Children's View Summer 2009 by The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

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Summer 2009

A publication from The Children’s Hospital Foundation

Child Life, Education and Creative Arts Therapy

meticulously repaired and began to beat with strength inside a tiny body. A playroom echoed with happy giggles. Human genes yielded more of their secrets to dedicated researchers. A young doctor learned from mentors who are pioneers in her specialty. Today at CHOP someone like you gave a gift. A gift that, joined with others, helped make it possible to do tomorrow all the things that happened — today at CHOP.

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Today at CHOP a fragile heart no bigger than a walnut was

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Childhood is a gift. And you can give it.

Diagnostic Center Offers Answers and Comfort CHOP Works to Curb Youth Violence

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Contents

INVEST

Summer 2009

3 The View From Here 4 CHOP News Roundup

IN HOPE.

6 Cover Story The Child Life, Education and Creative Arts Therapy Department helps patients thrive.

10 Family Focus The Diagnostic Center

12 View Calendar

Charitable Gift Annuity

June – October 2009

14 Volunteers in Philanthropy 16 Pediatric Research Youth Violence

18 ViewPoint Stephanie Valadez, R.N.

On the Cover: Evett Hawks, 15, CHOP heart transplant patient and two-time CHOP child life prom attendee

▲ Stephanie Valadez, R.N., came to work at CHOP after her son Matt had lifesaving surgery here.

News From CHOP for About $1 The Children’s Hospital Foundation is the charitable, tax-exempt organization benefiting The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. For information about making a contribution to support CHOP, call 267-426-6500 or visit GiftofChildhood.com. Please recycle. Children’s View is printed on 50 percent recycled paper and 25 percent post-consumer waste paper.

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You may notice that this issue of Children’s View looks and feels different from earlier ones. That’s because we’ve made changes to reduce costs of production even more. We moved to a different printing process and less expensive recycled paper. We also reduced the number of pages. These changes mean it costs only $1.15 per copy to put information about the innovative, child-saving work happening at Children’s Hospital into your hands. If you prefer, you may request to receive Children’s View electronically. Just send your name, address (from the back cover) and e-mail address to ViewOnline@email.chop.edu. Starting with the next issue, you’ll receive a message with a link to the magazine. You may also read Children’s View online at www.GiftofChildhood.com. Click on “Publications” in the upper toolbar to read current and archived issues.

Extraordinary Partnership: You support the future of the nation’s top-ranked children’s hospital. We guarantee you income for life. Income for life: Rates are based on the age(s) of the annuitant(s) in the year of funding. Current rates for a one-life annuity are as follows:

You receive guaranteed, fixed income for life in exchange for your gift. And you propel our mission forward. Children’s Hospital not only provides compassionate care for countless children, it is also home to one of the largest pediatric

AGE

RATE

AGE

RATE

9.5%

8.1%

7.1%

6.3%

5.7%

5.3%

5.0%

4.8%

For example, if you are 75 years old and you establish a $25,000 charitable gift annuity, you will receive guaranteed income of $1,575 (6.3% of $25,000) per year for life and you are also eligible for a charitable tax deduction for a portion of the $25,000.

research facilities in the world.

To receive an obligation-free illustration, please contact Sean T. Gallagher, director of Planned Giving, at 267-426-6472 or GallagherSE@email.chop.edu.

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The View From Here One of the hallmarks of Children’s Hospital is the attention we pay not just to a patient’s illness, but to the whole child. Specialists from the Child Life, Education and Creative Arts Therapy Department use art, music and play to reduce fears, explain procedures, keep a patient’s development on track, and bring smiles and laughter to difficult situations. We know how critical these services are to the well-being of our patients and their families — which is why we provide them even though insurance companies do not reimburse the costs, nor do we ever charge patients for them. In our cover story, starting on Page 6, you will learn how one patient benefits from her interactions with Child Life. You’ll also meet one of our hardest-working “therapists,” a dog that volunteers with the Paw Partners program, as well as the generous donor who makes this service possible. Also in this issue, you will read about a real CHOP legend, Patrick S. Pasquariello Jr., M.D., who for the past 46 years has been a source of hope for families struggling to find diagnoses for their children. At CHOP’s Diagnostic Center, Dr. Pat, as everyone calls him, has tackled mysterious cases, found elusive answers and devised treatment plans for children who might otherwise not have been helped. In a truly fitting gesture, we will rename the Diagnostic Center he helped to build in his honor. (See Page 10.) Your support of Children’s Hospital allows us to maintain the Diagnostic Center, Child Life and so many other innovative services. And your support is all the more essential in these difficult economic times. We know there are many organizations seeking your support, and we are honored that you continue to choose Children’s Hospital. Your generosity enables the exemplary work of our doctors and staff, keeping us at the forefront of pediatric care, research and education. From all of us, thank you.

Steven M. Altschuler, M.D. President and Chief Executive Officer Stuart P. Sullivan Executive Vice President and Chief Development Officer R. Robin Austin Executive Director of Development Thom Harmon Director of Development, Donor Engagement Kim Caulfield Director, Development Communications Mark Turbiville Director of Donor Relations Rebecca Elias, Natalie Virgilio Contributing Writers Stephanie Hogarth Chief Marketing Officer Linda Lightner Creative Director Zan Hale Managing Editor Jennifer Linden Art Director Deborah Stern Silver Medical and Science Writer Sara Barton, Jessa Stephens Senior Writers Sandra Gravinese Production Manager Ed Cunicelli Principal Photography Additional Photography Bill Cain, Paul Crane, Dario Mescia Children’s View is produced by the Public Relations, Communications and Marketing Department of The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and The Children’s Hospital Foundation. The Children’s Hospital Foundation is the charitable, tax-exempt organization benefiting The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, the nation’s first pediatric hospital, is a leader in patient care, education, research and advocacy.

Steven M. Altschuler, M.D. President and Chief Executive Officer P.S. We’ve taken steps to significantly reduce the cost of producing Children’s View. You can further our efforts by signing up to receive the magazine electronically. See details on the opposite page.

