August 19, 2014

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By Amber Jacques

Recently, we celebrated our daughter’s first birthday. It’s so amazing how fast time flies! Fourteen months ago, I remember my husband, Sam, and I, rushing to Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women for the birth of our beautiful daughter, Sydney. The contractions were getting pretty intense, but I was determined not to deliver in the car. As manager of Security Services at the Pavilion, I’ve seen moms deliver right as they pull up to the concourse. Fingers crossed, I didn’t want that to happen to me. I instructed my husband, “I am not having this baby in the car, and I don’t want to have this baby without medication. Hurry!”

82014BWfamily640 - 2Sure enough, we arrived at the hospital 35 miles later. The security guard placed me in a wheelchair as we headed up to my labor and delivery room. By that time, I was nine centimeters dilated. The nurses were wonderful and made sure I got my epidural like I requested. After a couple of pushes, Sydney made her grand debut! Our daughter was born June 8, 2013, at 7:55 p.m. weighing 8 pounds, 4 ounces and 21 inches long.

For my husband, Sam, and me, Sydney is our miracle baby.

At a very early age, I knew getting pregnant would be impossible. While in my mother’s womb, an ultrasound revealed that my right ovary was severely cystic and doctors removed it when I was a mere 10 days old. As a teenager, I remember my mom telling me, “Maybe we should look into freezing your eggs if you decide to have children one day.” But, I vetoed that idea because it was a non-issue back then, since I wasn’t thinking about children.

Fast forward to 2008 when I faced another health scare that jeopardized my chances of having a baby. Out of nowhere, I started having debilitating headaches, eye pressure pain, teary eyes and uncontrollable nose bleeds which spewed out of me like a fire hydrant. The emergency room doctor diagnosed me with severe allergies and suggested I take over-the-counter medication for relief. He also discovered a tiny polyp inside my nose, but didn’t treat it at the time. So, I just packed my nose with ice to stop the bleeding.

It wasn’t until later, when my symptoms got worse, that I realized this polyp in my nose was growing out of control. When I arrived at the University of Michigan Hospital, doctors performed an MRI and noticed the tumor in my nose had grown behind my eyes, punctured my dura and grew across my face into my sinus cavity. The tumor had ruptured which caused the profuse bleeding in my nose.

I underwent two surgeries to remove the tumor and a frozen biopsy revealed it was cancer. I had a subcranial resection where I was cut from ear to ear. Surgeons cut a big chunk of my forehead and part of my nose. I ended up losing my sense of smell and taste in the process, but I was so happy to be alive.

The lengthy surgery, which lasted for 15 hours, was nothing compared to the burning pain from the radiation treatments.

I underwent radiation for my head and neck to ensure there were no miniscule cancer cells lurking, since this type of cancer – estheseioneuroblastoma – can easily spread to the thyroid gland.

Although I successfully beat cancer – which I am grateful for – the radiation treatments damaged my pituitary gland, which impacted my left ovary’s ability to function normally.

My husband and I tried for five years to have a baby, but we realized we needed help. When we moved to Houston in 2009, my OB-GYN recommended that we meet one of Texas Children’s fertility specialists, Dr. William Gibbons. She said, “I really want you to meet him. He’s not only the best in his field, but he’s just fantastic to work with.”

When we met Dr. Gibbons for our consultation appointment at Baylor Clinic – before the Family Fertility Center opened in the Pavilion – he reassured us, “It may be tough, but we’re going to make it happen. I have no doubts that we will be successful.” That’s the encouragement my husband and I so desperately needed.

Before we started fertility treatments, I underwent surgery to remove scar tissue that built up in my right fallopian tube as a result of the ovarian removal surgery I had as an infant. Dr. Gibbons wanted to make sure my fallopian tubes were flowing freely before we started intrauterine insemination (IUI).

After three rounds of IUI, which took us a year to complete, I got the miraculous news that we were waiting to hear, “You are PREGNANT!” Sam and I were so excited and shocked at the same time. After taking a whole bunch of home pregnancy tests, we called Dr. Gibbon’s office, and sure enough, an ultrasound confirmed we were expecting!

