Homeward Bound

Many of you followed Chris Gilbreath's nephrectomy and John's kidney transplant last week on Twitter. Dad donated his left kidney to his youngest son, 3-year-old John, while Mom, Amanda, followed along on her laptop.

On Day 2, we all let out a collective cheer when John was feeling well enough to play computer games in his ICU bed. Just a couple days after that, John left the ICU for a bed on the renal floor at Children's, and Chris was discharged from UT Southwestern University Hospital.

Yesterday, just nine days after their surgeries, both Gilbreath boys and a very proud mother and wife packed their bags and headed home to Bonham where a fun-filled summer awaits them - but not before a send-off from John's care team.

Looking back over the last couple weeks, Amanda says she wouldn't have changed a thing. She says the Twitter experience provided her with real-time peace of mind, and she's happy that other families who are waiting for transplants learned from their experience. Beyond that, she is tickled pink that so many people in the community have voiced an interest in becoming organ donors.

And us? We're pretty tickled, too. The Gilbreaths are all back home, together again, happy and healthy. Just like it should be.

Whooping Cough? What's Whooping Cough?

Most of us are blissfully unaware of some of the severe diseases that plagued our grandparents' and great-grandparents' generations - diseases like polio, diphtheria, rubella. That's because vaccines have all but eradicated these illnesses from our culture. Even whooping cough, or pertussis, was on a steep decline after a vaccine was developed in the 1940s.

Dr. Jane Siegel, the director of infection control at Children's and a professor of pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center, calls immunizations "one of the 10 greatest public health achievements of the 20th centry."

Unfortunately, as parents become more lax with vaccines, some of these diseases are making a comeback, pertussis being the one that's making news today.

USA Today says kids who aren't vaccinated against pertussis are 23 times more likely to develop the upper respiratory disease than those who are up-to-date on their shots.

So, what's the solution? Follow the CDC's vaccination schedule. It's been tested, and it's safe. And it's the very best way to prevent a resurgence of those scary diseases we'd all prefer to learn about in history books.

Kid-centric Care

Wait a minute...you mean, not all hospitals transport their patients in Radio Flyer wagons? And every hospital doesn't have clowns roaming the halls making patients and their visitors giggle at oversized underpants?! It's easy to take special touches for granted when you work at a children's hospital, especially one that's recognized as one of the best in the country.

But, I received a call last week that made me realize a truly great children's hospital is about more than colorful murals on the walls or smiley fries in the cafeteria (but don't tell that to the kids!). A mom and her chronically ill child who were passing through the D/FW area came to Children's for treatment. And before doctors accessed his port, they used J-Tip, a nifty needle-free injection system that virtually eliminates the pain associated with needle sticks.

Children's was the first pediatric hospital in the state of Texas to adopt J-Tip throughout the hospital. Why? Because it fits with the mission to make life better for children. And it made all the difference in the world to this particular mother and her 9-year-old son. Her next question?

"How can I get my home hospital in Nashville to offer J-tip, too?"

So, I get it: not all hospitals have a giant model train display in the lobby, shooting stars on the ceilings or even kid-centric medical devices, but I think any hospital that's going to take care of kids should. Don't you?

Twitter Transplant a "Tweet" Success

Yesterday was an unbelievable day on so many levels! Chris' nephrectomy and John's transplant surgery were textbook perfect. And literally thousands of people kept watch over the duo via Twitter, all the while, learning the importance of organ donation.

Amanda Gilbreath, whose two most special people were in separate hospitals' operating rooms, was able to be in two places at the same time (haven't we all wished for that!). She knew exactly when Dr. Arenas made the incision above Chris' belly button to begin the laproscopic surgery (7:48 a.m.). She knew just what time his kidney arrived at the Children's OR (10:34 a.m.). And if she were curious, she knew what kind of music the staff listened to while they stitched in John's healthy new organ (Blondie, at 11:26 a.m.).

If you watched a local newscast last night, or heck, even some national ones, you probably saw John's sweet little smile and heard Amanda's eloquent recount of the day. Today, senior writer Sherry Jacobson shared the Gilbreath's story on the front page of The Dallas Morning News. And Children's two talented photographers, Juan Pulido and Louis Curtis, Jr., compiled their images on the Children's web site for all of you to enjoy. John is going to have one heck of a scrapbook to remember this experience!

I am so happy to report that John is doing great. He was up bright and early this morning watching cartoons from his hospital bed. And Chris is feeling much better today, too. Amanda is hopeful he'll be able to join the rest of the family at Children's as early as tomorrow.

