Awards

Texas Managing Editors 2023

Third place: Star Reporter of the Year

Headliners Foundation of Texas 2022

Silver Award for Storytelling for COVID lung transplant series

Society for Features Journalism 2022

Second place: Features Series, for three-part narrative on COVID lung transplant patient

Texas Managing Editors 2022

First place: Specialty Reporting, for overall coverage of health care
Second place: Star Reporter of the Year, for stories about the fallout of the Texas abortion ban and the COVID-19 pandemic

Texas Associated Press Managing Editors 2018

First place: Star Investigative Report, for an investigation into the Denton Police Department's questionable red-light camera overtime practices
Third place: Star Investigative Report, for a series of stories on a chief deputy constable in Denton County facing a felony indictment
First place: Freedom of Information, for the investigation into Denton police overtime

A young dad clings to his only hope after a destructive COVID infection. It comes with a heavy price.

When the delta wave of COVID-19 hit Houston in the summer of 2021, hospitals
were pushed to capacity as a surge of unvaccinated patients required intensive care. By early September, the state of Texas logged more than 25,000 new cases of COVID-19 per day. It was during this swell that Houston Chronicle photographer Godofredo Vásquez and reporter Julian Gill first met Jesus Ceja Ceja, a young, unvaccinated father of two fighting for his life in a 10th-floor hospital room at Houston Methodist.

Over the next several months, Godofredo and Julian visited Jesus at least once a week, logging more than 100 hours’ worth of interviews and time spent photographing his journey. This project, Transplanted, follows Jesus’s journey - from his very first symptoms, to his battle to make the waiting list for a double lung transplant, and all the challenges he faced along the way.

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Texas' abortion laws led to 3-day delay for Houston woman's pregnancy loss treatment, doctor says

Texas abortion laws left Kristina Cruickshank stuck in limbo, forced to wait for a hospital to perform a medical necessary abortion as she faced a potentially life-threatening condition.

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He was Houston’s ‘hero doctor.' Now, he's leading a group of COVID vaccine critics allied with RFK Jr.

Four years after he was hailed internationally as a “hero doctor” for his work during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Joseph Varon, a Houston-based critical care physician, has emerged as a key player in a reinvigorated anti-vaccine movement.

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Empower Pharmacy says it sells 'quality' compounded drugs. 10 years of FDA violations raise doubts.

mpower Pharmacy markets itself as a well-meaning rival to Big Pharma — one that seeks to democratize medicine by making affordable, personalized drugs for patients who need them.

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Texas Children's leadership pay grew 125% in years before layoffs. Experts question transparency

When Texas Children’s Hospital laid off nearly 1,000 employees in August, hospital officials gave assurances that rank-and-file workers would not be the only ones feeling the financial squeeze.

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Inside Texas' 'manipulative' adoption marketing campaign that targets young women and teen girls

Since Texas banned virtually all abortions, Texans may have seen a rosy message about adoption pop up on their phone screens or dot the view on their daily commute. It might read something like this:

Adoption helps “empower” women and allows them to be “in control” of their future.

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Texas delays publication of maternal death data until after midterms, legislative session

Texas health officials have missed a key window to complete the state’s first major updated count of pregnancy related deaths in nearly a decade, saying the findings will now be released next summer, most likely after the Legislature’s biennial session.

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