April 8, 2024

On a beautiful Saturday in February, Texas Children’s Fetal Center brought current and former patients and their families together for a special occasion at the Houston Zoo. The Fetal Center Family Reunion has been a cherished experience for both families and staff alike since 2007, serving as a celebration of life and chance for attendees to reconnect, share progress and spend time together.

“It is incredibly fulfilling to see the children that our former fetal surgery patients have grown to become,” said clinical nurse coordinator Annie Southworth. “We see these children before they are even born, and being able to talk to them years later leaves us encouraged about our work continuing to make a difference for these families.

“The family reunion is an essential event celebrating our inspiring families and their outcomes,” added advanced quality specialist Angel Krueger. “It’s a small way we can give back to our patients and families for placing their trust in our care.”

Over 75 families, including 250+ people from nine different states and Mexico, registered for this year’s reunion event, the first one held since COVID-19. Many Texas Children’s team members, including physicians and surgeons from different departments, attended and volunteered to make the reunion a success. In addition to experiencing the zoo’s animals and exhibits, the event featured fun games and activities like face painting and cornhole.

“The care we received was top-notch” and nothing short of a miracle, said the mother of twins treated for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). “Texas Children’s really saved their lives, they wouldn’t be here had it not been for our care team.”

“I’m really happy to see kids like me,” said one former spina bifida repair patient at the event. His mother added that they still see the same Texas Children’s providers today, ten years later.

Click through the gallery below to see more photos from the family reunion.

Amazing week as the title sponsor of this celebrated PGA TOUR event. Read More

 

Hear how Cynda leads her team with an encouraging heart.

Cynda Conrad has been manager of Patient Family Services and Child Life at Texas Children’s Hospital – The Woodlands for eight of the almost 18 years she has been a Texas Children’s employee. She knows providing guidance and ensuring each team member feels heard are essential to maintaining a positive and supportive environment.

“Advice I took to heart early in my career was, ‘Don’t overthink everything. Don’t try to do everything perfectly. Do the best you can to meet that family’s or patient’s needs in that moment.’”

Similarly, Cynda wants members of her team to feel calm and stress-free during moments of difficulty or uncertainty, knowing they have the support of her and their fellow teammates. She encourages self-care, helping her team reinforce important boundaries and ensuring they have the physical and emotional resources they need. Her motto is “Let’s talk about it and figure it out together.”

A career comes full circle

Working at Texas Children’s was a dream rooted in Cynda’s childhood. Between the ages of eight and nine, Cynda came regularly from her home in Conroe to Texas Children’s to receive laser treatments on her port wine stain birthmark.

“I remember as a child seeing the big buildings and feeling nervous for my appointment.”

One of the first people she met upon arrival was a child life specialist who used a doll to demonstrate the procedure for Cynda to help her understand what to expect on her visits and ease her fears. Cynda carried the doll, which she keeps in her office, to every appointment and looked forward to seeing “her special nurse.”

As she grew older, Cynda wanted to work with children and becoming a child life specialist seemed like a perfect fit. Knowing she wanted to work where she had received such excellent care as a child, Cynda completed her clinical internship at Texas Children’s and joined our One Amazing Team. She began her career as a child life specialist in a float position, quickly moved to radiology, and later our Cancer Center, before assuming her current role at The Woodlands Campus.

Connecting with patients

While discussing the unique opportunities she has had to serve our patients, Cynda tells of once meeting a very shy little girl who, like Cynda, had a port wine birthmark. “She had a tough time looking people in the eye and the mom was very nervous but when I walked in to talk to them about their appointment, mom lit up.”

Cynda says they did not talk about having a birthmark that day because the family was there for other reasons, but she knew that being in that space with someone who looked like the little girl made a difference for them in that moment.

As she recalls the story, it is easy to see why Cynda’s ability to help people feel at ease is The Difference for her team and our patients. We are grateful her career brought her full circle to Texas Children’s, where she listens and leads our Child Life and Patient Family Services teams with grace and encouragement.

 

April 3, 2024

Assistant Director Christina Moreno had a front-row seat on the 18th hole to watch Stephan Jaeger secure his first PGA TOUR victory at the Texas Children’s Houston Open! Christina was one of more than 230 volunteers from Texas Children’s at the event.

Working in hospitality, Christina shared her thoughts, “My experience was phenomenal. The atmosphere on the 18th was electric with all the cheering and gasps for near misses. I also had the opportunity to chat with and thank the military veterans as they came in to the venue, and that was very special. The tournament was an amazing way to showcase TCH on a national stage highlighting our values and mission. I would 100% volunteer again.”

Volunteers are an integral part of operating a successful PGA TOUR event. Our team members worked across all areas of the tournament from gallery ambassadors and standard-bearers to evacuation and merchandise teams.

