Authors: Ashley Speller
DJ received multidisciplinary care over several years at Seattle Children’s. He proudly displays his 4th grade inclusiveness award.
9-year-old DeAngelo “DJ” has his dreams for the future all planned out.
“DJ tells everyone that he wants to become a pediatric surgeon or a pediatric gastroenterologist one day,” explained Angela McCulloch.
“He says that he plans to go to school at the University of Washington and work at Seattle Children’s to help kids like they helped him.”
Angela is DJ’s mom, but also his biggest advocate.
DJ was born prematurely in Tacoma, Wash., at 31 weeks with a rare condition called esophageal atresia (EA), in which the esophagus does not form properly before birth, and tracheoesophageal fistula (TEF), an abnormal connection between the windpipe and esophagus.
A baby with EA cannot feed by mouth because there is no way for food and liquid to travel from their mouth to their stomach.
Read full post »
Authors: Seattle Children's
There are a lot of ways to describe it: soft, hard, brown, green, runny and stinky. It’s a messy topic often discussed behind closed doors, but today, we’re breaking down what you need to know about poop – from its color, consistency and frequency, to what to do when a child is backed up.
According to Dr. Mollie Grow, a pediatrician at Seattle Children’s and the University of Washington, it can be challenging for some families to be open about the body’s natural process of elimination. In other words, it can be hard to talk about poop. There’s often embarrassment talking about the subject when there shouldn’t be.
“As pediatricians, we get really comfortable talking about poop,” said Grow. “We try to normalize the conversation with patients and families.” Read full post »
Authors: Casey Egan
A confluence of factors has led to a nationwide baby formula shortage. Dr. Dale Lee, medical director of clinical nutrition at Seattle Children’s, shared some advice for parents with The Seattle Times.
Here are some key takeaways from Lee:
Read full post »
Authors: Seattle Children's Press Team
Dr. Hannibal Person is the newest addition to Seattle Children’s Gastroenterology and Hepatology team.
Seattle Children’s is excited to welcome Dr. Hannibal Person to the Gastroenterology and Hepatology team. Dr. Person brings a unique triad of general psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, and pediatric gastroenterology expertise to Seattle Children’s. He is looking forward to building an interdisciplinary program to help children who suffer from chronic gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation and pain. His goal is to create a supportive program focused on the brain-gut connection — a true one-of-a-kind program in the U.S.
We sat down with Dr. Person to learn more about his background and his vision for the future.
Read full post »
Authors: Seattle Children's Press Team
Amanda and her daughter, Amelia, have both been treated at Seattle Children’s for Alagille syndrome.
When Amanda Thorlacius found out she was pregnant with a little girl, she was overjoyed. But she wondered if her daughter would inherit the same genetic condition that robbed her of a normal childhood.
“Give me all the diseases in the world, but don’t give Alagille syndrome to my children,” Amanda said.
Alagille syndrome (ALGS) is a rare, inherited condition in which children may have too few bile ducts in the liver. This causes problems with the way bile moves and makes it hard for the body to remove toxins.
Read full post »
Authors: Seattle Children's Press Team
Dr. Evelyn Hsu, Seattle Children’s Division Chief of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, wants to ensure racial equity in transplants.
Seattle Children’s recently named Dr. Evelyn Hsu the division chief of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. For more than a year, Hsu was the acting chief while a national search was conducted.
In this interview, Dr. Hsu talks about her extensive medical career, her vision for the future and what hope, care and cures mean to her. Read on to hear more about her incredible journey and her passion for helping children live the most fulfilling life possible.
Read full post »
Authors: Seattle Children's Press Team
Professor Nimbal explaining bacteria to the two children.
Doctors often deal with medical conditions that might be somewhat embarrassing or just difficult for patients to understand. Inflammatory bowel disease, a serious and debilitating condition that, as the name implies, affects the intestines and everything that comes out of them, is one of those ailments.
Medical providers who treat and investigate IBD have to find ways to explain their patients’ situation during medical appointments that may last less than 30 minutes—all while the patient and their caregivers might be overcome with emotion or concern. Too often what the doctors tell them is lost or only partially retained.
Dr. David Suskind, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Seattle Children’s Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center, realized that the caregivers of the children he treats can read pamphlets or educational books about the disease, but he didn’t have anything specific for the kids that explained their condition.
Read full post »
Authors: Anna Altavas
Abby Spaulding, 15, was only 2 years old when she was diagnosed with celiac disease.
As a baby, she had a very sensitive stomach and would throw up frequently.
Abby’s mother brought her to the doctor concerned it was something more than just a simple upset stomach. Her intuition was right. Abby was diagnosed with celiac disease.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that causes damage in the small intestine. People with celiac disease respond differently to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley.
“It didn’t really come as a big shock to my mom,” Abby said. “My uncle had celiac disease, so we knew it ran in the family.”
Back in San Diego, where Abby spent her early childhood, she would go to support groups with her mother to help navigate a new lifestyle that required Abby to eat gluten-free foods only.
“Since I was so young when I was diagnosed, it was a very confusing situation for me,” Abby said. “When we’d go to the store and my mom wouldn’t allow me to pick certain foods, I didn’t understand what was going on. Joining the support groups really helped me better understand what celiac disease was and how I could cope with it.” Read full post »
Authors: Anna Altavas
Seattle Children’s patient Andrew Peterson with Dr. Ghassan Wahbeh and nurse Teresa Wachs on the day of his Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremony.
The numerous merit badges adorning 17-year-old Andrew Peterson’s olive green Boy Scout sash not only signify his accomplishments, but illustrate how far he has come.
Andrew’s journey of overcoming a difficult illness that left him in and out of the hospital during most of his early childhood years, led him to recently receiving the highest achievement in Scouting, attained by only about 2% of all scouts.
“Becoming an Eagle Scout has allowed me to reflect on how much I’ve gone through to get to this point,” Andrew said. “I’m grateful for all of the support I’ve received from various people over the years.”
Among Andrew’s friends and family that were present as he received his Eagle Scout medal during a special ceremony in April, were two guests who witnessed firsthand the transformation Andrew made from being a sick and fragile boy to the confident young man that stood before them.
Read full post »
Authors: Seattle Children's Press Team
Photo credit: Kelsey Adrienne Photography.
Janessa Felt watched helplessly as her 2-year-old daughter’s sunny disposition began to fade away. Charlotte’s bright smile and infectious laugh usually hid her struggle well, but that façade was cracking. Charlotte was getting sicker, which was evident by her yellow skin, the silver highlights in her hair and her large distended belly. Her piercing blue eyes were sadder than usual. She laid cradled and uncomfortable in her mother’s arms as fluid built up in her abdomen. Her liver was failing her.
Charlotte was admitted to Seattle Children’s a week earlier. Hospital stays weren’t abnormal for them, but this time was different.
“It is hard to watch your baby be so sick, hooked up to so many machines, and not be able to do anything,” Janessa said. “As a mother, you want to be able to take that pain away.”
Janessa didn’t know how much longer Charlotte would be able to wait for a miracle. She had been on the waitlist for a new liver for year already.
“It wasn’t scary until recently,” Janessa said. “Now, it’s clear she needs a new liver. We just want her to start feeling better. It’s heartbreaking to watch her go through this.” Read full post »