There are so many people to thank for their help yesterday - Drs. Juan Arenas and Dev Desai for allowing us all access to their operating rooms; the transplant coordinators, one who gave up his vacation day, who translated medical jargon into Tweets all of us commoners could understand; the rest of John's and Chris' care teams who were so accomodating of the extra company in their work space; and most importantly, the Gilbreath family for sharing so much of themselves to help raise awareness for organ donation.

And just because John is so darn cute, we'll leave you with this photo we captured this morning. Already a shy smile creeping on to his lips...


Continued best wishes for speedy recoveries, Gilbreath boys!

Twitter Tutorial for Tomorrow's Transplant

I know many of you are interested in following John's kidney transplant operation tomorrow morning on Twitter. But, some of you have mentioned you're just not sure how to use Twitter. No worries, here's a quick Twitter tutorial.

Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service. It allows users to send and read other users' updates (aka: Tweets). Tweets can be only 140 characters long, so the updates are short and sweet. (If you Facebook, it's sort of like your Facebook status.)

All of our Tweets tomorrow morning will be posted to the Children's Twitter feed at www.twitter.com/childrenstheone, our own online bulletin board, if you will.

Better yet, sign up for your own Twitter account and follow ChildrensTheOne, and our Tweets will be delivered directly to your own bulletin board. The Twitter folks (the Tweople?) do a good job of answering some other FAQs.

If you're familiar with Twitter, you know you can ask real-time questions to others on Twitter. So, if you have a burning question tomorrow morning - like "How many kidney transplants does Children's do each year?", ask away. And FYI, the answer is more than any other pediatric hospital in Texas - 15 - 20 each year!

It really is easy, I promise. And you'll want to be there tomorrow morning. Children's, along with its colleagues at UT Southwestern, are the first to Twitter live from a transplant surgery. And you've already met Chris, Amanda and John Gilbreath. Aren't they the best? We are all so excited for this new beginning for little John!

Meet the Gilbreaths

I am so excited to introduce you to the Gilbreaths from Bonham. I know you will fall in love with this sweet family like we have.

Dad Chris is a Sherman firefighter, and Mom Amanda works for a veterans hospital. Watch out, because their 3-year-old son John will steal your heart with his adorable grin.

We met the Gilbreath family for the same reason we meet most of our families - because their child needs specialty pediatric care. Children's is a pediatric Trauma Level I hospital, the only one in the southwest. Children's also boasts a nationally recognized cancer program, Heart Center and transplant program, among more than 50 other pediatric specialties. So, most of the families we meet come to Children's because they need the best docs around to fight some of the scariest pediatric illnesses. The Gilbreaths fit that bill.

John was born with kidneys that didn't work well. In fact, they were doing more harm than good, so he's now living without either one of his diseased kidneys. On Monday, John will receive a lifechanging gift of a kidney transplant from his dad. But, don't let Chris hear you call him a hero - I mean, this guy's a firefighter, saving lives is all in a day's work! (And he's incredibly modest like that, which only makes you like him more!)

The family has been so gracious with their story. They're eager to share their experience if it helps raise awareness for organ donation. They've even agreed to allow us to Twitter from the operating rooms.

Representatives from the public relations departments at UT Southwestern Medical Center and Children's will feed you real-time updates on Chris's and John's surgeries on the Children's Twitter page, starting at 6 a.m. Monday. And we'll capture every moment of the day, from pre-surgery to recovery, because we know you're eager to hear the happy ending of this family's story just like we are.

Delkus Mops Up the Competition

For those of you keeping tabs on the Dale v. Delkus Rumble in the Plaza, chief meteorologist Pete Delkus forecast the results right - he and Children's Medical Center were victorious!

All last week, sports director Dale Hansen and Pete Delkus challenged each other's athleticism and matched wits through competitions like putt putt, table tennis and Guitar Hero to raise money for two worthy charities - Children's Medical Center and the YMCA.

With your help, Delkus helped raise nearly $7,000 for Children's. The Rumble in the Plaza ballots are closed, but don't fret! There are countless ways to give to Children's all year-round. Find a way that's meaningful to you.

And Pete Delkus, thank you for helping raise money for our rainy day fund!

Sweet Sound of Healing

Martin Luther, a theologian from the 1500s, said, "Music is a discipline and a mistress of order and good manners, she makes the people milder and gentler, more moral and more reasonable. "

More than 500 years later, doctors know music makes people healthier, too. Research suggests the brain responds to music, almost as if it were medicine. Your blood vessels, too. Recently, a research cardiologist measured blood vessel size as people listened to music, and as long as it was music they liked, their blood vessels relaxed and produced chemicals that are protective to the heart.

At Children's, three music therapists use all sorts of instruments to help patients and their families feel better, whether that means lessening anxiety, helping them cope or even encouraging them to heal. The specially-trained music therapists host one-on-one sing-alongs, as well as group jam sessions tailored to the individual child's needs.

