From the Red Balloon

Some solutions for "lifestyle change"

2012-01-25T10:51:00.005-06:00

So, we bogged you down with the dilemma of the pediatric obesity epidemic yesterday. Then we told you that you shouldn't have your child diet if he or she is obese. And, to top it all off, we gave you the vague solution of "lifestyle change" as an alternative to dieting.

We're aware of how ineffective that advice would be without more details. So, we went back to our clinical dietiatian and pediatric obesity expert, Deborah Stern, to get some specific ways to encourage your child to adopt a healthy lifestyle instead of a one- or two-month dieting fad.

1)It all starts with you - Stern sees patients who struggle with obesity every day. The ones who succeed, she says, are the ones who have parents not only encouraging, but participating in the weight-loss process. "It's the parents who have instilled these behaviors in the kids. So, the parents need to decide to change as a family. It's nice when the parents switch their eating and exercise habits, too. That shows the kids that getting healthy isn't a punishment for something they've done wrong and that they aren't in it alone."

2)Make activity changes before diet changes - Increasing activity can be a fun way of easing children into a healthy lifestyle, Stern says. "That way, you're making it more about what you can do instead of what you can't do. You can go to the park and play ball as a family, or you can go to the mall and walk if it's cold outside. You can also set up the Nintendo Wii or Xbox Kinect and do a dance video together."

3)Make fruits and veggies plentiful and available - Repeatedly offer fruits and veggies to your children throughout the day. Leave some (ones that don't go bad in room temperature) out on display. Basically, inundate your kids with the idea of eating fruits and veggies. "If children aren't offered fruits and vegetables multiple times, then they aren't going to choose fruits and vegetables," Stern said.

4)Pack their lunches - Although it's getting better in some places, our children are still basically offered what we were offered in school cafeterias - soggy, greasy pizza; french fries; sodas; corn nuggets; taquitos; and other various non-green things. They aren't exposed to a whole lot of variety there. And since they spend more waking hours at school than at home, guess where they're forming their eating habits? "I know that packing a lunch is a time and money challenge for families, but if you can do it, I think it's very helpful," Stern said.

One basic packed-lunch menu she suggested: a wholegrain or wheat sandwich/wrap with lean protein like ham or chicken; chopped up cucumbers or carrot sticks; granola bar; light yogurt; and a bottle of water.

5) Do it all gradually - "I would advise against bombarding them with lifestyle changes," Stern said. "Maybe there are three things they can work on one month. When the month is over and those are accomplished, we can give them three new goals. But when they have 10 things to change at once, they generally get more discouraged - especially if it's 10 things thrown at them at the beginning of the weight-loss process."

Dieting isn't the way to lose weight for kids

2012-01-24T09:39:00.004-06:00

As we've addressed many times and as you've literally seen hundreds of times on the news, childhood obesity is a problem in America. Many well-informed, concerned people would even take it a step further and say that it's an epidemic. That group includes many experts on our team at Children's.

So, it seems like we should be doing whatever possible to get kids to lose weight, right? (For examples of "whatever possible," see this story on tracking devices in a New York school district and a recent ad campaign by the Georgia Children's Health Alliance.)

Maybe not, revealed a recent University of Minnesota study . The results of that study indicate that teens shouldn't even be dieting.

Why? Children's clinical dietitian Deborah Stern said dieting "implies the starting and stopping of something. And eating healthy shouldn't be a temporary thing. It should be a lifestyle change."

The teens who participated in the Minnesota study proved Stern's point. The ones who regularly dieted, skipped meals and took weight-loss pills actually gained more weight in young adulthood than the ones who didn't take any of those measures.

The problem with diets, medicines, fasts and cleanses is that they're usually unsustainable over the long haul. "They set you up to fail," Stern said. Teens (and some adults like the one writing this blog) get pulled into them because they often do provide significant short-term results, and they see the dramatic transformations people undergo from drastic diet and fitness adjustments on shows like NBC's "The Biggest Loser."

"I have to admit that it's one of my favorite shows; I watch every episode," Stern said. "But kids have to understand that all the contestants do 24 hours a day, every day is workout and diet. They don't see family. They don't go to work. It's unrealistic."

Stern said that it's vital that weight loss goals be realistic for kids. Instead of focusing on losing 20 pounds in one month by eating only lettuce, they need to look at getting healthy as a process, adjusting their lifestyle a couple of steps at a time. That may result in less drastic weight loss in the short term, but it will equip them to be healthier in the long term.

"If kids don't look at being healthy as a lifestyle, they're never going to develop healthy habits," Stern said. "Instead, they'll develop habits of trying new diets and then dropping them entirely, which isn't healthy at all."

So, how do you help your child make being healthy a lifestyle instead of just a one-month goal? We'll talk about that in tomorrow's blog.

Celebrating Dr. King

2012-01-13T10:44:00.007-06:00

If you will be at the hospital this week, be sure to stop by these events in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Monday, Jan. 16Noon to 1 p.m.
Character Chorus, Bray Elementary School, Cedar Hill
Butterfly Atrium, Dallas campus

2 p.m.
Service honoring The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Abbott Chapel, Legacy Campus

Tuesday, Jan. 172 to 3 a.m.
Chapel Service for night staff
Haggerty Chapel, Dallas campus

Thursday, Jan. 192 to 3 p.m.
“A Slice of the Rainbow” – Storyteller/Musician Doralynn Breedlove,
Butterfly Atrium, Dallas campus

Friday, Jan. 2011:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
“Remembering The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.”
Haggerty Chapel, Dallas campus

Week-long Events

Daily devotionals in Haggerty Chapel from 11:45 a.m. to noon featuring tributes to world leaders who stand for peace; musicians and vocalists invited to perform

Poster display featuring winners of Nobel Peace Prize

Table tents and quiz cards in The Dining Car

The flu frenzy

2012-01-12T14:20:00.012-06:00

My first child, the darling Emerson Lee Foster, was born at the end of November. The first six weeks of her life have been full of love, joy, celebration and... a lot, lot of paranoia.

Seems like all I can think about sometimes are bad drivers, BPA, blocked airways, falling picture frames and contagious diseases. Yes, I drive myself crazy. And it's been especially difficult to keep my sanity as I've started hearing an excessive amount of sniffling and coughing the past few weeks. In the office. At the store. All over the mall.

I can't escape it. The flu season is revving up. But, luckily, I have the experts at Children's to help me make it through - as you do, too.

So, I asked the director of the infectious disease department at Children's, Dr. Jeffrey Kahn, if he could give us some advice on keeping our children healthy the next couple of months.

Me: When is it safe for parents of babies to take their children out in public places? 8 weeks, 12 weeks, 6 months? Or should they just refrain from taking babies out into crowds during flu season?

Dr. Kahn: There are no official recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control that specify the age that young children can be safely taken to public places during influenza season. The best advice for parents and other caretakers would be to be cautious when influenza is circulating in the community. That information can be found at the CDC website (or follow the CDC's Twitter account that focuses entirely on flu news, @CDCFlu). Good hand washing for anyone who will hold/touch the child will also decrease the risk of influenza transmission. The best way to protect young children from the flu is vaccination (when they reach the appropriate age of older than 6 months). Also, vaccination of all those who come in regular contact with the baby (since a large proportion of influenza infections are acquired from infected individuals within the home) is the best way to protect children who are too young or not eligible to receive the vaccine.

Me: Is it a good idea for children to receive a flu vaccination now if they haven’t already received one? Is it too late?

Dr. Kahn: There is still time for children to get the influenza vaccination. At this time, there is still little influenza activity in north Texas suggesting that the “flu” season is yet to come. Vaccination is the BEST way to protect children from the flu. There are no school requirements for flu vaccination BUT All children who are eligible should be vaccinated.

Me: Is there a difference in the effectiveness of the flu shot and the flu mist?

Dr. Kahn: For the most part, these vaccines are of equal efficacy. For children who are eligible for either vaccine, the decision can be made by the parent, clinician and/or the child!

A visit with a "notorious" patient

2012-01-05T13:15:00.005-06:00

A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to meet a special patient, Zach Guillot. The 7-year-old is notorious, as his mom says, around the hospital because of the “antics” he’s involved in on the floor where he is undergoing chemotherapy and waiting to receive a second bone marrow transplant.

Zach was readmitted to Children’s Dec. 16 after relapsing from his battle with acute myeloid leukemia.

One of his antics includes riding his Big Wheel around his impatient floor at night. And he's recently found fame among Children’s employees for the videos he and his Child Life specialist have recorded.

Among the 14 videos on his YouTube channel, there’s a legendary lightsaber duel between Zach and his “Sith Nurse” caught on camera, animated shorts and adventures as Indiana Jones and Ironman.

When I walked into his room, he introduced himself with some playful meowing. Being a bit of a kid myself, I thought it was hilarious. But I really had to hold back from laughing when he welcomed his doctors to his room by hissing.

Zach’s mom Julie said she and her husband Jeff have appreciated how the staff at Children’s has allowed Zach to be himself during his stay in the hospital.

“There’s more to recovery than medicine,” Julie said. “The staff keeps it lighthearted and play with him. It really helps with the whole experience. It’s the little things that can make a kid feel better.”

I certainly saw that's the case with Zach. It’s so encouraging to see a young child being himself, in high spirits, playing Wii and meowing at guests, while going through something as challenging as chemotherapy.

If you’re interested in helping kids like Zach, join the bone marrow registry or participate in the Be a Match Bone Marrow Drive held at Children’s annually on Valentine’s Day. For more information on times and locations for the drive visit marrow.org.

Please make giving a resolution in 2012

2011-12-29T14:00:00.008-06:00

As we are making our New Year's resolutions, let’s add one more thing to our lists – make life better for children. If you have been out and about this holiday season, you may have seen the new Children’s billboards featuring patient Annabella Spears spreading the message of peace, joy, and giving! 2011 has been a challenging but triumphant year for Annabella. As the Spears family celebrates a new year, they have only a scar across their daughter’s tummy to remind them of the events of the past year.

First-time parents, Alexa and Shad, brought newborn Annabella to their Dallas home in Oct. 2010, but after seven weeks, they noticed that her skin looked yellow. A trip to the pediatrician landed Annabella at Children’s, where she underwent extensive testing and was diagnosed with biliary atresia, a rare disease of the liver and bile ducts.

Without a transplant, Annabella’s liver would fail. She was listed for a new liver in March 2011. “I didn’t want to ask, but I kept wondering if we would lose her, because I had no idea really what ‘transplant’ meant, and it sounded really scary,” Alexa said. “I just kept thinking that we couldn’t lose our little girl.”

All her parents could do was wait for a liver that would be a match for Annabella. She regularly visited the Solid Organ Transplant clinic at Children’s and was closely monitored.

Dr. Dev Desai, division director of pediatric transplantation at Children’s and associate professor of surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center, would be the surgeon implanting the liver when the time came. “Annabella’s liver failed rapidly, and because of the quickness of her disease, she went to the top of the waiting list,” Dr. Desai said.

At 6:30 a.m. on June 16, Alexa and Shad received the call they had been waiting on for three months. They couldn’t believe the day had finally come. Dr. Desai flew in a jet to procure the organ, returning to Children’s where 8-month-old Annabella
was in the operating room being prepped.

After a successful surgery, Annabella recovered perfectly. “It’s pretty amazing — her skin has gotten pinker, and the whites of her eyes are white again, instead of yellow,” Alexa said. “She has energy plus, and she is rolling over, lying on her belly and having a great time. It’s remarkable.”

You can help make stories like Annabella’s possible by joining Children’s in our daily mission to make life better for children. Please consider making a gift today, and make a difference in the life of a child.

Holiday Snaps

2011-12-22T15:54:00.003-06:00

Ingredients:
1 cup brown sugar, packed
3/4 cup vegetable shortening
1 egg - replace with 1 Tbsp applesauce if allergic to egg
1/4 cup molasses
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour - replace with 1 1/2 cup oat flour, barley flour, or gluten free baking mix
1 cup old fashioned oats (not instant)
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
Sugar for rolling cookies

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350°F.
2) Combine sugar and shortening, beat until creamy.
3) Stir in egg and molasses.
4) Combine flour,oats, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon and salt.
5) Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture and mix well and chill for 1 hour.
6) Roll dough into 1 inch balls and roll in sugar. Place on greased cookie sheet 2 inches apart.
7) Bake 8 to 10 minutes until lightly browned. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from cookie sheet to cooling racks.

Makes 4 dozen

Food Allergy Friendly Chocolate Cake

2011-12-22T10:11:00.004-06:00

Ingredients:
2 cups oat flour
1 cups sugar
6 Tbsps Cocoa Powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup rice milk
1/3 cup canola or cooking oil
1 tsp vinegar
3/4 tsp vanilla

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 350°F.
2) Grease and flour (using oat flour) 9 X 9-inch square pan.
3) In a small mixing bowl combine dry ingredients. In separate bowl mix wet ingredients together.
4)Slowly add wet ingredients to dry and beat until smooth.
5) Pour into prepared pan. Bake 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
6) Cool; cut into squares.
7) Optional: Sprinkle powdered sugar over the top.

Serves 8

Sweet Potato Apple Casserole

2011-12-21T15:05:00.003-06:00

Our third of five food-allergy friendly recipes is tasty as a side dish or dessert. And it's nutritious!

Recipe courtesy of Whole Foods Market

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds whole sweet potatoes
3 granny smith apples, peeled, cored & sliced
Juice of 2 oranges
Zest from one orange
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 Tbsps butter - replace with milk free margarine if allergic to milk
2 Tbsps brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts - replace with crushed corn flakes if allergic
to nuts

Directions:
1) In a medium sauce pan cook unpeeled whole sweet potatoes in boiling water for about 20 minutes until fork tender. Drain. Or bake potatoes at 400°F for 45 to 60 minutes until soft to touch.
2) While cooking potatoes, heat apples and orange juice in a skillet with spices and orange zest. Cover and cook for 3-5 minutes until apples soften.
3) Peel sweet potatoes and slice. Layer sweet potatoes in microwave safe casserole dish with apple slices. Sprinkle with mixture of brown sugar, butter, and nuts (or substitutes).
4) Microwave on high for 4 to 5 minutes.

Serves 8

Herbed Prime Rib Roast

2011-12-16T16:00:00.003-06:00

The second, in a series of five, allergy-free holiday recipes is Herbed Prime Rib Roast. Enjoy!

Recipe courtesy of Whole Foods Market

Ingredients:
4 cloves garlic
3 Tbsps chopped fresh rosemary
3 Tbsps chopped fresh thyme
2 Tbsps expeller-pressed canola oil
2 tsp coarse sea salt
1 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 3-rib bone-in standing rib roast (about 5 pounds),
trimmed of excess, but not all, fat
1 1/2 cups low-sodium beef broth

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 475°F. In a food processor, pulse garlic until chopped.
2) Add rosemary, thyme, oil, salt and pepper and pulse until you have a chunky paste.
3) Rub the roast all over with the paste and place bone-side down in a roasting pan.
4) Roast in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes.
5) Reduce oven temperature to 375°F and continue roasting about 1 hour longer.
6) Use a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the roast (not touching bone) to check the temperature in several spots and continue roasting meat, checking temperature every 5 or 10 minutes, until about 10 degrees shy of
your preferred level of doneness. The meat will continue cooking while it rests after being removed from the oven and the temperature will rise another 5 or 10 degrees. Target temperatures are 130 to 135°F for medium rare and 135 to
145°F for medium.
7) Transfer roast to a cutting board, bone-side down, and let stand 25 minutes before carving. Meanwhile, carefully spoon off and discard fat from dark juices in roasting pan.
8) Use oven mitts to place pan over medium-high heat and add broth. Simmer, scraping up browned bits from the bottom of pan, until reduced to 1 cup, about 10 minutes.
9) Carve the roast by running a long, sharp knife between the rib bones and meat to separate them.
10) Slice meat into portions, arrange on a platter with the bones (there’s meat left on the bones and some people may want one) and spoon hot pan juices over the top.

