Cops bring holiday cheer to Children’s

Most of the time when you see a cop, there may be some unpleasant associations. But for kids in the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders (CCBD) at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, that’s definitely not the case: The police are their buddies.
Each year for the past 6 years, members of the Dallas Police Department SWAT Team, and now its Motorcycle unit, have visited the CCBD at the holidays to distribute gifts and visit with the children.
This year, a group of about two dozen police men and police women came bearing gifts and to play games with the kids in the inpatient unit and the outpatient clinic. There was a vigorous game of Jenga™, a battle in air hockey and some Super Mario Brothers™ action going on in the inpatient playroom. The police were as much into the games as the children.
The combined SWAT and Motorcyle teams also donated a new Wii™ Fun Center™ mobile entertainment unit with funds raised from their annual motorcycle ride for charity. That’s the second Fun Center the DPD group has donated. Fun Centers are sponsored by the Starlight Children’s Foundation.
So the next time you see a police man or police woman from Dallas, give ‘em a wave. They may just have brightened up a patient’s holidays at Children’s.

Boy swallows quarter while watching TV

Amie Raney had just walked into the nail salon when she got the phone call from the babysitter that every parent dreads. Amie's 10-year-old son, Lucas, needed emergency help. He had been tapping a quarter on his tooth while watching TV, and he accidentally swallowed it. The quarter was stuck in his airway.

Paramedics rushed Lucas to the closest hospital where pain medication relaxed him enough for the quarter to slide down to his stomach. At that point, it was a waiting game to see if the coin would make its way out on its own. After nearly two weeks, the quarter was still in Lucas' stomach.

When it came time to surgically remove the quarter, Amie and her husband, Lanny, took their son to Children's, a place he knew well. Seven years ago, Lucas was diagnosed with leukemia at the hospital and underwent three years of treatment in the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders there.

The one question on Lucas' mind before surgery was, "will I get to have my quarter back?

Dr. Ashish Patel, GI specialist at Children's, removed the quarter with a tool called the coin grasper and placed it in a container for Lucas to keep.

"Most of the time parents think their child has swallowed a quarter or a silver dollar, and coins all look the same in X-rays," Dr. Patel said. "I go in expecting to find all this money, and I come out with pennies. This time they were right."

Brianna back in the news

If you've been following Children's stories a while - and maybe even if you haven't - you've probably heard about Brianna Lamar, a teen who has shown a tremendous amount of character in battling HIV since birth.

We featured her on this blog and Children's Connect when she began high school this fall. Before that, we wrote about her in ChildTimes (p. 22). Then, at the beginning of this month, she was interviewed on the Christmas is for Children Radiothon on 103.7 Lite FM and rode with David Archuleta in the Children's Medical Center Holiday Parade.

Simply put, Brianna is a superstar. And it's not just folks at Children's who think so. The Dallas Morning News confirmed that when it featured Brianna on its front page this morning.

Her article in the paper tells her background story, but it also highlights the fact she was nominated by Children's to be one of 50 Children's Miracle Network "Champions" nationally. If she wins, she'll have the opportunity to share her story with members of Congress in Washington, D.C. next June.

We should find out if she wins any minute now, and we'll be sure to update you on our Twitter and Facebook pages as soon as we do. Either way, we're proud of our superstar.

For Sickle Cell Families, Knowledge is Power

When you’re told your child has a chronic illness, you have a lot of questions. That was the case for Johanna Mack-Wesson, whose 12-year-old son, Joshua Mack, has sickle cell disease.

Here, Mack-Wesson talks about the support she gives and receives as the mother of a child with sickle cell disease:

As we rode down the streets in Frisco, Texas, my son Joshua asked a question that surprised me: “Momma, will my sickle cell ever go away?” I answered: “No, Baby. Sickle cell is with you for the rest of your life. But remember — you have sickle cell anemia, it doesn't have you.” “OK,” Joshua replied.

“So does that mean that I can do anything I want to do?” My answer was: “Yes you can. But you have to watch out to make sure you have enough water in your system and rest when you feel tired. You can do whatever your heart and mind will let you do having sickle cell anemia.” “OK,” was all that he replied.

I’m a mother of a sickle cell child. When he was 10 months old, Joshua suffered a stroke that left his right hand impaired. To make sure that there’s enough oxygen in his body and that he doesn’t have too much iron in his blood, Joshua undergoes blood transfusions every six weeks at The Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders (CCBD) at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas. Joshua, now 12, has spent many nights and weeks in the hospital because of pain in his chest, or for other issues related to sickle cell disease that may make him sick.

However, today Joshua is doing better and performing better in school and doing physical activities every chance he gets.

As a mother coping with a child with sickle cell anemia, it isn’t easy. It requires attention, understanding and a lot of time and caring. Watching Joshua blossom into a young teenager has been a blessing to our family. There were many difficult days and nights that left me wondering what and why my baby was suffering so much with the effects of his disease. What could I do to help him?

Support group and activities help us to feel less isolated
I still have questions about sickle cell disease, but now I have a group of other parents who can relate to my experience. I have teamed up with this group in the CCBD Clinic for Sickle Cell Anemia to help reach out to newcomers and to get support and understanding from the older patient families.

I have been aboard the organization since 2007. As part of our efforts, we parents team up and plan different fundraisers every year. We hope the money will help lead to a cure for this disease. The money raised also assists with various activities for the sickle cell clinic and Camp Jubilee, the special camp for children with sickle cell disease that Joshua and other children attend.

Yearly holiday party
Each year, I also organize the holiday Christmas party for sickle cell patients at Children’s. The purpose of the party is to give our children and staff at the clinic an opportunity to interact with each other and their families other than while during a clinic visit.

The party — with crafts, dancing, great food and a special visit from Santa — also offers a chance for other families to get to know one another, to see who their child’s peers are not only at school, but also at Children’s.

I’ve watched this event grow from the time Joshua was a baby to now, and the smile that the children have while they’re at the party is a peaceful one, a pleasant one, one that reflects the fun they’re having. Keeping this event going not only lets the children have something to remember, but it’s also a chance for all families to come together, and enjoy a time of laugher and fun with one another — in spite of what we have to go through on a daily basis with a sickle cell child.

At the party, Joshua gets a chance to see his friends from Camp Jubilee that he otherwise may only see or hear from once a year.

Dealing with sickle cell anemia is hard, but thanks to Children’s, a 12-year-old boy understands what sickle cell is, what it does, and how he has to cope with it in his everyday life. Joshua now asks questions to understand why he has to deal with things differently from other children that he’s around every day. It’s takes a lot out of me to explain what he needs to know and how he was born with sickle cell.

