's Brother