Serves 6 to 8

Holiday Berry Sauce

2011-12-16T15:52:00.003-06:00

Even if your kids don’t have food allergies, it’s likelythat you’ll be cooking for one of your kids’ cousins or friends who is allergicto one of the top eight food allergy triggers (milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts,fish, shellfish, soy and wheat). This week before Christmas, we’re sharingdirections for an entire food-allergy-friendly holiday meal. One recipe everyweekday. That way, if you have to make any last minute substitutes, you’ll beable to.

Recipe courtesy of Whole Foods Market

Ingredients:
6 cups fresh cranberries, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup orange juice, more if needed
1 (16 ounce) package frozen blueberries
1 (12 ounce) package frozen raspberries
Zest of 1 orange
1 1/2 cups agave nectar or honey
1 cup sugar, or to taste

Directions:
1) Place cranberries in a large saucepan.
2) Add orange juice and cook over medium heat for 7 to 10 minutes or until cranberries start to pop.
3) Add blueberries, raspberries, orange zest, nectar and sugar. You may need to add a little more orange juice at this time if mixture is not slightly wet.
4) Cook an additional 10 minutes, mashing cranberries if desired with a potato masher. Let mixture cool before serving.

Serves 12 as a side condiment

Buy safe toys this holiday season

2011-12-12T15:33:00.004-06:00

With the holidays approaching, it’s so easy to buy that special child in your life the coolest toy you can find. Like a 280-piece dump truck model kit you know your 3-year-old nephew will just love. But if you don’t check the toy’s intended age range, one or all of those 280 pieces might end up in his mouth instead, and put him at risk of injury or even death.

I might have bought that dump truck when my wife and I went shopping for our nephew this weekend, had it not been for a toy safety demonstration I recently sat in on here at Children’s.

Jesus Alderete, a coordinator with our Injury Prevention Program, recently shared with media how to keep the holidays accident-free by choosing safe and age-appropriate toys for youngsters. He said if a toy or its parts can fit through a toilet paper roll, it poses a choking risk for kids 4 and younger. Other tips included:

Check the toy’s intended age range listed on the packaging, and follow the manufacturer’s guidelines.

Keep toys meant for older kids away from infants and younger kids.

Buy dolls or stuffed animals with eyes that are sewn on, rather than plastic. Plastic eyes tend to fall off and are a choking hazard for younger children.

For older kids, be sure to buy a helmet that they can wear with their new bike or other riding toys.

The information is a great reminder considering that since 2000, an average of 20 children a year have died in the U.S. after being injured or involved in accidents with toys, according to Safe Kids USA, a non-profit organization that works to prevent unintentional childhood injuries.

Thanks to Jesus’s guidance, my nephew won’t be getting that dump truck model for a few years. Instead, we went with an age-appropriate sea turtle night light.

You can read more about toy safety and the recommendations of our Injury Prevention Program here.

How not to install your car seat

2011-11-22T15:31:00.004-06:00

My wife and I are expecting our first child, a daughter, any day now.

What I’ve learned about being an expectant father in my wife’s last trimester is to contribute where I can and try not to interfere the rest of the time.

However, I have inherited a few responsibilities. Probably the most important is installing the car seat. I’m not incredibly handy, so the initial thought was a little daunting.

After all, I’d written about the masses of incorrectly installed car seats. Of all the soon-to-be fathers out there, I certainly knew how important it was to make sure that the base was in tight and the carrier was locked in place.

But what I didn’t know was that the secureness of the car seat was only the beginning of car seat safety.

I learned that when my wife and I brought our cars to Children’s for a car seat safety check up. I had done my best to install the bases the weekend before and, to my surprise, they passed the specs for tightness and security. Our gracious inspector and an Injury Prevention program coordinator at Children’s, Jesus Alderete, told us so.

We did find out, however, that there was a lot more to making car seat safe than just its installation. For example:

1) Our car seat was behind the driver’s seat. Research has shown that the back seat is the safest location to put a car seat. However, there are many factors to consider when choosing the safest seating position. The most important factors are for the car seat to be placed where it fits the best, where it can be installed by the caregiver in the easiest way and in a position where the caregiver can easily harness the child the right way every time the child rides in the vehicle. For our car and most cars, the safest position was the middle of the back seat. Behind the driver’s seat was actually the least safe spot for the car seat in our car.

2) We planned to put up additional stuff besides the seat. We planned to put up a mirror on the car’s back seat so we could see her face in the rearview mirror and also planned to use a window shade that pulled down from a bar. We also had put down a seat protector so the car seat base wouldn’t damage our seats. What we learned is that these types of aftermarket products are not federally regulated. Using them with a car seat when the car seat manufacturer has not crash tested them could null and void our car seat’s warranty. If parents do decide to use these products they should look for products that are made and approved for use by the car seat’s manufacturer. When choosing these products look for items made from soft lightweight materials with rounded edges. In addition, look for items that are secured with straps or anchors rather than those that simply Velcro on.

3) We left the canopy extended in the car. The manufacturer’s instructions should be consulted to see if they allow the canopy to be extended while the vehicle is in motion. Every car seat is different so be sure to always read the car seat’s manual. Our car seat manufacturer advised against leaving the canopy extended in the car.

4) The back seatbelts were unbuckled. Due to the potential for strangulation by the seat belt, when a car seat is installed using LATCH, the vehicle seat belt in that seating position (i.e. If the car seat is in the middle, the seat belt that would regularly be used to buckle in the person sitting in the middle seat) should be buckled and the retractor switched to locking mode to insure that a child cannot place it around their neck. A certified car seat technician can assist you in doing so.

Don't worry, though. If I can get it installed correctly, I promise you can. And if you have trouble, most local fire and police stations have sessions to help correctly install car seats.

Speaking to my son about the Penn State scandal

2011-11-11T10:55:00.006-06:00

Betsy MacKay is the vice president of public affairs at Children's. During her more than 13 years here, she has also raised her son, Wills, who is now 12.

I usually have a hard time getting Wills to talk very much at breakfast. He wants to eat, watch SportsCenter and head to school. Sound familiar?

Well, yesterday was different. Wills sauntered in, sat down over his hot pancakes and asked “Mom, what is going at Penn St. and what happened in that locker room thing?” Alrighty then – why did his Dad have to be out of town???

Because I have spent the last 13 years working around amazing experts on topics like this at Children’s, I didn’t run. Instead, I was able to engage my precious little boy on a very dicey topic. Here is what we talked about:

Sometimes grown men do really awful things to young boys. When Wills asked what kinds of things, I bit the bullet and described the assault in complete detail as the SportsCenter coverage raged on in the background with the sound muted. Wills squirmed on the barstool and got a sheepish grin but looked me in the eye the whole time. It felt right and good to be talking to him this way.

We then revisited the idea that he is never to let anyone touch him in his privates or even talk to him about any sexual topic that makes him uncomfortable. Thankfully, we have a wonderful pediatrician who has talked to him this way since he was a toddler.

We chatted about how boys that love sports like he does will spend a lot of time in locker room showers. I made sure he knew that was normal and fine and that what happened at Penn State is extremely rare. I told him he should not be afraid because coaches are generally wonderful, giving people who are reliable mentors. However, I added that the world has plenty of bad actors too and he must always trust his instincts about what is right behavior and wrong behavior.

I then emphasized that he should always feel totally secure and comfortable telling his dad and me if anything of this nature ever came close to happening to him because we would protect him at all costs.

That was really the end of it. He then skipped off to grab his backpack and ran outside to catch his carpool ride. Oh, he kissed me goodbye, too – my treat for the day!!

When I got to work, I had the wonderful opportunity (and so do you) of being able to call Dr. Pete Stavinoha, an incredible child psychologist here at Children’s, to get his insights. He validated my concerns over this Penn State hoopla and its impact on our kids. (Listen to Dr. Stavinoha interviewed about the Penn State scandal on KLIF here - he comes on at around the one-minute mark.)

He also reminded me of a very good point that I forgot to make with Wills. Dr. Pete said we must stress to kids that they should not ever be afraid to report an incident like this if they witness it or if it should ever happen to them. This is a crime and the police must know about it. Real men speak up and tell the truth. This is where Joe Paterno failed, and we are all hurt by it, even as we hurt for him. I am going to follow-up with Wills on that point.

Anthony's first camp experience

2011-07-06T16:34:00.005-05:00

Kathleen Herman had been praying her son, Anthony, would get to go to camp this summer. Anthony was born with a heart condition that causes narrowing of the heart valve, and he has undergone countless tests and procedures at Children's. His heart condition has continued to worsen, and at times, Kathleen and her husband, Ray, weren't sure their son would make it another day.

So, when Anthony was able to board the bus and head to Camp John Marc for a week of fun in the sun, they were beyond grateful. Read one of the entries from Kathleen on Anthony's caringBridge page:

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Ok. So now I've cried.

First-time parents always get an update call from Camp Moss during the first couple of days of camp. I knew to expect it. But I didn't expect the familiar voice I heard on the other end of the line yesterday when I received our call.

The call was from Dr. J. She was the attending cardiologist during the first week of Anthony's hospitalization for endocarditis, the worst and most frightening days of his illness. As the attending, she had been the bearer of all the bad news we received during those first few days. We had not seen her since then and we had no idea she was even at camp. I was thrilled to talk to her again, especially under such different circumstances.

She told me she had begged to be the one to call "the Hermans" because she had made us cry so many times in the hospital. She wanted to be the one to share some good news with us for a change! And she did.

Dr. J was with Anthony Sunday night during his cabin's bedtime story--the Camp Moss staff has a tradition of telling bedtime stories to the younger campers, crowning a storytelling "winner" at the end of the week--and then again at arts and crafts yesterday morning. She said Anthony is really enjoying himself and that "it is so good to see him like this, not curled up in a hospital bed."

Of course, hearing the news that Anthony continues to do well at camp is wonderful, but hearing that news from someone who had seen him at his worst made it all the more profound. I was so happy and touched by our conversation that I began to cry when I shared the details of it with Ray.

Oops. Tears.

Please don't tell Dr. J.

She'd be upset to know she made me cry again.

Getting messy for a cause

2011-05-27T12:47:00.005-05:00

Jude Cobler’s life is sanitized for his own protection. Not much can be messy and that’s hard for a kid. But a couple of days ago, Jude got to be just the opposite of neat.

Jude, a patient at Children’s, underwent a bone marrow transplant in December 2010 and still has to be careful about his exposure to infection, but the other day he got to dip his hand in paint and squish it on a bright and shiny new car. The finger painting outing was part of a presentation for pediatric cancer research by Dallas-Fort Worth-area Hyundai dealers.

The dealers brought a white Santa Fe SUV to the hospital and encouraged patients to plant their hand prints on the car. The idea was to celebrate the children’s lives and to have them share their stories with children and families across the country that are participating in similar events for the carmaker’s Hope on Wheels program, which has raised funds for childhood cancer research initiatives for the past 13 years. The hand prints also were put on paper and will be made into decals for display by Hyundai dealers across America next year.

Grant for research

The hand prints were part of a ceremony by the area Hyundai dealers to award a $40,000 grant to the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center for Dr. Raven Cooksey. Dr. Cooksey is a fellow at UT Southwestern in pediatric hematology-oncology. She practices at Children’s in the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders. Children’s is where UT Southwestern doctors learn advanced pediatric medicine. The grant money is part of $2.7 million that the Hope on Wheels Tour will donate this year to back pediatric cancer research nationally.

Dr. Cooksey’s research is on metabolic syndrome in young survivors of brain tumors who were treated with radiation. Metabolic syndrome is the name for a group of health risk factors that can lead to type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Dr. Cooksey is studying whether radiation may lead to metabolic syndrome.

But for Jude, the day was all about telling his story and spreading some bright green paint around. And if you remember at all what it’s like being a 6 year old, you know how important that is.

Bringing Home Allie Was Too Much for Momo

2011-05-18T14:48:00.022-05:00

Editor’s note: This week is American Veterinary Medical Association’s National Dog Bite Prevention Week. Children’s is also focusing this month on injury prevention. To highlight both efforts, Melanie Medina weighs in with her family’s experience with dog bites, and shares tips from the veterinary behavioral therapist she worked with to treat her dog’s aggression.
The instant it happened, I knew we had to get rid of him. I loved this dog more than life itself. He was like my child — until I had a child and he tried to bite her.
That’s when it hit me: Momo is a dog. He is going to do what his DNA tells him to do, no matter how much I loved him and how much I tried to change him.
Growing aggression
It happened more than three years ago, but it still hurts to think about the day we surrendered Momo, our pug. My daughter was only about 10 days old. I had laid my daughter on the couch and was standing over her, about to swaddle her into a little burrito. Momo was standing there, right under my feet, with his eyes on Allie.

Momo lunged under my arm, up onto the couch and tried to bite Allie. He had the toe seam of her pajama pants in his mouth.
I screamed for my husband. We unsnapped my daughter’s pajamas and realized she was OK. If he had reached just a millimeter or two further, I’m confident he would have taken off her toe, or maybe her foot. Within 30 minutes, we were on the phone with DFW Pug Rescue, talking to the manager about surrendering Momo. My husband had the horrible task of driving Momo up to a vet’s office, where he left him for a Pug Rescue representative to pick him up.
Behavior therapy for dogs
But we had to do it. We’d had Momo for seven years, and his aggression slowly built up until it was out of control. A year before our daughter was born, we hired a behavioral therapist who specializes in aggression in dogs. Her opinion was that in most cases, a family’s new baby and old baby (the dog) can develop a loving relationship right from the start — unless the dog has serious pre-existing issues.
We hired her to help us sort out Momo’s issues, and his aggression definitely improved. But bringing a new baby into the home was too much for him. (The therapist we hired, Lecreca Taliaferro, DVM, has guidance on how your family can get your human baby and canine baby to bond.)
Pug wins graham cracker
Fast forward three years later. With Momo living happily ever after (I hope) in a new family’s home, I thought we were past worrying about dog bites.

But just a few weeks ago, Allie, who, thankfully, has both of her feet, was munching on a graham cracker. Our other pug, Spanky Mae, swiped it out of Allie’s hand. Allie swiped it back, but Spanky Mae wasn’t having it. Spanky jumped toward Allie to get it back, and in the process, bit Allie’s face. Spanky’s teeth barely grazed Allie’s skin, but it scared us, especially Allie.
My husband and I considered calling DFW Pug Rescue again but decided to keep Spanky Mae. After all, she didn’t have a history of biting or being the least bit aggressive. She just wanted that darn graham cracker.
Instead, we used the experience as a teaching moment for Allie. We told her, “When you’re fighting with a dog over food, the dog always wins. Mommy and Daddy can always get you another graham cracker.”
Nationally and locally dog bites on the rise
If my personal story hasn’t left an impression, maybe some statistics will. Here at Children’s, our Trauma department has seen a rise in patients being treated for dog bites. In 2001, we saw 15 kids for dog bites. By December 2010, that number rose to 36.
Our statistics mirror national ones. Since 2008, the number of Americans hospitalized for dog bites increased from 5,100 in 1993 to 9,500 in 2008, according to a government study. Children younger than 5 and adults older than 65 are most likely to be hospitalized for dog bites, to the tune of $18,200 on average for treatment.
Thankfully, my family didn’t fall into those statistics.
Shopping for cats?
DFW Pug Rescue later told us that Momo was adopted by a family who also owned a boxer. Momo tried to be aggressive in his new family’s home, but the boxer, who probably had a good 30 pounds on Momo, asserted his dominance. I think that’s what Momo needed.
And today, Allie insists that she wants a kitty cat, not a puppy dog. We’ll see about that.

The doctors Corrigan

2011-05-03T11:32:00.009-05:00

As a third-year pediatric resident at Children’s Medical Center Dallas, Dr. Nicole Corrigan can still be expected to have lots of medical questions. And while she can ask her colleagues for the answers, she can also call her mom.

That’s because Nicole’s mother is Dr. Suzanne Corrigan, who was a pediatric resident at Children’s 30 years ago and is a clinical associate professor of Pediatrics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Nicole and her sister Danielle, who’s a second-year pediatric resident at Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, “call about day-to-day life that comes up in the practice of medicine that no one prepares you for,” Suzanne said.