But at the end of the day, my heart and mind is at peace. I feel good about sharing information with not only my son, but also with others who have no idea what sickle cell anemia really is.

For more information on Parents with A Cause for Sickle Cell Anemia or to check out our upcoming events, visit the PWACSSC Dallas Facebook page.

Caffeine for kids: safe but not recommended

A study published yesterday in the Journal of Pediatrics said that as many as 75 percent of children are consuming caffeine daily. More specifically, it revealed that children between ages eight and 12 consume an average of 109 milligrams of caffeine a day - which is about the same as drinking three 12 ounce cans of caffeinated soda a day.

I spoke about caffeine with one of our own experts at Children's, registered dietitian Rachel Barraco, a couple of weeks ago. A lot of attention was being given to the dangers of caffeine/alcohol mixture drinks, and I wanted to find out if caffeine was safe for kids even on its own.

Rachel's answer: it's safe but not recommended. There aren't any official guidelines for caffeine intake in children, but she said a safe threshold would be "a little less than" the generally accepted standard for adults - which is about 200 to 400 milligrams a day.

So, by my math, the 109 milligram average cited in the study doesn't seem to pose any major threat in terms of causing headaches, dehydration and increased heart rates, which are each risks linked to excessive amounts of caffeine intake. However, the caffeine-associated health risk that Rachel said concerned her the most was obesity.

"Most sodas and coffee drinks also have a lot of sugar in them," she said. "So, in addition to the caffeine intake, they're getting a lot of calories and fat, too, which can lead to weight gain and all of its complications."

So, bottom line, caffeine can indeed lead to health problems, but only in excess.

"Caffeine is okay in moderation," Rachel said. "I would advise parents to encourage more nutrative drinks like water and l0w-fat milk, but a soda here and there or a cup of coffee every now and again is fine."

Don’t let food allergies make you a Scrooge

Sherry Thompson knows the challenges of being a parent of a child with food allergies during the holiday season.

Her 3-year-old daughter, Sierra, was diagnosed with egg and milk allergies four months after being born in 2007. When Thanksgiving and Christmas rolled around that year, Sherry was still figuring out how to appropriately feed her baby daughter. So, the idea of having holiday meals at the homes of other people, even if they were family, was a little nerve-wracking.

"The first holiday we had after learning about her food allergies was extremely difficult," Sherry said.

Although Thompson's family has come a long way since then, she adds that the holiday season still presents obstacles because of Sierra's food allergies.

"We're actually going out of town this year, and the family that is going to host us is panicking about what they're going to feed us," she said. "I said, 'It's okay. Just make us some plain things. And don't include certain ingredients for some other things.' But obviously you want those certain traditional foods to still be in place.

"We're learning to adjust."

Dr. Drew Bird, who leads the Food Allergy Center at Children's, said Thompson's dilemma isn't unique. The holidays are typically difficult for all parents of children with food allergies.

"The holidays are difficult because of family gatherings or places where parents may not be cooking all of the food," Dr. Bird said. "It just creates a certain level of anxiety and a unique situation that they don't usually experience during the rest of the year because of being around people who they may not have seen in a while and who aren't familiar with their children's dietary needs."

Cooking class helps parents find solution
Part of the solution is that parents may need to make safe food and bring it along with them to holiday gatherings for their children to eat. The other part is informing family members and friends of different ways to cook meals so that everyone, including people with food allergies, can enjoy them.

But in order for parents to do either part, they first need to know how to make food-allergy friendly holiday foods. The Food Allergy Center recently hosted a holiday cooking class to teach them.

"Teaching parents how they can make a pie or a stuffing or even just something simple like carrots that are safe for their child to have and tasty for everyone else is a big help," Mary Susan Spears, a registered dietitian at Children's who helped lead the class, said. "Then everyone can eat together."

Spears and Children's executive chef Chris Hensel gave a live demonstration on how to cook food-allergy friendly recipes like lemon and sage chicken and glazed dilled carrots. Then they let the parents sample their creations.

The recipes for every item they made – in addition to others like turkey gravy and sausage and grits dressing – were included in a special holiday food allergy cookbook that they gave to the parents in attendance and that is now available online. Alternate ingredients for common food allergens are listed in the recipes, and there are individual lists of substitutes for eggs, milk and wheat.

Sherry Thompson attended and said the cookbook will be especially helpful for her this holiday season.

"It'll be so nice to have the substitutes listed without having to think about anything," she said. "I won't have to go look up something or pull out a chart every time I cook something."

A tree for the holidays

For most people who celebrate the holidays, decorating the tree is one of the best parts of the season — getting all the decorations out of the attic, stringing the lights, the ribbon, and the popcorn and cranberry garlands.

But for some children who are sick, the joy of decorating the tree doesn’t happen. That’s where the Plano Garden Club comes in. Club members decorate miniature trees for the Center of Cancer and Blood Disorders (CCBD) inpatient unit at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas and deliver them to the hospital each holiday season.

This year, the club decorated 75 themed mini trees for the CCBD. Each child in the cancer center’s inpatient unit got to pick out his or her own tree for their rooms. Another 30 or so trees went to inpatients at Children’s at Legacy in Plano.

“You can see the sparkle in their eyes when they see ‘their’ tree,” says Melinda Goff, a child life specialist at Children’s. She says each child just seems to know which tree is right for them.

The holiday tree project was started in 1997 when club member Charlotte Loncar’s granddaughter Alexandra was in the inpatient unit for treatment of rhabdomyosarcoma. Alexandra did not survive her cancer and passed away when she was 4 years old. The tree project is now dedicated to Alexandra’s memory.

Says Ms. Loncar: “It’s just something you cannot express in words to see each child pick out their own tree. Our decorating comes from the heart and the ladies of the garden club are so dedicated. They love to see the joy it brings to the children, their families and the staff at Children’s Medical Center.”

Children's holiday parade

Hope you enjoyed the Children’s Medical Center Holiday Parade Presented by Capital One Bank on Dec. 4 in downtown Dallas as much as I did.

The parade, which many families consider the “official” start of the holiday season, raises money for Children’s Medical Center, specifically for our Child Life department. Our child life specialists work with patients and their siblings to help normalize the hospital experience.

Did you attend the event? If you did, you probably loved the annual spectacle of floats, inflatable balloons, dancers, children’s cartoon characters, bands and clowns. This year also featured American Idol favorite, singer David Archuleta.

If you attended, leave a comment on our Facebook page and while you’re there, check out our holiday gallery of photos, including photos of the parade. Don’t forget to “like” us.

If you couldn’t attend or didn’t see the parade on TV, you can watch it in syndication.

Happy Holidays!

