Brad Richards provides a suite escape for cancer patients

It's obvious that Dallas Stars player Brad Richards cares about kids - a lot.

When Richards was a kid, only 7 years old, his cousin died of brain cancer, and it's that experience that drives him to give back to kids with cancer through his foundation, Richy's Rascals.

Sixteen-year-old Ryan Sparkman, featured in The Dallas Morning News, is one of the many patients Richards has touched. After a trip to Children's for a chemo infusion a few weeks ago, Ryan got to take his brother to a Dallas Stars game at the American Airlines Center, where Richards had a luxury suite waiting for them. Dr. Scott Furlan, Ryan's oncologist in the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, and other patients cheered for Richards before meeting him after the game.

Watch Richards, Ryan and others at the Dallas Stars game:

What's the big deal about vitamin D?

Editor’s note: This blog was guest-written by Dr. Micah Olson from our medical staff.

Vitamin D has been in the news quite a bit lately. Several recent studies have reported high rates of vitamin D deficiency among U.S. children.

Although we have known that a lack of vitamin D can cause a disorder of the bones called rickets, we are now learning that mild forms of vitamin D deficiency may also have adverse effects that we did not know about before.

For example, studies have shown links between low vitamin D levels and various cancers (such as breast, colon and prostate cancer), autoimmune disorders (such as multiple sclerosis and type 1 diabetes), cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes.

What does vitamin D do?
You may not know this, but vitamin D is a hormone produced by our skin when we are exposed to UV-B radiation from the sun.

Vitamin D acts in our intestines to increase absorption of calcium and phosphorus. Calcium and phosphorus are the two most abundant minerals in bone. Vitamin D also acts directly on bones to help them grow stronger. Studies have shown the importance of vitamin D’s role in regulating calcium levels and helping bones grow stronger, but more recently vitamin D has been discovered to have important effects in many other parts of the body as well. For example, vitamin D plays a role in the pancreas, the immune system and the brain.

For most people, more than 90 percent of their vitamin D comes from exposure to sunlight. This is also the best and easiest form of vitamin D, and we should all make the effort to get the Vitamin D from exposure to the sun. However, we can also get vitamin D from our diet. Fatty fish, such as salmon, are good sources of vitamin D. Milk, and some breakfast cereals, are fortified with vitamin D. The recommended daily intake of vitamin D is 400 IU/day for all infants and children.

Factors affecting your vitamin D levels
Where you live and what time of year it is can affect how much sunlight exposure you get, such as amount of cloud cover, air pollution, and your use of sunscreen. Other factors that influence how much vitamin D you get after sunlight exposure include skin pigmentation (darker-skinned individuals produce less vitamin D than lighter-skinned people).

While more research needs to be done to determine what the optimal level of vitamin D in children should be, Dr. Olson is working on a research study titled, “A Cross-Sectional Study of Vitamin D Deficiency in Obese Children and its Relationship to Glucose Homeostasis, Blood Pressure, and Lipids.” The aims of the study are to compare vitamin D levels in obese and non-obese children, and see if there is any association in obese children between vitamin D levels and markers of type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease. It is hoped that scientists can learn how to better determine whether treatment of vitamin D deficiency would be helpful in preventing any of the disorders that have been associated with low vitamin D levels. In the meantime, however, the evidence is growing that making sure your child has adequate vitamin D intake is more important than was previously believed.

The specialist dilemma

Kilynn Sommer, a marketing and communications coordinator in the Public Relations department at Children's and a mother of a 2-year-old son, explains the importance of pediatric specialists:

As I waited for another much-dreaded doctor’s appointment, I couldn’t help but notice the number of young patients who were sitting alongside me to see my doctor, an adult specialist. These days, there seems to be a specialist for just about anything. But a recent issue of Parents Magazine reports a national shortage of pediatric specialists. This leaves parents with a dilemma: Travel a potentially long distance to see a pediatric specialist or resort to taking a child to a doctor who treats mostly adults.

I saw the value and importance of taking my child to a pediatric specialist when I first looked into putting my little one into soccer. While any soccer coach understands the game, would you send your toddler to learn soccer from a high school coach? While the tantrums are likely to be the same (on my son’s part anyway), I can guarantee a 2-year-old has you beat, when he says “no” to direction given by the coach.

This same idea should be thought of when choosing a physician or specialist for your child. While an adult specialist may be completely competent in his or her field, the doctor may or may not know the latest treatments available for taking care of a child or have a pediatric-trained staff or pediatric-specific equipment.

In the past three years, more than 180 new pediatric specialists and sub-specialists have come to Dallas to serve on the Children’s medical staff in areas including Urology, Cardiac Care and Neurology, to name only a few. We recognize that fewer doctors are choosing pediatric subspecialties in school, so at Children’s Medical Center, we strive to recruit the best and the brightest to serve North Texas families. Our Plano, TX, hospital — Children’s Medical Center at Legacy — was created to expand our pediatric-specific services to the northern sector of the Metroplex, making it easier for parents to choose pediatric specialists for their children’s care whether it’s for ENT issues, sports injuries or after-hours emergencies. And keep an eye out for a Children’s specialty clinic in your area. We’re planning to open more of them so that we can bring our specialists into the communities that need them most.