Comments and inquiries should be addressed to: Editor, Children’s View Public Relations, Communications and Marketing Department The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia 34th Street and Civic Center Boulevard Philadelphia, PA 19104-4399 giving@email.chop.edu

Children’s View

ViewNews

CHOP News Roundup Wal-Mart Donates $1 Million to Children’s Miracle Network at CHOP

Specter Visits Hospital U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter (above), a longtime supporter of Children’s Hospital and proponent of federal spending on healthcare and research, addressed a standing-room-only crowd of employees during a town hall meeting Feb. 17. Specter, speaking at the Leonard and Madlyn Abramson Pediatric Research Center, pushed to include $10 billion for the National Institutes of Health in the government’s economic stimulus bill. ■

Ultrasound Screening Prevents Stroke in Children With Sickle Cell Disease

Children’s View

CHOP Research Helps Identify Who May Develop Type 1 and 2 Diabetes Genetics researchers and pediatric endocrinologists at Children’s Hospital are taking different paths toward the same goal: to help doctors better identify children at risk for diabetes, allowing them to work to prevent the onset of the disease. First, researchers announced they found two new gene locations that raise the risk of type 1 diabetes. Soon after, pediatric endocrinologists at CHOP published their findings that overweight siblings of children with type 2 diabetes are four times more likely to have abnormal glucose levels compared with other overweight children. In type 1 diabetes, usually first diagnosed in children or young adults, the pancreas has stopped producing enough insulin, which the patient then must take by injection. In type 2, which can be diagnosed at any age, the body has stopped responding correctly to insulin, and the pancreas eventually stops producing enough of it. “As we add to our knowledge of the biology of type 1 diabetes 2008 Diabetes and better understand details of Statistics the disease’s genetic risk, we will be able to develop better diagnostic Number of children tests that meaningfully predict receiving treatment who will develop diabetes,” says at CHOP: study leader Hakon Hakonarson, type 1 diabetes: 1,800 M.D., Ph.D., director of the type 2 diabetes: 160 Center for Applied Genomics (CAG) at CHOP.

▲

Doctors can prevent stroke in children with sickle cell disease by using ultrasound screening and proactively treating children found to be at high risk with blood transfusions, a study at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia confirmed. CHOP researchers wanted to look at the effectiveness of screening at-risk patients using transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) and treating them with transfusions, which CHOP’s Sickle Cell Program began in 1998. They tracked patients from 1990 to 2006 and compared the incidence of stroke in the pre- and post-TCD screening groups. Researchers found great news: TCD followed by blood transfusions in highrisk patients reduced stroke to one-tenth of the incidence found before TCD was introduced. “When we see an abnormal TCD result, we treat the child with preventive blood transfusions, given regularly every three to four weeks,” says Janet L. Kwiatkowski, M.D., a CHOP pediatric hematologist. She presented the study results at a press conference during the American Society of Hematology’s annual meeting in December. ■

Wal-Mart Stores presented Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia with a $1 million donation. The funds were raised over a two-year period at Wal-Mart Stores in southeastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware. “Wal-Mart is one of our most dedicated regional partners,” says Steven M. Altschuler, M.D., president and CEO of Children’s Hospital. “Its commitment to improving the lives of the young people we serve is unwavering — a commitment seen from Wal-Mart’s top executives to local store associates.” To recognize Wal-Mart’s long-term support, Children’s Miracle Network at CHOP dedicated the reception desk at Children’s Seashore House, an in-patient care facility at CHOP, to Wal-Mart. “This recognition is truly appreciated,” says Hank Mullany, senior vice president and president of Wal-Mart’s Northeast Division. “But the real reward is providing important funding and support to CMN and CHOP, whose work improves health and quality of life for hundreds of children every day.” ■

CHOP Plays Key Role in Landmark Study of Children’s Health Over the next several years, researchers from the National Children’s Study will fan out across the country to collect data from 100,000 children and their families. They’ll gather air, water and dust from their homes, interview parents to learn about their health and the health of their children, and take biological samples from the families. And they will do this over and over again until the children turn 21. The National Children’s Study (NCS), which will begin following children before they are born, was designed to identify environmental factors that affect children’s health and development. Led by the National Institutes of Health, with support from Children’s Hospital and other institutions, it is the largest study of children’s health ever conducted in the United States. CHOP was selected as one of only seven Vanguard Centers, which are the first to begin recruiting participants and collecting data — and the first to offer feedback that will influence the design of the study. “We’re getting in on the ground floor,” says Jennifer Culhane, M.P.H., Ph.D., principal investigator of the CHOP Study Center. Each Study Center — there will eventually be dozens — is responsible for managing the study in one or more of 105 participating communities. CHOP has been assigned five communities: Philadelphia County; Montgomery County, Pa.; Schuylkill County, Pa.; Burlington County, N.J.; and New Castle County, Del. CHOP hopes to enroll 1,000 participants in each county. In April, members of the research team began recruiting Montgomery County women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant to participate in the study. Other counties will be added over the next several years. The study will look at how a child’s genes interact with his environment to make him more or less susceptible to autism, obesity, asthma and other pediatric diseases that affect large numbers of children. The hope is that this knowledge will lead to new prevention strategies, treatments and cures.

It took two years for CAG’s highly automated, sophisticated tools to scan thousands of DNA samples and pinpoint several new gene locations associated with type 1 diabetes, formerly called juvenile diabetes. The study detailing CAG’s results appeared online in Diabetes, the journal of the American Diabetes Association, in October. “As we better understand the gene pathways that give rise to type 1 diabetes, this knowledge may suggest ways to intervene early in life with therapies that target those pathways and prevent the disease from developing,” says Hakonarson. Prevention is at the heart of the type 2 research, too. Giving pediatricians a heads-up to screen for abnormal glucose levels in

The study also presents an unprecedented opportunity for Children’s Hospital researchers and the donors who support them. Because CHOP is a Study Center, our investigators will be able to request access to data gathered during the study to use in their own research. For example, a researcher interested in finding out if certain cleaning products contribute to asthma could ask for data on all participating children diagnosed with that disease. If a request is approved, Culhane says, “It’s up to the investigators to raise the money to do the analysis. But you don’t have to raise the money to collect the data, so it’s a huge cost-savings. “We’re hoping to develop a lot of scientific spinoffs in the CHOP community,” she adds. “This place has the technology and the expertise to really tunnel in and dig down on some of these very important hypotheses.” CHOP’s National Children’s Study team, from left: Marsha Gerdes, Ph.D.; James Guevara, M.D.; Bonika Steward, M.P.H.; Andrew Chilkatowsky; Eileen Tschanz; Sandi Wadlinger, M.S., R.R.T.; Joshua Skaroff, Jennifer Culhane, M.P.H., Ph.D.; Maureen Mancini, R.N.; Joanna Mucera; Catrin Dessables. Not pictured: David Webb, Ph.D.; Danielle Campbell, M.S., R.D., L.D.N.

overweight children who have a sibling with type 2 diabetes, formerly called adult-onset diabetes, is critical because abnormal glucose levels may indicate risk for diabetes or diabetes itself. Once these children are identified, they could benefit from diabetes prevention education and avoid the disease. “To our knowledge, previous studies have not specifically looked at the risk of abnormal glucose tolerance among siblings of children diagnosed with type 2 diabetes,” says Sheela N. Magge, M.D., M.S.C.E., a CHOP pediatric endocrinologist and primary author of the study, which was published in the online edition of the Journal of Pediatrics in December.