Tickets still available for Children’s Holiday Parade

Jamie Yeatts is the manager of creative operations at Children's Medical Center. She has worked at Children's for 13 years and never missed a Children's Holiday Parade during that time. She is particularly excited about seeing the new tweaks to this year's parade, which is taking place this Saturday, Dec. 4. Tickets are still available and can be purchased here.

In a family of five, coordinating weekend schedules is tough. Soccer games. Birthday parties. Sleepovers. But no matter what else is on our agenda during the holidays, on the first Saturday morning in December, you'll find every member of the Yeatts family in one location — front and center at the Children's Medical Center Holiday Parade.

No one complains about getting up early (a rarity for our 13-year-old daughter) or about the cold weather (and we've endured some cold ones over the years). Nothing can keep us from the colorful floats, entertaining clowns and the kids' favorite cartoon and TV characters. And then there is one of our favorite activities: screaming "spin, spin, spin" as the handlers walk by with the giant inflatables.

But we're even more excited about this year's parade.

In case you haven't heard, the event has some awesome changes coming. We'll see more bands, live performances along the parade route, and floats that are bigger and better than ever. David Archuleta will be there, too. Even pre-parade changes — such as audio speakers playing holiday music throughout downtown Dallas and City Hall Plaza — is sure to create a more festive atmosphere while we all wait for the big show to begin. An added bonus is that several of our sweet patients from Children's will serve as grand marshals in this year's parade.

One thing that hasn't changed is the parade's mission: to raise money for Children's. Specifically, the money raised from the parade goes to the hospital's Child Life department. Our child life specialists work with patients and their siblings to help noramilze the hospital experience. They play a key role in making life better for children; however, child life is not a service that we charge for, and insurance companies don't reimburse Children's for this care. (By the way, if you can't attend this year and are interested in giving, you can do so here.)

The Children's Holiday Parade (which has formerly been called the Neiman Marcus Adolphus Children's Parade and the Capital One Bank Adolphus Children's Parade) is shaping up to be a spectacular event. If you've never been, this is the perfect year to start. There are tickets still available. I promise that you won't be disappointed. Bundle up and join our family. We hope to see you there!

Pay attention to concussions

I remember sitting on the sidelines next to a high school football teammate after he was crushed by an opposing player on a kickoff return. He didn't look hurt. He wasn't screaming in agony or gripping his head. He was just kind of glazed over like a little kid watching cartoons.

Our trainer kept asking Charlie questions like "Where are we?" and "Who are we playing?" Charlie hesitated to answer but eventually responded correctly. Then the trainer asked him what his home phone number was. Charlie couldn't even get the area code right, and the town we lived in only had one area code.

Fortunately, our coaches and trainer were conscientious enough to keep Charlie out of the game after they knew he had a concussion. But that's not always the case. In fact, a 2004 study in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine suggests that 47 percent of all the concussions in high school football aren't reported at all. That means that half of all the players who get concussions don't report them and may not be properly treated.

Why is this a big deal? Football players "get their bells rung" all the time, right? Before I started working at a pediatric hospital, I would've told you the reason for all the concussion attention is paranoid people with too much time on their hands. After all, Charlie got a concussion and he turned out to be a respectable member of society - a banker with a wife and young child. It may not be saying much, but he appears no more brain damaged than me.

But I know better now. Why? I could tell you all the impactful statistics and patient anecdotes our experts in Sports Medicine have told me. I could also give you some info I've learned by following national news on concussions - that they're linked to migraines, Alzheimer's and depression.

But, really, this CNN video on a star high-school football player explains better than I can
why concussions aren't to be dismissed. Simply put, they can be debilitating.

However, I'm not writing this to create fear and hysteria. On the contrary, I'm writing this to let you know there are ways to identify concussions and minimize their effects.

Children's posted a page today dedicated exclusively to concussion resources. It contains several different stories and information sheets on concussions. There is also a video of our own Sports Medicine specialist, Dr. Shane Miller, discussing concussion signs and symptoms.

It's worth your time to look. You need to know what's going on if your child can't remember his phone number.

Finding joy even when kids aren’t perfectly healthy

Children’s Medical Center pediatric hematologist-oncologist Paul Harker-Murray talks about the relationships he builds with the families of his cancer patients and what it’s like being the father of a child with Williams syndrome.

This is the first of an occasional series of blogs on the personal lives of physicians and staff at our hospital.

Read excerpts from a Q&A with Dr. Harker-Murray on the balance he and his family find between work and home life. Read the full Q&A with Dr. Harker Murray in the November issue of our online magazine for parents,“Children’s Connect.”

“What you want most for your children is for them to be healthy,” says Dr. Paul Harker-Murray, a cancer specialist at Children’s. But as a doctor who often has to deliver difficult news to families, he knows this hope isn’t always realized. And as the father of a child with Williams syndrome, a genetic disorder that results in physical and developmental delays as well as chronic medical problems, this fact has hit home on a personal level.

Dr. Harker-Murray and his wife, Amy, an adult oncologist, have three young boys. Matthew is 4; Alexander is 2; and Harrison is a newborn. Matthew was diagnosed with Williams syndrome when he was 4 months old.

How has Matthew’s diagnosis affected your family?
“Early on it was hard. The weekend we got the diagnosis was especially rough. What you want most for your children is for them to be healthy. Based on what I knew about Williams syndrome I was able to say to my wife, ‘Matthew will have some challenges, but he will laugh, he will run, he will play, and he will love. He will have a life full of joy.’”

“The strength of our relationship is such that we were able to consciously say to each other: ‘This is going to be stressful, but we’re not going to take the stress out on each other. We’re going to use this to make our relationship stronger.’”

“My wife and I have been blessed in many ways, and although we were a little overwhelmed at first, the reality is that as a two-doctor family, we should be able to raise a child with a developmental disability, and so we moved forward from there.”

Matthew is a delight
“Now, at the age of 4 years, Matthew is a delight — he has a smile that stretches ear to ear and can light up a room. He is making strides at his own pace, is accomplishing new tasks every day, and we are incredibly proud of him.”

“Still, some days can be difficult. For example, when we go to the park, no matter how much fun we are having, it is hard not to notice the difference between Matthew’s skills and those of the other 4-year-olds. That being said, we remind ourselves that ‘Matthew will do what Matthew will do when Matthew is ready to do it.’ We love him for who he is rather than spend our time worrying about his limitations.”

Boundaries are key to preventing texting overuse

It seems that ‘tweens and teens are all permanently attached to their cell phones and are using them more and more for texting rather than talking. But a new study shows that it may be time for parents to reset some boundaries for cell phone use.

The study links teens who text more than 120 messages a day to risky behaviors such as smoking, drinking and sexual activity. One hundred twenty messages may seem like the norm for a lot of ‘tweens and teens, but the study defines more than 120 text messages a day as “hyper-texting.”The study also says more than 3 hours a day on Facebook would be considered “hyper-networking.” Both may have dangerous consequences, the study suggests.