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Since the first day we laid eyes on her, Sydney has brought our family so much joy. At 14 months, she’s learning to walk, so we’re locking down the house at this point.

Sam always makes fun of me and says that I’m a paparazzo because I take so many pictures and videos of our miracle baby. But, you have to, because she is growing up too fast!

Every day, I am grateful for Dr. Gibbons and his team for helping me, and other families, conceive their dream of motherhood.

Sometimes life throws obstacles in our path, but we are bigger than any obstacle. We can triumph over any circumstance by staying positive and focused on achieving our goals.

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Dr. Milton Finegold (right), chief emeritus, Department of Texas Children’s Pathology, congratulates Finegold Award recipients Cherish Sullivan (from left), daughter of Yovaletta Sullivan, Labor and Delivery; Kayla Evans, daughter of Danyalle Evans, Nursing Float Pool; and Paolo De Jesus, son of Ruby De Jesus, 10 WT/Neurology/Neurosurgery/Epilepsy Monitoring Unit.

Finegold established the scholarship in 1985 in memory of his wife, Joan, a nurse, to help the children of Texas Children’s registered nurses fulfill their educational goals. The applicant (registered nurse) must be an employee of Texas Children’s for a minimum of two years on or before May 1 of the year of application.

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Dr. Ellis M. Arjmand has joined Texas Children’s Hospital as the new chief of Otolaryngology and the director of practice standards and faculty development for the Department of Surgery. Arjmand will also be appointed the Bobby Alford Endowed Chair in Pediatric Otolaryngology and professor of Otolaryngology at Baylor College of Medicine.

“Dr. Arjmand is bringing an exciting vision to the surgery team, with plans to grow the otolaryngology division to better serve our patients and their families,” said Dr. Charles D. Fraser, Jr., surgeon-in-chief at Texas Children’s Hospital. “We’re confident that his leadership will continue to advance the national prominence of our otolaryngology team as well as assist our entire surgical faculty in meeting their career aspirations.”

Arjmand’s clinical interests include pediatric ear disease, congenital and acquired hearing loss, airway disorders and sinus disease. He is internationally known for his research on pediatric hearing loss and for his expertise in the areas of health economics and health care quality improvement.

Arjmand joins Texas Children’s Hospital from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital where he was director of the Ear and Hearing Center and Pediatric Cochlear Implant Program, medical director of the Liberty Campus of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and chair of the hospital’s peer review committee. He was also professor of Otolaryngology at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.

He earned his bachelor’s, medical and doctor of philosophy degrees from Northwestern University. Dr. Arjmand completed his otolaryngology residency and pediatric otolaryngology fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis and the St. Louis Children’s Hospital. He also holds a master of medical management (MMM) degree from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

August 12, 2014

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Young Mia Spargo clutched her stuffed animal from her seat to the microphone stand where she gently placed the stuffed cat on the floor, picked up a purple microphone and began to sing. She looked out at the audience filled with her doctors, nurses and other staff from Texas Children’s Cancer Center and sang with emotion. Her first song was titled, “God help all the kids on the planet.” The lyrics portrayed a day without cancer and a time without mothers’ tears.

“I want the staff to know they helped save my life,” said Mia in an interview before the concert.

If it weren’t for her beautiful bald head, you would never know little Mia was a cancer patient. She seems strong and energetic. Prior to the concert she was running around at full speed. She said she will never forget her doctors and nurses. Several other cancer survivors joined Mia for the Purple Songs Can Fly staff appreciation concert. The Concert was organized by the Purple Songs Can Fly group which allows children to record songs during their hospital visits on the 14th floor of the Clinical Care Center. Stephen Makia is a nine year cancer survivor who took the mic next.

“Every time I heard the word cancer, I heard death,” said Makia who credits the staff and his grandmother for helping him through the toughest days of his life.

Former American Idol contestant Christian Spear now works for Purple Songs Can Fly in a fellowship. She was a patient at Texas Children’s and dedicates her days now to the patients and staff here by using her talent of singing to bring small moments of joy.