Together, Nicole and Suzanne Corrigan are believed to be the only mother-daughter physician duo that has undergone pediatric residency training at Children’s.

Times have changed
Times have changed a lot in 30 years of pediatric residency training. For one, the hours of training are significantly shorter now and mandated by law. In Suzanne’s day, pediatric residents worked every third night or every other night, sometimes 100-120 hours per week. Today, Nicole legally can work no more than 80 hours a week.

Nicole also has more support staff to assist during shifts. During Suzanne’s days as a resident, they had to do their own blood draws and microscope work.

Additionally, there also weren’t nearly as many women in medicine 30 years ago. “There were 10 woman out of 200 in my class at UTSW and only four women in residency my year,” Suzanne said.

“It’s also very different for them than it was for us in terms of sheer volume of patients but also the severity of illness that Children’s physicians see,” Suzanne said.

Suzanne knew all this when Nicole was accepted as a pediatric resident at Children’s but also knew that her daughter would receive excellent training. “I told Nicole she was going to work really hard but would get the best training anywhere.”

Suzanne added: “I can’t say enough good things about the preparation we received and that they’re getting now — giving them the skills they need to critically think, analyze and put solutions together.”

Advice on medicine as a career
Suzanne’s advice for residents and medical students is simple: “If you’re going into medicine to make money, that the wrong way to go. You need to want to take care of children who are really ill. It’s a full-time job and you need to give completely of yourself when you are on the job. You also need a partner or someone who can be there for support,” she said. “You need to be able to put your cares aside. When you’re here, the patients, they’re your priority. You need to be able to compartmentalize.”

“The other big part of medicine is working with the parents and fighting for what’s right for the kids in the community. If you’re not working to do that, then you shouldn’t be in medicine.”

Nicole’s path
Nicole will be continuing her career at Children’s. She completes her residency in June and has accepted the position of third attending physician as a general pediatrician in Children’s Emergency Department.

Nicole said she “feels lucky to have such great training and exposure to superb role model pediatricians, especially her mother and feels blessed to have found her calling in pediatrics.” She added: “In what other professions are families so grateful for your care that you create a special bond with them, I feel lucky to be their doctor.”

Autism by the numbers

2011-04-28T11:22:00.004-05:00

April is National Autism Awareness Month so stories about autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are appearing in the news. The CDC estimates that an average of 1 in 110 children is affected by autism. I know a child with autism and you probably do too. Autism is really a broad range, or spectrum, of pervasive developmental delays (PDD) and the cause is still unknown, although research suggests it is a genetic condition. What is known is that the number of children affected is growing.

Because the numbers are increasing, I asked Dr. Patricia Evans, a Children’s Medical Center Dallas child neurologist and autism expert, what’s behind that fact. Here’s what she had to say.

Dr. Evans also said that increasing cases of autism also may be occurring because there is less stigma associated with seeking help for these children, and doctors are more willing to apply the diagnosis to help a patient.

Signs to watch for in your child
How can parents tell if their child has an ASD? Dr. Evans said symptoms may include:
· Does not interact well with others, including parents
· Does not communicate well with others
· Demonstrates repetitive behaviors
· Is preoccupied, usually with lights, moving objects or parts of objects
· Does not like noise
· Has rituals
· Requires routines

These behaviors may resemble other conditions or medical problems so always consult your physician. For younger children, your family doctor should be conducting assessments at well-baby visits. If your child is older, talk to your school about getting an assessment conducted. Children's offers a comprehensive range of services for children with ASD.

And she's still here, folks

2011-04-12T11:16:00.006-05:00

Nancy Zeiger made it clear when she began volunteering at Children’s four and a half years ago that she would quit once she had grandchildren.

In the fall of 2008, she became the grandmother of twin grandsons. In March 2011, she welcomed another grandson. And in April 2011, you can still find Zeiger volunteering at Children’s.

“I feel like there is still a need for me here,” said Zeiger. “You don’t have to be here long to realize there are so many patients here who have nobody. Some literally may not have a visitor stop by their room for an entire day. And parents need help, too.”

Zeiger fulfills those needs in a variety of ways. The majority of her volunteering time is spent sitting with patients in the neonatal intensive care unit, but she also works as an office support volunteer. Even her part-time job benefits Children’s.

Children’s contracts with Zeiger’s employer, Access Language Center, to provide interpreters for patients. Zeiger is a certified interpreter, which enables her to interpret for deaf patients or their parents.

“Nancy’s versatility makes her a great volunteer,” said volunteer coordinator Barbara Green. “What makes her so unique is that it just seems at the right time, she is in the right place to provide that extra help in whatever way you need it.”

At this point, Zeiger has made no new plans about becoming a full-time grandmother.

“I tell people I can’t do anything on Wednesday, because Wednesday is my Children’s day,” said Zeiger. “Grandkids and work can be my other days.”

Marathons may be for kids, too

2011-04-08T09:55:00.003-05:00

It sounds crazy, but children may be able to run marathons as early on as first or second grade.

Several weeks ago, The New York Times ran this blog on their website. The author, Gretchen Reynolds, reported on two different studies: one about running injuries in children and the other about how early children can run the hallowed 26.2 miles involved in marathons.

The first study indicated that as many as 12 million children ran for exercise in 2007 and that the number is increasing. Along with the increase in child runners, though, there has been an increase of running injuries in children. But those injuries aren’t typical overuse injuries like stress fractures or tendonitis. Instead, the commonly reported injuries seemed to be caused by a lack of coordination and falling, things like twisted ankles, scraped wrists and bruised knees.

The second study analyzed data on the 310 children between the ages of 7 and 17 who ran and finished the Twin Cities Marathon in Minnesota between 1982 and 2007. What it revealed was that only 4 of the 310 (a whopping 1.3 percent) ever visited the race’s medical tent and that none of them required anything beyond a brief test. The author of the study concluded that running long distances like marathons isn’t inherently unsafe for certain children as long as they have proper supervision and training.

That sounded a little wacky to me. I was always told that children aren’t supposed to lift weights before puberty (although thoughts on that have changed in the past several years, too). I assumed the same principal applied to distance running.

Moreover, my vet told me not to run my golden retriever before she was 18 months old. I figured human bones would be much more sensitive and fragile than dog bones.

So, in my confusion, I sent an email with those thoughts to the pediatric sports medicine expert at Children’s, Dr. Shane Miller. This was his response:

Foster,
The reason your vet recommends not running with a golden retriever at that age is because as a breed goldens are at increased risk for hip dysplasia. The theory is that around 18-24 months of age, the growth plates in the dog's hips are closing and are at less risk of damage (which is why they can do X rays at 2 years of age to eval for hip dysplasia). A golden retriever is very obedient and will continue to run through pain to keep up with its master, but will limit itself if playing with other dogs. Growth plates in kids close in the teens (boys usually later by about 2 years than girls).
The answer really should be individualized to the athlete. For example, it is generally accepted that an 8-10 year old could do a 5k race, but I ran my first 10k (6.2 miles) race at age 6 without any difficulty. It really should be more dependent on the athlete, their maturity, etc. This also assumes a gradual increase in training intensity and duration. A rule of thumb is one should not increase by more than 10% per week.
As with all kids that age, we have to be cautious with heat illness and dehydration as their surface area to volume ratio is less than adults, and they are not as good at thermoregulation. Falls, sprains, strains, overuse injuries, heat illness, and dehydration are all potential injuries in running at all ages.
Running can be safe for kids when supervised and the emphasis is on having fun. Just like with your golden retriever, allowing the kid to set the pace will give them the best chance of staying free of injuries and should not cause any long-term damage to growth plates or otherwise.
One recommendation for younger kids that want to do a "marathon" is to have them complete 26.2 miles over multiple sessions. At the end, they can have the pride of saying they completed a "marathon" with the added benefits of learning the importance of physical fitness. One example is marathonKids (www.marathonkids.org).

CT scans and children: tips for parents

2011-04-07T16:01:00.014-05:00

You may have seen coverage recently on CNN Health about the increased number of CT, or computed tomography, scans being ordered by doctors for children.

The number of these scans has risen five-fold over a 14-year period, according to the research.

Radiation levels accumulate over time, so it’s important for parents to think about the risks and benefits of medical imaging. Our experts at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas offer these tips for safer CT scans for your children.

Most importantly, choose pediatric radiology services over adult ones if possible. Children's has staff that specializes in pediatric radiology. They are specifically trained to limit radiation. Children's also uses equipment that's made and calibrated for kids.

Talk to your pediatrician about the best way to diagnose your child's condition. A CT scan is not always the best choice. Sometimes no imaging at all provides the best medical benefit.

Ask your physician if it's possible to use a technique that doesn't cause radiation exposure, such as an MRI or ultrasound.

Try to avoid having your child undergo repeat or duplicate imaging scans. This means keeping close tabs on your child's medical record and the number of scans he or she has had.

We also have tips for X-rays to help parents ask the right questions about these procedures and more information on radiation exposure.

Speaking to families about organ donation, Part 2

2011-03-09T14:23:00.005-06:00

Grayson Burgess works for the organ procurement organization Southwest Transplant Alliance (STA) as one of two in-house coordinators at Children’s and Parkland Memorial Hospital. He is responsible for offering the option of organ donation to families of potential donors and has been specially trained by STA to handle those conversations in a way that best supports families while also increasing the likelihood of consent. I recently spoke to Grayson to get a better understanding of what that involves. This is the second of two parts of that discussion.

Q: I’ve heard about an organ crisis. What does that mean?
A: It means that the need for organ transplants vastly supersedes available organs. That has always been the case, and it continues to be the case today.

Q: What do you say to families to explain the benefit of organ donation?
A: One of the things we tell them is that donation doesn’t just benefit recipients. It also benefits families who choose to donate because they’ll know that their child was able to help someone else live. The way we look at it is that we’re not taking something from the family but instead giving them an opportunity to make a very positive difference in someone else’s life. I also talk to them about how rare of an opportunity it is for them to even have the option to donate.

Q: Why is it so important that there is a formal process for deciding who ends up receiving the organs?
A: It’s important to have a formal process to ensure that everyone is on an equal playing ground. The national rules and regulations for organ allocation are not just applicable for Southwest Transplant Alliance or organ donations at Children’s, they’re applicable for everyone in the United States. And that ensures that all potential transplant patients have an equal opportunity to get an organ.

Q: Then are people not allowed to decide who receives their organs?
A: There is a process where a family can elect to give one of its loved one’s organs to a family member or friend. If there is someone they know personally, we can attempt to place that organ with the designated person before we put the organ on the national list of available organs. That is an acceptable process nationwide called directed donation.

Q: How often does it work out like that?
A: Very, very rarely. The majority of organ transplants come from national waiting lists.

Q: What is the process like for patients waiting on an organ from a national waiting list?
A: That would depend upon that patient’s condition, the organ needed, and the patient’s transplant center. Everyone’s situation, of course, is unique. The constants are that each person’s physicians do a great deal of evaluation before placing a patient on the list, and the wait can be a long one. For some patients, unfortunately, the wait is too long. While 75 people in the U.S. receive life-saving organ transplants each day, approximately 18 people die every day before the organs they need become available. That is why it’s tremendously important to register on the Donate Life Texas registry at http://www.donatelifetexas.org/ and to make sure your family is aware of your decision.

Speaking to families about organ donation, Part 1

2011-03-07T14:28:00.004-06:00

Grayson Burgess works for the organ procurement organization Southwest Transplant Alliance (STA) as one of two in-house coordinators at Children’s and Parkland Memorial Hospital. He is responsible for offering the option of organ donation to families of potential donors and has been specially trained by STA to handle those conversations in a way that best supports families while also increasing the likelihood of consent. I recently spoke to Grayson to get a better understanding of what that involves. This is the first of two parts of that discussion.

Q: How does the process of speaking to families begin?
A: A call to STA is required on all patient deaths and all imminent patient deaths. At Children’s, it’s generally the nursing staff, physicians or nurse practitioners who make the call to us. The organ donor protocol begins with a referral of a patient that meets clinical standards for donation, which means the patient is on a ventilator with a neurological injury and missing two or more brain stem reflexes and is absent sedation or hypothermia. We follow these cases as patients are tested for brain death or families have decided to withdraw treatment.

Q: When should STA get the call?
A: It’s important for us to get the early call when a patient meets clinical triggers – before the patient is actually brain dead and before the family begins to discuss withdrawal of treatment. This early involvement is important so we can come on site, take a look at the patient’s chart and assess that patient for donor suitability. That, of course, takes time. And it is very difficult for us to try to assess the patient and talk to the family about organ donation at the same time. We also don’t want to discuss donation with a family unless we are relatively sure that donation is an option for them. Not every patient that we get called about is a candidate for donation. So the time for chart review is critical.

Q: What qualifies a patient as a candidate?
A: Each case is an individual call. There are many variables, and most of those are fairly technical. So, it’s impossible to explain concisely. But the important thing is that we do have staff that are trained and equipped to determine suitability.

Q: How often are people candidates?
A: Rarely. Because potential organ donors must be ventilated, it is only in rare cases that patients meet eligibility. Only then do we discuss the topic of organ donation with families.

Q: How do you broach the topic of organ donation with families?
A: The circumstances of every situation are unique. So, we go about it in different ways. At all hospitals, but at Children’s especially, we work with Social Work, chaplains, Child Life, and with all of the ancillary services as well as the clinical staff to try to determine when the best time would be for our staff to talk with the families. We make sure the needs of each family are met and we talk with them about the person they’ve lost, and who that person was. And we ultimately explain their options and answer all of their questions.

Q: Are there other people in the room besides you and the family?
A: Most of the time we’re accompanied by hospital staff, and they are always welcome to be there. At Children’s particularly, it’s policy that we have a huddle to talk to everyone involved in the care of the patient – to the attending physician, the bedside nurses, the charge nurse, the practitioner, any fellows or residents and any ancillary staff. We want to make sure we touch base with everyone involved in the patient’s care before we talk to the family.

Q: It seems like the conversation with the family would be incredibly difficult. How do you do it?
A: We work with each family individually, depending on where they are in their circumstances. Our staff is specially trained to be able to have those very detailed and meaningful conversations, which is a big part of the reason why we ask that only designated requesters discuss the organ donation option with families.

Q: How often are families receptive to the idea?
A: Exact consent rates vary from year to year, but it’s fair to say that the majority of families that are asked to donate say ‘yes.’ When STA staff is called early and makes the approach, consent is generally obtained 70-80 percent of the time.

Making a statement

2011-02-28T11:32:00.018-06:00

Football really isn’t Kelsey Oudshoorn’s game; volleyball is. But the other day, the 15 year old was waiting, football in hand, to meet Roger Staubach and Troy Aikman at Children’s. The two Dallas Cowboys icons shook her hand and autographed her ball, which she bought especially for the occasion.

Kelsey, a patient in the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, got to meet the Hall of Fame quarterbacks at a special photo shoot for the children who will participate in the 23rd annual Beyond the Rainbow Luncheon and Fashion Show hosted by the Children’s Cancer Fund.

Proceeds benefit Children’s
Proceeds from the April 15 luncheon and fashion show benefit pediatric cancer research. The fundraiser is expected to net $270,000 for Children’s and UT Southwestern Medical Center. The photos taken with Aikman and Staubach at Children’s will be used as part of a book of art created by children with cancer.

Staubach and Aikman are honorary co-chairs of the annual luncheon and come to Children’s each year for a photo opportunity with the children who will appear in the fashion show.

The fashion show features childhood cancer survivors and those still in treatment, and remembers those who have lost their fight with the disease. Kelsey finished chemotherapy for alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma on Valentine’s Day at Children’s at Legacy in Plano. Her type of cancer is an especially aggressive form of the soft tissue sarcomas that can occur in children.

Red shows her personality
It’s fitting that Kelsey finished her chemo on a day that’s symbolized by red. For the photo shoot with Roger and Troy, Kelsey wore a bright red fedora decorated with a white fabric rose. She accessorized the hat with a long white scarf emblazoned with flowers, a flowered top, and bright red high-top sneakers.

