Spring 2014 Newsletter
Transcription
Spring 2014 Newsletter
Caped Crusaders Making a Difference Heroes 4 Higher bringing uplifting messages for WVUCH patients On the Cover: Earlier this year, some very special guests visited WVU Children’s Hospital patients to remind them and their families that tough things make us stronger. That message was delivered by Batman, Spiderman, Captain America, and Bat Girl, collectively known as Heroes 4 Higher. The Heroes 4 Higher, based in Huntington, brought their lesson on the “Four Things That Heroes Do” to the children and parents gathered in the WVUCH Activity Center. According to Batman (AKA John Buckland), the four characteristics of a hero are: 1. Heroes never give up, no matter how tough the situation may be. 2. Heroes always do the right thing, even when nobody’s looking. The better we are at following the rules, the greater we will become. 3. Heroes help other people. The best way to become great is to look for chances to help others. 4. Heroes never bully. Even if someone treats us badly, we need to treat them nicely. Batman also had a lesson for the adults: Kids learn more by what we do than what we say. We have the chance to inspire them to be great. Each child received a bracelet with the words “tougher and greater” on them. All four superheroes signed pictures to pass out to the kids. For the parents in the room, Batman handed out what he called “grown-up cards” and told them that if their kids were ever having a tough time, they now had Batman’s number. Finding A Hidden Killer More than 34 million Americans suffer from high cholesterol. Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an underdiagnosed form of the disease marked by extremely high cholesterol and high risk of an early heart attack. Katherine Wilemon was told she had high cholesterol at age 15. After suffering a heart attack at age 38, doctors diagnosed her with FH. “That is not an unusual story,” she said. “In people with FH, you can actually test them at birth, and you would be able to tell if they had FH. We have cholesterol that builds up our entire lives.” First-degree relatives have a 50 percent chance of having FH. When a patient is diagnosed, doctors suggest cascade screening of their family members. Cascade screening means to test and possibly diagnose the first-degree relatives of each person diagnosed with FH. Now, Wilemon, who is president of the FH Foundation, is partnering with Bill Neal, MD, WVU Children’s Hospital cardiologist and founder of CARDIAC, to stress the importance of cascade screening to people of West Virginia. “When we find a child who has extremely high cholesterol that is diagnostic of FH, we can predict that one parent, half of their siblings, half of their other first-degree relatives, and a quarter of their seconddegree relatives will have the disease,” Dr. Neal said. “Cascade screening means that we should screen all of the family members so we can diagnose the problem before it becomes a problem.” One in 500 people has FH, and 90 percent are unaware they have the disease. The FH Foundation is creating a national registry to help patients identify if they have a relative with the disease. Individuals with FH have 20 times the risk of an early heart attack, but the earlier they receive treatment, the more likely they are to have a normal lifespan. To find out more about the National FH Registry, visit www.thefhfoundation.org. 2014 Champion Child Allissondra Waldron Nathan and Jessica Waldron of Morgantown welcomed their daughter via emergency caesarian section on Oct. 8, 2009. She was perfectly healthy until 6 months of age when she was admitted to the hospital for an unexplained high fever. Just before her first birthday, Allissondra started exhibiting startling symptoms. Her eyes started turning out to the sides, and her eyelids began to droop. Doctors at WVU Children’s Hospital diagnosed a then11-month-old Allissondra with myasthenia gravis. Helping Local Kids “The nerves don’t communicate well with the muscle. The chemicals that do that communication aren’t as effective as they should be,” Maggie Jaynes, MD, pediatric neurologist, said. “What we see with her is that she sometimes has difficulty moving her eye, but you also see that her lid will come down as she’s looking at things.” For the first year after diagnosis, Allissondra was in and out of the hospital every few months to receive intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) and steroids. Eventually, her hospitalizations became complicated, and she needed to be sedated in order to place PICC lines because her veins were too weak to hold IVs. In September 2011, a year after her myasthenia gravis diagnosis, Allissondra randomly started vomiting. She soaked through diapers, drank lots of water, and was unable to keep anything down. In the Emergency Department at Ruby Memorial Hospital, the Waldrons received a huge shock: Allissondra was in diabetic ketoacidosis and was very seriously ill. Her blood-sugar level was over 700. She was admitted to the WVU Children’s