Children’s View

Smiling Again The Child Life, Education and Creative Arts Therapy Department Helps Patients Thrive

perpetually cheerful Cabbage Patch Kid® named George is on 11-yearold Sara Wise’s mind as a nurse prepares to insert an IV into her left arm. “I’m not going to be like George,” Sara says. “He’s always smiling.” “That’s OK,” says Andrea Obert, C.C.L.S., the child life specialist on 7 West, where Sara is being treated for multiple sclerosis. “You just have to be still. That’s all we want.” As the nurse gathers the IV supplies, Obert bends closer to Sara. “Look at me,” she says. She and Sara breathe deeply together: in, out, in again. The nurse counts to three. And then it’s over. “Good job, Sara, she got it in!” Obert exclaims. Sara settles back against her pillow — and soon she’s smiling again. It could have been so much worse. Some kids scream when they see a needle, or become hysterical at the sight of a tourniquet. Their anxiety makes an already difficult time harder for everyone — parents included. Sara’s mom, Patti Wise, says getting an IV is a particularly stressful experience for her daughter. “You would think that she’d be used to it by now, but she does get scared.” Today was a little different, though, because Sara had seen Obert give George an IV a few days before. She’d watched her clean the doll’s arm with an alcohol pad, apply the tourniquet, and insert the needle. And then she’d done it herself.

“When she knows exactly what’s going to happen, then she’s going to feel more comfortable with it,” Obert says. “No big surprises.” Minimizing surprises is an important job for Children’s Hospital’s 38 child life specialists, who show kids what to expect during medical procedures and soothe them when they’re scared or in pain. Many child life specialists have master’s degrees in psychology, child development or child life — and they know that educating kids about the medical experience is the best way to help them deal with their fears. “There’s definitely evidence that shows children do better with information,” says Elana TenHuisen, M.S., C.C.L.S., director of the Child Life, Education and Creative Arts Therapy Department. TenHuisen oversees a staff of 75 — including child life specialists, child activity coordinators, a librarian, library assistants, art therapists, music therapists, school teachers, a video specialist and a special events coordinator. The team’s goals: to reduce patients’ and families’ stress and normalize their environment and experience as much as possible. Their work has a significant impact on patients’ wellbeing; studies have

Child life is “an essential component of quality pediatric health care.” — American Academy of Pediatrics 6

Children’s View

Child life specialist Andrea Obert with George, a medical doll.

“If we didn’t have the generosity of donors, we wouldn’t be able to help the thousands of patients we see every year.” — Elana TenHuisen, M.S., C.C.L.S., director, Child Life, Education and Creative Arts Therapy

shown that children who receive child life services are less anxious during a hospital stay, and that their stays tend to be shorter than other kids’. “We really are helping children heal more quickly,” says TenHuisen.

Fear Less For adults, the prospect of having a spinal tap or open-heart surgery can be terrifying. So just imagine how frightening it is for children, who might not understand what a procedure is or why they need it. It’s all a little less scary for kids when they’re prepared. Child life specialists use photo books and real medical equipment to show them exactly what a procedure will be like, describing the kinds of things they’ll hear, smell and feel in terms kids can understand. They might say the glue the technician will use smells like nail polish remover. They might tell a child that the soap used to clean her skin will feel cold and gritty, “like sand.” “Sometimes I’ll actually get out a little bit and have them feel it between their fingers,” says Obert. And when it’s time for the CT scan or the IV or the bone marrow biopsy, child life specialists are there to help patients through it, keeping in mind the coping techniques that work best for each child. Some kids find that deep breathing relaxes them; others prefer to hug a favorite stuffed animal or listen to music.

“I’ll often sing,” says Obert. “Sometimes, when you sing in a quiet voice, they’ll calm down because they want to hear.”

Being Kids For kids like Sara Wise, who comes to Children’s Hospital several times a week for outpatient treatments and is admitted to 7 West about once a month, spending so much time in the Hospital, away from friends and siblings, can be very difficult. “She gets bored, and she also gets depressed,” says her mom. But that changes when Obert and her colleagues are nearby. “When Sara’s feeling up to it, she can go to the playroom, which is always fun,” says Wise. “And when she’s not quite up to it, she can do things in her room. Andrea always brings her something special to do.” TenHuisen points out that the activities her staff organizes have benefits that extend far beyond their entertainment value: They help kids stay on track developmentally by giving them opportunities to learn, socialize and problem-solve. “It’s not just about play,” she says. “There’s so much more to it.” The department also provides familiar, everyday activities to help kids feel more comfortable during their Hospital stays: Patients can keep up with schoolwork with the help of certified teachers; check out DVDs, PlayStation® games and books from the library in the Connelly Resource Center for Families;

Support for the Tiniest Patients Child life specialist Melissa McGillen (top photo) soothes babies during medical procedures in the Harriet and Ronald Lassin Newborn/Infant Intensive Care Unit, where even the youngest patients have plenty of opportunities to play (below). Carts filled with toys and art supplies for visiting siblings are located throughout the unit; “medical play” is always an option (bottom).

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attend camp; and even go to the patient prom, which is held every May in the CHOP cafeteria. “It’s really fun,” says Evett Hawks, 15, who spent 10 months at CHOP waiting for a new heart and attended the prom twice. At the 2008 prom, she donned a pair of star-shaped earrings and a tiara, dipped marshmallows in the chocolate fountain and noticed something amazing as she looked out across the dance floor: “There were a lot of smiles on people’s faces.”