The lead researcher for the study says: “This should be a wake-up call for parents to not only help their children stay safe by not texting and driving, but also by discouraging excessive use of the cell phone or social websites in general.”

What our expert says
Peter Stavinoha, a psychologist at Childrens’ Medical Center in Dallas, said the study does not show a cause and effect relationship between hypertexting and risky behaviors. “Rather, excessive use of the cell phone is just another behavior that has negative consequences for ‘tweens and teens and demonstrates to parents that the child is not properly self-regulating his or her behaviors."

"This should be an attention getter for parents,” Stavinoha says. “Parents really need to be aware of their child’s cell phone or social networking use. This parental awareness is no different than their needing to track their child’s grades, friends and alcohol and drug use, for example.”

Tips for parents“Parents are teaching their kids how to be parents one day,” Stavinoha says, “so it’s important for parents to establish boundaries so that their children know what behaviors are appropriate and what behaviors are not appropriate.” On the other side of the coin, parents need to give your child some privacy and space so they can develop a sense of independence.

He suggests that parents should:
· Reconsider whether your child needs a cell phone, especially for younger children. Cell phone use is a privilege parents give their children.

· Let your child know up front in clear terms that you are monitoring their cell phone and social networking use. The frequency depends on your child’s risk factors. If you see other warning signs , then monitoring needs to be more frequent.

· Tell your child that the monitoring is your responsibility as a parent to keep your child safe and is not a reaction to anything they may have done. It’s really more of a deterrent than anything else.

· Consider having your child sign a written contract about his or her use of cell phones and social networking that defines what you consider to be excessive use and what the consequences are for that overuse.

Piggy banks aren't just for collecting allowances anymore

Kara Dauterive, mom of two boys who attend Hyer Elementary School in Highland Park, talks about why her boys and other students have become coin collectors for Children's, and the creative ideas they've put into action.

Children's has always been a very important part of my life and household. I have been a member of The Children's Trust for three years now, and have even served on the board as one of the membership chairs. Among other reasons, my husband and I are big supporters since we have had to make a visit to the Children's Emergency Room a time or two! We are all very fortunate to have a facility like Children's in our immediate area.

I am the mother of Brady and Burke, ages 6 and 8, who attend Hyer Elementary School. Every year, the fourth graders support a project, and this year they decided on Change for Children's. I was excited to hear this as our family had already started collecting a box. Now we have four boxes at our house. We strive to teach our children about the gift of generosity on a regular basis, and this is yet another opportunity to instill those values in a fun, meaningful way.

Burke and Brady love collecting the money and giving back to children who need it. It has been important for us to explain and encourage them to always give what they can. They have huge hearts, and from what I hear, there are so many kids at Hyer who want to give back as well. In fact, after the boys received their Change for Children's boxes, they made a plan to have a hot cocoa and apple cider stand after school that day, and all the money they made went into their Children's boxes. What a great display of giving to others! I was so excited to see them raising money with their own ideas.

As I speak to other moms and teachers, I hear of similar stories about Hyer students who are having their own lemonade and cocoa stands throughout the neighborhood and at football games trying to fill their boxes for Children's.

I am very proud to serve and donate to Change for Children's, and being part of a school and a community that cares so much is a wonderful reminder of how lucky we are to be the ones who can help those who need it. Personally, seeing my boys wanting to help others without twisting their arm is the best reward of all. Please become part of our cause by asking for a box from Children's and give what you can!

A costume is just a costume and bullying is bullying

You may have read the powerful blog from a mom whose 5-year-old boy dressed up as Daphne from “Scooby-Doo” for a Halloween party.

In the blog, the mom rails against bullying she and her son received at his school for wearing a “girl’s” costume. While his costume was OK with the other kids in school, the Missouri mom says it was the other moms who bullied her about her son’s choice.

Be mindful of how you treat others, our expert says

Regardless of what you think about the kid’s costume choice, the real issue is how we behave toward each other. It’s about the Golden Rule: Treat others as you want to be treated.

Crista Wetherington, a psychologist from Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, had this to say about the mom’s experience: “It’s really important to be mindful of how you treat other people because that models behaviors for your own child. The point is that these moms were not accepting of her son’s costume choice and that they were therefore behaving negatively.”

Wetherington says she doesn’t think the other moms were intentionally trying to be bullying but that their comments were hurtful because they weren’t monitoring what they said as carefully as they could have been.

She noted that one of the other mom’s concerns was about the child and his welfare. Even the boy’s mom said her child became concerned that he might be made fun of for his costume choice. “At such a young age, he already knows that people aren’t always accepting of who you are,” Wetherington said, adding: “These preschoolers were more accepting than their parents. While kids tend to accept what’s in front of them when they’re that little, adults may not.”

The blog has gone viral and has had more than 1 million hits plus heavy media coverage. There have been more than 19,000 comments on the blog, the majority of them supportive of the mom and her son’s choice. The mommy blogger told CNN that she never expected such an uproar over the blog.

What do you think about parents who exhibit bullying types of behaviors?

Demi Lovato and the long-term effects of bullying

Demi Lovato, the Disney starlet and singer, is in treatment for emotional and physical issues. By now you’ve probably heard that from your child or seen it on the news. Her representative told the media that the issues Lovato’s being seen for in treatment are some that “she has dealt with for some time. Demi has decided to take responsibility for her actions and seek help.”

Reportedly, those issues stem from bullying and may include past instances of an eating disorder and cutting, a form of self-injury that some people do as a way to alleviate feelings of pain or emotional distress.

Bullying can happen to anyoneLovato has spoken out against bullying in the past and acknowledged that it has happened to her. She left middle school because of verbal harassment and was home schooled after that. She recently made a public service announcement denouncing bullying for National Bullying Prevention Month.

Crista Wetherington, a psychologist at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, says if bullying has been an issue for Lovato, the 18-year-old is not alone.

“While Lovato is not your typical teen, her example points to the fact that bullying can happen to anybody,” Wetherington said. “Additionally, it shows that bullying can have a significant and long-term impact on children and teenagers who are bullied. Bullying can even contribute to eating disorders and self-injury.”

Parents, teachers and other adults involved in the lives of children must commit to creating safe environments where bullying is not tolerated. Parents and teachers should also be aware of changes in the child’s behavior that may suggest he or she is being bullied, Wetherington said, such as refusal to attend school, missing possessions or money, unexplained bruises/cuts/injuries, reluctance to talk about school, anxiety, and seeming withdrawn.