Barry Carpenter, a reporter at the 33, recently spent a day at Children's where he got to hear the sweet sound of healing.

Have Beauty Pageants Taken an Ugly Turn?

As a kid, I loved watching pageants on TV. It was a special treat to stay up late to see the contestants sashay across a well-lit stage in elegant floor-length gowns. A typical little girl, I was mesmerized by the sophistication of those leggy, well-coiffed, beauty queens.

Who knows? Maybe pageants had a bad rap even then - I was too absorbed in the perceived glamour of bathing suits and high heels to notice - but it feels like they've taken an ugly turn, lately. At least in the media.

Maybe you saw Miss Universe Australia on the Today Show defending her thin frame? At 19-years-old, she's 5'11" and just 108 pounds. She maintains that's she's healthy and well, but doctors call a body mass index less than 18 malnourished. Her BMI is 15.

On this side of the globe, Miss California is stirring up controversy, too, with semi-nude photos surfacing and her pageant-sponsored breast implants.

Shari Scott, the director of the Center for Pediatric Eating Disorders at Children's Medical Center, says she worries these stories feed the developing self images of young women and men about worth, beauty, social affirmation and status.

She suggests using these stories to talk with the beautiful little people in your life about what really makes a person attractive and valued:

"Beauty is not about how one looks on the outside, but about how one is able to communicate and utilize his or her thoughts and feelings to shine from the inside out that matters."

And come to think of it, bikinis and high heels are just silly.

Delkus 1, Dale 1

Ok, so Dale Hansen got a leg up on our man Pete Delkus on day one of the Dale vs. Delkus: Rumble in the Plaza. But, Pete evened things up last night (which is better than the Mavs can say!).



Tonight's competition is HORSE. Who do you think will steal the lead?

Find out tonight at 10 p.m. on WFAA, and play a part in deciding who wins this week's challenge, overall. A vote for Delkus is a vote for Children's.

Let's go Pete!

Thanks, Mrs. Babcock!

Mrs. Babcock was my first grade teacher, and to this day, my mother still credits her with instilling in me a love for learning. We all have those teachers, tutors, professors who helped shaped us. Which teacher made the biggest impact on your education?

I bring all this up because today is National Teacher Day, a day to celebrate all the wonderful teachers who have made us more studious, better at sharing, and all-around kinder, smarter people.

I bet you've never thought of it before, but teachers walk the halls at Children's Medical Center, too. Teachers employed by Children's, as well as the Dallas Independent School District, work with patients who are "frequent fliers" and those who have to endure a lengthy hospital stay.

They tutor kids through chemo, create a classroom environment where patients can interact with one another, and help students get back to their home classrooms after a life-changing illness. They do some pretty amazing work, so today, we say thanks!

If you forgot to send your kiddo to school today with a shiny red apple for her teacher (if class hasn't been canceled due to the flu outbreak, that is!), don't fret. Many use this entire week to appreciate the good work teachers do. And really, don't they deserve at least a week?!

Dale vs. Delkus - Vote Now!

I like Pete Delkus - his forecasts are spot on, and he always looks polished, even when he's working over time to warn us about hail and thunderstorms and tornadoes, oh my! And did you know he was a pitcher for the Minnesota Twins before he started forecasting weather conditions?

Aside from all that, he's been a good friend to Children's. And starting today, he's helping raise money to support the hospital's mission of making life better for kids.

During the evening newscasts, Monday through Friday of this week, he's challenging WFAA's sports director Dale Hansen in competitions like ping pong and HORSE (sounds just like men, doesn't it?). And while I'm sure they'll claim bragging rights for winning individual events, YOU get to decide the real victor!

Show your support for Pete Delkus and Children's Medical Center by making a donation online. Donations of $20 or more will even score you a snazzy Dale vs. Delkus: Rumble in the Plaza t-shirt. Talk about looking polished...

When to Get Tested for Influenza A (H1N1) - Swine Flu

As you can imagine, Dr. Jane Siegel, the UT Southwestern infectious diseases guru who's been on-call this week at Children's, has been pretty busy.

The Emergency Department has been up to three times busier than normal, with the majority of those visits being related to flu-like symptoms, and the Lab has tested hundreds of children for influenza - seasonal, swine or otherwise.

But, in all her spare time, Dr. Siegel was kind enough to help us put together a YouTube video that should help parents make a tough decision a little easier - when should you seek medical attention for your little one's sniffles and sneezes? Nobody wants to be alarmist, but as good parents, we're not exactly turning a blind eye to coughs and sore throats these days.

So, when should you call the doc? What is the testing process like, anyway? Can you count on a prescription for Tamiflu? See what Dr. Siegel says. I guarantee her three and a half minutes will help you make sound decisions.