Support for the Whole Family The department also extends its support to patients’ parents, siblings, grandparents and cousins — “whoever they identify as family,” says TenHuisen. In the Harriet and Ronald Lassin Newborn/Infant Intensive Care Unit, (N/IICU), child life specialist Melissa McGillen, C.C.L.S., prepares patients’ siblings for the first time they’ll see their baby brother or sister — answering

their questions, showing them pictures of the machines and equipment, easing their fears. “It’s a scary place for them to come to,” she says. “They don’t understand why the baby is here.” Often, child life specialists educate parents as well. When it comes to explaining a child’s illness to young siblings, says McGillen, “Most of the time parents continued on next page >

Beyond Words Creative Arts Therapies Help Kids Express Their Feelings, Cope With Pain “This is my special book,” says art therapist Megan Cormier, M.A., A.T.R.B.C., turning the pages of an oversized album as 5-year-old Andrew Levine watches intently. “Every Wednesday, we do a drawing in here. I’m wondering if maybe you can draw something about how you’re feeling today.” Cormier starts all of her group sessions with an activity like this one, which gives kids the chance to express emotions they might not be comfortable talking about. “You might say you’re feeling great, but deep inside you’re feeling awful,” she says. “A lot of times that comes out in the art.” Because pain can also be hard for patients to describe, Cormier sometimes gives kids paper cutouts shaped like bodies or faces and asks them to create pain. Is it a scribble or a straight line? Is it near the heart or in the stomach? The child can then show his artwork to his doctors and nurses to help them understand what he’s feeling. “The team gets a different sense of what it’s like for that child,” Cormier says. “Art and music therapy are unique in that we can have a lot of progress and a lot of output from the patients, and they don’t necessarily have to use words,” says 8

Children’s View

music therapist Patrick Lipawen, M.A., M.T.-B.C. “They can express some of the subtler shades of emotion that they might not have the words to describe.” Either in the Richard and Toby Korman Davidov Music Therapy Room or at the bedside, CHOP’s music therapists use a variety of techniques to reach kids. Often, they play music to help them relax or show them how to play an instrument, an activity that can build patients’ selfesteem. “They might have a favorite song,” says Lipawen, “and they might get a sense of accomplishment from being able to learn a part of that song.” When a patient is in pain, Lipawen might sit with her at the piano and ask her to play what she’s feeling. He’ll then play along with her, gradually moving from dissonant notes to more soothing harmonies, gently drawing her away from the pain.

Art therapist Megan Cormier with Andrew Levine, 5

The activity helps, he says, because it puts kids in control: Their pain is no longer just an abstract feeling — it’s a sound or rhythm that they have the power to change. It’s similar to what happens in art therapy, when a child has the opportunity to choose between markers or paints, or plain or lined paper. Making these kinds of choices is fun, but it’s also empowering. “It’s putting them in the driver’s seat, for once,” says Cormier. And that’s a good thing for all children, whether they’re toddlers or teenagers. “We don’t have the staffing to see everyone, but we realize that just about everyone can benefit from this sort of intervention,” says Lipawen. “Some teenagers outgrow whatever’s in the playroom,” he adds, “but no one has outgrown the piano.” ■

don’t know what to say. So I’m there as an advocate to say: ‘This is how I explain it, this is the best way for this age, this is how they will typically respond.’ ” Patti Wise, recalling a time when Sara was especially anxious about getting an IV, says she was grateful to Obert for showing her different ways to calm her daughter. “Andrea had helped us with breathing, so I told Sara on our way down, ‘We’ll just do that when we get there, and it will be fine.’ And it was fine.”

A Paw toHold

The Importance of Philanthropy The costs of providing child life and creative arts therapy services are not reimbursed by insurance companies, which gives donors a remarkable opportunity to make a direct and significant impact on the lives of patients. “If we didn’t have the generosity of donors, we wouldn’t be able to help the thousands of patients we see every year,” says TenHuisen. Donor support is more essential now than ever before, as the Hospital and the needs of its patients continue to grow. Donations will allow Children’s Hospital to maintain or increase the number of child life specialists on staff; expand the creative arts therapy program (see story on opposite page); and purchase educational books and toys, games and movies for the playrooms, instruments and equipment for the music therapy program, art and school supplies, and mobiles to soothe babies in the N/IICU. “Those are our tools, just like you need blood pressure cuffs and masks for medical care,” says TenHuisen. Donations will help the Department of Child Life, Education and Creative Arts Therapy reach more children like Sara and Evett, for whom CHOP is like a second home and Child Life staff members are cherished teachers, advocates and friends. “They bring a lot of happiness while you’re here,” says Jennifer Drees, whose son Dominic, 7, has epilepsy. “It makes the stay so much easier.” “Child Life is so important,” says Patti Wise. “For a kid who’s in the Hospital all the time, it just makes the biggest difference. And I don’t think people know that. It makes a huge difference for Sara. It’s the first thing she says when she gets here: ‘When’s Andrea coming by?’ ” ■

Gerry Shreiber Makes Transformational Gift to Pet Therapy Program Gerry Shreiber, president and CEO of J&J Snack Foods Corp., doesn’t have to look far to find a little happiness: At least one of his six dogs is at his side — or at his feet — pretty much all the time. “I just feel good when I’m around dogs,” he says. “If you’ve had a bad day, they make you feel better.” Shreiber, a longtime donor to The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, is spreading the good feelings. He recently made a transformational gift to endow CHOP’s Paw Partners program, which brings certified therapy dogs to the Hospital to visit patients and families. “I’ve been most fortunate in business and in life, and I thought, ‘What a marvelous combination — you can provide some support and dedicate some money to a cause that will enrich children’s lives today and perhaps give them a better tomorrow,’ ” says Shreiber. Currently, 14 dogs participate in the Paw Partners program. With Shreiber’s gift, Child Life, Education and Creative Arts Therapy staff plan to triple that number. “The dogs that we have are fantastic, but it’s a really big hospital,” says Samantha Palmieri, M.A., C.C.L.S., special events coordinator for the

Gerry Shreiber and Boo visit Dominic Drees, 7.

department and coordinator of Paw Partners. “Building the program will allow us to have more visits for the patients and families.” Shreiber’s gift will also provide funds for research; staff members hope to conduct studies that will establish Children’s Hospital as a leader in the pet therapy field. “We’re really excited to be able to use some of the money to get the word out there about all the great things pet therapy can do for hospitalized kids,” says Palmieri. The benefits could be seen recently on 7 West, when Betty Smith and Boo, her golden retriever, stopped to visit 7-year-old Dominic Drees. Dominic’s mother, Jennifer, could see that the dog had a calming effect on her son. “I think dogs have a way of communicating with children,” she says. “It’s evident when you see them interact.” Dogs also accept people just the way they are — and, for patients who might feel they don’t fit in at school, that makes a dog’s friendship especially precious. “Dogs don’t care what makes you different,” says Palmieri. “They love everybody the same.” Dominic Drees certainly felt the love. After Smith and Boo left, his mom says, “He called everybody and told them what happened. He was very proud.” ■ Children’s View

FamilyFocus

Diagnostic Center

Patrick S. Pasquariello Jr., M.D., greets Calista Berlin, 1, and, at right, examines her.

He’s Listening ‘Dr. Pat’ Provides Answers and Comfort At 5 months old, Daniel developed problems nursing and began to snore. Numerous doctor visits yielded a diagnosis of asthma and a prescription for steroids. Months passed without improvement. Daniel became alarmingly thin. Finally, a doctor referred him to The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. His mother, Diana, had lost a son to leukemia at CHOP. “I didn’t want to go back,” she recalls. “I didn’t think my heart was big enough.”