Tips for parents
Wetherington has these suggestions:

• Keep an open dialogue with your child about their feelings.
• Ask them about bullying at school. You may have to probe for answers. It may help to ask them first about how other children at school are treated before they are comfortable talking about their own experiences.
• Tell them they are not alone, that they have a right to be safe, and that it is the responsibility of you as parents and their teachers to ensure that the bullying stops.
• Work with the school to identify the bully and ensure measures are put into place to stop the bullying. If your child reports bullying of another child, discuss that with the school as well. Bullies may be targeting several kids.
• Parents and children should be aware of how they treat those around them. Words and actions can be unintentionally harmful. It’s all about character development and how you treat your friends and other people.
• Work to keep your child in school if they’ve been bullied. It’s up to the school to change the environment to one that is safe for all children.

Wetherington said: “We hope that the publicity around Lovato’s decision to enter treatment helps children and teens who are being bullied or experiencing mental health issues realize that it is important to communicate with adults they trust to get the help they need. We hope she gets the help she needs in treatment for whatever health issues she’s having.”

Music and massage do more than lull sick babies to sleep

Annie Cross, board certified music therapist, talks about her passion - helping our tiniest patients heal through music and massage.

People are always surprised to find out that I'm a music therapist, intrigued by what this might possibly mean. When I tell them I work at a children's hospital, their eyes tend to grow a little wider, and when I add that I specialize in the neonatal intensive care unit, I sometimes think they might fall over.

"How could you possibly use music with patients that aren't even old enough to talk?" they always ask.

Music therapy in the neonatal ICU combines the unique principles of music, such as the ability of rhythm to help the body organize heartbeat and breathing, paired with the knowledge of how an infant develops neurologically and physiologically. Using a specialized technique called multimodal stimulation, we are able to layer different types of stimulation to help infants adapt and thrive in their environment. Through auditory, tactile and vestibular stimulation, music therapists are able to help facilitate neurological development as well as promote relaxation.

When we sing to babies, it may look like we're just playing lullabies for them. We are actually doing much more than that. We are creating music based on each individual patient using information from their heart rate and respiration rate to guide the tempo and style of the music. We then match that with infant massage to add tactile stimulation as the playing continues. If the baby does not show signs of overstimulation, we will then add a layer of vestibular stimulation through rocking, while the massage and music continues. Through this technique, a baby is able to better deal with her new environment. The sights and sounds of the neonatal ICU become less distressing, and the baby is able to use her energy to heal and grow.

Seeing is believing so we encourage parents to watch as we perform this technique, and they're always amazed as they notice their child's heart rate and respiration rate slow down and steady, while the oxygen saturation levels climb as the baby breathes more efficiently. Their child starts to become more relaxed and something called "entrainment" typically occurs. This happens when the baby's breathing starts to sync with the music. As we slow down our playing, the breathing slows simultaneously. Not only does this provide a sense of empowerment for parents, but it also promotes bonding of parent and child. Families learn to use these techniques during the hospitalization and are able to take them home to help both their babies and themselves relax in yet another new environment.

Special diet helps girl with epilepsy

Parents know that getting kids to eat — sometimes anything — is an endless struggle. Trying to get them to eat food that’s good for them even more so. But what if you must control each and every morsel that your child eats for medical reasons? That’s the task that Naida Casanova faces daily with her daughter Lauren Chavez.

Lauren, 9, has refractory epileptic seizures— that means seizures keep happening day in and day out. For Lauren, that meant 20 to 25 seizures a day.

Today, however, she is “down to three a day at most,” says her mom. Some weeks, Lauren has no seizures at all.

The Balch Springs, Texas, mom believes the 90% reduction in the number of Lauren’s seizures comes from her daughter being put on a highly specialized and restrictive diet nearly eight months ago by Dr. Rana Said, a neurologist and epilepsy specialist at Children’s Medical Center, and director of the ketogenic diet program.

Ketogenic diet
The ketogenic diet is very high in fat (about 90 percent of the calories come from fat), contains a small amount of protein to ensure a child continues to grow, and few carbohydrates. The diet also is characterized by very small portion sizes compared to what even a child would normally eat.

The ketogenic diet mimics starvation by forcing the body to burn fat round the clock for energy. Normally, the body burns glucose for energy, but by having a diet very high in fat and low in carbohydrates, the body converts fat into ketones, which are then used by the brain to create energy.

While no one knows exactly why the ketogenic diet reduces epileptic seizures, it does work in some children whose seizures aren’t controlled with medications. And, more importantly, a number of children stay seizure-free after they come off the diet with the help of medications.

Lauren’s mother is so dedicated to making sure her daughter follows the diet exactly that she used to come to school and feed her lunch. Ms. Casanova made the lunch more attractive by feeding it to Lauren on a Cinderella tea party set. The tea set helped Lauren not to focus on the small portions she could eat because her lunch filled up the tea set plates.

Lauren has improved on the diet
Before she started the ketogenic diet, Lauren’s seizures caused her to drop suddenly to the ground and she had many facial injuries and broken bones. Even today, she has to wear a special helmet at school with a face guard to protect her face and head from injury when she falls. All this affected her school performance and her interactions with her classmates.

But today, Lauren, who’s in the third grade, gets to eat lunch with her friends. “She’s more secure with herself,” says her mom. Lauren also is speaking in complete sentences whereas before she only talked in brief phrases. Says her mom: “She’s more active and has better grades. She’s back to her old self.” And she has no more drop seizures.

Halloween party
On Oct. 26, Lauren got to attend a Halloween costume party at Children’s. She dressed as a witch. At the party, children on the ketogenic diet got to play games and receive small prizes. The party is just one way Children’s tries to normalize children’s experience with their disease.


Pictured are Lauren with Dr. Said, who is dressed up as Snow White for the party, and with dietitian Mary Susan Spears, RD, CSP, LD. Spears works closely with Dr. Said and families to ensure that children adhere to the diet and maintain optimal nutrition and growth during their time on the ketogenic diet.

Rare diagnosis, even rarer treatment

Around this time last year, Jennifer Matlock noticed that her 14-month-old daughter, Peyton, was showing some concerning signs. Her stomach hurt and there was drainage from her belly button.

Jennifer didn't know if it was a big deal, but she felt like safe was better than sorry, so she took Peyton to see her pediatrician, Dr. Elenna Chinn at Rockwall Pediatrics. Dr. Chinn decided after examining Peyton that she needed a follow-up appointment with a specialist; so, she referred her to Dr. Patricio Gargollo, a urologist at Children's.

As soon as Dr. Gargollo saw Peyton, he suspected she had a urachal cyst. An ultrasound confirmed his suspicion.