Hospital Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) for treatment and education for home care. A month later, Nathan and Jessica woke to a screaming and convulsing child. Allissondra was in the midst of a hypoglycemic seizure and was rushed to the hospital via ambulance. Her myasthenia gravis symptoms began to worsen due to the stress on her body, and she was hospitalized again in November 2011 to receive IVIG. When the IV treatment failed to help her, Allissondra was scheduled for surgery. help patients with myasthenia gravis and may lead to remission. The surgery took between five and six hours, and afterward, Allissondra stayed in the PICU for about a week. The surgery appeared to be a success. Allissondra was nearly symptom free from January to June 2012. In July, she was again admitted to WVU Children’s Hospital for another round of IVIG. While days before her third birthday, she fell and broke her ulna and radius. On Halloween, she was rushed to the hospital due to another hypoglycemic seizure. In spite of all of her health problems, Allissondra is still an energetic, playful, happy little girl. “She’s not her disease. She’s Allissondra,” Dr. Jaynes said. “When you see her, you forget that she has such problems just because of the way she is.” In spite of all of her health problems, Allissondra is still an energetic, playful, happy little girl. “She’s not her disease. She’s Allissondra.” In December 2011, Allissondra underwent a trans-sternal thymectomy. With the help of medication, a thymectomy – the removal of the thymus – is believed to Allissondra was under sedation for placement of another PICC line, doctors discovered an irregular heartbeat. She was then diagnosed with idiopathic tachycardia, an arrhythmia, and was placed on daily medications. Allissondra returned to WVU Children’s Hospital twice in October 2012. A few Why We Give “Jamie and I give to WVU Children’s Hospital because we know the tremendous significance of the work done there and the difference that the hospital makes in the lives of so many children. We feel that as West Virginians we are so blessed to have a hospital the caliber of WVU Children’s Hospital in our state, and we have a tremendous passion for the less fortunate youth that need treatment there. To know that these children are getting the best care possible in their time of need is of great importance to my wife and me.” - Steve Antoline Mom and Dad are in awe of how well she handles all that comes with her conditions. “She’s the strongest person I’ve ever met, and she’s 4-years-old. She’s so much stronger, and she’s been through so much more than anybody that you know,” Jessica said. “We have to fight for her,” Nathan added, “just as hard as she does for herself.” WVU Children’s Hospital welcomes Dr. Don Nakayama Pediatric Surgeon Calls his Work a Privelage In September, WVU Children’s Hospital welcomed Don K. Nakayama, MD, MBA, as its newest pediatric surgeon and the new chair of the WVU Department of Surgery. He and his wife Natalie came to Morgantown from Macon, Ga., where Dr. Nakayama had been chair of surgery at the Mercer University School of Medicine. Nearly six months into his new position, he is settled comfortably in his office, where the walls are lined with personal memorabilia and photographs of past patients who have stayed in touch. He took a few minutes between cases to answer some questions. What attracted you to pediatric surgery? SION EXPANA IGN P M CA Consider Making a Planned Gift Remembering WVU Children’s Hospital in your will is a wonderful way to ensure that the goodness in your heart continues to help children after you’re gone. A commitment to WVU Children’s is a gift of life, health, and faith in the future. Learn more at givetowvukids.com. DN: Aside from the fact that it’s very cool? I enjoyed pediatrics because I enjoyed the scientific aspect, the developmental aspect, the being able to touch families in a very profound way. And then I enjoyed surgery, so I decided that it’d be a great place to combine the two. It’s a privilege. To help a family, to help a pediatrician with a problem, you have to respect the unique role that you have. I feel like I’ve been blessed to be able to be in the place that I’m in. It’s a great job. Do you have children of your own? DN: Yeah, they’re all grown. How does being a parent affect your work? DN: They say that being a pediatrician doesn’t make you a better parent, but being a parent makes you a better pediatrician. There’s great power in the attachment of parents and children. It’s a profound responsibility to have someone give you their child and say, “Take my child, give them anesthesia, and somehow I trust you to make them whole and give them back to me better than they are now.” We’re not just operating on the child; we’re providing care to the whole family. Do you remember a particular family or interaction that touched you? DN: Nearly every contact with parents is special in some respect. I’ve got pictures of kids that I’ve been in contact with, as do most pediatricians. They aren’t just