Children’s View

But for her baby’s sake, she made an appointment. Twelve years later, she remembers their visit with Patrick S. Pasquariello Jr., M.D., like it was yesterday. When a child is sick, families ask: “What is it?” and “How can we make it better?” Sometimes they ask again and again, for months or years. The Diagnostic Center at CHOP was founded in 1989 with the belief that families of sick children deserve answers. The Center handles more than 1,000 visits each year from patients with perplexing or complex symptoms. “Our job is to be the detectives,” says Mark Magnusson, M.D., Ph.D., who, with Pasquariello, comprises the Center’s physician team. Pediatricians and specialists turn to the Center when they have trouble making a diagnosis. They also send families that have a diagnosis but need help with complex problems. Pasquariello and Magnusson have identified such illnesses as endocrine problems, failure to thrive and lymphoma. They also serve as point people, directing families to programs to manage, for instance, inflammatory bowel disease. Often families seeking help are frustrated. With that in mind, office manager Jean Donato schedules most visits within two weeks. Each patient has an hour with a doctor — three times longer than a typical appointment.

“Five minutes with that man undid 20 years of incorrect feedback to my son’s self-image.” — Abbe, a patient’s mother

To ensure this unique resource continues, the Hospital is raising funds to endow the Center, which will be renamed the Patrick S. Pasquariello Jr., M.D., Diagnostic and Complex Care Center to honor a physician who in 46 years at CHOP has helped tens of thousands. At 79, with no plans to retire, “Dr. Pat” continues to dispense practical, calming, sometimes life-changing exam-room advice. “The things that you learn at this place are unbelievable,” he says. “I’m still learning something new every day.” “His knowledge is encyclopedic, but what is even more amazing is his artistry in eliciting critical information from a medical history or a physical exam,” says Alan R. Cohen, M.D., who trained with Pasquariello 30 years ago and is now CHOP’s physician-in-chief, chair of the Department of Pediatrics and holder of the Leonard and Madlyn Abramson Endowed Chair in Pediatrics. Pasquariello begins each visit with questions about pregnancy and infancy. During a recent appointment, the patient’s mother, Abbe, recalled problems beginning when her son Ben was months old, including recurrent infections, slow growth, falls, seizures, leg pain and learning disabilities. Numerous doctor visits never yielded a diagnosis or plan for help. Finally, through Internet research, Abbe found a diagnosis that might explain her son’s symptoms. She brought Ben to CHOP, where a serious genetic disorder, 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, was confirmed this summer with a blood test. Ben is now 20. “I’ve been forever looking for an answer. This is the first place that has helped to un-confuse us,” Abbe said. Pasquariello turned to Ben and said, “You’re probably sick of doctors.” “Yeah,” Ben replied. “I don’t blame you,” the doctor acknowledged. Ben, who has worked very hard, is in college. After the exam, Pasquariello made a number of recommendations, and told Ben and his mother, “You’ve done a wonderful job.” Abbe was particularly pleased that he diagnosed exercise-induced asthma, too, and recommended an inhaler. Now, Ben’s lifelong difficulty running and playing sports could change. “That’s life-changing information,” Abbe says. “Five minutes with that man undid 20 years of incorrect feedback to my son’s self-image.”

They left with Pasquariello’s telephone number and e-mail address. “Call anytime,” he encouraged them. The Diagnostic Center visit was a step in a process. The problems won’t disappear, but having someone there to answer questions means the world to these families. “Instead of being afraid, Ben has a plan and a support system — all right at CHOP,” Abbe says. As Cohen says, “For Pat, reaching a diagnosis is not the endpoint. Communicating the information in an understanding and compassionate way makes him stand out even further.” On that day 12 years ago, Pasquariello had a diagnosis moments after the worried mother brought her baby into the room. Diana recalls, “He opened Daniel’s mouth and said, ‘This kid can’t breathe. Look at those large tonsils. You’ve got to get these out now.’” A surgeon at Children’s Hospital removed Daniel’s adenoids and tonsils the next day. He began eating again and his snoring stopped. Since then, Daniel has experienced additional problems — with hearing, balance and muscle weakness. The collection of issues doesn’t have a name; there isn’t a dramatic diagnosis. Instead, Pasquariello remains Diana’s ally in keeping Daniel as healthy as possible. This is the role he has taken on for thousands of families. It’s a role the Diagnostic Center will continue to fill after the doctor for whom it is named has retired. Daniel has visited Pasquariello three times in 12 years, and Diana calls Dr. Pat when she is particularly worried. “The two things I would say most about Dr. Pat are how well he listens and how kind he is to his patients,” she says. “He genuinely loves the kids. This job, it’s his life. It’s his love.” ■

Children’s View

ViewCalendar

May – October 2009

May

June

May 29 – 31 Children’s Miracle Network Celebration Telethon Tune in to the Comcast Network for Children’s Miracle Network at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s annual broadcast and learn about some of the people and programs that make Children’s Hospital so special.

June 14 School’s Out! Kids’ Triathlon Celebrate the beginning of summer at this third annual event at Simmons Elementary School in Horsham, Pa., which raised more than $11,000 for the Hospital last year. Children ages 6 through 14 will run, swim and bike their way to the finish line. For more information, contact Tracy Frary at 215-619-4727 or frary@comcast.net.

May 30 Addison’s Ball Entertainment, raffles and door prizes are all part of a fun night at The Deck in Essington, Pa., to benefit the Cardiac Center. For details, contact Tiffany Birney at 610-731-6791.

The Carousel Ball

June 20 DufferFest DufferFest is a music festival featuring local bands, a disc jockey, children’s crafts, games for the big kids, food and drinks, dancing and good times at Duffer’s Tavern in Glen Mills, Pa. All proceeds from the event benefit CHOP’s Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) Program. For more information, go to www.dufferfest.com. June 20 Ninth Annual Jazz Event Let the music move you at the Hospital’s annual Jazz Event. Enjoy an evening at the Hilton Philadelphia City Avenue with cocktails and a silent auction, and finish it with dinner and dancing. All proceeds benefit CHOP’s Sickle Cell Center. Please contact Sonia Ocasio for more information at 267-426-6477 or ocasio@email.chop.edu.

Oct. 10 This biennial event is a wonderful evening of dining, music and dancing. This year’s Carousel Ball will be held at the Hyatt Regency Philadelphia at Penn’s Landing and will benefit the Healthy Weight Program and the Diabetes Center for Children. For more information, contact Lori Busch at 267-4266465 or busch@email.chop.edu.

