Having a sibling with special needs: A challenge for the whole family

Patient
December 24, 2014

Being sick isn’t easy, but neither is being the sibling of someone who’s sick.

We’ve shared many stories about children who are living with a serious illness. We’ve talked about their disease, what life is like for them, how they cope in such dire circumstances. But in all of these conversations, one thing we’ve overlooked is telling the stories of the brothers and sisters who sometimes feel that they live in …

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Having a sibling with special needs: A challenge for the whole family

How to talk to your kids about Ebola

Conditions
November 2, 2014

Ebola is a scary topic; there’s no doubt about that. With the onslaught of media coverage that has no end in sight, it’s likely that older children have already heard of the Ebola outbreak or will hear about it in the near future. The question is, what can we do to help our kids work through the confusing and frightening messages they see on television?

Here are some suggestions to help …

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How to talk to your kids about Ebola

Educate your children about guns

Conditions
August 8, 2014

There’s been an ongoing court battle here in the state of Florida over whether physicians have the right to ask families about gun ownership in their home.

The Florida Privacy of Firearm Owners Act was signed into law by Governor Rick Scott in 2011. This law prevents pediatricians from inquiring about gun ownership and discussing relevant safety information regarding how guns are stored and how to protect children from accidental injury. …

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Educate your children about guns

Labels leave an indelible mark on children

Conditions
June 26, 2014

As a parent, my words to and about my child will probably be one of the single most influential aspects of their development. Children learn to see themselves through their parents’ eyes, and what we tell them they are, they are likely to become. The labels we place on them often tend to be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

I’ve seen this play out in my own life and in the lives of …

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Labels leave an indelible mark on children

Remember the mothers of sick children

Patient
May 11, 2014

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“Motherhood is the hardest job you’ll ever love.”

I’m not sure who first coined that phrase, but its truth becomes clearer to me every day. And nowhere is that truth more evident than in mothers of children with a serious illness.

Throughout my years of working at this hospital, I’ve had the privilege of knowing dozens of moms who find themselves within these walls …

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Remember the mothers of sick children

Facebook medical advice isn’t what’s best for your child

Social media
July 29, 2013

It happens about once a week. As I scroll through Facebook and peruse the latest happenings, I notice that someone (usually a mom of small children, like me) has posed a question to their Facebook friends about some type of health dilemma.

“Little Sally is cutting teeth, and she’s miserable. What can I give her to make her feel better?”

“Johnny has such a bad cough, and he can barely breathe. Anyone …

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Facebook medical advice isn’t what’s best for your child

When is genetic testing appropriate for children?

Conditions
July 1, 2013

Angelina Jolie shared publicly her decision to have a preventive double mastectomy after genetic testing revealed that, due to a mutation in the BRCA1 gene, she carried an 87% risk of developing breast cancer and a 50% risk of developing ovarian cancer. Jolie identifies her mother’s decade-long struggle with ovarian cancer and death from that disease six years ago as one of the primary influences behind her decision.

Angelina Jolie’s …

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When is genetic testing appropriate for children?

Why violence is an infectious disease

Patient
April 24, 2013

Newtown. Aurora. Oak Creek.

A year ago, I’d never even heard of these places, and now those names are permanently imbedded in my mind along with the graphic images of suffering and death.

And now, people are finally talking about it. What can we do to prevent these tragedies? How can we protect our society from senseless bloodshed? I can’t help but think, though, that all of the arguing over guns misses …

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Why violence is an infectious disease