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Donate Blood: Why Should You Give?, Promise, Powered by Nemours Children's Health System

Donate Blood: Why Should You Give?

Did you know that every three seconds, someone in the United States needs a blood donation? Even though nine out of 10 people will need blood products in their lifetime, less than 10 percent of the eligible population opts to donate blood. The thing is, regular blood donations by healthy people ensure that safe blood will be available whenever and wherever it’s needed — for children and adults alike. And there’s a constant need for blood supply because blood can only be stored for a limited time before use. How Does It Help? A decision to donate your blood can save a life — or even several lives — if blood is separated into its components (red blood cells, platelets, and plasma), which can be used individually for patients with specific conditions. Red Blood Cells Red blood cells, made in bone marrow, contain hemoglobin and carry oxygen to the body. So who […]

Advancing Healthcare Outcomes Tomorrow by Investing in Undergraduates Today

For over 40 years, Nemours Biomedical Research has hosted a highly motivated and talented cadre of undergraduate research students during the summer months, and this year we added another success story. From June through August, 32 students had the opportunity to participate in research projects with our scientists and clinicians. The research projects were diverse and ranged from epidemiologic, to basic topics. During the 10-week program, students attended weekly seminars, participated in a student-run journal club, shadowed physicians, visited the Nemours Estate, and most importantly, gained hands-on experience conducting research procedures. Nemours Faculty and Associates mentored students through the research process: formulating research questions and hypotheses, navigating the IRB if appropriate, learning required procedures and skills, following protocols, and analyzing and interpreting data. At the end of the program, students had three opportunities to present their research findings. The first was at the newly instated Nemours Summer Undergraduate Research Student […]

Bald Is Beautiful: Losing Locks for Childhood Cancer

A brave contingent of donors had their heads shaved to raise funds and awareness for childhood cancer at a recent Nemours-sponsored St. Baldrick’s Foundation event, held at Iron Hill Brewery on the Wilmington Riverfront. St. Baldrick’s supports the Nemours Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children by supplying all new patients and their families with a “day pack” filled with bilingual resource materials to help guide them through the overwhelming experience of a childhood cancer diagnosis. Among the “shavees” was Candice Morris, a home health nurse from Magnolia, Del., who was inspired by one of her young patients’ bravery in the face of cancer. About 30 minutes after Candice submitted to the razor, her mother and son went for it, too! Many thanks to the volunteer stylists from Currie of Wilmington, Iron Hill for providing a private room, and event organizers/Nemours oncology nurses Nicole Roselli and […]

Straight Talk About Scoliosis at Mentoring Event

What can inspire more than 100 people to gather at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children on a beautiful Saturday morning in June? “The opportunity to share common concerns [and] feelings with other families.” That was the overwhelming response from participants of the 3rd Annual Patient and Parent Mentoring Event, hosted by the Nemours Spine and Scoliosis Center. This event was open to families with children who have adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, the most common form. Three people out of 100 have scoliosis, a condition that causes the spine to curve from side to side, like an “S” or a “C.” For some, no treatment is necessary, just periodic monitoring of the curve by a doctor. For others, the curve of the spine is large enough that treatment is required, which can include bracing to halt or slow down the progression of the curve and/or surgery to correct the curve. The […]

Nemours Patients Sparkle at “Fire and Ice” Prom

The guests arrived at the Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children’s 2016 “Fire and Ice” prom in glittering gowns and sharp suits, groomed to perfection and shivering a little on a breezy April evening. They exited classic cars that had chauffeured them to the hospital, letting their illness take a back seat on this festive evening. They danced, posed for photos, laughed and reveled with nearly 100 fellow Nemours patients who are facing or recovering from serious health concerns. The Nemours prom, a labor of love for dedicated staff and volunteers, is now in its fourth year. Teens with cancer, sickle cell disease, heart and kidney disease, and other conditions are treated to a themed extravaganza that rivals any high school prom. An outpouring of community support ensures the guests enjoy a wonderful event at no cost to their families. Dresses, tuxedos, makeup and hair styling, food, decorations, gifts, music and photography are […]

My New Perspective: A Sports Medicine Provider, Now Also a Sports Parent

Injury Prevention for the Throwing Athlete…Overuse Injuries in Young Athletes…Sport Specialization – Avoiding the Pitfalls of Too Much Time in One Sport…Concussions in Youth Sports…These are just a few of the talks that I have given over the past five years to parents and coaches of young athletes. As the manager of the sports therapy program at the Nemours Center for Sports Medicine, I have seen, firsthand, all of the problems that can accompany the increasingly high demands of youth sports. I have always enjoyed the opportunity to speak with these groups about what they can do to try to reduce the chance of their little athlete becoming another statistic in the growing epidemic of injured youth athletes. Talking to parents is especially gratifying, and I would prepare by pouring over the ever-growing research being published on the causes of overuse injuries and what can be done to prevent them. All […]