Children’s View

July July 20 “Our Kids” Golf Outing Each July, GIANT hosts the “Our Kids” Golf Outing, with more than 1,400 participating associates and vendors at golf courses in Pennsylvania. This year, the tournament will be held at 12 golf courses in the Hershey, Pa., area. For more information, contact Children’s

Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon June 27 – 28 Show your strength at the annual Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon benefiting the Cancer Center at Children’s Hospital. Athletes from all over the country will swim, bike and run through picturesque Fairmount Park. To learn more about how your participation can make a difference, please contact Michelle Kerr at 267-426-6517, events@email.chop.edu or visit www.phillytri.com.

Miracle Network at CHOP at 215-590-0132 or cmn@email.chop.edu.

August Aug. 13 Dairy Queen Miracle Treat Day Visit your local participating Dairy Queen on Aug. 13, when 100 percent of proceeds from each Blizzard sold will benefit Children’s Miracle Network at CHOP. Giving never tasted so sweet! To find your closest DQ, visit www.miracletreatday.com.

September Sept. 11 – 12 98.1 WOGL Loves Our Kids Radiothon Each September, 98.1 WOGL teams with Children’s Miracle Network at

UpcomingEvents Children’s Hospital to host the annual 98.1 WOGL Loves Our Kids Radiothon. Since 2001, the Radiothon has raised $3.4 million for patients at Children’s Hospital. Each year, the broadcast encourages a tremendous outpouring of generosity with its amazing stories of hope and courage. For more information, please go to www.wogl.com. Sept. 27 Parkway Run/Walk for Children’s Cancer Research Join us for the 2009 Parkway Run/Walk for Children’s Cancer Research. This annual 5K Run/2K Family Walk is presented by the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia and benefits the Cancer Center at CHOP. Registration opens at 7 a.m. at the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia. Together, we can make a difference for kids with cancer. For more information, contact Michelle Kerr at 267-426-5600 or events@email.chop.edu. Information is also online at www.parkwayrun.com.

October Oct. 4 The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Buddy Walk and Family Fun Day Join us at Villanova University Stadium for The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Buddy Walk and Family Fun Day. In addition to the walk, the day will be filled with great activities for the whole family, including an appearance by actor and singer Chris Burke performing with his band. In just seven years, the Buddy Walk and Family Fun Day has raised more than $1.5 million for the Trisomy 21 Program at Children’s Hospital. For more information, please contact Rebecca J. Elias at 267-426-5600 or events@email.chop.edu.

Event

Beneficiary

Date/Starting Time

Location

Children’s Miracle Network Celebration Telethon

Patient care programs

5/29/09 – 5/31/09

The Comcast Network

Healthy Kids Day

5/30/09, Noon

Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Philadelphia

Bryce’s Bridge of Hope Brain tumor Golf Tournament research and Dinner

5/30/09

Ron Jaworski’s Valleybrook Country Club, Blackwood, N.J.

Addison’s Ball

Cardiac Center

5/30/09, 7 p.m.

The Deck, Essington, Pa.

School’s Out! Kids’ Triathlon

Patient care programs

6/14/09

Simmons Elementary, Horsham, Pa.

DufferFest

Trisomy 21 Program

6/20/09

Duffer’s Tavern, Glen Mills, Pa.

Ninth Annual Jazz Event

Sickle Cell Center

6/20/09, 7 p.m.

Hilton Philadelphia City Avenue

Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon

Cancer Center

6/27/09 – 6/28/09

Fairmount Park, Philadelphia

“Our Kids” Golf Tournament

Patient care programs

7/20/09

12 Hershey, Pa. – area golf clubs

Dairy Queen Miracle Treat Day

Patient care programs

8/13/09

Participating area Dairy Queens

98.1 WOGL Loves Our Kids Radiothon

Patient care programs

9/11/09 – 9/12/09

Colket Atrium, CHOP Main Building

Parkway Run/Walk for Children’s Cancer Research

Cancer Center

9/27/09

18th St. and Parkway, Philadelphia

Children’s Hospital Buddy Walk and Family Fun Day

Trisomy 21 Program

10/4/09

Villanova University Stadium NA - Not applicable

For a current events list and details on upcoming events, visit

GiftofChildhood.com. Interested in having your own event to raise funds for CHOP? Register your event with The Children’s Hospital Foundation at GiftofChildhood.com or contact Tess Boyle at communityfundraising@email.chop.edu or 267-426-6496. We can help you get started and make sure that your event is listed on our Web site.

Children’s View

V.I.P.

Volunteers in Philanthropy

▲ Timmy’s Tour de Shore On Oct. 12, more than 450 riders and supporters gathered under a blue sky to participate in Timmy’s Tour de Shore for Pediatric Brain Tumor Research 2008 in the memory of Timothy Pauxtis. The goal of the Pauxtis family, Jay, Andrew, Jason and Susan (shown above), is simple: Spread awareness about pediatric brain tumors and raise funds to help further research that, one day, may lead to more effective treatments. On this day, $70,000 was raised for pediatric neuro-oncology research.

▲ Heart Ball More than 200 people attended this year’s Heart Ball held at the Eagle Oaks Country Club in Farmingdale, N.J., on Feb. 21. The Cardiac Center at Children’s Hospital will receive more than $40,000 from the event. Members of the Big Hearts to Little Hearts New Jersey Committee are pictured with Thomas L. Spray, M.D., chief of the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, executive director of the Cardiac Center and event honoree.

Children’s View

98.1 WOGL’s Feel Better Bears 98.1 WOGL’s Ross Brittain and Valerie Knight spent time with patients in the Hospital last holiday season. Through 98.1 WOGL’s annual Feel Better Bears promotion, 98.1 WOGL and its listeners collected enough toys to ensure that each patient had a new bear to hug on Christmas Day. A special thanks to Third Federal Bank, Geno’s Steaks and the Philadelphia Zoo for helping make Feel Better Bears a huge success!

Heart to Heart Gala As part of Black History Month, CHOP’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion sponsored the Heart to Heart Gala for employees and friends. Guests at the Feb. 7 event enjoyed the sounds of Brett and Bill Jolly and their band, and bid on silent auction items. The gala raised money for the Hospital’s Youth Heart Watch program.

Black Tie Tailgate Preview Gala More than 3,000 people dined on food from Starr Events and danced to music from the Sid Miller Dance Band amid the cars at the Philadelphia International Auto Show Black Tie Tailgate Preview Gala on Jan. 31. Co-chairs of the Preview Gala were Dr. and Mrs. Steven M. Altschuler and Joe and Lisa Magarity. The Auto Dealers CARing for Kids Foundation, one of CHOP’s most dedicated and generous supporters, presented a check for $333,333 toward its pledge of $2 million. The Auto Dealers CARing for Kids Foundation began its partnership with Children’s Hospital in 1986. Its support continues to grow with more than $4.3 million donated to critical programs at CHOP to date. ■ From left: Kevin Mazzucola, Scott Lustgarten, Joe Magarity and CHOP President and CEO Steven M. Altschuler, M.D.