Kelsey says she picked her hat “because it’s bold, and we were asked to dress like our personality.” Red’s not her favorite color, purple is, “but I like the statement.” With a sense of self and of style like that, Kelsey is bound to wow them at the fashion show.

Our experience with bulimia

2011-02-25T13:54:00.006-06:00

Editor's note: This is part two of a two-part series offering an inside look into bulimia. This part was written by the father and stepmother of the author of "A thirty-something's battle with bulimia." The family's names have been changed.

The thing I remember most about that time was Jessica’s anger. Long before I realized she was bulimic, her rage was remarkable.

Keep in mind that there are so many very wonderful aspects to Jessica’s personality and character. Perhaps the most obvious one as a child was her sense of justice. Jessica was always quite small and, even though she was always taught to be kind, I never was more proud of her than the time I discovered she had punched a huge boy at her elementary school because he was bullying a friend of hers.

She has always been very determined, and self-motivated. And she is a wonderful writer, all of which is to say that, where bulimia is concerned, bad things do indeed happen to good people.

When Jessica was 8, her mom and I divorced. I know the divorce was a traumatic event in her life but at the time, I didn’t see any obvious manifestations of it. Again, all I can recall about this period of time is that she had a bad temper.

When Jessica was 14, she came to live with her stepmom, Sheryl, and me. Sheryl had become pregnant. When Jessica moved in, she seemed to be excited about the idea of having a little sister. But a comment she made later about her being sorry to upset our "little family" — meaning me, Sheryl and the new baby – made me think she felt alienated. It could have just been her striking out, looking for something hurtful to say, but the comment was made, nonetheless. I know now that bulimia is about control and I feel certain that her living arrangements were a part of her life that frustrated Jessica and that she felt helpless to do anything about.

She seemed to be happy at her new school. She found friends and became a cheerleader. She always made good grades, and we would remark to one another about how much self-discipline she had about her schoolwork. We never had to ask her if she’d done her schoolwork, she just did it – right after dinner, secluded in her upstairs bedroom.

During this time, Sheryl told me that Jessica was becoming angrier and angrier. I guess I didn’t believe it was anything more than teenage angst, until I saw firsthand some of her angry episodes. When Sheryl suggested getting her some counseling, I finally sat down and talked to Jessica. She told me she hated everyone and could not stand to have anyone touch her. She said she knew she needed help and that "it can’t go on like this."

The psychiatrist we took her to prescribed an antidepressant. Unfortunately, Jessica wouldn’t take it on a regular basis. The therapist said this was typical for teenagers. He told us that she was depressed and that in teenagers, one of the major symptoms of depression is anger.

Eventually Jessica graduated from high school. We had apparently weathered the storm and thought things were pretty good.

Jessica was very bright and had no problem getting accepted to a college seven hours away from where we lived. Like most kids, she thought she wanted to get as far away from home as possible. In school, she was, of course, about as far away from Dallas as she could get and still be in a state-supported university.

She seemed to do well at college. Phone calls and visits home revealed nothing out of the ordinary. She joined a sorority, got a job and made excellent grades. Then, during her sophomore year, things started to fall apart. She called me in tears one time and told me that everything was disintegrating. I don’t remember the details of the conversation, but it seemed obvious to me that she was screaming out for help. I told her to pack her bags and come home so we could get her the intense help she needed.

Jessica sat out for a semester. She got the care she needed on an in-patient basis with continuing counseling after she was discharged. During this time I accompanied her to a visit with her counselor. At the time, Jessica’s physical build was normal, if not a bit on the thin side. I was astonished to hear that she thought she was too fat and needed to lose some weight. The counselor told me that that was an indication of her distorted sense of herself.

In retrospect, we should have gotten Jessica help sooner for her anger. I also trace a lot of the problems back to the divorce. Regardless of how resilient they appear on the outside, I think all children need professional guidance to get them through such a traumatic experience.

Today, Jessica is married to a loving husband. They have children. Her problems with bulimia seem to be far behind, but I suspect she still, to some small degree, silently fights the battle.

A thirty-something’s battle with bulimia

2011-02-24T16:15:00.002-06:00

Editor’s note: In this two-part series, a Dallas family gives an inside look into the world of a bulimic. First, the daughter, now in her thirties, talks about the things in her life that led up to her eating disorder. Tomorrow, her father will share his perspective on how he learned about his daughter’s bulimia and how he helped her through it.

If you suspect your child is having trouble with an eating disorder or seems distressed or depressed, please talk to your pediatrician about your concerns.

There’s no way I can describe bulimia in a way that will make anyone understand. Anyone other than a fellow bulimic.

I know, intellectually, how disgusting it is to think of sticking your finger down your throat and making yourself throw up. But to me, there is something comforting in the act of doing so. It makes me feel like I’m taking care of myself. See what I mean? If you’re not bulimic, this is not going to make sense to you. But I will try to explain it.

How I became a bulimic

Something happened when my parents got divorced. I will never understand how a divorce like the one my parents went through translates into me becoming bulimic, but I believe that was the start of something screwy in my life.

Their divorce was amicable. It happened when I was 8. The moving trucks came to our house just a few days after I finished second grade. I remember sitting on the brick fence around our house, under a mimosa tree, watching moving guys loading furniture into moving vans.

I’m not saying that my bulimia is my parents’ fault. It’s no one’s fault but my own. They never made me eat entire boxes of Frosted Mini Wheats and then forced me to throw up. But somehow, I just didn’t handle their divorce and their subsequent dating and remarrying well. The bulimia didn’t even kick in until I was in college.

Building self-hatred

Maybe it was the moving around. I moved back and forth between my parents three times before I finally went off to college. I lived with Parent A and the alcoholic step-parent for a year or so. I lived with Parent B and my new wonderful other step-parent for a year. Then back with Parent A for four years. Then back with Parent B for three years.

During this time, an impossible amount of rage was building inside. I had good, close friends, but I hated everyone else. Especially myself. By my senior year, I often envisioned myself as two people. One version would lie on the ground so the other version could kick me and beat me up for being so ugly and such a horrible person.

My freshman year in college was fun and horrifying at the same time. I went to a university seven hours away from home. I went through rush and joined a sorority, where I felt so out of place. These girls were confident and beautiful and classy. I was small and ugly and had no social graces whatsoever. They formed immediate friendships with each other. I made a few friends but was petrified to show my true self to anyone. Up to this point in my life, I loathed every part of who I was, so it was hard to try to reach out and let other people get to know me.

Losing control

I remember the first time I made myself throw up. Or tried to. At first, it’s really hard to do. My stomach didn’t know what to do the first time I tried it, so I just gagged a bunch but didn’t throw up. Just like anything in life, practice makes perfect.

It was the summer between my freshman and sophomore years at college. I was living at a camp in the Hill Country of Texas. I was a camp counselor. I had 12 or so 8- to 9-year-old girls in my cabin. It was a sports camp where campers could choose from a dozen or so sports that they wanted to participate in. I was the cheerleading and gymnastics coach. Over a two-week period, I taught one simple, short cheer. I was so depressed, I wasn’t motivated to get out of bed and teach cheers.

While I was at camp, my mother was in a car accident. My grandfather, who I loved very much, died. As I was leaving the camp to go to my grandfather’s funeral, I got in a terrible car accident. During my grandfather’s funeral, when family members and friends brought all kinds of food, I gorged on everything I could get my hands on. This was the way I dealt with the stress of death and car accidents and deep self-loathing.

What it feels like to throw-up

When I returned to camp, the binging continued. On disgusting, rubbery chicken breasts and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and graham crackers and chocolates. After a week or two of doing this, I realized I was out of control and had to stop eating this way. But I couldn’t seem to make myself stop. So instead, I went into a restroom during a break in my day and I tried to make myself throw up.

I wasn’t successful at first, but after three or four episodes, I started to get good at it.

When my sophomore year started, the binging and purging continued. I would eat to ease the stress and then throw-up to relieve the pressure and swelling in my stomach from all the food. The feeling I would get after throwing up was sheer relief.

If you are a runner, you’ve probably experienced this feeling. You know when you finish a really great run where you’ve worked your body out hard and you have an endorphin rush? That’s the same feeling I’d get after eating and throwing up.

The beginning of the end

Several weeks in to my sophomore year of college, I realized that I needed help. I felt isolated and friendless at college. I hated myself more than words could say, and I was so fat, I couldn’t bear to look at myself. (Looking back, I was probably not more than 10 or so pounds past a normal weight for my height).

I called my parents and told them what was going on. I withdrew from school and moved home (with Parent B and wonderful step-parent). I got into inpatient therapy. I got a job for the rest of the semester. When the new semester started, I transferred to a different university that was much closer to home.
At my new university, I found a psychologist who ran group therapy sessions with other students who had eating disorders. I began taking an antidepressant. I began a long series of one-on-one counseling sessions with a therapist.

The therapy and medication helped, but nothing eased my self-hatred more than binging and throwing up. I continued to binge and purge throughout college and my early twenties, despite therapy and medication.

One therapist suggested that I put a sticker on a calendar for every day that I didn’t make myself throw up. I’d get through a week or two or three and rack up all these stickers. I used those little metallic star stickers that come in green, red, silver and gold. The same ones elementary school teachers use to slap on test papers when a student got a good grade. My coworkers would see the stickers in my Day Runner and ask what they were for. I’d tell them the truth about my bulimia. I felt like keeping my eating disorder a secret made it dark and made me feel isolated.

Telling other people about it ended up being helpful to me. The success made me realize that I could, possibly, break my cycle. When I didn’t earn a star sticker, I saw it as a road bump—not a complete unraveling of all the good work I had done previously.

The acts of reaching out to my parents for help, group therapy, individual therapy, putting stickers in a calendar and being open with people was the magic combination for me. I don’t know how other women (and men) make it through.

A never-ending battle

But the work’s not finished. I remember the last time I made myself throw up. I was in my early thirties and during a time when I was feeling out of control. I only did it once or twice before it hit me just how badly I didn’t want to get back in that cycle again. I stopped myself before it got too far.

I think bulimia will always be with me. I will always obsess about how many calories I’m eating each day and how much I’m working out. I despise hearing family members (especially those who know about my bulimia) talk about their low-carb diets and tummy tucks and such. I try not to make a big deal out of it, but my heart starts racing when the subject comes up.

I am blessed, though. I have a supportive husband who knows about the bulimia. I have children now, and I do everything I can to make sure they have consistency and stability in their lives. I realize that any traumatic experiences they go through as children will likely manifest itself in a way that may not come to light until they are much older. I do the best I can to make sure they know they are loved and know that they can always come to me when they are upset or depressed. I just want them to be happy with themselves.

Children's in the News

2011-02-16T14:14:00.006-06:00

Children's is regularly featured in the news for a variety of reasons, and we had a few stories come out this week that we wanted to share.

Transplant patient on Today Show tomorrow
Lyndon Baty has been a patient at Children's since he was 3. The 15-year-old from Knox City, Texas, spent nearly all of last summer here after his body showed signs of rejecting the kidney transplant he received here in 2003.
The Nephrology staff at Children's was able to stabilize Lyndon's condition, but his immune system was so compromised that he couldn't go to school this year. This was especially troubling for Lyndon because - as his mom, Sheri, says - "he loves the spotlight."
"Lyndon loves being around his friends," Sheri said. "He has really missed that. The illness and dealing with rejection has been really difficult, but I think what has been most difficult on him is missing out on the social interaction."
But that all changed at the beginning of this semester when Lyndon's school district was able to arrange for Lyndon to remotely attend school through a robot - as shown in the video at the bottom of this Huffington Post article.
"He still can't go to school with his friends physically, but this little robot has provided such an amazing outlet for him," Sheri said. "Since then, his appetite has been better. He's been more upbeat. It's been amazing to see the difference."
News outlets across the country have picked up on Lyndon's story, and he will even be featured on The Today Show on NBC at 8 a.m. tomorrow morning. Watch his interview if you get the chance!

Stroke study making national headlines
Nearly 2,000 news outlets have recently featured new critical stroke initiatives that were launched at Children's to diagnose and treat strokes in children.
Pediatric stroke is a little-known condition that occurs as often as leukemia and brain tumors but often is not recognized by parents or physicians, despite the serious short- and long-term health consequences. As part of this effort, Children’s plans to start one of four research sites in North America participating in this groundbreaking research.
“Pediatric stroke research is in its infancy,” said Dr. Michael Dowling, medical director of Children’s Pediatric Stroke Program. “We’ve simply got to find out why children suffer strokes.”
You can read more about the initiative in this Boston Globe online article.

CCBD patient inspiring others
Fourteen-year-old Payton Agnew loves to make jewelry and wants to be a doctor when she grows up. Last June, Payton underwent a bone marrow transplant at Children’s to treat T-cell lymphoma and is currently in the intensive care unit battling her disease.
Learn how Payton has inspired her entire elementary school to join in her effort to fight cancer in this WFAA news clip that ran this week.

Plano boy gives little brother life-saving transplant

2011-02-07T08:52:00.004-06:00

Editor’s Note: When Jude Cobler, 6, of Plano, was diagnosed with acute lymphocytic leukemia in August 2010, the diagnosis was difficult for his family to accept. It was harder still when traditional therapies failed. In October 2010, the Cobler family learned that Jude would need a bone marrow transplant.

This procedure would rid Jude of his own unhealthy blood cells and replace them with healthy blood-forming cells from a donor. But finding a donor can be difficult, because the recipient and donor’s tissue types must match. There is a 25% chance that a sibling will match.

Thankfully, this was the case for Jude. His older brother, Joshua, 12, was a match. On December 23, 2010, Joshua donated his bone marrow to Jude. Here, Joshua describes what it was like donating marrow to his little brother.

The donation
The bone marrow procedure was today. I lay in the soft hospital bed wearing a hospital gown completely relaxed. If I were not under the influence of the calming medicine, there is no way I would’ve been able to sit still. They rolled me down to the transplant room.

The actual procedure began after I was unconscious from general anesthesia. The doctor made two small incisions on the skin over the hip bone and inserted a special hollow needle/syringe into these incisions. The needle is inserted through these incisions at various angles and draw out the bone marrow. The marrow itself looks exactly the same as blood. Gauze and stretchy tape were then placed over the wound.

The aftermath
I felt exactly three seconds pass before a nurse woke me up in the recovery area. I was in the worst pain I’ve ever felt. (Then again, I’ve never truly been in pain before). After what felt like two minutes, but was probably much longer, she told me I met the requirements to go home. They took me upstairs by wheelchair to Jude’s room. He enthusiastically screamed my name and asked if I was all right. I limped over to the couch where I lied down and groaned. The pain was now less severe but it still hurt. (It wasn’t sore yet. It was just pure pain).

Seeing Jude againThey hooked up Jude’s central line to the bag of my marrow, his second life. I hobbled over to Jude as I told him that I loved him. He told me that he loved me. But, it meant more than that. Much more “It wasn’t just a little “I love you,” it was an “I’d do anything for you because I love you.”

I still secretly cry when I get off the phone with Jude. But, they’re no longer tears of pain and misery. They’re tears of hope. I’ve cried enough, but the tears still keep flowing out. I will never forget how much pain I went through, I will never forget how many tears I cried through these five months. I will never forget Jude’s resolution to become a “leukemia doctor” and how I promised I would become a pediatric oncologist in Jude’s honor.

But, I will never ever forget how I gave my brother a new chance at life this Christmas.

Maybe it’s strange for me to say I’m not scared at all, but I just know he’ll be all right. He has to be. But, no matter how much pain I go through, how much I hurt, how many times I cry when I’m alone, I will never forget his beautiful smile.

Editor’s Note: Two months after the procedure, here’s what Joshua had to say.
The bone marrow transplant doesn’t really cause any problems in my life. All I have to do is take iron pills every day for the next month or two.

Would I do it all over again? Of course I would. About two hours of pain for a chance to save someone’s life is worth it. So many people need bone marrow donors to make this lifesaving procedure possible.