“Love Helps Me Heal:” An Original Song

This spring, in partnership with the University of Delaware, Nemours hosted Artist-in-Residence Frank Waln, an award-winning Native American hip-hop artist from the Rosebud Reservation in South Dakota. Frank joined Nemours in our Creative Arts Therapy program at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, where he has been able to share his story with our patients and families. Frank met with groups of patients while here and spoke about growing up as a Native American, being raised by a loving single mother, and the ways hip-hop music offers him healing during difficult times. One of his goals while here was to work with our patients to create a one-of-a-kind musical work that tells their story about being in the hospital. With a degree in audio engineering and his experience as a performer, Frank was able to show kids how to create hip-hop music. Frank taught them how to build a song by […]

Laundry Pod Dangers, Powered by Nemours Children's Health System

Laundry Pod Poisonings Increasing Despite Safety Warnings

In the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, I can really appreciate the small conveniences that are available to make our lives easier…drive-throughs, single-serve coffee makers, even microwave meals. One of the biggest things that make our lives easier is washing machines. They make washing things so much more efficient. Many people would be lost without their washing machines and dishwasher. This is why many homeowners decide to insure their appliances at https://homewarranty.firstam.com/homeowner/home-warranty/michigan. That makes sure that homeowners can receive 24/7 support if their appliances break down. Someone will also come out and take a look at the appliance too. Hopefully, they’ll be able to fix it, allowing us to continue with our washing. But sometimes these little conveniences can carry a danger we never considered, especially when using pods. The laundry (and dishwasher) detergent packets/pods are a great example of what seems to be the perfect modern-day convenience. […]

Arthrogryposis: Meeting Peers for a Day, Making Friends for Life

When you hear statistics like “1 in 3,000” or “only 104,000 in the U.S.,” it’s hard to feel like others understand what you’re going through with a rare condition such as arthrogryposis. So, imagine how wonderful it must have felt for the nearly 130 people who gathered for the Arthrogryposis Mini Meet-Up recently held at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Del. A condition of the joints and muscles, arthrogryposis impairs children’s abilities to use their shoulders, wrists, fingers and lower extremities. There are many variations — some mild, some severe. There is no cure for arthrogryposis, but there are treatments that can help to maintain and maximize a child’s range of motion and function. The goal of the Mini Meet-Up was to bring together kids and adults with arthrogryposis so they could share their stories, their experiences and their support with each other. And, perhaps most important, […]

What's Up With Kids' Blood Pressure?

What’s Up With Kids’ Blood Pressure?

We don’t usually think of blood pressure as a matter of concern during childhood — and for most kids, it’s not. But blood pressure is an important vital sign and one that your child’s physician should be taking at every check-up. Babies’ blood pressure measurements are taken at birth as part of routine newborn screenings. After that, expert guidelines, including those of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), call for measurements to be taken at well-child visits and sick visits in the pediatrician’s office, starting at age 3. What’s Considered “Normal” Blood Pressure for Kids? Determining normal or optimal blood pressure for children is a bit complex because it depends on a number of factors including age, height and gender. A simplified approach is to use these thresholds: A child from 3 to 11 years should have blood pressure at or below 110/70. From age 12 upward, a measurement of […]

An Open Letter to Nemours Physicians on Doctor’s Day

Dear Nemours Physician, THANK YOU! As our nation celebrates Doctor’s Day 2016, I am both honored and delighted to have the opportunity to celebrate each of you. Thank you for all that you do for the thousands of children and families who rely on you and Nemours for both hope and healing. It is more than fitting that this annual recognition celebrates the dedication and compassion of physicians in caring for their patients and alleviating human suffering. Fitting, because compassion and alleviating human suffering are the very foundation upon which our benefactor, Alfred I. duPont, envisioned what we know today as the Nemours Children’s Health System. Doctor’s Day is also a time to recognize our physicians for their contributions to the body of medical knowledge and the creation of tools necessary to win the unending battle against disease that leads to better outcomes for patients. Yet, beyond the wonder of […]

Transformation: Celebrating Child Life and Social Work Month

For children and families who are navigating serious medical concerns, visits to the hospital can be stressful and tedious – even a little scary. That’s why the Child Life and Social Work team at Nemours Children’s Hospital is dedicated to building a supportive, enriching and fun environment for the children in our care. It’s a mission the team embraces every day, but during the week of March 21st, the work of the Child Life and Social Work team took on extra importance as we celebrated National Child Life and Social Work Month. The team focused on the theme of Transformation, and celebrated with related activities each day. And it wasn’t just the patients who benefitted – staff from departments throughout Nemours Children’s Hospital got in on the festivities.  Associates from various departments supported their Child Life and Social Work colleagues through their attire, sharing stories of success and showering the […]

Page 29 of 30

Page 29 of 30

Page 29 of 30