▲ Rite Aid Spreads Holiday Cheer Associates and managers from local Rite Aid stores visited Children’s Hospital on Dec. 5, 2008, and brought along some friends. Rite Aid Regional VP Dave Mahan was joined by District Managers Sean Simmons and Brian Dein (seen here as Cookie Monster). Patients watched the movie Shrek the Halls as Rite Aid associates handed out toys, cookies and other fun treats.

▲ Philadelphia Young Artists Orchestra On Dec. 18, 2008, the Philadelphia Young Artists Orchestra, the Choral Society of Montgomery County and the Upper Darby High School Encore Singers performed in a special concert at St. Mark’s Church to benefit Children’s Hospital’s Reach Out and Read program. The concert, with performances of songs and carols of the season, raised more than $5,500.

▲ Cheers to Champs The Big Talker 1210 WPHT-AM and 610 WIP hit a home run when they hosted Cheers to the Champs on April 6. Phillies fans were able to meet and greet with some of their favorite World Series Champs, including Carlos Ruiz and J.C. Romero (shown above with Corey Purcell, far left, and Brian Garbacz, far right, of CBS radio) Brad “Lights Out” Lidge, Ryan Madson and J.A. Happ. Guests also enjoyed the tastes of some of Rittenhouse Square’s finest restaurants. This fun event, sponsored by Delaware Valley Acura Dealers, raised more than $20,000 for Children’s Hospital. Hope Lives On More than 1,000 people attended Hope Lives On, held Oct. 24 at the Church of the Incarnation in Mantua, N.J. Singers and musicians from four churches, three schools and 10 communities put on this benefit concert that raised more than $7,000 for pediatric oncology at CHOP.

Bradley’s Buddies Run/Walk The Third Annual Bradley’s Buddies Run/Walk, on Sept. 28, 2008, netted $17,000 for T-cell leukemia research at CHOP. More than 600 people supported the walk in Wenonah, N.J., held in memory of Bradley Paul Caraker.

Special Gifts The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia offers those celebrating a momentous occasion a chance to make a difference in a young child’s life. All you have to do is choose Children’s Hospital celebration favors to give to your guests in lieu of traditional favors! The Special Occasion Gift Program offers two types of favors, bookmarks and table cards. They each come in three different designs that are perfect for every occasion, whether you are celebrating a birthday, wedding or a retirement. The favors are inscribed with a message of thanks, letting guests know that the host or couple made a donation to Children’s Hospital. With a suggested minimum donation of $2 to $3 per favor, these meaningful favors are sure to fit any budget. Go to GiftofChildhood.com to order these and other “in lieu of” gifts. To order by phone, call Tess Boyle at 267-426-6496 or e-mail her at boylet@email.chop.edu. ■

Children’s View

PediatricResearch

CHOP Partners With Community to Stem Youth Violence Research shows that experiencing or witnessing violence has a profound effect on young people’s psychological and physical health. Every day, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia sees the effects of violence on children: the preteens whose schoolground fights send them to the Emergency Department (ED), the bullied boy who develops anxiety, the college student whose depression stems from constant belittlement by her boyfriend. Violence among children and young adults is rising, particularly among girls: Some 40 percent of ED visits following school fights are from girls, a higher figure than in past decades, according to CHOP research. Worse, children who grow up in violent settings are more likely to commit or experience violence as adults. CHOP has several intervention research programs designed to defuse or prevent the forces leading to violence — and they’re partnering with Philadelphia communities to ensure their work stays behind to improve children’s lives after the research is completed. “The goal is to take the shared knowledge about violence prevention, bring it to the community and leave something there when we are done,” says Joel Fein, M.D., M.P.H., director and principal investigator for the Philadelphia Collaborative Violence Prevention Center (PCVPC). The Center, a group of academic institutions and community organizations that aims to prevent violence and aggression among young people, is one of several in the United States whose work has been funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. PCVPC develops and evaluates primary violence prevention efforts that are meaningful and sustainable due to close partnership with community members in West and Southwest Philadelphia.

“Our work has implications for all kids,” says Fein, who describes violence as a public health threat. “Family and schoolage violence crosses all socioeconomic, cultural and racial lines.” Physicians and researchers at Children’s Hospital are using multiple approaches for violence research and prevention. Psychologist Stephen Leff, Ph.D., directs the Friend to Friend Program in a number of schools in Southwest Philadelphia. He is using new intervention methods to limit social aggression in schoolchildren — behaviors such as gossiping and excluding others — which can lead to more physical aggression. Friend to Friend uses a combination of role-playing, cartoons and videos to teach youth how to stay calm, interpret social situations appropriately and think through alternative, nonaggressive ways of responding. Michael Grossman, R.N., M.S.N., D.M., a former CHOP nursing coordinator, worked several years with Leff to depict engaging ways to teach youth about social situations and anger management through cartoons. The cartoons below demonstrate some of the initial teaching points in the Friend to Friend Program, for example, how to pay attention to someone’s face and body to recognize when someone is becoming angry, upset or frustrated. Leff’s team also uses the cartoons, and role-playing and videos with older teens, to teach kids a particular set of skills: how to recognize the physiological signs of anger and other feelings (see box at right) how to take a step back, “cool down” and assess the situation how to give others the benefit of the doubt before jumping to conclusions about a peer interaction

Cartoons used in the violence intervention program Social Verbal

Physical

Children’s View

“We’re giving youth the skills to think through their choices — as well as the benefits and consequences if they act,” Leff says. “These are skills everyone needs.” Leff and Grossman’s studies of urban Philadelphia AfricanAmerican girls who exhibited aggressive behavior have already seen results and been accepted for publication. They found that girls who participated in the Friend to Friend Program became less physically and socially aggressive, better problem solvers and better-liked by their peers over the course of the school year. The work included partnering with a diverse group of teachers, administrators, playground supervisors and community members. The team has recently expanded the approach to some of the CHOP primary care settings, where clinicians are using an adapted version of Friend to Friend to help their patients become more successful handling bullying and becoming problem-solvers and leaders within their community.

Cartoons used to teach feeling recognition

What feeling is this?