"Urachal cysts only occur in about one in 5,000 patients," Dr. Gargollo said. "I had only seen two cases before Peyton in my career. But her symptoms were distinct, and we take urachal cysts very seriously because they may lead to urachal cancer if left untreated."

Urachal cancer is one of the worst types of urological cancer. It's extremely aggressive and fatal for nearly everyone who gets it.

HIdES procedure saves the day
If you're like me, you'd expect that there would be an extensive, taxing procedure for such a potentially dangerous condition. But if you're like me, you also don't have the medical expertise of Dr. Gargollo.

Dr. Gargollo invented a new surgical procedure called HIdES earlier this year. It's detailed in this article, but the gist is that he's able to perform elaborate robotic surgeries through two tiny incisions directly beneath the waist line and one incision in the belly button.

The benefit of the procedure is that the resulting scars are hidden behind swim suit bottoms when children like Peyton go to the beach. And for Peyton, that meant the day after surgery.

Because the incisions with HIdES are so small, Peyton was fully recovered the day following her cyst removal and able to leave directly from the hospital for a beach vacation with her family.

Now, a couple of months later, Dr. Gargollo is confident her cyst will not return.

"She's doing really well," he said. "There's no reason to worry about the cyst coming back, and there's no evidence that she ever had it removed because her scars are hidden."

Peyton's mom is grateful.

"We were confident going into the surgery, because we had done our research and knew Dr. Gargollo was going to take care of it," Jennifer said. "She's bounced back completely, and we're just happy that what could've been a really big deal didn't have to be."

A hospital room with a view

Presley Parker's mom, April, had never been to Children's at Legacy before Presley was admitted last week. Much to her surprise, the hospital was anything but typical. Horses roamed in a field outside their window and everything was "designed for kids."
April wrote a blog entry about their inpatient stay...http://theparkersparadise.blogspot.com/2010/10/journey-to-hospital-and-back.html

Come to the Relay and see an (soon-to-be) Olympian

There are a lot of reasons why you should come out for the Red Baloon Run & Relay next Saturday, Oct. 9: To support the patients at Children's. To get some good exercise on a Saturday morning. To bring your family together for a good cause.

And there's another reason that you probably don't know: You'll get to see an Olympian. Or at least one in training. Heidi Morse wouldn't want me to call her that, but she's earned the title.

The Children's ICU nurse was running 80 to 100 miles a week to train for Olympic qualifying - while working 12-hour shifts and leading the youth group at her church - before getting a stress fracture in her pelvis a couple of months ago.

She's feeling better now, though, and is gradually working her way back to Olympic training. The Red Baloon Run & Relay will be her first organized race on that path. She's on the Simtations, a team of Children's staff who either work in or interact with the Sim Lab and some of their family members, including Heidi's parents.

"I can't promise how fast I'll run, but I'm excited to do it," she said.

I asked her how fast she usually runs.

Her answer: "I was running a 3-hour marathon (which equates to under 7 minutes per mile), but I'm running around a 9:30 mile right now, which is really slow for me."

My response: "That would be the fastest mile of my life."

Her goal is to run a 2:46:00 marathon at the Boston Marathon this spring, which would qualify her to run in the Olympic trials in Houston in Janurary, 2012.

"It's going to take a lot of work, but it's within reach," she said.

She said she'll keep running even if she doesn't qualify for the Olympics, though.

"It's the only time I can get away from my cell phone and all the other distractions and listen to music and have prayer time. It's my de-stress time."

You can meet her for yourself next week at the relay, which "runs" from 9:30 a.m. to noon at Children's Medical Center at Legacy. You can also donate to Children's on behalf of Heidi and the Simtations here.

Back in the game

September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. View a gallery of photos of children with cancer called “For The Moment” that showcases a day in the life of cancer patients and their families – whether at home, their struggles in treatment and through recovery.

Matt Burpee, 7, is enjoying first grade and playing soccer with his team, The Alligators (a name Matt chose), and that’s pretty amazing. You see, after the onset of what initially seemed like a virus, Matt was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, the most common form of malignant brain tumor in children. Matt’s neurosurgeon said the little boy from Heath, Texas, might not be able to run after his cancer treatments were completed. But thanks to a combination of early detection, neurosurgery, radiation and chemotherapy and a great medical care team, Matt is doing well and has returned to the sport he loves.

The Burpee family first became worried about Matt last October when, during one week, he developed severe headaches and vomiting. The family’s pediatrician referred the family to Children’s Medical Center at Legacy in Plano, where Matt received an MRI that helped diagnose the tumor in his brain. From there, the family went to the Children’s downtown Dallas facility, where Matt had surgery the next day.

“It was quite a shock,” said Matt’s mom, Staci Burpee. The surgery, performed by Dr. David Sacco, was almost emergency in nature due to the large build-up of cerebrospinal fluid in Matt’s brain. That is what had been causing his headaches. Dr. Sacco successfully removed all but one small spot of tumor that had spread to another part of Matt’s brain and Matt then spent two weeks at Children’s, whose Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders is the only National Cancer Institute-designated pediatric oncology program in North Texas.

Radiation therapy
After 6 weeks at home, Matt began the next stage of his treatment: 31 radiation treatments. The treatments went on 5 days a week for 6 weeks and were completed after the New Year.

Radiation was tough on Matt, said Staci. He had to be sedated for each procedure — the patient has to remain absolutely still during treatment, tough for anybody, but especially a small child — and he would wake up fighting, she said. Plus, he got an extra dose of radiation directed at the small spot of tumor left in his brain that couldn’t be removed during surgery.

Additional treatment
But Matt’s treatment wasn’t over yet. To ensure the best possible outcome and to rid his brain of any remaining cancer cells, Matt had to have 6 months of chemotherapy. His schedule was two weeks on treatment and two weeks off. Chemo wasn’t as bad as radiation, said his mom, because Matt loved the playrooms at Children’s, where he could do arts and crafts. “He’s a very creative kid.” His treatment was led by his neuro-oncologist, Dr. Laura Klesse.

Matt’s next big day is in November, when he will receive an evaluation by his neurology team and the oncology team. It’ll be a full-scale assessment of where he is in his process of recovery and will include his neurosurgeon, Dr. Sacco, his neuro-oncologist, his neurologist and Children’s School Services, among others. Said Dr. Klesse: “The assessment gives us a good team approach to Matt’s care. If any issues arise, we will deal with them there.”

The next step in Matt’s care is an MRI every 3 months to see if his brain remains clear of cancer cells. That will likely continue for the next two years. After that, he will continue to have periodic MRIs and clinical assessments.

But to Matt, the most important things are the right here and now, playing with the Alligators. His dad, John Burpee, is the coach. Thanks to the dedicated care team at Children’s, Matt’s back in the game.