So, I challenge you to become a donor and give someone else a chance for life. Someone out there needs you. You have the power to save a life.

How you can help
Children’s will play the role of matchmaker this Valentine’s Day, and we want you to help. On any given day, there are some 10,000 people waiting on a bone marrow transplant, including three patients at Children’s. However, 70% of patients who need a transplant don’t have a suitable donor in the family.

On Monday, Feb. 14, 2011, Children's Medical Center hosts the Be The Match bone Marrow Donor Drive from 9 a.m.to 7 p.m. And you can join the registry for free. All it takes to get registered and potentially save a life is a cotton swab of the mouth to determine your tissue type.

The registry is open to healthy people between the ages of 18 and 60, and there is a distinct need for ethnic and racial minorities, who are under-represented on the registry. Because tissue type is inherited, patients are most likely to match someone of their same race and ethnicity, and there is a 25% chance that an immediate family member will match. Learn more at http://www.childrens.com/.

A Real-life Ralphie

2011-01-18T16:45:00.010-06:00

If you have ever seen “A Christmas Story,” you know the line “You’ll shoot your eye out.” Nearly every authority figure in the movie says it over and over again to the main character, a fourth-grade boy named Ralphie who wants a BB gun for Christmas. Ralphie ends up getting his wish and actually does shoot himself in the eye when a BB ricochets off of a metal target.

Since the movie is a comedy, it would be easy to dismiss the incident as contrived. But 9-year-old Lane Foreman of Eustace, Texas, knows better.

“I know it really happens,” he said. “Because it nearly happened to me.”

Lane was playing with a BB gun over the holidays when one of his shots ricocheted off of a tree stump and hit him in the right eye. His family rushed him to a nearby emergency room, but his injury looked so bad that the staff decided he needed to be seen by pediatric trauma specialists. So, they referred him to Children’s.

“I thought he was going to lose his eye,” Lane’s mother, Tammy Foreman, said. “I thought he was going to be blind.”

Treat BB guns like ‘real’ gunsStories like Lane’s fortunately don't happen every day at Children’s. In 2010, there were 15 patients admitted to our Trauma service for gun-related incidents. Out of those 15, six involved BB guns.

However, Claudia Romo, the program manager for Injury Prevention at Children’s, still thinks parents should be especially cautious with allowing their children to use BB guns.

“All BB guns aren’t the same,” Romo said. “Some are more powerful than others. And young children lack the developmental and coordination skills to assess danger and handle some of these powerful guns.”

Romo said that she advises parents not to buy BB guns for children younger than 14 but also understands that some parents will anyway.

"If parents are still going to buy them, then they should make sure their children wear protective gear like goggles and a vest,” she said. “They should also store the BB guns in gun safes or lockboxes if they have children of different age ranges. Treat them like real guns.”

No permanent damage for Lane
Lucky for Lane, his eyelid caught most of the BB that hit him and prevented permanent damage to his eyeball. He may need future surgery but is expected to completely recover.

The biggest worry he has now is that he misses being at Children’s.

“He told me the other day that he missed the room service and nurses,” Tammy said. “He took a picture with his nurses to show off to his buddies once he got back home.”

Lane is also informally educating other children about gun safety. He’s even using “A Christmas Story” as a teaching tool.

“When we went to a doctor’s office recently, he went up to a little kid and told him that movie is a great example of why you don’t need to be playing with BB guns,” Tammy said.

Talking about tragedies

2011-01-14T13:43:00.006-06:00

In light of the recent shooting tragedy in Tucson and the one-year anniversary of the Haiti earthquake, parents should be prepared to talk to their children about these events.

In fact, First Lady Michelle Obama has penned an eloquent letter to parents that offers some insights into talking with your children about tragedies such as Tucson.

Pete Stavinoha, Ph.D., a child neuropsychologist at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, says these events provide a starting point for discussions with your children. But, these are also subjects that could raise anxieties in children who see the images on TV or hear about them on the radio or the Internet, so it is important to monitor their time listening to, watching and interacting with the news.

Tips for talking to children

Stavinoha suggests parents:

Listen to children and encourage them to ask questions at their own level of understanding. It’s OK to say you don’t know all the answers. It’s also OK not to overwhelm them with information that they may not understand.

Pay attention to younger children’s play and drawings. They may give you a clue about what they are feeling or what they know about these tragedies. This may provide the opportunity to talk about it and perhaps clarify their questions.

Don’t downplay the seriousness of the situation. Especially for older children, it is important to acknowledge the significance of the event.

Model healthy parental coping during stressful times. This does not mean hiding your feelings, but rather staying aware of your reactions and showing your children how you deal with a tragedy in a healthy manner.

Participate in activities that help put you and your children back in control of the otherwise disturbing situation such as attending prayer services.

Seek support from family, friends, church or other social and emotional supports.

If your child is old enough, watch news reports or read the news together to encourage conversation about the topic. PBS has age-appropriate guidelines about how much news children should be watching and what they will understand about the news that are helpful.

Standing for the first time

2011-01-11T17:04:00.019-06:00

Fifteen-month-old Mya Saysanam stood for the first time a few weeks ago. I know because I saw it happen while I was interviewing her family.

Although I wouldn't usually pay much attention to the first stand of any child who wasn't my own, this instance struck me as particularly momentous.

Liver experts at Children's diagnosed Mya with acute liver failure when she was 4 months old. The diagnosis shocked her parents.

In the span of a couple of days, they went from thinking she was completely healthy to not knowing if she would live to see her first birthday, much less stand on her own.

"I went numb when I found out," Mya's father, Sye Saysanam, said.

Children's was the best place to come
There is nothing good about that news for any parent, but if there was any bright spot to be found, it was that Mya came to Children's. As the only pediatric liver transplant facility in North Texas, Children's was the only place near Mya's home in Fort Worth that had the staff with the expertise to treat her condition.

And her condition deteriorated quickly. Just a few weeks after her diagnosis, her liver lost the capacity to function on its own. She had to be admitted to Children's until she could get a transplant, and no one knew for sure when that would be - a month, a year or even longer.

"They gave us a pager to alert us when she received a new organ," Sye said. "I couldn't take my eyes off of it."

"We just prayed and prayed and prayed," her mother, Krista Ketnourath, said.

Brief wait leads to permanent memories
The wait fortunately was short. A perfectly sized liver for Mya became available only two weeks after her admission. Drs. Dev Desai and Meelie Debroy took her in for surgery at midnight.

After staying up all night, Mya's parents saw their daughter emerge from surgery at 8 a.m. It was the first time they had ever seen her with a healthy liver.

"I'll always remember the first time she opened her eyes in ICU and they weren't yellow anymore," said Krista. "I always thought she was a beautiful child, but after that, I just thought, 'Oh my gosh, she really is beautiful.'"

And Krista said she will also never forget seeing Mya stand for the first time and what that symbolized.

"Now she has a new life," she said. "Now she's going to grow up."

Cops bring holiday cheer to Children’s

2010-12-28T08:34:00.005-06:00

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

2010-12-22T14:52:00.013-06:00

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

2010-12-20T12:58:00.004-06:00

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

2010-12-17T14:52:00.010-06:00

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

2010-12-17T13:00:00.007-06:00

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

2010-12-14T15:52:00.006-06:00

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

2010-12-08T13:04:00.005-06:00

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

2010-12-06T16:33:00.010-06:00

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

2010-11-29T11:44:00.004-06:00

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

2010-11-23T13:46:00.007-06:00

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

2010-11-17T11:11:00.003-06:00

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

2010-11-12T08:06:00.005-06:00

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

2010-11-10T12:08:00.007-06:00

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

2010-11-05T15:17:00.005-05:00

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

2010-11-05T12:36:00.008-05:00

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

2010-11-03T10:43:00.008-05:00

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

2010-10-28T12:15:00.012-05:00

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

2010-10-11T09:13:00.003-05:00

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

2010-10-07T10:35:00.008-05:00

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

2010-09-30T10:51:00.010-05:00

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

2010-09-23T09:21:00.008-05:00

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

2010-09-22T11:37:00.005-05:00

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

2010-09-14T15:16:00.003-05:00

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

2010-09-13T13:20:00.009-05:00

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.

Teens smoke popular drug and damage hearts

2010-09-09T14:41:00.007-05:00

Watching your teen experiment with his hairstyle or wardrobe is one thing. A harmful drug disguised as incense is another. Two teen boys recently treated in The Heart Center at Children's are dealing with cardiac issues from dabbling in K2 or "spice," a chemically-enhanced marijuana substitute. The drug is sold in head shops and online, marketed as a harmless blend of herbs and spices that's inexpensive, and, until August, was legal in Dallas. The biggest selling point for student athletes is that screening tests won't pick up this drug.

Dr. Colin Kane, pediatric cardiologist at Children's, had never heard of K2 when the teens came into the Emergency Department with unexplainable chest pain. In fact, medical literature about K2 doesn't exist so Dr. Kane is working with toxicology experts at UT Southwestern Medical Center to publish his findings. Since K2 is undetectable, there is no way for doctors to know how much of the drug is in the body or the long-term effects.

Only after some prodding did the teens admit to using K2. Unfortunately one of the boys, a high school football player, has permanent heart damage and will be on the sidelines this year.

Tips for keeping your teen out of danger:

Keep communication lines open - ask not only about K2 but also drugs in general

Watch for tracings of an herb-like substance in your teen's bedroom or backpack

Educate your teen about the real dangers of smoking K2

Be on the lookout for side effects of K2 use including paranoia and a soaring heart rate

Watch Dr. Kane explain why he's worried about widespread use among high school students and athletes:

A first-hand account on sports supplements

2010-09-08T13:05:00.003-05:00

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

2010-09-03T13:46:00.008-05:00

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.

From tiny transplant patient to schoolboy

2010-09-02T10:51:00.013-05:00

This is a big week for Maddie and Gray Harrison. Their son, Keegan, started school. Like most parents this time of year, they had the first-day-of-school jitters as they walked their almost 3-year-old into the classroom. But their fears weren't about whether Keegan would get homesick or share his toys. Instead they worried about the germs he'd be exposed to that could land him back in the hospital. And his feeding and communication issues. But they also knew that Keegan has proven to be a fighter since being born with a heart defect. At just 7 days old, Keegan was the smallest and youngest in Texas to ever undergo a heart transplant. So Maddie and Gray dropped him off and hoped for the best.

Read about preparing for Keegan's first day through Maddie's eyes...

"Keegan is starting school this week. Yep, at the urging of the transplant team at Children's, he'll start Mother's Day Out at a nearby church two days a week. I hate to admit it, but I'm absolutely, positively terrified about it.

I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that he will have the time of his little life there. I know he'll be excited to be in his class with his friends Lainey, Gage and Ainsley. I know he'll grow up before my eyes, and I hope that his speech and eating will take off because of it. I know these are the reasons we were told to enroll him. I'm certainly grateful for a transplant team that stays positive and has realistic goals for him. I can't wait to see all the artwork he'll bring home, to read the daily reports of the fun things he did, to see him shine to his full potential. We are blessed to have a school with teachers and administrators willing to take on the responsibility and risk of caring for Keegan and other parents in his class that already care so much about him.

Overwhelming fear
But I'm paralyzed by the fear that he'll end up inpatient way too much when we are so close to a year of being at home. I'm afraid that the teachers will get frustrated that his communication skills are so far behind his peers, that he's the only one in his class that hasn't even thought about potty training (you try talking potty with a kid pumped full of formula all night and who has GI problems, for lack of a more PC term). I'm nervous about possibly having to ask every parent in his class to please choose flu shots instead of the nasal mist that contains live virus. We have spent three years shielding him from others to keep him well, and here we are, sending him to the front lines of germ warfare with no armor whatsoever.

It's not fair that we have to worry about these things. It's not fair that the choice to send my son to school was not made because he wanted to or because he was old enough. No, it was made as a "quality of life" issue. I shouldn't have to think that this is something he needs to do because if he were gone tomorrow or next week or next year, we wouldn't want to have not given him the experience of learning and playing with other children his age. It's not fair that he'll miss the first full day of school for his annual cardiac work-up. Because we need to cut his neck open and snake a line down to his heart for a biopsy to make sure his body isn't rejecting his beautiful heart. It's not fair that every day when I drop him off, I'll have to drive away wondering if it'll all come crashing down today. This should be fun and exciting, but instead, all I can think about is that it's just not fair.

Grateful for life
But then I remember all the parents I know who would love to be the ones walking their child into school, no matter how unfair it is. The ones who don't get to hug and kiss their child anymore and send them off to have fun, even if all they do is sit and worry about them. The ones who would give anything to spend another night awake tending to their child. And my worry seems petty. I might not get to walk Keegan into school for as many years as I would want, but this week, I get to. It will take a huge leap of faith to walk away and put my trust in Him. But I will, because He has done wonderful things for us, and we couldn't be more grateful."

Go to Maddie's blog and read an update on Keegan's first day of school.

Beads commemorate fight against serious illness

2010-09-01T10:46:00.004-05:00

I have a strand of pearls that holds special meaning for me: They were the beads I wore on my wedding day. When you think about it, beads have been around as adornment for tens of thousands of years and have always stood as tokens of a special occasion, a transition in life, the marking of a special day. Sometimes, those days are good, sometimes they can be life-changing and sometimes, like at Children’s Medical Center, they can mark a child’s journey through illness.

You see, Children’s participates in a unique, national non-profit program called Beads of Courage that is helping patients in the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders and The Heart Center do just that. Each child receives a bead for each procedure he or she undergoes and for every time they come to the hospital or outpatient center. Each bead, underwritten by Heroes for Children for oncology patients, is color-coded to the procedure or visit, so, for example, a red bead means the child has gotten a blood transfusion, a black bead means a “poke” or the start of an IV, and yellow means a night of hospitalization.

There are also “special” beads in different shapes and sizes given to each child for acts of courage or for getting through a particularly bad day, painful procedure or surgery, or sometimes, “just because.” The beads are made into personalized necklaces with each child’s name spelled out in small blocks that remind me of “Boggle” game pieces.

MiKyla’s beads
Some children with really serious illness can collect armfuls of beads, MiKyla Pickering, for example. Mikyla, 11, who was from Paris, Texas, died recently from acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). It was her second battle with the cancer of the white blood cells. Her mother, Kenda Pickering, says MiKyla collected more than 1,000 beads during the course of her treatment over a two-year period and likens the collection to a “diary.”

Ms. Pickering had this to say about the program:

“Beads of Courage was the best program for MiKyla to help get through rough times and help her see how strong and courageous she was during her cancer treatments for leukemia. The beads were a diary of her treatments…a tangible way to show people and look back at times to see what all she had to go through during her treatment….When she had to do something she didn’t want to have to do during treatment, I would always tell her, 'You’ll get a bead' and she could get through it much easier.

"She accumulated so many beads that they were too heavy to wear so she had them put in a special jar given to her by Beads Of Courage that we carried back and forth from home to the hospital. MiKyla would decorate her IV pole with the strands of beads so everyone at the hospital could see them. Beads of Courage is a great program for children and I would encourage any kid receiving cancer treatments to do this…it’s a great DIARY for the kids and even the parents!”

National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month
Mikyla even designed a special logo that incorporates Beads of Courage to help commemorate this year’s national Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September. Visit our gallery of photos about the childhood cancer experience. The theme of this year’s gallery is “For the Moment,” which showcases a day in the life of cancer patients and their families – whether at home, through their struggles in treatment or in recovery. A display piece showing MiKyla’s beads with her biography and the Childhood Cancer Awareness Month logo she designed will accompany public showings of the slideshow. If your gallery, company or organization would like to show this exhibit, including MiKyla’s tribute, contact Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders outreach manager Cristy Ecton at 214-456-2805 or cristy.ecton@childrens.com.

From personal experience, a desire to help

2010-08-30T11:22:00.003-05:00

Andrew Pearson knows what it’s like to be a teen with a “weird disease.” When he was 14, he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis (UC), a chronic disease that can cause abdominal cramping, nausea, bloody diarrhea, fatigue and aching joints. He had to have his colon removed to help alleviate the symptoms.

