All Search Results
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Why I’m a different parent to my second child than my first
My son was born three months ago, and already I’m amazed how different the experience has been with my second child than it was with my first. The first time around, I don’t think I could reliably recite my own name and address for the first few months. Much of that first year my brain felt like a mess of scrambled eggs- like someone had shaken up my whole life until I no longer could tell which way was up. I went to work, I took care of my family and life went on, but I lived in a fog of emotions and exhaustion.
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Updated booster seat recommendations for kids
Does your child use a booster seat in the car? This might be a question to ask yourself if you are a parent of a young child. It has been previously thought that a child could graduate from the booster seat around age 8, but guidelines are now being revised to take into account a child’s height, recognizing that children grow at different rates.
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What I wish I’d known when my son was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect
Written by Trey Flynn
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Karli's story: A warrior in the fight against childhood cancer
After being diagnosed with bone cancer, Karli's world was turned upside down. Since completing her treatment, she has become a warrior in the battle against childhood cancer. Having fought and overcome this disease, Karli and her family are forever grateful to those who support the place that gave them hope and healing. Watch Karli's story here:
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When Should My Baby Start Eating Solid Foods?
In the past, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recommended that babies should be introduced to solid foods between the ages of 4 to 6 months. This recommendation was recently changed, and now the AAP recommends that babies start eating solid foods at about 6 months of age. A study published by the AAP in the journal Pediatrics in March 2013 showed that many mothers (approximately 40%) were introducing solids to their babies before the age of 4 months.
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The benefits of finding a good support group
As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at The Hewell Kids’ Kidney Center at Arnold Palmer Hospital, I have many teenage patients express to me that they feel lonely, isolated, and different. They feel that that no one understands what they are going through, and sometimes, they don’t even know what they are going through, or what to expect in the future. They express feelings of grief from losing some of the freedom they once enjoyed and the carefree attitude they once had. Many of these young patients show symptoms of depression and anxiety, too.
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Helping families through a yellow bag of sunshine
As a Customer Service Specialist at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, I often meet families who arrive at the hospital quite unexpectedly. They find themselves here for a two to three day stay after what began as a quick visit to the Emergency Department. They may manage to arrive with resources for their child, but are usually without any basic items to take care of themselves. As I move to assist families in such circumstances, my hand often reaches for a bright yellow bag of sunshine that reads: Paul’s Project.
What is Paul's Project?
In 2008, a young 4th grader, by the name of Paul Doussan, was given a school assignment to create and implement a community service project. At the time, his family friends, Karen and Mat Gliddon, had just lost their brave 5-year-old son Mathew to Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Through his friendship with the Gliddon family, Paul noticed a need. Parents of critically ill children often end up without the basic resources to make it through an unexpected hospital stay. -
My child has a heart murmur; what does that mean?
As I finished taking care of my patients last week, I smiled at the relief that overcomes a parent when they learn that there is indeed nothing wrong with their child’s heart.
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An extra dose of hope
Most people never think about hospitals. I’ll admit that I never paid much attention either until I started working here several years ago. Very quickly, I began to realize what a special place Arnold Palmer Hospital truly is. Seeing all of the children who come here for treatment brings two emotions to the surface. The first is uncertainty because I can’t imagine my daughter getting sick. I get scared when I think about her tiny little body having to fight off serious illness or undergoing surgery.
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Fulfilling a dream: Dr. Joseph's story
If you ask any of the oncology nurses here at Arnold Palmer Hospital who their favorite doctor is, they will all have the same answer. It is Dr. Joseph. To the untrained eye, Dr. Joseph may not actually look like a doctor at all. He may look strikingly similar to an 8-year-old who is suffering from leukemia. But don’t tell him that.