Teen raises $16,000 through tennis tourney

Nina Quirk, a 16-year-old student at The Hockaday School in Dallas, shares her thoughts on how she raised thousands for Children's through playing in the Children Helping Children Junior Singles Tennis Tournament.

I participated in my first Children Helping Children Junior Singles Tennis Tournament at age 11. I remember how I thought the idea of helping children and doing something I love seemed like a pretty sweet deal.

At the kick-off event the night before the tournament, I received a medical wristband with a child's name on it and the particular battle this child was facing. I wore this wristband for the entire tournament and realized I was playing for much more than winning a tennis tournament; I was playing in honor of Adrian. I made it to the finals that year and came in second place. The honor was great, but when I came home and put that wristband on my desk, I knew that wasn't the most important part of the tournament. I raised $256 that year and instantly decided that I was going to come back the next year and try to raise more.

I am now 16 and have been playing this tournament for the last five years. With the support and loyalty of family and friends, I have been able to raise more than $16,000 to date for Children's Medical Center.

This year, in addition to my usual fundraising efforts, I decided that fundraising is something that can be accomplished in many ways. I was passionate about doing something that involved my friends and my school.

I decided to start a club at The Hockaday School that I named: "Pocket Full of Daisies." I recruited friends at our annual club fair and made a goal of having at least one clothing re-sale drive per year to benefit Children's. The club met and collected gently used clothing, toys and other children's items to be organized and sold at the beginning of the summer. We managed to raise $630 on one very HOT day! I am proud of this club and hope to leave a legacy at my school for others to continue long after I graduate.

Another simple effort I made this year was to collect all of the spare change in my home during the year - $170! This made me realize it doesn't take much effort to make a difference. I know that Children's is grateful for my efforts and it makes me feel good to give back.

In my free time, I also volunteer in one of the playroom at Children's. It's rewarding for me to meet and spend time with these precious children. I enjoy playing with them, doing craft activities or simply talking with them.

I'm looking forward to the 2010 tournament and receiving my wristband. I will wear it with pride, knowing that I have contributed in some way to making life better for children who are facing medical challenges.

Editor's Note: If you'd like to contribute to Nina's fundraising efforts, click on "Sponsor a Player" on the CHC page and enter Nina's name in the blank.

A search for support

Life is frustrating. Work is hard. Family is harder. And cars always have something wrong with them. But I can at least take comfort in being able to share my gripes with others who endure the same things.

It's not that simple for Jennifer Cagle. Her 6-year-old son, Tanner, suffers from a disease that affects only 15 in every 100,000 people. You don't need to be a mathematician to know that means very few people can relate with what she goes through as Tanner's mother.

"When I tell people that my son has nephrotic syndrome, they don't even know what it is," Jennifer said.

Nephrotic syndrome is a kidney disease that causes the body to excrete too much protein in urine. It results in kidney damage and excessive fluid retention.

Tanner's case is so severe that he will eventually require a kidney transplant to survive. But, because of the way his disease works, his body will most likely attack the new transplant, too.

Focusing on the present with the President
Jennifer doesn't know Tanner's longterm prognosis, but she doesn't focus on the uncertainty.

"I can either mope and be depressed about it and be like, 'Oh, poor me. Poor him.' Or I can enjoy every moment that I have with him, especially when he is in remission because those moments can be taken away so fast. I don't want to have regrets. And I would regret burying my head in a pillow and missing out on his life."

Tanner is currently in remission and has been for the last several months. Although Jennifer is grateful, she knows it won't last forever.

Her main focus now is raising awareness of the disease. She helped organize the NephCure Foundation's first-ever walk in Dallas this past April, which ended up raising around $14,000. She has also gotten the word out by exchanging letters with President Obama about her son's illness.

Looking for a support group
Jennifer hopes that generating attention about nephrotic syndrome will encourage more research of the disease, which hopefully one day will lead to a cure. But her efforts aren't solely geared to that end.

She also just wants to find people to talk with about the disease.

"I want to meet other people in Texas who deal with this disease," she said. "Maybe we could develop some sort of support group and help each other."

Editor's note: If you've personally encountered nephrotic syndrome or know anyone who deals with the disease, will you please post a comment to show Jennifer that there are other people around her going through the same thing?

Christian’s journey through cancer

Shortly after the Graef family moved from Colorado to Flower Mound, Texas, their 12-year-old son Christian was diagnosed in the Emergency Department at Children’s Medical Center with blood clots in his jugular vein and shoulder. He had to undergo 12 weeks of blood thinner injections. “All of the fear and anxiety associated with the daily injections, the testing to monitor the blood clots, blood tests, and not knowing the cause of the clots, was all compounded by the many changes associated with our moving,” says Christian’s mom, Shawn. That was just the beginning of the family’s medical journey, however. Christian, a competitive soccer player, was diagnosed at Children’s with a tumor in his chest on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2009. Read excerpts of the Graef family’s story:

“Just when we all felt we could move on and Christian could reengage with all of the sports he loved to play, we started to notice swelling in his face and upper chest. On Sunday morning, October 18, 2009, our world turned upside down. The doctors told us Christian had a mass in his chest. It was putting pressure on the superior vena cava and preventing the blood from his head and shoulders from returning back to his heart properly.

“He was admitted to the cancer unit at Children's Medical Center and the cascade of testing, imaging, and conversations with doctors and nurses moved rapidly to make a diagnosis. Over the next three days, Christian needed surgeries for a spinal tap and bilateral bone marrow biopsies to determine if the cancer had spread to his bones (it had not). He also had a needle biopsy of the tumor and the placement of a port to administer the chemotherapy he would eventually need.

“We were shocked, anxious, worried, and scared. Why was our amazing 12-year-old son suffering, again? What kind of cancer did he have? What would the treatment consist of? How long would it take? Questions and fears were swirling through our heads at a dizzying rate.

“We soon found answers. Christian was diagnosed with anaplastic large cell lymphoma, requiring inpatient stays every 3-4 weeks for about 3-6 days of chemotherapy. The full treatment would take 4-6 months.”

Decisions to be made about treatment
While the family was given a diagnosis, they pondered where to have their son treated. Ultimately, the reputation of Children’s Medical Center and our medical staff made them choose Children’s for Christian’s care.

“Amidst all of our fears and concerns we had decisions to make. Where should we take him for treatment, who would be the best doctor for Christian, and what treatment option should he receive? We did a great deal of due diligence before making our decisions. Children's Medical Center was ranked as one of the top 10 pediatric oncology hospitals in the nation, and the best in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Dr. Naomi Winick was ranked in several different reports as one of the best pediatric oncologists, and the tremendous care Christian had received up to that point from the amazing doctors and nurses made our decision easier. We would do everything at Children's Medical Center and Dr. Winick would be Christian's lead doctor. Once these decisions were made we focused all of our attention on doing everything we could to help Christian win the fight of his life.