Andrew recovered well from the surgery and learned to live with the disease as he grew up. Now 14 years after his last surgery, he works in the audiovisual department at Children’s Medical Center at Legacy. Last year, he started telling people around the hospital that he would like to provide advice to kids who went through the same thing he did.

Gastroenterologist Dr. Michael Russo took Andrew up on his offer.

Andrew meets Mason
Dr. Russo had a 14-year-old UC patient named Mason Rackley. Like Andrew, Mason underwent multiple unsuccessful therapies for his disease while his condition worsened. Like Andrew, to get any relief from his symptoms, he needed to have his colon removed.

Knowing the similarities in the two cases, Dr. Russo asked Andrew if he would speak with Mason and his family. Andrew was happy to oblige. He went to see the family after Mason was hospitalized for a severe UC flare-up.

“I said, ‘Fire away. Ask me anything.’ I told them my story and that everything would be fine, just that now was a difficult time. I told them about how I learned to live with my disease.”

Penny Rackley, Mason’s mom, says Andrew was the perfect person to speak to about what Mason’s life would be like if he had his colon removed.

“We could ask him anything – the most intimate and yet the most important questions for Mason,” she said. “Andrew was very free with that information. He is someone that Mason could totally trust and still is.”

Thanks in large part to Andrew’s visit, the Rackleys decided to go ahead with the surgery. Mason had his colon removed in April.

Andrew keeps giving
Andrew recently made Mason the honoree for his Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation fundraising team, which will run a half-marathon in Las Vegas Dec. 5. He hired a limousine to take Mason to the fundraiser kick-off party on Aug. 21. Mason, who Andrew describes as having a “zest for life,” got a big kick out of the limo, and is now telling all his friends about his experience.

Today, Mason, a straight “A” student even through his surgery and recuperation, is back at school and playing football.

“We’re just taking it day-to-day,” says his mom.

One mom's discovery of the perfect child friendly event

2010-08-26T11:30:00.037-05:00

Dawn Strauss explains why she and her family are going to run, relay and raise money for Children's at the Red Balloon Run & Relay on October 9.

"After almost six years of being a mother, I find the majority of child friendly activities to be a tad painful. The zoo? Ugh. There's nothing like pushing a stroller full of hot and tired kids looking at some sleeping animals. I've tried restaurants with arcade games and rides. But I leave those places having blown my diet and the kids' college funds. I've even tried puppet shows. I am always searching for activities that my children and I can both enjoy.

The Red Balloon Run & Relay seems to fit the bill. In addition to walking and running events, the Red Balloon Run & Relay will have a DJ and kid-friendly activities like face painting, a bubble zone, a photo booth and tic-tac-toe and Wii games. Members of the Dallas Stars Street Team and the Texas Legends Basketball team will be there. And families can buy tickets for breakfast, snacks and lunch, with proceeds benefiting the Legacy chapter of the Women's Auxiliary to Children's.

You can sign up to run or walk, and then you start your fundraising. All proceeds go to Children's, and you can give to a specific department at the hospital. Even my 5-year-old is getting into this. She's in the midst of training to run the 1K fun run. Most importantly, my kids will have a great time while they work to help others.

The heart behind it all

If these activities aren't enticing enough, then come out October 9 and meet the children who are benefiting from this event. My favorite beneficiary of the event is my 4-year-old daughter, Shayna. She is literally the heart behind Team Shayna. One hundred percent of the proceeds raised by our team will go to The Heart Center at Children's.

So why am I working so hard to fundraise for The Heart Center?

I could state the obvious and rave about the incredible care Shayna has received. Shayna suffers from Mitral Valve Regurgitation and Left Coronary Artery Atresia (she has no left coronary). I could tell you how Dr. Forbess successfully operated on my then 15-month-old, who was in congestive heart failure. Or I could talk about the people in the cardiac ICU who were able to revive Shayna when she had an irregular heartbeat after surgery. I could tell you how, although more surgery is in our near future, Shayna is exceeding everyone's expectations. She is happy and so full of life. You would never know that she's a heart patient. All this makes The Heart Center great. I want to tell you what makes it extraordinary.

The little things that make a difference
You see, The Heart Center has brought light to the darkest place of my life. The people and the resources available to Shayna and our family have taken the unthinkable and made this journey bearable. What is it about The Heart Center that the average person can't see?

It's Chris, Shayna's ICU nurse, who would hold her hand and talk to her when I would step out for a meal.

It's the child life specialist who works on Saturdays that prepared my then 3-year-old to see her sister in the ICU.

It's Barry, the echo tech, who would talk to Shayna about the Barbie movie she was watching during her echocardiogram.

It's Jelly, the nurse, who told Shayna that she was lucky that she got to wear her heart monitor to preschool because she could show all of her friends the music box that was recording the music in her heart.

It's Dr. Day, Shayna's cardiologist, who makes her check-ups seem more like a visit with an old friend.

These are the people who motivate me to give back. So, I ask you to come out and join us for the Red Balloon Run & Relay. Support Team Shayna and help us thank The Heart Center for not only saving my daughter's life, but for bringing so much joy into lives which could potentially have been filled with so much pain."

Back to school

2010-08-25T14:41:00.007-05:00

Brianna Lamar is one of many 14-year-olds in North Texas who began their first week of high school on Monday. When I spoke with her a few weeks ago, she didn't seem worried at all about the adjustment.

"I'm looking forward to it," she said. "It's going to be a little different, because I'm going to be doing a lot more. I'm going to have to balance out a way to be on the debate team, student council and band. And all of my classes except for two are going to be advanced placement."

She wasn't worried about fitting in. Or harder classes. Or growing up. She wasn't worried about any of the typical things high school freshmen worry about.

What did worry Briana? Getting a scratch in PE. She's HIV positive and has been since birth.

But there is a lot more to her than that, as you can tell by the excerpts from our conversation below. A full story on Briana will run in the September issue of Children's Connect.

"I went to Camp Hope this summer. It's a camp full of kids who have HIV. This was my seventh year to go. It's pretty neat to see a bunch of kids just like me and make friends with them. We do outdoor stuff like canoeing, kayaking, riding bikes and going down a zip line. It's a lot of fun. I'm sad, because next year will be my last year to be a camper."

"I don't think about HIV all of the time, but there are times when I do. I wonder what stage it's in. I wonder how big it's gotten. I wonder if my medicines are shrinking it any."

"I call the people who don't have HIV 'The Normals.' It takes them days and weeks to get sick. But for me, sickness can advance within a matter of minutes or hours. And if it lasts for days to weeks, that's when it really gets a lot worse for me. That's why I have to take my medicine every day."

"There are two people that I consider my closest friends. You know, you tell somebody and they usually tell someone else. But I told them (about my condition), and they don't tell anyone else unless they ask me first. They keep it to themselves, and they don't threaten to tell other people if we get in an argument or anything. That's what I really like about them. They're the two most loyal friends I've had."

"When I turn 16, I'll have to get a job. I would love to intern at a veterinarian's office. I'd just like to work with animals in any way possible."

"I've already decided where I want to go to college: Texas A&M. They have a great veterinary program. For my undergrad degree, instead of doing it in 4 years, I'm going to do it in 2. And for my grad degree, instead of doing it in 4 years, I'm going to finish it in 2 also. And then I'll have a 2-year internship with a vet. And then I'll set up an animal sanctuary somewhere in the country in Montana. But not too far from the city."

Children’s at Legacy helps ease the pain

2010-08-18T11:12:00.006-05:00

Cheryl Haver’s evening started out like any other: “Get off work, pick up the kids, go home and start dinner.” But the evening of July 20 turned out differently. Her youngest daughter, Mickenleigh, 4, (“Mickey” or my little monkey”) ended up with a gash in her eyebrow that needed stitches. Even though they were in Grand Prairie at the time, Ms. Haver immediately drove Mickey and her other daughter, Crimson Rose, to Children’s Medical Center at Legacy in Plano. She felt confident in the care Mickey would receive because Legacy is where she takes Crimson Rose, age 9, for severe asthma attacks. Here are excerpts from Ms. Haver’s description of that night:

“As I was in the kitchen, I heard my daughters running around and jumping on the bed. Then I heard a crash and a scream. Mickenleigh had fallen off the bed and hit her head on the night stand drawer that was not closed fully. She came out of the bedroom with her hand over her eye. I had never been so scared. She took her hand off and my heart fell when all I saw was blood. It was all over her face. I finally got her calm enough to get it cleaned off. She had hit her eyebrow and cut it open.”

Sensory integration disorder complicates care
Mickenleigh has a sensory integration disorder and she doesn’t like anyone to touch her face. But she let the doctors and nurses at Children’s at Legacy help her. Ms. Haver says:

“Since Mickey has sensory integration disorder I knew that a regular Emergency Room would probably send her over the edge. We got in the room [at Children's at Legacy] and did not even get to sit down before the nurse came in. She was really great about talking to Mickenleigh and not just to me. The doctor then came in and looked and determined she would need stitches.

Me, being mom, was only thinking my little blonde-haired, blue-eyed baby would be walking around with these black strings over her eyes, and then I would have to go through all this again to get them removed. One of her sensory dislikes is people touching her face. Also when she gets scared or nervous, I have to hold her super tight to calm her down but no one else can restrain her. I voiced all these concerns to the doctor trying to figure out how we are going to keep her still enough to get stitches in her eyebrows. He reassured me that they were going to use dissolvable stitches and they would only do the procedures when Mickenleigh was comfortable. That put me a little more at ease.”

Ms. Haver says her family received great care from every level of professionals at the Emergency Room.

“A woman from the Child Life department came in and explained that she was there just for Mickenleigh and would sit with Mickenleigh and me through the whole procedure. She would also answer any questions that Mickenleigh might have. She brought in coloring books, crayons, and a doctor kit for the girls to play with. She just sat and talked to Mickenleigh and answered all her questions no matter how silly they were. She walked Mickenleigh through step by step what was going to happen. She really helped put Mickenleigh at ease.

The nurse came back in to put a numbing gel on Mickenleigh's eyebrow and was just very patient and understanding and did everything on Mickenleigh’s own time. Since this was night time, I knew we would be there during shift change. Usually in regular ER’s, people come and go and never tell you who they are. But at Children’s that was different. The first doctor came back in with another doctor and explained to Mickenleigh that he was getting off work and was wondering if it was OK that he left and his friend take over. He was willing to stay if that is what Mickenleigh wanted. They talked to Mickenleigh and discussed everything with her just like she was an adult and not a 4-year-old scared little girl. She told the doctor it was OK for him to go home.

When it was finally time to put the stitches in, my stomach was turning. Even though it made it harder on himself, the doctor let me hold her in my lap instead of trying to hold her lying down in the bed. He kept reassuring Mickenleigh and made sure it was OK for him to start stitching. Everyone explained to Mickenleigh step by step how they were going to put in the stitches.

The "toy lady" brought in movies and a few toys to try to distract Mickenleigh from what was happening. Of course that was hard since they were working on her eye. Of course she started screaming as soon as the doctor started, but he was very calming and just kept talking to her. I did not realize that in order to use the stitches that dissolved it would be harder on him since those are colored blonde and she has blonde eyebrows. I don't know how he did it but he managed to get the stitches in and Mickenleigh was OK. She wiped the tears away and the doctor explained to her how to take care of her wound. The girls then got Popsicles and juice.”

Ms. Haver likes the fact that her family got follow-up care from Children’s.

“Children's even called the next day just to check on Mickenleigh and make sure everything was still OK. They are so loving and caring and truly do their jobs because they love children. You can see it in their eyes and feel it when they talk to you. I will drive out of my way just to take my babies to Children's. I am so glad that Children's Legacy is there. They are the best.”

“All I wanted to be was normal”

2010-08-16T12:15:00.007-05:00

Meredith Moore of Dallas has spent the better part of her life fighting anorexia. As the 18-year-old faces new challenges — heading off for college, leaving her parents’ home, growing up — she talks about what it’s like, how far she’s come, and what scares her about moving on.

All I wanted was to be "normal." But I was far from even the outskirts of normal at the height of my illness. Instead of spending Friday nights delighting in cake batter ice cream with girlfriends, whom I once thought of as my best buddies, I bonded with my self-diminishing disease instead.

I went to yoga for all the wrong reasons: to ogle my prickly spine and raggedy spindle-shank bones in the surrounding mirrors of the studio. At the apogee of my anorexic affair, I thought my objective in life was to make my gaunt figure everlasting, to transform weight loss into a staunch conviction, in order to find self worth and purpose.

My parents saw things differently. Two weeks after I was admitted to Children’s Medical Center, my views started to shift. Was I seriously swallowing antipsychotics and in the same unit as bipolar schizophrenics? The inpatient unit was very strict: Even my fluids, both in and out, were monitored. That’s because we anorexics are pretty creative in finding ways to hide the ways we avoid eating. I began to realize that I couldn't have it both ways in life — keeping both my disease and all the privileges of my impending adulthood.

I had lost my parents' trust. Due to my disease, I couldn't hike the ruins of Angkor Wat with my mom (a trip we'd planned for months and had to cancel) because of my brittle bones. I couldn't bike and bond with my dad because my distortive dieting and dilated aorta threatened our favorite tradition. In short, I couldn't make my life last and play the role of victim to my inner destructive voice. The doctors, nurses and therapists at Children's led me, firmly and inevitably, toward health.

Individual, family, and group therapy showed me ways to "normalize" my behavior so I'd make “could” last as opposed to “couldn't.” Together at Children’s, we found ways for my zealous drive to once be the skinniest and sickest victim to transform into a person who valued straight A's and real accomplishments instead. This transformation wasn't easy; I was utterly miserable most of high school.

Finally, last summer, I reached an epiphany: What if all I have to make last is self-acceptance? I realized that normalcy is variegated hues instead of being stark black and white. I decided to trust my intuition to shape my identity rather than conventional wisdom. My eating disorder began to abate.

Nonetheless, the struggle continues to be a daily duel. Some summers are worse than others. Stress, such as my upcoming departure for college, triggers lapses into old, unhealthy habits. Like every therapist said, this sickness must be kicked in the toosh every day. I fall back on the advice and insights I received as a patient at Children's when I struggle. I can still hear them saying: "Shedding pounds is in turn going to impede your inspirations and aspirations. Malnourished, you can’t think coherently."

Whenever I shilly-shally over whether to weigh myself or count calories or hover on the edge of deep depression, I remember what Courtney, my favorite milieu therapist (MT), said to me: “How do you want to be remembered? What kind of person do you want to be?” and I feel stronger, better, because I’m more determined to inspire others with my natural talents like photography and writing rather than thinness.

Like me, many girls and, yes, boys, need to take greater care in accepting themselves. And while diet and exercise – physical well-being – are important, they are merely specks among the greater aspects of our values, like faith, hope and love.

Beauty by Hollywood’s standards does not bequeath entitlement. Yet so many men and women misconceive six-pack abs, luscious legs, and hair that shimmies and swerves in the sunlight as empowerment. It can be hard to choose to be fearless over conforming to popular culture. To show how far I’d come, I didn’t wear a drop of makeup my last month of high school and rather than straightening my strands, I sported a coffee-colored beret. The experience gave me confidence. I couldn't have made such a strong choice without the help of the staff at Children’s.

After struggling with her disease for years, specialists at Children’s Medical Center treated Meredith for anorexia in the comprehensive pediatric eating disorders program before her freshman year of high school. This fall, she is headed off to school at Barnard College in New York. She follows the advice given her by her treatment team at Children’s to take recovery one day at a time.

Madison’s recovery

2010-08-13T13:17:00.008-05:00

Full recovery for Madison Birdwell may be years away, but, on July 21, she saw her surgeon, Dr. Andrew Trussler, as an outpatient at Children’s Medical Center at Legacy in Plano. Her healing is progressing. “He said I was ahead on the healing schedule.”

Madison knows she may have other surgeries but the biggest part is over and she’ll not need any major surgeries. A year from now, there might be a laser surgery to make the skin grafts on her leg “look more like normal skin.” She’s also facing a long process of physical therapy. But she has her leg and she will not be in pain, Dr. Trussler said, and for that she is thankful.