We caught up with some of our other volunteers to get their thoughts on the week:

  • Dr. Dean Andropoulos, Anesthesiologist-in-Chief (Gallery Ambassador 15th hole) – “I am a big fan of golf and wanted to learn how the tournament is run while also representing Texas Children’s. The course was beautiful, and the Texas Children’s signage and branding on everything was wonderful, especially the TCH logo in white flowers on the 15th hole. The positive feeling about TCH, the increased exposure from the thousands of fans who attended, and the great TV coverage featuring the hospital and some of our patients, is really important for us. I most enjoyed interacting with the fans and other volunteers, and saying I worked at TCH. I was so proud to say that. I would absolutely do this again.”
  • Courtney Prewitt, Advanced Quality Specialist (Gallery Ambassador 4th hole) – “I went in not knowing what to expect and the experience was nothing short of AMAZING. I got a chance to meet TCH colleagues across the system that I may have never crossed paths with, and I’m already planning to do it again next year. Being the title sponsor for the TCHO brings global attention to the amazing work we do. This tournament brought an incredible opportunity for employees by allowing us up close and personal insight to a PGA golf tournament. Kudos to Texas Children’s Hospital!” #Texaschildrensproud
  • Emmanuel Atenco, Business Process Engineer (Transportation) – “Before this experience, I didn’t know a thing about golf except for Tiger Woods. After volunteering, I actually watched the rest of the tournament at my house. As part of the transportation team, one of our duties was to pick up PGA TOUR players from the airport. The highlight was picking up a player who hung with the volunteers for a bit before he left. He ended up second or third in the tournament, and when I went to the tournament as a spectator, he recognized me and said hello! I was very happy Texas Children’s offered the opportunity to volunteer. Seeing the Texas Children’s logo throughout the tournament was rewarding and impactful because of the help we provide to our patients and the community.”
  • Shon Bower, Manager, Multimedia Center (Shotlink Spotter 12th hole) – “As a golfer I like to give back to the sport I play and regularly volunteer at tournaments in Houston. I signed up as soon as registration opened! I love being on courses when they are in such perfect shape. Seeing Texas Children’s everywhere was definitely a highlight as well as watching all the families out there enjoying the great weather and of course, watching the pros. This is a new level of exposure on a national stage. To see our incredible patient stories in the media gives those outside of Texas a small glimpse into what is possible here. I’ll definitely be back next year.”

Through our partnership with The Astros Golf Foundation, Texas Children’s is the title sponsor of the Texas Children’s Houston Open through 2028 hosting some of the PGA TOUR’s most outstanding players.

April 1, 2024

West Tower 16 named in honor of the long-time philanthropic partner. Read more

The more we know, the more we connect. Click to read this month’s DEI update. Read More

As a traveling physical therapist, Cassie Jones treated patients at organizations around the country. Once she stepped foot in Texas Children’s, it didn’t take long for her to fall in love with her co-workers, patients and the organization itself. As she put it, she couldn’t leave, and has now been with us for 11 years as a pediatric pain physical therapist, currently practicing at Clear Lake Specialty Care.

“I’ve worked at a lot of great facilities, but I really found a home at Texas Children’s,” said Cassie. “As a top pediatric hospital, we have kids come from everywhere with some of the rarest and most complex conditions. Some patients have the only documented case of their condition, so we all have to be at the top of our game to work together and develop the best treatment plans for them.”

Studies show up to one-third of children suffer from chronic pain, yet physical therapists treating chronic pain are very rare. The robust Pain Medicine program at Texas Children’s with dedicated physical therapists at many locations makes us a destination for these patients. The restorative model at Texas Children’s features a team comprised of a pain physical therapist, pain psychologist and physician prioritizing therapy over medication.

One of Cassie’s biggest success stories involves 16-year-old patient Joscey. She had ankle sprains, a tendon repair and multiple surgeries as a result from basketball injuries. She failed four courses of traditional PT focused on sports or traditional concepts. By the time she came to Cassie, she had quit in-person school and attended school online. She gave up the sport she loved and could no longer spend time with her twin sister at the movies or shopping. Her family is avid vacationers, hikers and she was not doing any of that with them. She lost herself and said her identity was gone.

Fast-forward to a year later and she is working to return to school in the fall. She plays basketball on a daily basis and is back to fun outings with her twin. She even went on a three-week vacation with her family hiking in Utah.

Recently, the department held a patient community day in partnership with the U.S. Pain Foundation, inviting current patients from around the system and their families, giving them a chance to get together and meet others going through the similar challenges. Joscey told her inspiring story and several attendees said she was the first person that gave them hope to overcome this.

Many kids dealing with chronic pain are completely isolated from the outside world and have little to no social interaction, which can add to their anxiety, fear and loneliness.

“Community day was more beneficial than we could have hoped for,” Cassie said. “Our patients met others going through the same thing and they instantly became friends. They exchanged phone numbers and Instagram handles. One Mom told me her daughter has social anxiety and hadn’t spoken to another kid in years as she watched her talk with a group of girls. It was amazing. We all cried a lot that day.”

Not all patients see instant success like Joscey, and some go through years of physical therapy. Cassie explained every patient is different, but their team works together to develop treatment plans for each individual. They will never give up finding ways to help these patients deal with their pain.

“Treatment for chronic pain can change someone’s life. It’s more than just getting them back to playing a sport, which is wonderful, but we’re privileged to have the opportunity to turn someone’s life around, and there’s nothing more rewarding.”