Violence Among Older Students Other CHOP research examines the role of violence in relationships among adolescents. Christine Forke, M.S.N., R.N., C.R.N.P, research director for the Craig-Dalsimer Division of Adolescent Medicine, led a collaborative initiative with community agencies and local institutions to measure the prevalence of physical, sexual and emotional violence at three urban colleges. The study, recently published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, was unique because it asked randomly selected male and female students about both victimization and perpetration. Almost half the respondents reported experiencing relationship violence as an adolescent. Controlling behaviors — such as jealousy, frequent text messages asking where someone is or ordering someone what to wear — are warning signs for dating violence, Forke says. “Since violence severity increases over time, it is important for adolescents and families to be able to recognize signs of violence early in relationships and seek appropriate support,” Forke says. She has been working with college administrators, using community input to develop and enhance resources for people in violent relationships. Other key findings from the study: Relationship violence is occurring early in adolescence, so prevention and intervention efforts must occur before adolescence. Both men and women have had experience as victims and perpetrators. Emotional violence was the most common and frequent type of violence among study respondents. Previous research has found that witnessing adult violence during childhood has a negative effect on children’s health outcomes. Forke is part of a collaborative effort between CHOP and two community agencies to train primary care health professionals how to screen and respond to family violence in the pediatric setting.

What feeling is this?

Fein, Leff and Forke hope for further support to expand their violence-prevention efforts to reach more young people, helping them — and their families and communities — raise awareness and end the cycle of violence. “This is about communities, researchers and schools coming together around youth violence,” Leff says. “If we’re going to have a real impact, we need to find innovative ways to get everyone to the table and make the system work.”

Children’s View

ViewPoint

Stephanie Valadez, R.N.

‘It’s not just a job.’ Stephanie Valadez, R.N., learned enough about The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia to realize it would give her son the best chance at a healthy life. What she didn’t know was that her journey here would result in a new life for herself, too. Five years ago, Valadez was living with her family in Las Cruces, N.M., when she gave birth to twins, Matthew and Brendon. On day two, she and her husband, Tony, learned that Matt had tetralogy of Fallot, a serious combination of four heart defects in which a blockage or hole in the heart prevents blood from entering the lungs for oxygenation. The local cardiologist took a wait-and-see approach to see if Matt’s condition would worsen before operating. That frustrated Valadez. “I was thinking: ‘I can’t live like that — waiting until he turns blue. This doesn’t sound right,’ ” she says. Valadez’s stepmother, Louise Montoya, suggested the family bring Matt to Children’s Hospital, where she works as a mental health therapist in the Family Wellness Program and Center for Childhood Communication. “I had no idea what CHOP even was,” Valadez says. “I didn’t know if we should come. I was fearful. I prayed, ‘Please let me make the right decision.’ ” At their next visit to the cardiologist, Matt saw a different doctor. Valadez told him she was considering bringing Matt to CHOP for an evaluation by Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery Thomas Spray, M.D., executive director of the Cardiac Center and holder of the Alice Langdon Warner Endowed Chair in Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery. The doctor replied, “‘I used to work with Dr. Spray, and if my child had tetralogy of Fallot, I’d want Dr. Spray to do the surgery.’ That made the decision easy,” Valadez recalls. The family traveled to CHOP for Matt’s evaluation and, when Matt was 2 months old, Spray performed the surgery. Matt spent a week in the Evelyn and Daniel M. Tabas Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (CICU). It was a week that would change Valadez’s life. “The bedside nurse stayed after her shift one day when the numbers were going south, explaining things to us until he was stabilized,” Valadez says. “It was that extra level of caring that meant so much. I came away with a sense of wanting to give back.” Soon after the family returned to New Mexico, with a thriving Matt in tow, Valadez made a decision. She wanted to be a pediatric cardiac nurse. At CHOP. In the CICU. With her husband’s support, she quit her job as a vascular ultrasound technician and returned to school full-time. She earned her R.N. degree from New Mexico State and, after moving her family to Delaware County, she started in CHOP’s CICU in May 2008. Moving to a new city was an adjustment, but the family has adapted, including Matt, who is “jumping and running and getting in trouble like any 5-year-old,” Valadez says. Tony Valadez found a job in his career field. Their two older boys, Anthony, 13, and Steven, 9, love their new school and the

Children’s View

Stephanie Valadez, R.N., and her son Matt

abundance of activities in the region. The twins, now 5, are busy with their new friends. There have been challenges along the way. When Valadez’s training put her in situations that reminded her of her time as a patient’s parent, she relived the fears she felt five years ago. “Each time I’ve faced a fear, it’s made me stronger,” she says. She draws on her personal experience to inform her daily routines. She recalls how Nancy-Ann Bitterman, R.N., B.S.N., the CICU nurse who was Matt’s main care provider and who now is the cardiothoracic transplant nurse coordinator, would constantly talk to Matt, even when he was sedated. “Now I do that; I talk to the babies and try to make them laugh,” Valadez says. “It’s so gratifying to see that smile. You take that home with you at the end of the day.” Valadez remembers the helplessness of being a parent at the bedside, so she involves parents in caring for their babies. “I let them change a diaper, help change the sheets — so they can do something,” she says. “People ask me: ‘Did you come to CHOP because it’s the No. 1-ranked children’s hospital?’ No. I came because I saw firsthand the care and compassion from every person who treated my son,” Valadez says. “It’s not just a job for them. I wanted to be part of that.”

Contents

INVEST

Summer 2009

3 The View From Here 4 CHOP News Roundup

IN HOPE.

6 Cover Story The Child Life, Education and Creative Arts Therapy Department helps patients thrive.

10 Family Focus The Diagnostic Center

12 View Calendar

Charitable Gift Annuity

June – October 2009

14 Volunteers in Philanthropy 16 Pediatric Research Youth Violence

18 ViewPoint Stephanie Valadez, R.N.

On the Cover: Evett Hawks, 15, CHOP heart transplant patient and two-time CHOP child life prom attendee

▲ Stephanie Valadez, R.N., came to work at CHOP after her son Matt had lifesaving surgery here.

Children’s View

AGE

RATE

AGE

RATE

9.5%

8.1%

7.1%

6.3%

5.7%

5.3%

5.0%

4.8%

research facilities in the world.

To receive an obligation-free illustration, please contact Sean T. Gallagher, director of Planned Giving, at 267-426-6472 or GallagherSE@email.chop.edu.

GIFT of CHILDHOOD.com/plannedgiving

Madeleine, 10 months, cardiac patient Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Philadelphia, Pa. Permit No. 2733

Summer 2009

A publication from The Children’s Hospital Foundation

Child Life, Education and Creative Arts Therapy

2838/71M/05-09

Today at CHOP a fragile heart no bigger than a walnut was

Children’s View

Childhood is a gift. And you can give it.

Diagnostic Center Offers Answers and Comfort CHOP Works to Curb Youth Violence

GiftofChildhood.com