The Oklahoma teen says of her ordeal: “Mentally, that was kind of hard.” But she remembers these encouraging words from the plastic surgeon: “Dr. Trussler joked that as long as I didn’t want to be an Olympic high jumper, that I would be fine. That’s about the only thing I wouldn’t be able to do.”

Degloving accidents
Dr. Trussler said degloving accidents like Madison’s, where the skin is stripped off the extremity, are fairly common. Children’s Medical Center sees about one a month.

The injury is very severe and often also involves the stripping of muscle. Madison’s muscles were intact, thus saving her from having to have another type of muscle flap surgery. Dr. Trussler said of Madison’s surgery: “It was a good save.”

Madison requires immediate surgery

2010-08-11T13:43:00.007-05:00

Doctors in Oklahoma had said Madison Birdwell was going to lose her leg.

Enter Dr. Andrew Trussler, a plastic surgeon on the medical staff at Children’s Medical Center. He succeeded in taking a muscle flap called the soleus from the calf, rotating it upward and wrapping it around Madison’s damaged leg. When he visited Madison’s parents, Susan and Glendon Birdwell, after the surgery, Madison says he told them: “’That was easy.’” She adds: “My parents were looking at him in awe.”

Four days later, Dr. Trussler performed a second surgery to put skin grafts on Madison’s leg. The grafts were taken from the tops of her thighs. A third surgery required the removal of a Wound Vac device that had applied negative pressure to Madison’s injuries, thus continuing her healing process.

Psychological help for Madison
All along the arduous and painful way, Madison was helped by Gretchen Noble, Ph.D., a psychology post-doctoral fellow at Children’s, who used a variety of mental techniques, including deep breathing and guided imagery, to help Madison control her pain and adjust to the fact that her leg would never look the same as before the accident. This fall, Noble will become a full-time pain management psychologist providing inpatient consultations and outpatient evaluation and follow-up.

Madison’s experience with Shaolin Kung Fu training helped her to focus mentally on Dr. Noble’s guided imagery, especially during her wound dressing changes and the first time she saw her leg exposed. “She helped me prepare for that. She helped me with my psychological reasoning,” says Madison. “My leg is attached to me. It’s my leg and I’m going to have to get used to it.”

Read more about Madison Friday.

One moment changes Madison's life

2010-08-09T11:16:00.008-05:00

“I got hit by a tank.” Madison Birdwell saw the huge car, a Mercury Grand Marquis, run the red light right and come directly at her before hitting her motorcycle. The 15-year-old from Guthrie, Okla., remains clear-headed about the accident: “I remember everything.”

Her injuries were gruesome. The accident stripped the skin on her lower left leg down to the muscles and tendons. Her leg bones were broken in six places. Her tibia bone was exposed.

She was Medi flighted to an Oklahoma City adult hospital trauma unit where surgeons set her bones. But after two weeks there, her improvement was minimal and she was told that she was 24 hours away from losing her leg. “I was prepared for the fact,” Madison says. She was transported that night on a jet to Children’s Medical Center and a hospital bed in Dallas.

Read more of Madison's story Wednesday.

Why doctors in Colombia will be more prepared for flu season

2010-08-04T10:09:00.012-05:00

Have you ever talked to someone and your conversation with them kept replaying in your head? That happened to me last week. I met a doctor from Bogota, Colombia who was at Children's with his team. After talking about his visit, Dr. Cassalett told me that 30 kids in Bogota died from the flu last year because he had nothing else to offer them. That knowing how to operate machines like the ones at our hospital could have saved at least half of their tiny patients.

His words were hard to grasp. Thirty died? That amounts to a whole classroom of kids. I instantly thought of Anthony Vo, a perfectly healthy kid who was hit hard with the flu last year. Without our specialized team that Dr. Cassalett was talking about, this 4-year-old wouldn't be alive.

That's why Dr. Cassalett is here. To make sure more kids have outcomes like Anthony. Day in and day out this group has been training on complex machines called ECMO with our experts in the pediatric ICU.

Dr. Cassalett told me he plans to start a program in Bogota by October, just in time for flu season.

Check out a WFAA segment that features the team training with mannequin simulators.

If I’d only known then what I know now…

2010-08-02T13:32:00.005-05:00

AAP says 'Herculean' cleaning efforts not needed to rid home of head lice

Three years ago, a phone conversation with my best friend began the way many horrible talks do.

“I have terrible news,” she told me.

Now in our 40s, my best friend and I have shared many things in our relationship. We have known each other since we were 6, and now our daughters are good friends, too. I was fully prepared for her to tell me that someone close to us had died.

Instead, she told me something that was nearly as devastating to me at the moment: Her daughter had lice, and she thought my daughter might, too, since the two had spent the night at her house the day before.

My friend confessed that after discovering the lice late the previous night, she’d been up all night scrubbing, washing, drying things on high heat and sealing off pillows and stuffed animals in garbage bags.

My only reply: “Why in the world didn’t you call me sooner?” It was 10 a.m. at this point, and I had lost precious hours in the battle.

The necessities
I immediately checked my kids. Two of three had head lice. That’s when I morphed into Psycho Lice Mom. The fear of shaving my 2-week-old’s precious brown curls drove me to obsess about evicting the bugs loitering on my children’s heads (don’t worry — she’s the one who didn’t have lice).

A frantic trip to the drug store netted $100 in products — shampoo, special nit combs, lice-killing sprays and even a $25 electric bug-zapping comb. I made everyone in the house use the shampoo – against the advice of the product directions – multiple times in a two-week period just to be sure. I checked everyone’s hair several times a day — OK, hourly – and “zapped” when necessary.

But I couldn’t stop there. I threw away throw pillows and sheets, spent hundreds of dollars to dry-clean bedding (professionally laundering king-size quilts and comforters is expensive) and put toys and stuffed animals in bags (some of which remain unopened in my garage to this day).

And here’s the clincher: Ultimately, after spraying lice-killing spray on our sofa – where one of my daughter’s was sitting when I made the gruesome discovery – I couldn’t stand the thought of the bugs or the chemicals. So, I got rid of the sofa, too.

Advice from the experts
However, according to new advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics, my cleaning frenzy to rid our home of head lice, now known as the “2007 lice incident,” was completely unnecessary. I’m sharing the AAP’s report and my story in hopes of sparing you the pain and suffering that I went through in the panic of ignorance.

Of course, we survived the ordeal, and thanks to the AAP, I’ll know better next time… though recounting the incident still makes my skin crawl.

Doctor offers help to stunned families of autistic children

2010-07-23T14:45:00.007-05:00

You have probably heard about the case of the Irving mother killing her children this week. A lot of attention has been paid to the fact that her 5-year-old son was autistic and her 2-year-old daughter may have been as well. The mother claimed the reason she killed her children is that she wanted "normal kids."

Dr. Patricia Evans, a pediatric neurologist at Children's, encounters and treats autistic children every day. I spoke with her to get a better grasp on how situations like this happen.

The first thing she commented on was how isolated the mother must have felt. She said that feeling isolated is the most common complaint she hears from parents of autistic children. Their friends and extended family can't relate and taking their children anywhere in public exhausts them, so they keep to themselves.

"Something as simple as buying groceries becomes this unbelievably difficult task," Dr. Evans said. "Just to get to the store, get your child out of the car, make sure he doesn't dash across the parking lot, get him into the grocery store, get some groceries and get checked out. It's so simple for most of us, but for the parent of an autistic child, that may take a week to work up to."

To get a candid perspective on raising an autistic child, read this Dallas Morning News blog written by a parent of an autistic child and this Red Balloon blog written by a Children's employee.

The danger of isolation, Dr. Evans said, is that it prevents parents from getting the support they need. And support is absolutely necessary. Autism bankrupts families "emotionally, financially, and in every way because these children take such a toll," she said.

I assume that is how the Irving mother felt. But there obviously needs to be another way to respond than she did.

Dr. Evans suggestion is simply: "Ask for help."

"I would start by talking to your child's school, because they know his condition and the specific resources near you. Then I would go to a place like Children's that offers assessments, therapies and medications. Then I would go online and look up resources like Autism Speaks that connect you to community resources and support groups," she said. "So many more services are available today."

More medication is available today, too. No specific treatment for autism has been found yet, but the symptoms like aggression and anxiety can be treated. Dr. Evans said she is confident that more and more advancements will be made in the near future because research hospitals like Children's are performing so much research on autism.

But as long as autism remains, she said, there will always have to be behavioral treatments, too.

"The absolute worst thing parents of autistic children can do is isolate themselves."

Cholesterol and kids

2010-07-16T13:54:00.002-05:00

Did you know some children can have high cholesterol? A study of more than 20,000 fifth-graders in West Virginia found that some children who didn’t meet the profile for high cholesterol from the government’s National Cholesterol Education Program nonetheless had elevated cholesterol levels and could benefit from medication or interventions to reduce their cholesterol levels.

We tell you what this means for your family and what you should be telling your child’s primary care physician. That means an up-to-date and accurate family history for risk factors associated with high cholesterol.

We’d also like to hear from you. What has it meant for your family’s lifestyle if your child has high cholesterol?

Bicycle safety requires helmet head and rider smarts

2010-07-13T10:39:00.006-05:00

When I was a kid, I rode my bike all the time around the neighborhood and out on to the “big” local streets. I never gave a thought to bicycle helmets. Luckily, that ignorance has gone the way of the dodo bird. And thank goodness. Statistics show that apart from the automobile, bicycles are related to more childhood injuries than any other consumer product.

The increasing use of helmets by children is having a positive impact on the number of injuries sustained while bike riding. Cyclists under age 16 accounted for 13 percent of all cyclists killed and 25 percent of those injured in traffic crashes in 2008. By comparison, cyclists under age 16 accounted for 30 percent of all those killed and 44 percent of those injured 10 years before that, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Safe Kids USA says 75 percent of fatal head injuries among kids on bicycles could be prevented by wearing a helmet and wearing it properly. Helmet use can reduce head injury risk by 85 percent and severe brain injury by 85 percent, Safe Kids says. The same safety considerations apply to skateboarding and in-line skating. Don’t forget the padded safety equipment for those two activities.

But bicycle safety also depends on other factors, like rider “smarts”. Children’s Medical Center and the Consumer Products Safety Commission have this advice:

• Stop before riding into traffic from a driveway, sidewalk, parking lot or other street.

• Look left, right and left again to check for cars.

• If the road is clear, enter.

• Ride on the far right of the road, with traffic.

• Ride so cars can see you, wearing brightly colored clothes, especially at night.

• Obey all traffic signals and stop signs.

• Look back and yield to traffic coming from behind before turning left.

• Ride bicycles in single file.

• Look for uneven pavement or other surface problems.

Some of these same tips apply to when your child is out walking or is going to and from school on the bus. Watch this video for other safety tips in preparation for the upcoming school year.

Does your teen text while driving? She might as well be drunk

2010-07-07T11:31:00.011-05:00

This blog is from Annemarie Campbell, an intern at Children's who will be a senior in college next year. Read what she has to say about teen driving and distractions.

Many teens live almost as demanding a lifestyle as their parents. So they might think it’s innocent and possible even helpful to send an email to a teacher, coach or parent while on the road. No problem, right? Well, the statistics say otherwise.

Statistics
In fact, using a cell phone while driving, even if it is hands-free, is comparable to having a blood alcohol level of .08% -- the legal limit. These findings are scary. And what is even scarier is that despite these statistics, American teens have yet to “put it down.”

That’s why organizations like the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration are leading campaigns like “Put It Down!” that emphasize the downfalls of distracted driving.

Again, busy lifestyles and demanding education goals are among the top factors for distracted driving. Additionally, many teens use their cell phones as their sole means of communication. You might think that the problem would be solved with the use of Bluetooth, speakerphone, and other devices, but studies show distraction is still an issue. The cognitive diversion is enough to hinder a driver’s performance. According to the USDOT, driving while using a cell phone decreases the amount of brain activity associated with driving by 37 percent.

And, other distractions lurk in our teens’ cars: talking to passengers, loud music, using a navigation system, and changing the song on the Mp3 player or iPod.

New technologies may offer answers
How can parents rest assured their teens are safe on the roads? While driving with their cell phone tucked away in a purse or pocket and limiting other diversions is the safest and most reliable method of insuring teens’ safety, there are other options.

For example, The Ford Motor Company has come out with a new technology – MyKey™. With this system, parents can program any key to automatically have certain features turned on when the key is inserted into the ignition. MyKey features include:
• Restricted top speed of 80 mph.
• Limited audio volume of 44 percent of total volume.
• Traction control system that limits tire spin.
• A speed alert indicator at 45, 55, or 65 mph.

Another option is called the Key2SafeDriving™ (K2SD. ) This device interacts with your teen’s smart phone and sends out a Bluetooth signal. When the key is in the ignition and the car is on, dialing out, answering a call or texting won’t work. The device sends calls straight to voice mail and automated text messages back stating the driver will respond when they reach their destination. The device allows teens to dial 911 as well as two pre-selected numbers.

What do you think – what is the best way to keep our teens focused on the road?

Summer camp tips

2010-06-30T16:20:00.004-05:00

It’s sleep-away and day camp season. Parents may have questions about their child’s medications while at camp and also what to pack for camp and why. One of our Children’s Medical Center nurses just returned from duty as a camp nurse and has these helpful tips for parents and campers alike:

• Find out if there is a camp nurse and where children’s medications are stored.
• Ask who administers medications if not a camp nurse.
• When dropping off your child, stop by to visit the camp nurse or health officer with any health or other concerns and let the nurse know which medications or other healthcare products your child is using.
• Keep all medications in their original packaging, especially prescription drugs, but also over-the-counter medications, herbals, vitamins and homeopathic remedies, such as melatonin. Otherwise, the nurse will not be able to dispense the products to your child.
• Provide the nurse and camp counselor with a list of any known food or environmental allergies your child may have.
• Provide your camper with a reusable water bottle so it will be easier for them to stay hydrated.
• Pack lots of sunscreen and a hat to protect your child from the harsh summer sun.
• You might also want to pack insect spray that is appropriate for your child’s age and size.
• Pack extra socks so your child has dry ones to wear to prevent blisters.
• To help allay possible homesickness, send your child to camp with a memento from home, such as a favorite stuffed animal, toy or photo.

Family-centered rounds at Children’s

2010-06-25T12:23:00.015-05:00

Family-centered rounds in the hospital. What exactly does that mean? It’s part of a movement in American hospitals to involve the patient and family in all aspects of the patient’s care, including the discussions among physicians and other medical personnel.

The essence of the idea is that by partnering with patients and families and involving them in decisions about their care, hospitals can deliver better quality of care for all patients and achieve better patient outcomes.

At Children’s Medical Center, family-centered rounds involve a dedicated team of physicians and other healthcare personnel who visit the child’s hospital room every day. The team ensures family participation in discussions on the child’s care. Reason for admission to the hospital, current condition of the child, plans for the day, and discharge expectations are clearly communicated on a daily basis on these rounds.

Raegan’s case
Stefanie Davis, mother of 2-½-year-old patient Raegan Davis from Ennis, Texas, has first-hand experience with family-centered rounds at Children’s. Raegan underwent treatment for osteomyelitis, an infection of the bone. Stefanie and her husband, William Davis, participated in the daily rounds with the medical team to develop plans to manage Raegan’s medical condition. They received daily updates from the team and had their questions answered by the medical team. “We were very well informed along the way,” Davis says.

Piloting the concept
Dr. Vineeta Mittal, a pediatrician and assistant professor of Pediatrics at UT Southwestern Medical Center, has been in the forefront of family-centered rounds at Children’s. Piloting the effort among the hospital’s general pediatric floors, she says, “Families feel involved and appreciate being a part of the medical team. They understand why their child is admitted and what the discharge goals are.” Additionally, she says, “We may be the experts in medicine but families are the experts on their child. We want to partner and work with them to manage their child’s condition.”