“The doctors, nurses, child life specialists and other members of Christian's care team at Children's were there for him and our family throughout his treatment. They listened to our concerns, answered all our questions, and made sure we had a full understanding of what was happening every step along the way.

“Kicks for Cancer”
Today, Christian is in remission, he is back on the soccer field with his team, ASG Futbol Club, and is playing football for his middle school. He’s back to being an amazing active kid, says his mom. He has even helped raised funds for Children’s.

“Christian and his ASG Futbol Club soccer friends are even giving back to the hospital that treated him. Christian's club director, coach and teammates created the "Kicks for Cancer," raising more than $18,000 in its first year for the Children's Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.”

September is national Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. View a gallery of photos of children with cancer called “For The Moment” that showcases a day in the life of cancer patients and their families – whether at home, their struggles in treatment and through recovery.

A first-hand account on sports supplements

Although the image I see in the mirror every day makes it harder and harder to believe, I once was a high school running back. I may not have been a very good running back, but I was a running back nonetheless.

As is the case with most running backs not named Bettis, Dayne or Lane, keeping fit was paramount for me. I'd work out in some form or fashion every day (which I later discovered to be counterproductive) and was an absolute fanatic about what I ate. Ask my poor mother, who had to endure my high-maintenance diet night after night.

"Hey, Craigo, what do you want for dinner tonight? Lasagna? Pork chops?" she'd ask me.

"Anything without fat in it, Ma. I don't want any of the Devil's food (my affectionate term for high-fat items)."

Most nights we'd eat grilled chicken salad. But I had extreme periods where I only ate fat-free deli meats and cheese slices. Obviously, like the daily workouts, this was actually worse for my health, but I didn't see it like that.

I was going to be the best high school running back I could possibly be. Keeping fat and calories out of my body, I thought, was essential to that goal.

Along came supplements
My obsession with fitness eventually led to me looking for some external boosts as well. To my credit, I never tried steroids because I knew about their dangerous consequences. BUT I did try everything I could buy over the counter without knowing a thing about their consequences: protein shakes, amino acid pills, creatine, androstene, fat burners and all sorts of different combinations of them together. I even took pseudophedrine every morning because I heard it increased your metabolism.

By grace alone, I survived all of my supplement experiments without incurring any long-term health damage - at least, that I'm aware of. But the more I learn about supplements as a medical writer, the more amazed I am that I didn't turn out worse for taking them.

Androstene, which Mark McGwire made famous during his "magical" 1998 home run barrage, was taken off the market in 2004 in the U.S. because it was found to potentially have some of the same side effects as anabolic steroids: testicular cancer, infertility, stroke and an increased risk of heart disease. Several of my teammates and I took it because we wanted to get stronger.

The fat burners, which I took daily, have even led to deaths. As for the creatine and protein shakes, they aren't nearly as harmful, although both in excess can lead to kidney issues.

Older and wiser (or, at least, better informed)
I don't obsess about exercise and diet today nearly as much as I did in high school. In fact, I have thought about them so little the past few years that I'm having to re-discipline myself to get in healthy BMI territory. It's hard. My wife can attest, because she's now enduring my same narrow diet demands that my mother dealt with when I was a teenager.

I have entertained the idea of using some of the same supplements I used to take, but those ideas don't last long. I always come back to one main thought: "It isn't worth the risk."

Dr. Shane Miller, a pediatric sports medicine specialist at Children's, agrees, especially in the case of young athletes. Supplements don't require FDA approval, and no studies have been performed to see their effects on childrens' bodies.

Moreover, he adds, they really haven't been proven to increase athletic performance at all. I can personally verify this since all of my supplement ingestion resulted in a whopping ZERO scholarship offers.

"If young athletes are eating healthy and working out, they don't need supplements," Dr. Miller says. "The body makes most of the things in supplements on its own, and we also get them from foods in our diet."

So, if your young athlete insists that he has to have supplements to be a good football player, tell him that he can get all the strength-building nutrients he needs from a balanced diet. Better yet, if he's anything like I was, tell him to enjoy an occasional hamburger.

Toddler falls into backyard pool, brother tries to pull him out

Too many children in Texas have drowned this year - 62 to be exact. And that number doesn't even include those who have nearly drowned, like 2-year-old Mitch Kinder. Perfect swimming weather is coming our way for Labor Day weekend, and there's no doubt that kids will be jumping at the chance to take one last dip. Read Mitch's story and learn our water safety tips before heading to the lake or pool.

'Erika was only gone for a few minutes'
Russell Kinder, Mitch's dad, came home to every parent's worst nightmare on August 20. The fire department was in front of the house knocking down the front door, and his wife, Erika, was in the backyard performing CPR on their youngest son.

"I went into a super functional mode just trying to help in whatever way I could without even knowing what happened," Russell said.

Russell soon learned that his 4-year-old son, Rafe, and Mitch were throwing dirt and rocks into the backyard pool when Mitch fell in. Rafe tried to pull his brother out but couldn't reach him and ran inside for Erika, who was tracking down their new puppy.

"It all happened so fast," Russell said. "On that timeline, the boys were out of Erika's sight for only a few minutes."

A bright spot on a dark day
Paramedics continued CPR and took Mitch to a nearby hospital in Plano where they worked on his heart. Twenty minutes later Mitch had a heartbeat. A helicopter flew him to Children's, where clinicians worked on his lungs.

Children like Mitch who are underwater for a couple of minutes have a high probability for irreversible brain damage. But as the state's first pedicatric hospital with Level 1 Trauma status, Children's has the experts and resources needed for treating these children.

"We had a bright spot in our day when a doctor said Mitch was a candidate for a hypothermia trial using a cooling blanket to help the swelling in his brain," Russell said. "We thought it would give him more of a chance to come away with less brain damage. It was only uphill from there. Everything has gone smashingly well at Children's."

As Mitch continues to recover, Erika and Russell are encouraged with his every move. At this point, he is working on gripping stuffed animals and sitting up in a wheelchair. When the medications wear off, they will find out how much brain damage remains.

"We're in a waiting game at this point," Russell said. "It's very hard to have this kind of patience, but he acts more and more like our old Mitch every day. He's always been a stubborn little boy and does things his own way. I think that'll work in his favor this time."

Keep your kids safe in the water
Multiple barriers to the pool can help to prevent your kids from falling in. Erika and Russell already have plans to build a secure fence around their pool.

Learn about additional water safety with the interactive water safety guide and prevent close calls using these tips.

Sign up for a free Water Watcher tag to make sure your kids are always supervised.