“The work of the doctors and nurses at Texas Children’s is what saved my life 15 years ago,” said Spear who brought the audience to tears with a song dedicated to the staff.

The concert concluded with all the participants standing up to sing to the staff that has helped them make it to today followed by a standing ovation by all of the parents who stood up to thank the staff. A room filled with happy tears for the survivors who have so much to be thankful for.

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The chikungunya virus has been identified in the U.S. – and more specifically, in Houston – which has medical professionals here on alert said Dr. Kristy Murray, director of Texas Children’s Laboratory of Vector-borne and Zoonotic Diseases.

“Considering the number of travelers coming from the Caribbean by plane and by sea, as well as the vast mosquito populations that are more than capable of transmitting chikungunya, we have high concerns that the disease could take hold and begin its spread here in the United States, particularly in Texas, Louisiana, Florida, and New York,” Murray said.

Chikungunya – pronounced like “chicken goonyah” – is a crippling virus that is spread by mosquitoes. The virus has no known treatment and can cause fevers, headaches and painfully debilitating joint pain that lasts for months to years. The word “chikungunya” is African (Makonde) in origin and translates to “that which bends up.” People infected with this virus are literally “bent up” from the extreme joint pain they experience, Murray said in a recent blog post she wrote about the virus.

In early December of 2013, chikungunya was found to be circulating in the Caribbean, the first evidence that the virus made the massive jump to the Western Hemisphere. Now, according to information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 17 countries are reporting local transmission, with more than 135,000 suspected or confirmed cases.

Several imported cases have already been reported in the US. The first case in Texas was reported on July 7, 2014, and according to information from the Texas Department of State Health Services, as of last week, 10 confirmed cases have been reported across the state. In each of the cases so far, the patients had contracted the virus outside Texas, while traveling to overseas regions where the virus is more common.

So far, there is no evidence of transmission from the mosquito populations here in the Houston area. However just last week, health officials in Harris County say a mosquito tested positive for the chikungunya virus. It is the first chikungunya-positive mosquito detected in the state of Texas. Health officials have not determined whether the mosquito carrying chikungunya in Harris County obtained the virus from an infected person already in Texas, or if it traveled to the United States trapped in large cargo.

“We need to be proactive in our approach to this new disease threat, and think not ‘if’ it will hit but ‘when,’” Murray said.

Texas Children’s is among the state’s first health care organizations to take a proactive approach, conducting active surveillance to identify any positive chikungunya cases in children who come to the emergency clinic with a fever. Murray and her team have already tested hundreds of children with potential warning signs. So far there are no positive test results, but Murray explains that quick and early detection of cases will be critical for an adequate public health response to prevent an epidemic.

“We are laying the groundwork to educate both the public and physicians about this potentially serious disease and create a surveillance network among affiliated hospitals in Texas in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,” she said.

Thanks to the hospital’s efforts, word is already starting to spread. USA Today and local KPRC Channel 2 interviewed Murray and published stories about chikungunya virus just last week. Murray is hopeful that increased awareness will lead to preventing bites and slow the spread of the disease.

“It is critical that physicians recognize the clinical features of this disease and keep it on the forefront of their minds when treating a child with a clinically-compatible febrile disease,” Murray said. “Considering the fact that we have the right mosquitoes and conditions here in Houston, we must not exclude chikungunya as a possibility in a child with no history of travel.”

Prevention tips from the CDC

No vaccine exists to prevent the chikungunya virus infection or disease. However, you can take steps avoid mosquito bites which could lead to infection. The mosquitoes that spread the chikungunya virus bite mostly during the daytime.

How to protect yourself and your family:

  • Use air conditioning or window/door screens to keep mosquitoes outside. If you are not able to protect yourself from mosquitoes inside your home or hotel, sleep under a mosquito bed net.
  • Help reduce the number of mosquitoes outside your home or hotel room by emptying standing water from containers such as flowerpots or buckets.
  • When weather permits, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants.
  • Use insect repellents

Symptoms of chickungunya include fever, rash, severe joint pain and fatigue. To read more about the virus, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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The Family Fertility Center recently hosted an open house to showcase its impressive, state-of-the-art laboratory and in vitro fertilization (IVF) clinic located on the third floor of Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women.

