Menu
Virtual Visit Request an Appointment ER Wait Times
Search
Back

Filter By

All Search Results

  • Can infant sound machines harm your baby’s hearing?

    You may have heard some talk lately about sound machines used for white noise and the possibility that it could damage a baby’s hearing. If your house is like mine, white noise is an absolute must- a small house with multiple children and bedrooms close together means that white noise helps everyone sleep better. But, is that okay?

  • Are juice cleanses harmful to kids?

    Juice cleanses are widely popular among adults, especially women, as they are strategically marketed as a powerful way to detoxify the body and “reboot” metabolism, as well as provide a “jump start” in weight loss. As these juice products are showing up in more and more family-shared refrigerators, kids are starting to take notice and want to join in on the juice craze, too. Several recent news articles even highlight stories of young juice devotees, ranging in ages from 6 years old to 18 years old. One story even includes a mother-daughter duo that share a love for organic cleanses, who recently when on a five-day cleansing program because dad was out of town (because of course, I don’t think dad would approve!).

  • Does your child struggle with messy handwriting?

    Writing should be about the art of putting down your thoughts on paper. Whether a child is learning to write their name for the first time, draw a picture to share a story, or compose an essay for class, the most important part of any writing is the message itself. Handwriting that is difficult to read distracts and becomes the focus. So what happens when the mechanics of writing become such a struggle that the child is focusing all their energy on how to write rather than the writing itself? Where do parents go for help when their child just can’t seem to write neatly and every attempt ends up with tears? I’ve got a solution.

  • How to calm your child’s fears at nighttime

    At least once a week, my 3-year-old daughter will ask me to lie down with her at bedtime. She usually asks for “mommy to snuggle me,” but the past few times has been because she is scared of the dark. This fear is very common among kids, and there are a few things that we can do as parents to help our children overcome their fear of the dark.

  • How the collaborative efforts of our medical team saved one little boy’s life

    Written by Dr. Pinnelas, pediatric hospitalist at Arnold Palmer Hospital

  • On Mother's Day, remember the mothers of sick children

    "Motherhood is the hardest job you’ll ever love."

  • Inspired to give back after becoming a childhood cancer survivor: Whitney’s story

    After meeting Whitney, you would never realize the hardships she endured by spending most of her childhood in the hospital, battling several childhood illnesses. Instead, you would see a sweet, quietly confident 16-year-old girl who is passionate about art and medicine, as well as fundraising, pursuing excellence in everything that she does. While most girls her age are interested in the latest fashion trends, boys, and the usual high school drama, Whitney is different. Although she thinks about these things, she is on a greater mission. A mission to educate people on childhood cancer and to one day, find a cure for this ugly disease.

    The diagnosis that changed everything

    At eight years old, Whitney was diagnosed with a T-cell post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD), or a T-cell Lymphoma, a rare and aggressive form of blood cancer. In fact, it is so rare, that only one to two percent of the population in the United States is affected by this type of cancer today. Having been previously treated at a local hospital in Gainesville for a liver transplant that she underwent at the age of three, she began treatment for cancer there, so that her previous team of physicians could care her for. However, after three months of treatment, Whitney was not responding well, and her parents asked if she could be transferred to Arnold Palmer Hospital for treatment so that she could be closer to home. Once Whitney transferred, they started to see significant signs of improvement and she was finally responding to treatment. Over the course of her treatment, Whitney was a trooper and did extremely well. However, with the intensity of treatment that childhood cancer requires, there are good days and bad days. And some days, they feel so dark you wonder if there is a light at the end of the tunnel, according to her mom. Despite all of the trials and hardships that came her way, Whitney persevered through it all, and in April 2006 she was told she was “cancer-free!”

  • 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.

  • Essential oils for children

    You may have heard of a new trend popping up in the parenting community: using essential oils to treat a variety of illnesses or to promote general good health in children.