Illness and loss are hard enough for adults to get through but how do you guide children through these tough times − especially during the holiday season? Communicating About Uncertainty: Difficult Conversations was the theme of a recent conference at Akron Children’s Hospital. Understanding a child’s developmental stages can be the first step in bridging […]
About Melonie Michelson - Writer
Fighting CF: From Research to Real Success
In the last 4 years, Melissa Rich, a 28-year-old new mom with cystic fibrosis, got married, had a healthy baby and is living the life she never dreamed possible. She attributes a big part of it to the new drug Kalydeco, which she has taken since 2012. “Now I don’t worry about a decline in […]
Have Genetic Services, Will Travel
On a recent Friday, Akron Children’s geneticist Catherine Ward-Melver, genetic counselor Susan Woods and developmental pediatrician Dan Smith traded their hospital exam room for a brightly colored classroom at Portage County’s Happy Day School. Dr. Melver has been holding a genetics clinic at the school twice a month for the past 10 years, with the support […]
Pediatrician’s Own Disease Makes Him More Relatable to OI Clinic Patient Families
Two key factors led pediatrician Frank Artinian to become co-director of Akron Children’s osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) clinic. First, it was the positive reputation of Akron Children’s skeletal dysplasia center, and second, his personal interest in bone disease. Also known as brittle bone disease, OI is a genetic condition that causes extremely fragile bones. Most people […]
New OI Clinic: A Dream Come True for Families and Staff
Last October, a new clinic for brittle bone disease opened at Akron Children’s Hospital with little fanfare, but for families and staff it was a dream come true. Before this clinic opened, parents had to travel hundreds of miles to Omaha, Neb., or Wilmington, Del., to get care for osteogenesis imperfecta (IO), a complex disease […]
How To Know When You Should Take Your Sick Child To The Doctor
When your child is sick, it’s hard to know whether you should take him to the doctor, ER, urgent care or simply treat him at home. Pediatrician Michael McCabe says that when in doubt you should seek a doctor’s assessment. “There’s nothing worse for a parent than being worried and not having answers,” said Dr. McCabe during […]
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