Calming a mother's worst fear

Geri Ann Mears had no idea how badly her 2-year-old daughter, Karlee, was hurt after she was kicked in the face by a horse in October, 2009. All of the worst possibilities went through her mind. She wanted answers as quickly as possible so her daughter could be treated as quickly as possible. Mainly, she wanted to know her daughter was going to be okay. That's why she wanted Karlee to come to Children's.

"I'd never been to Children's, but everybody I know, if something major happened to their child, they would take them to Children's," Geri Ann said.

The rest of Geri Ann's and Karlee's story is featured on childrens.com.

From Hong Kong to Dallas

I ran across a blog about a Children's patient and was instantly inspired. As I finished each entry about the Clark family, I found myself wanting to read more.

Sarah Grace Clark's journey with leukemia began in Hong Kong and continues at Children's. Join me in reading the Clark family's story as they prepare for Sarah's surgery tomorrow.

Twelve-year-old makes the most of leukemia diagnosis

When I first met Kenda Al-Assi, the 12-year-old couldn't be missed. She had on a hot pink wig, a pink shirt and socks, and a sparkly silver purse. She was going in for chemo treatment, and I thought that was her festive outfit for the occasion. I soon found out that a bright-colored wig is just another accessory in Kenda's everyday wardrobe.

"I have 11 different colors of hair," Kenda said. "I always match them to whatever mood I'm in or what outfit I'm wearing."

Kenda's mom, Reem Ghalib, said that when Kenda's doctor at Children's told her she had acute lymphoblastic leukemia one year ago, Kenda's first question was "Am I going to die?" followed quickly by "Am I going to lose my hair?" The first question had a positive response because Kenda is in the best hands at Children's where her disease has an 85-90 percent cure rate. When the answer to the second question was "yes," Reem called for help. Within hours, their friend and professional wigmaker appeared in Kenda's room at the hospital.

"It's funny because everyone knows Kenda by her hair," Ghalib said. "We'll be walking down the street and people will yell 'You go girl!'"

So it was fitting for Kenda to wear her dark blue wig last Saturday - she was seeing Alice in Wonderland and wanted to match the main character.

Watch Saturday's event from Kenda's perspective:



Read more about the Alice in Wonderland event Kenda planned for 15 Children's patients and view a photo gallery of the group getting their own red carpet experience.

Depression in children

You may have heard recent news about child suicide, including a 9-year-old in the Dallas area. Most suicide attempts in children and adolescents occur in the midst of depression or other mood disorder, and even younger children can experience depression. And now you may be wondering how common is depression in children and adolescents; what kind of signs should you look for as a parent; and what you can do if your child is showing any of these signs.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) says on any given day about 2 percent of school-aged children and about 8 percent of adolescents meet the criteria for major depression. Even preschoolers have been known to show signs of depression, NAMI says.

Signs of depression
Depression is more than just feeling blue or down in the dumps for a day or two. Instead, it is a change in usual behavior that lasts for several weeks. Signs to look for in children and adolescents include:
• Feeling persistently sad or blue.
• Becoming much more irritable or suddenly getting into trouble a lot.
• Failing to engage in previously pleasurable activities or interactions with friends.
• Having a marked deterioration in school or home functioning.
• Reporting persistent physical complaints and/or making many visits to school nurses.
• Talking about suicide or being better off dead.

There are more signs and symptoms to look for in children and adolescents, Children’s Medical Center says.

What can I do as a parent?
Dr. Graham Emslie, the division director of Psychiatry services at Children’s, is an internationally known expert on psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents, and Children’s has the specialized ability to treat children and adolescents with mood disorders.

Dr. Emslie has this advice for parents:

• Educate yourself about depression so you can be on the alert for signs of the illness.
• Seek medical advice for your child or adolescent if his or her symptoms persist for two weeks or more.
• Mood disorders will not go away on their own. Treatment is needed.
• Medications are available specifically for children and adolescents.
• Talk therapy may be an alternative to or go along with medications in treatment.
• Family support is very important in treating depression.

Eating disorders: Not just for teens anymore

We often think of the first few years in elementary school as simple and carefree. These are the years when kids look forward to swinging from the monkey bars at recess and eating with their friends in the lunchroom.

But that hasn't been the case for 8-year-old Moira Eckberg. She's spent most of her time obsessing about her weight.

Her obsession started in Kindergarten and became so severe that she would stop eating altogether and then binge and purge. Not long after the vicious cycle began, her mom, Erin Floyd, knew something was very wrong. Moira's weight was dropping and so was her energy level.

Eating disorders expert Dr. Stephanie Setliff made a video to help moms like Floyd recognize the signs of anorexia and bulimia.

An eating disorders program just for kids
A visit to Children's a few days before Moira's eighth birthday confirmed Floyd's suspicion - her daughter was struggling with bulimia nervosa. Floyd was relieved to find the Center for Pediatric Eating Disorders at Children's - the only pediatric hospital in the Southwest that treats latency-aged children for eating disorders.

"There are a lot of programs out there for teens and adults, but not for kids," Floyd said.

Moira spent nearly two weeks at Children's in November 2009.

The turning point
"Moira's stay at the hospital was her turning point," Floyd said. "When she saw others worse off than she was, it shocked her back into reality. She finally realizes she doesn't need to be skinny for people to like her."

And that realization has resulted in major progress. Since November, Moira has gained five pounds, and is well on her way to getting her life back to the way it should be at her age - simple and carefree.