some kids I take care of. One kid’s a baseball star, and two other kids are going to college. So it’s cool. As a newcomer, what were your first impressions of WVU Children’s Hospital? DN: The thing that’s impressive is the depth of the commitment of the people who work here. They’re passionate about providing care to children and about providing a high level of quality care to the families of the state. There are fancier hospitals around, but I was impressed by the quality of the people and the work that they do. Visiting other pediatricians in the Morgantown area and the upper part of the state is a priority. I think that the network that we have is a strong one, and I intend to see all the pediatricians and pediatric providers in the state. I’m working from the area around Morgantown outward, and I’m looking forward to visiting everybody. What do you do outside of work? DN: I like to write. My avocation really is writing. My mentor when I was growing up was the associate editor of the Denver Post, a Japanese-American guy, Bill Hosokawa. I worked for the Denver Post as a copyboy for two years prior to college. Every summer, I’d come back and write for Bill. Now, I write from about 5:30 to 7 every morning. What do you write about? DN: I write about stuff that has a medical twist to it. I wrote about the Japanese-American experience in World War II, the concentration camp, and what medicine was like there. I wrote about the civil rights leader that desegregated the hospitals and the assassination attempt of Martin Luther King. One’s going to come out about the surgical clinic that was directly underneath the atomic bomb in Hiroshima. Tell me about a current project. DN: I’m studying the Grange, an organization of farmers that began after the Civil War. Among the things they did was to set prices for fair transport and storage of grain. The same kind of thing is happening among rural practitioners of medicine and surgery. They’re kind of the forgotten people in American medicine. We’ve got these programs to encourage new doctors to practice out in rural areas, but the feeling is that they’re going to be out there by themselves. So how do we support them? You can’t support them individually, or you can’t support the hospital, or you can’t support the community, but you have to see it as a triad. That’s why I’m studying the Grange. Grand Bash raises much-needed funds for WVUCH The first ever West Virginia Grand Bash was held on Saturday, Jan. 18, at the Ruby Community Center at Mylan Park in Morgantown. And, the response was overwhelming. “We never expected to have 4,000-plus people show up for the event. In fact, we would have been happy if half that many people attended,” Cheryl Jones, RN, director of WVU Children’s Hospital, said. “We are so grateful for the outpouring of support we received for this event, and we hope to have just as many people, if not more, participate next year.” Ticket holders won thousands of dollars in cash and prizes, including a Mercedes C350 Coupe, Chevy Camero and Silverado, Dodge Ram, and a Ford F150. “This was our first time holding an event like this. We hit a few road blocks along the way with things like food and drinks, and we apologize for that,” Jones said. “But, you live and you learn. Now that we know what to expect, we can take the necessary steps to have an even grander bash next year.” The next Grand Bash will be held on January 17, 2015. Tickets will go on sale July 1. Visit www.wvgrandbash.com for more information. Healthy Moms Healthier Babies Despite all the information about diet, nutrition, and exercise at our fingertips, relatively few Americans practice healthy eating habits and more of us are obese than ever. The extra weight can affect hormonal balance, often increasing the time it takes to conceive a child. For many couples, making needed lifestyle changes while undergoing treatment for infertility presents a real challenge. Helenia Sedoski, RD, is a WVU Healthcare registered dietitian guiding West Virginia University Center for Reproductive Medicine (WVU CRM) patients to healthier lives and pregnancies. “There is so much conflicting information out there about ways we should be eating and living,” Sedoski said. “Learning to eat better and exercise is intimidating enough without the added pressure of trying to get pregnant. It’s a commitment to change that involves preparing meals at home, reading labels, learning portioning – I try to break it down into small, manageable changes people can incorporate one at a time.” A loss of 10 percent of a patient’s body weight over a six month period can dramatically increase a woman’s chance of conceiving within a year, and small changes combine to make a big impact on health of both mother and baby. Sedoski continues to provide counseling and support following a successful pregnancy into breastfeeding. “A nursing mom’s diet determines the quality of her milk, and breastfeeding can help the child learn self-regulation in regards to how much to eat,” Sedoski said. Roger Toffle, MD, in vitro fertilization