Dr. Mittal has authored a study on family-centered rounding this month in the journal Pediatrics.

Watch a video of Dr. Mittal and Davis explaining family-centered rounds:

The practice of family-centered rounds is just one part of our mission to make life better for children, in this case by involving the family in their child’s care at the most basic level of communication. It is also a great learning tool for medical students, interns, and residents on the medical rounding team as they learn to communicate directly with the family under the watchful eye of an attending physician.

Dr. Mittal acknowledges that the concept of involving families so intimately in their child’s care can be a little intimidating. “Large team size can be a little overwhelming for some families at first, but families appreciate being involved in medical decision-making and are more comfortable expressing their concerns on rounds,” she says.

Linda Hensel, RN, BSN, a bedside and charge nurse who often participates in family-centered rounds, says of the practice: “I think it puts everyone on the same page, reinforcing and supporting the care the child is receiving.”

Talking about the Gulf Coast disaster

2010-06-21T13:38:00.004-05:00

I wonder what parents are telling their children about the oil spewing into the Gulf Coast waters. June 20 marked two months since the British Petroleum oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, sending untold gallons of raw oil into the sea and fouling beaches and marshes. President Barak Obama has called it the “greatest environmental disaster of its kind in history,” so it’s not enough just to tell your children the oil is bad for fish.

In fact, the news is everywhere, and your child has likely already heard a lot about the Gulf Coast oil disaster and/or seen pictures of oil-soaked wildlife, so be prepared to talk about it.

Pete Stavinoha, Ph.D., a child neuropsychologist at Children’s Medical Center, says the Gulf Coast disaster provides a starting point for discussions with your children about environmental responsibility and stewardship.

But it is also a subject that could raise anxieties in smaller children who see images of dead or dying wildlife, so it is important to monitor their time listening to and watching the news.

Stavinoha suggests parents:

Listen to children and encourage them to ask questions at their own level of understanding. It’s OK to say you don’t know all the answers. It’s also OK not to overwhelm them with information that they may not understand.
Pay attention to younger children’s play and drawings. They may give you a clue about what they are feeling or what they know about the disaster. This may provide the opportunity to talk about it and perhaps clarify their questions.

Don’t downplay the seriousness of the situation. Especially for older children, it is important to acknowledge the significance of the event.

Our visit to Capitol Hill was priceless

2010-06-17T08:42:00.011-05:00

Sheila Elliott, Colby Elliott’s mom, describes her family’s visit to Capitol Hill to meet Texas state representatives, senators, and their aides during Family Advocacy Days in Washington, D.C.

Thanks to the Elliott family for helping us put a face on the important work done every day at Children's Medical Center.

We spent the day taking the boys to 10 different members of Congress. We met with Representatives Mike Conaway, Mike Burgess, Sam Johnson and Ralph Hall, Rep. Joe Barton's aide, Kay Granger's aide, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison's aide, Senator John Cornyn’s aide, Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson's aide and Rep. Chet Edwards.... what an absolutely amazing day! PRICELESS! The boys will remember this day for a long time!

I'm proud to say that Colby felt comfortable on Capitol Hill. He even asked Ralph Hall if he had a bathroom, to which Hall replied, "Of course, I do! I'm 87 years old." Colby proceed to the back of his office and found the door that concealed Mr. Hall's private bathroom. I reminded Colby to lift the seat and wash his hands.

In all seriousness, our family has had the trip of a lifetime. It was absolutely perfect and was like a dream come true.

Our sweet Colby, who just seven years ago began his journey with his first open heart surgery at 4.8 pounds, is now a 40-pound ball of energy who has sat in the offices of the very important people who make decisions for our country.

My husband and I are so thankful that we made the decision to put Colby in the hands of the specialists of Children's Medical Center. They gave our child life, and it feels good to stand on Capitol Hill, speaking with members of Congress, representing all of the children and their families.

Today, we conclude our trip with a visit to the National Children's Museum, where we will continue to remember our son's journey and celebrate his life.

As we spend this last day in Washington, D.C., we are reminded of all the children who are still fighting for their lives, and for those who are the precious angels among us. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all, and our door is open to anyone who would like to contact our family for questions or support. Thank you for following our journey to D.C.!

Congressional visits day

2010-06-16T10:50:00.004-05:00

Sheila Elliott, Colby Elliott’s mom, updates us on the June 16 congressional visits day so far.

We're on the Hill! It's so exciting. So far we've met with Rep. Mike Conaway, Rep. Mike Burgess (who's also a doctor), and Rep. Sam Johnson of Texas. It's a challenge to keep three boys all focused and calm at the same time, of course.

We think Colby is putting a "face" on the importance of health care for these lawmakers, and that's great. Behind all of these bills and decisions are kids like Colby, who are alive because of well-trained pediatric specialists.

Now we're off to our next appointments!

Family Advocacy Day celebration dinner

2010-06-16T10:31:00.008-05:00

Sheila Elliott, the mother of Colby Elliott, says her family is enjoying their time in the nation's capital and had a great time at the family celebration dinner June 15. Read her update below.

Our family had an AMAZING time tonight at the Family Advocacy Day celebration dinner. There was a magician, a live band, great food, face painting, caricature drawings, and every child picked out their favorite toy from the "Toy Store." The boys were in heaven.

I'm pretty sure Colby met every family that attended the event, as he darted from table to table, handing out his trading card. He received many other families' cards and put them in his special folder. He has really enjoyed meeting the other families and learning about their stories.

Colby has always been a "kid magnet." People are drawn to his contagious smile and bubbly personality. At one point, Colby had half the children dancing with him on the dance floor. It was such a joy to see him and the children playing and celebrating the hospitals that gave them life.

Tomorrow morning, we're off to Capitol Hill. We can't wait to see our lawmakers!

Colby's mom updates us on their trip

2010-06-15T15:38:00.005-05:00

Sheila Elliot, the mother of Colby Elliot, says her family is enjoying their time in the nation's capital. Read her update below.

WOW! What an amazing time we are having here in Washington, D.C., representing Children’s Medical Center! Colby has enjoyed seeing a lot of the monuments and museums. This trip has been a dream come true for our family. However, since we haven’t traveled a lot with Colby due to his heart condition, it has also reminded us how resilient, yet delicate he can be.

The heat of the blaring sun and the tremendous amount of walking has taken a toll on him. Fortunately, Children’s arranged a stroller to be delivered to the hotel, which has been a lifesaver! :)

Colby has had a blast exchanging trading cards with other “All Star” kids and listening to their hospital experiences. He tells everyone he meets how awesome “our” hospital is and that Children’s “room service” is the best!

We are looking forward to meeting with members of Congress tomorrow and sharing our story with them and thanking them for their support. It is so important for the leaders of our country to put a face to the decisions they make. We feel so privileged to represent Children’s Medical Center. Colby is so proud of his hospital and doctors. Children’s has given our son life, and by speaking with members of Congress, it is our hope that other children will have a stronger life as well.

So far, we've done a radio interview with a Texas news network, plus another radio interview. And we just finished making a video interview for the National Association of Children's Hospitals, too. Tonight, we have the dinner celebration for the families, and there's even a live band!

Colby goes to Washington

2010-06-14T15:14:00.005-05:00

Colby Elliot is the prototypical picture of an American boy. He has blonde hair, blue eyes and dimples that frame his smile. Norman Rockwell would have loved to use him as a model for one of his Saturday Evening Post covers in the 1950s.

Now that summer has arrived, the 7-year-old from Frisco can be found participating in All-American hobbies like swimming, riding his scooter, playing with his brothers and... meeting with U.S. legislators in Washington, D.C.

You see, Colby is All-American, but he isn't ordinary. His whole life has been spent undergoing treatment for hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a rare congenital defect in which the left side of his heart is severely undeveloped. However, thanks to the dozens of specialists in The Heart Center at Children's, Colby has come a long way since birth.

This week, Colby is trying to repay the favor by advocating for those specialists and others like them on Capitol Hill during the National Association of Children's Hospitals' Family Advocacy Day. He will meet with members of Texas' congressional delegation on Tuesday and Wednesday to tell them about his condition and his lifesaving medical team.

Today, Colby is relaxing with his family and doing some sightseeing. He's seen the Washington Monument and visited the U.S. Bureau of Engraving and Printing. Below is a picture of Colby lighting a candle at the Holocaust Museum.

You can follow the rest of Colby's big adventure this week right here on the blog and through Children's Facebook page and Twitter account.

Young pitchers need rest and variation

2010-06-11T10:52:00.001-05:00

If you watched or read the news this week, you probably heard about Bryce Harper, the first overall pick in the Major League Baseball draft. Harper is by all accounts a "phenom." Sports Illustrated had him on its cover last year - when he was only 16 years old. He hits 600-feet home runs and can throw a baseball 97 miles per hour.

Another thing you might have heard about Harper is that he began playing competitive baseball when he was 3. By the time he was in his teens, he was playing 170 games a year while playing in both travel and school leagues. MLB players only play 162 games during their regular season.

While these statistics are impressive, another news story that came out this week suggests that Harper's path is not advisable for all young baseball players, particularly for young pitchers. A study presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons revealed that throwing-arm injuries are rising in youth baseball programs. The proposed reason is that young players are throwing too much with too little rest for their arms.

Children's own Dr. Philip Wilson, pediatric orthopedic surgeon in the Sports Medicine Center, has adressed the issue of overuse or repetitive-use injuries in stories and videos on childrens.com.

"We're not seeing the selective stress distributed about their body like we used to see in childhood athletes, where they played baseball for fun one month and the next month was basketball and next season was football," Dr. Wilson said. "Stress would be placed in different areas of the child's body, allowing time for recovery.

"There is widespread overtraining of children today."

If a young pitcher throws out his arm, he could be out for the season and possibly suffer permanent damage. So, if the goal for young baseballers is to become the best player possible, playing year-round baseball might prove counterproductive.

For parents interested in researching the issue further, the USA Baseball Medical and Safety Advisory Committee has guidelines for young pitchers.

According to Dr. Wilson, parents primarily need to be sensitive to their child's developing body.

"The bottom line is that if a child begins complaining of soreness or sensitivity, especially in areas of the body they frequently use in their sport, they need to rest," he said. "Some time away from that motion or sport will benefit them much more than continued, daily practice and play of the same sport."

Legos and Team Sasha

2010-06-10T10:00:00.010-05:00

Kids have the most marvelous ways of remembering special things and special people. Sometimes, one toy captures a host of memories.

For instance, Legos were one of my favorite toys as a child. The idea that you could build anything you imagined made for hours of fun with those colorful little snap-together plastic pieces.

Legos became one of Sasha Okhotskiy’s favorite toys too while he was a patient here at Children’s Medical Center. Sasha spent many days making highly complex Lego creations in his hospital room and at home while being treated for a form of brain cancer. Ultimately, Sasha lost that battle in August 2009 after a recurrence of the disease.

A special gift to Children's
However, Sasha’s love of Legos lives on through a special gift to the hospital provided by a group of his friends. They call themselves Team Sasha in his honor and they are a group of 11- and 12-year-olds who grew up playing basketball and soccer with their friend at the Plano Sports Authority. On June 7, the team visited Children’s to give a huge boost to the number of Legos we have to offer patients.

In fact, Team Sasha collected some 400 Lego kits for the hospital in Sasha’s memory, comprising thousands of individual pieces and toted in by the armload. There were so many Lego kits that they took up the Okhotskiy’s entire living room and then grew beyond that, said Sasha’s father, Sergei. The team’s donation was part of the community project SLANT 45 (Service Learning Adventures in North Texas), a project of the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee designed to have impacts on the North Texas area long after the Super Bowl has concluded early next year.

Watch a video of Team Sasha’s visit to the hospital.

Sasha never stopped fighting
Sasha’s friends said Sasha never stopped fighting even to the last minute and Legos gave him something to occupy his time and his hands. Mr. Okhotskiy fondly recalled a Taj Mahal that Sasha had built and an Eiffel Tower that he and Sasha completed with more than 6,000 pieces to it. Sasha’s favorite Legos had a “Star Wars” theme.

It’s kids like Team Sasha’s members that give me hope for the future, knowing that they loved their friend so much and decided to honor him in such an original way, a way that reflects in part who Sasha was. A toy indeed can capture memories.

Vote for Children's!!!

2010-06-02T13:36:00.002-05:00

We at Children's have a favor to ask.

Our Disease Management department is a top 10 finalist for a $25,000 grant from Post Cereals. By simply going to the Post "Grant for Good Health" Web page and casting your vote for the "Project Fit America" entry, you can help us receive the grant.

Children's will use the funds to collaborate with Project Fit America to improve the fitness and activity levels of students at one pilot school in North Texas by providing educational programs and state-of-the-art fitness equipment to the school. For more specifics on the initiative, click on the "more" link at the bottom of the entry description.

Whoever receives the most votes wins, and voters can vote once every day through July 22. So, please vote as frequently as you can and ask your friends to do the same. Your efforts will go a long way in helping Children's extend its mission "to make life better for children" outside our hospital walls.

Kids say no to physical activity

2010-06-01T15:06:00.009-05:00

When I was a child, we played outside all day in the summer and all afternoon after school days. No one I knew went home and watched TV and, of course, there were no video games. It was a simpler time.

While this observation dates me, I had no idea of the extent that kids these days don’t do anything physical until I ran across some statistics that gave me cause for concern.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says 62 percent of kids ages 9 to 13 don’t participate in any organized physical activity and 23 percent don’t participate in any free-time physical activity. No wonder youth obesity rates, and along with it, type 2 diabetes in children, have risen. In Texas, for example, about 20 to 30 percent of children ages 10 to 17 are considered overweight or obese.

The CDC data, from 2007, also point out that as children get older, their level of physical activity goes down: Only 17 percent of high school students participated in at least 60 minutes of physical activity on any given day and only 30 percent attended Phys Ed class daily, the CDC said. When I was in high school, we had PE every day or else you played a sport.

Boosting physical activity
Dr. Jon Oden, a pediatric endocrinologist at Children’s Medical Center who works in the Center for Obesity and its Consequences in Health (COACH) Clinic, had this advice for increasing physical activity in your child’s daily life:

Model good behavior as a parent by leading an active lifestyle.

Make family time physical activity time.

Help to facilitate physical activity among your child’s friends.

Limit TV, computer and video game time to no more than 2 hours a day.

Work with your schools to increase physical activity opportunities.

Work with your community to ensure there are places where children can be physically active.

If we all work together, maybe parents, schools and communities can help resolve this literally growing problem.

Let me introduce you to our stars...

2010-05-27T13:09:00.003-05:00

Jubilee Wheatman, Adrian Garcia and Brooke Dively have walked through the doors many times at Children's. Jubilee for cancer treatment, Adrian for a kidney transplant and Brooke for pacemaker surgery and heart checkups.

But last week, all three patients walked through our doors again for a completely different reason. Their visit wasn't for scans or surgery or anything of that nature. They were here to be stars of their own show - one that will be on TV when their stories begin airing soon as part of our hospital's new ad campaign.

The scene looked like something from the Academy Awards. The red carpet was rolled out, paparazzi were in place and, most importantly, smiles were on every face. Jubilee, Adrian and Brooke each arrived at Children's in a fancy car with a crowd of nurses, doctors and other Children's employees waiting to cheer them on. Even Dr. Dev Desai, Adrian's transplant doctor, met him on the red carpet to dole out hugs and high-fives.

The trio, wearing tiaras, boas and star-studded glasses, made their way into the hospital and took their places in director's chairs. Behind-the-scenes footage from their recent commercial shoot in Los Angeles played on the screens before Jubilee's commercial was debuted.

Take a look at the video from the stars' big day:

The kids soaked up the attention, each in his own way. Jubilee waved, Adrian danced and Brooke jumped up and down. Afterward, employees collected photo cards for each patient and lined up for autographs.

I love how this event put our kids in the limelight, exactly where every one of our patients deserves to be.

Get your own sneak peek at Jubilee's amazing story, which will begin airing on Monday, May 31. And stay tuned for Adrian and Brooke's commercials in the coming months.