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  • What are the most important things we can give our children?

    We have but a few, short years to shape and refine them, to help our children become the people they were meant to be. And then, we send them out into the world to find their way. It’s a tough job, isn’t it? To love and care so deeply about someone, about the outcome of this process of growing up, and yet be forced to let go of how it all turns out?

  • When Mother’s Day brings sadness along with joy

    My mom died seven years ago. We were very close. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about her about a hundred times. To be honest, I miss her more than words can even express. As a result of this, Mother’s Day is always a strange day for me. I am a mom, but I don’t have a Mom anymore. Year after year, my Mother’s Days are filled with sentimental joy when I read my son’s homemade cards and aches of sorrow when all I want to do is be able to call my own Mom and tell her I love her.

  • A letter to my daughter’s teacher on her first day of school

    I don’t know you and you don’t know me, but today you become one of the most important people in my life. You are the one. The one who I’ve entrusted to take care of my girl in my absence. The one who I’ve tasked with teaching her things that I cannot. The one who will make an indelible mark on her little soul that will forever shape her perspective of learning.

  • Easing your child’s anxiety about the new school year

    “Are you excited about going back to school?”

  • Living to the beat of a normal heart: Cameron's story

    Four years ago when Heather was 36 weeks pregnant, she went in to her doctor’s office for what she thought would be a routine check-up. However, her OB/GYN, Dr. Emma Fritz, told her she needed to go immediately to Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies, as her unborn son’s heart needed emergency treatment. As a flurry of emotions rushed over her and her husband, Ryan, they put complete faith in the hands of the specialists at Winnie Palmer Hospital and Arnold Palmer Hospital who would soon care for their baby boy.

    Expecting the unexpected leading up to Cameron’s birth

    Heather was used to going in for testing at her OB/GYN’s office several times a week throughout her pregnancy. Her unborn son, Cameron, had been diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat in the early stages of Heather’s pregnancy, requiring frequent check-ups to monitor his condition. Going in for her 36-week appointment, Heather wasn’t expecting anything out of the ordinary. But one look at her doctor and she knew this time, things were different.

  • Pediatricians can’t ask you about guns

    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.

  • Six tips to encourage our teens to get involved in healthy, versus unhealthy, relationships

    On the wall above my desk is a bulletin board. There’s a letter pinned to it, written in curvy, girlish handwriting. The letter is one of the thank-you notes I have received over the years I’ve worked at Teen Xpress. It was written years ago by Jen,* a beautiful, sweet 16-year-old girl in an abusive relationship.

  • Tips to help your child maintain a healthy diet throughout the school year

    With so many things to do when getting ready for school, it’s important to remember to place good nutrition at the top of the “to do” list. Planning out your child’s menus will help ensure that they will have nutritious meals and snacks available throughout the day, and will help them to have more energy and mental power to be successful at school.

  • What's your food allergy IQ?

    When my daughter was younger, she started attending a Mom’s day out program. When we attended orientation, the school informed us that they are a “peanut-free” school. That means, when packing lunches, we are to avoid all peanut products for all of the children. This is my first foray into the world of school lunches, and I have to admit, I was a bit annoyed. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are a staple food in our house. It is my go-to, in-a-hurry food choice. If my child isn’t allergic, shouldn’t I be able to give it to her?

  • A survivor of childhood cancer, 25 years later: Nessa’s story

    Twenty-five years ago in September of 1988, Nessa’s life was forever changed by words that weren’t talked about much back then: childhood cancer. After finding bumps on Nessa’s head and swollen lymph nodes, her mom knew something wasn’t right. After a trip to the pediatrician’s office, they were told to go to Orlando Regional Medical Center (ORMC) to see Dr. Vincent Guisti, a pediatric oncologist, to find out what might be causing these symptoms. Since the visit required an overnight bag, Nessa’s mom, Carol, knew it wasn’t what she’d first suspected – it was something much more serious.

    Receiving a heart-wrenching diagnosis

    Nessa was eight years old and in the third grade at a local elementary school. That day was picture day- a day that many girls prepare for by selecting their best school outfit and making sure their hair looks just right. As her mom was combing Nessa’s hair, she noticed little bumps on her head, and Nessa had been saying she wasn’t feeling well. The next morning, Carol knew something wasn’t right after Nessa woke up with swollen lymph nodes. Thinking it might be a case of mononucleosis, they visited the family’s pediatrician, where they were told to go to ORMC to see Dr. Guisti, a pediatric oncologist.