director at the Center for Reproductive Medicine and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the WVU School of Medicine, said services like Sedoski’s are a surprisingly rare offering among fertility clinics but are a much needed addition. “Since I began practicing in West Virginia in 1984, the proportion of infertility patients who are obese has skyrocketed,” Dr. Toffle said. “Between 1984 and 1989, obesity was present in 19.3 percent of patients presenting for evaluation of infertility. In 2012-2013, that number increased to 43.3 percent.” In addition to infertility, obesity is associated with insulin resistance and adult onset (Type 2) diabetes, gestational diabetes, hypertension, miscarriage, fetal abnormalities, heart disease, and more. Weight loss decreases the risk of these conditions, and improves fertility in different ways. “In patients diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), impaired glucose tolerance can be greatly improved through weight loss,” Toffle continued. “Excessive testosterone can be reduced, often leading to restored ovulatory function. Though many PCOS patients are obese, not all are. Proper nutrition can help symptoms, regardless of weight.” In women with PCOS, early pregnancy loss has been reported to be as high as 40 percent, but the risk can be diminished with dietary changes and weight loss. The risk of gestational diabetes also drops as weight is shed. “No one is saying it’s easy, and I wouldn’t tell a patient it will be,” Sedoski said. “But when you consider the tremendous benefits positive lifestyle changes have on fertility issues and pregnancy, a planned approach with the help of a professional makes the process far more manageable.” To learn more about services offered by the WVU Center for Reproductive Medicine, call 304-598-3100. Become a Permanent Part of WVU Children’s Hospital’s future When considering a gift to WVU Children’s Hospital, make one that will be a part of WVU Children’s Hospital forever. For example, your gift could purchase a Window of Hope. Hospital stays are difficult for anyone but especially for children. A Window of Hope will provide our patients with an inspiring view during their stay with us. Some look out to Mountaineer Field, where the annual GoldBlue Game is held to raise funds for Children’s. Others have views of the scenic mountains in the distance. For $10,000, you can sponsor the view from an inpatient care room window. No matter which direction they face, these windows provide both patients and visitors with a connection to the outside world and hope for a better tomorrow. Or, why not put your name on one of our nurses’ stations? Nurses’ stations are busy centers of activity, where nurses and physicians consult on patient care and where patient tests, procedures, and treatments are coordinated. For $25,000, you can name a nurses’ station in either the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), or Acute Care Unit (6 East). Speaking of 6 East, you could name one of the rooms in this unit. These rooms are equipped to provide acute care to children from birth through 21 years of age who are receiving world-class care from one of WVU Children’s Hospital’s experts. For $50,000, you can name one of the 25 acute care rooms in 6 East. There are also rooms where very highly specialized care is delivered. In the NICU, Wee Baby Rooms are for babies born at less than 27 weeks gestation. Typically, these babies weigh less than 2 pounds and are the tiniest patients at WVU Children’s Hospital. Over in the PICU, intensive rooms are completely equipped to provide specialized care to children who need critical care because of illness or injury. Wee Baby Rooms and PICU rooms can be named for $100,000 each. Children from all over West Virginia and the surrounding region come to WVU Children’s Hospital to receive the highest quality of care possible. Your gift will help ensure that never changes – for your children, your grandchildren, and for generations of children to come. To inquire about these and other naming opportunities, please contact Megan Skubovius at 304-598-4346 ext. 5. WVU Children’s Hospital Annual Gala Puttin’ On the Ritz More than 1,000 supporters of WVU Children’s Hospital at Ruby Memorial were “Puttin’ on the Ritz” on Saturday, Feb. 8, at the 11th Annual Gala, which was held at the Morgantown Event Center at Waterfront Place. Larry Rhodes, MD, chair of the WVU Department of Pediatrics and physician-in-chief at WVU Children’s, encouraged Gala attendees to Bid for Good in support of the WVU Children’s Hospital Fetal Diagnostic Center (see sidebar). Mike Clark, evening news anchor at WTAE in Pittsburgh, served as the master of ceremonies. During the program, Robert Gustafson, MD, chief of pediatric cardiothoracic surgery and surgeon-in-chief at WVU Children’s, presented the 2014 WVU Children’s Hospital Award to Bruce McClymonds, president and CEO of WVU Hospitals. This year’s Gala included two new features – a second, afterhours live auction and the Mercedes CARe for Kids Raffle. A total of 15 big ticket items were up for grabs during the live auctions, including trips to Ocean City, Maryland, North Carolina’s Outer Banks, and the beaches of Jamaica. Bobby Nicholas, manager of development for WVU Children’s, presented the 2014 Children’s Hospital Community Service Award to Andy and Diana Claydon of Morgantown. The evening wrapped up with two musical acts – Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Powerhouse Band. Photo Captions: A. (From left to right) Denese Carter, Valerie Fletcher, Robert Fletcher, Diane Lewis Jackson, Kenny Jackson, Debbie Robinson, Angela Maxwell, and Twyla Coffman B. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy hit the stage first C. Bruce McClymonds, president and CEO of WVU Hospitals, receives congratulations at the announcement of his selection as the winner of the annual WVU Children’s Hospital Award. D. Approximately 1,000 people attended this year’s Gala. This is just a portion of the crowd. E. WVU President E. Gordon Gee, PhD, (standing, center) talks with George Spirou, PhD, (right) director of the WVU Center for Neuroscience, and Allie Karshenas, PhD, director of clinical operations for the WVU Clinical and Pharmacologic Research Center. F. (From left to right) Cheryl Jones, RN, director of WVU Children’s Hospital, and her daughter, Amanda Jones, pose for a photo with Deedee and Brent Wilmoth, chair of the WVU Children’s Hospital fundraising campaign G. Andy and Diana Claydon, owners of University Motors, received the WVU Children’s Hospital Community Service Award. H. The guests at the Toothman Fordsponsored table: (left to right) Joe Radcliff, Brian and Buffy Lough, Brad and Rachel Summers, Alex Langdon, Paige Miller, Stephanie Toothman, Jennifer Lowry, and J.R. Toothman WVU Children’s Hospital Fetal Diagnostic Center The number of pregnant West Virginia women receiving prenatal care during all three trimesters of their pregnancy is well below the national average. The rate decreases drastically the further the mother is from a major medical center, like WVU Children’s Hospital. Some women are able to travel hours for regular appointments in our Morgantown clinics. However, a lot of women are not. The lack of prenatal care and diagnostics leads to delayed diagnosis of complications and risky deliveries for women across the state. With enough help from generous donors, we will be able to establish a centralized WVU Children’s Hospital Fetal Diagnostic Center. The center will provide comprehensive diagnostic testing, prenatal services, and prenatal education to the expectant mothers across the state. Early diagnosis of complications or birth abnormalities will allow mothers and their doctors to prepare delivery and treatment plans, many of which may include delivering at a tertiary clinic, like WVU Children’s. Prenatal care services and education will allow for healthier, more successful pregnancies and deliveries—providing a brighter future for our youngest Mountaineers. For more information on supporting the Fetal Diagnostic Center, call 304-598-4346 ext. 5. WVUChildren’s Children’sHospital Hospital WVU POBox Box8200, 8200,ROC117 ROC117 PO Morgantown,WV WV 26506 26506 Morgantown, Make a Gift That Makes a Difference For many of us, nothing is more precious than the lives and health of children. Your gift to WVU Children’s Hospital is a way to help children when they’re most vulnerable. You can learn more at wvukids.com. Complete this gift form and send to: WVU Children’s Hospital, PO Box 8200, ROC117 Morgantown, WV 26506 Step #1 Fill in Your Personal Information (Please print clearly) Name ___________________________________________________________________ Address _________________________________________________________________ City________________________State ______ Zip __________ Phone:_______________ Step #2 Make Your Gift (Gifts are tax deductible as provided by law.) Monthly Pledge I want like to make a monthly pledge over the next 3 years: [] $10 a month [] $25 a month [] $50 a month [] $_____ a month One-Time Gift [] Enclosed is my one-time $______gift payable to WVU Children’s Hospital Step #3 Method of Payment [] Check or Money Order Enclosed [] Credit Card – please visit givetowvukids.com OR call 304-598-4346 to arrange [] Stock Contribution – please call 304-598-4346 to facilitate Step #4 Please Use My Donation to Support: [] Greatest Needs (Currently Building Expansion Fund) [ ] Supportive Care Program [ ]Fetal Diagnostic Center [ ] Other ___________________________ Thank you for making miracles happen. WVU Children’s Hospital Leadership Larry Rhodes, MD Physician-in-Chief Chair, Department of Pediatrics Michael Vernon, PhD Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Cheryl Jones, RN, MSN Director Executive Editors Dee O’Palko Angela Jones-Knopf Questions or comments: [email protected] Contributing Writers Sarah Felton Leigh Limerick Mary Power Inpatient and most outpatient services of WVU Children’s Hospital are operated by West Virginia University Hospitals, a member of the West Virginia United Health System.