Dr. William Gibbons and his team provided tours to demonstrate how the laboratory’s high-tech equipment is helping couples reach their dream of starting a family.

“We use the most advanced fertility treatments available to help families achieve healthy pregnancies,” said Dr. William Gibbons, director of the Family Fertility Center and chief of reproductive endocrinology services at Texas Children’s. “We want our patients to know they’re not alone in this journey, and that our highly-skilled team of endocrinologists and obstetric anesthesiologists will provide the most comfortable treatment possible to meet each couple’s individual needs and concerns.”

81314FertilityClinicinside640Unlike other fertility clinics out there, Texas Children’s Family Fertility Center is the first in Houston to offer the EmbryoScope, an embryo monitoring system that provides continuous moving time-lapse images of embryos as they grow. This technology allows our physicians to identify the healthiest embryo to transfer to the patient, which has been shown to improve IVF success. Our facility also features micro-incubators equipped with fiber-optic, real-time pH monitoring to protect the quality of the embryo environment.

Additionally, the Family Fertility Center has partnered with The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to help cancer patients achieve their dream of conceiving a baby; Women faced with cancer have the option of preserving their fertility before they undergo chemotherapy and/or radiation treatments.

“Building families is what our mission is all about,” said Gibbons. “We’re here to serve you, and we look forward to offering the most advanced fertility treatments available in our new state-of-the-art facility.”

Click here to view a video tour of Texas Children’s Family Fertility Center. If you have questions, want to schedule an appointment, or learn more about the benefits available to full-time Texas Children’s Hospital employees, call Ext. 6-7500.

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Dr. Tamara Todd was 5 months pregnant when she found out her unborn daughter had a heart defect and would most certainly need surgery within her first moments of life. Her maternal fetal medicine specialist in Hilo, Hawaii told Todd and her husband that their baby girl, whom they planned to name Kirana, had Tetralogy of Fallot. Hilo does not have a children’s hospital, and the one in Honolulu does not have regular cardiothoracic surgery services, so they decided the best option was to head to the mainland U.S for delivery and post natal care.

They chose Texas Children’s Hospital for a variety of reasons. At the beginning of her career as a doctor, Todd was a part of Baylor International Pediatric AIDS Initiative (BIPAI) from 2006 to 2008 in Botswana and Lesotho so she was familiar with the reputation of both Baylor and Texas Children’s.

“I knew Texas Children’s would be a great place to get the best care,” says Todd of her choice to move to Houston. “Not only is it ranked as one of the top pediatric hospitals for cardiology and heart surgery, but also my parents live in the Houston area, so it really just felt like home.”

Once the decision was made, Todd connected with Christie Moran, nurse coordinator from the Texas Children’s Fetal Center, and transferred her OB care at 36 weeks of pregnancy, and arranged prenatal consult with pediatric cardiology and pediatric surgery.

“Every single person that we interacted with during outpatient visits, my admission for induction and ultimate c-section, our time in the NICU with Kirana and, of course, the surgical team were all outstanding,” says Todd of her time in Houston. “Texas Children’s quickly felt like a home away from home for my family.”

Kirana was born on December 31, 2013 at the Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women and taken immediately to surgery to repair the defect in her heart. Dr. Charles D. Fraser led a team of specialists in surgery, including Dr. Shaine Morris from Cardiology and Dr. Erin Gottlieb from Anesthesiology. The team at the Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit managed Kirana’s post-surgical care.

“We were very fortunate that Kirana’s tetralogy of fallot was prenatally diagnosed by her doctor in Hawaii. Her family was able to temporarily move to Houston and deliver at the Pavilion for Women,” according to Kirana’s cardiologist, Dr. Morris. “Kirana’s heart condition is one that we treat often at Texas Children’s, and thanks to a multidisciplinary team, led by Dr. Fraser, we were able to provide her with the best care, and Kirana’s prognosis is very good.”

Kirana’s surgery was a success, and now just a few months later, the family is back home in Hawaii with their beautiful, healthy daughter