Thanks to the Akron Children’s Hospital Palliative Care team and her family, Courtney Boyle doesn’t let complex care needs slow her down. On any given day you’ll find her running with her dad, greeting others at church or working as a barista at the coffee shop at Normandy High School. “A lot of people misunderstand […]
Hirschbecks help brighten holidays for palliative care families
Ensley and Chanel Thomas have called their daugther Kensley their “diamond” since they first saw her in a NICU incubator after being born prematurely at 23 weeks. “She was in a glass case and we started calling her our diamond in the rough,” Ensley said, recalling a beautiful little girl hooked up to wires, machines […]
A day in the life of a palliative care provider
Palliative care nurse practitioner, Daniel Phillips, knows firsthand what it’s like to be a child with a chronic medical condition. Growing up with a neurological disorder called early-onset generalized torsion dystonia, he spent a lot of his childhood and adolescence in and out of hospitals. During his many hospitalizations he came to recognize and appreciate the […]
Tommy’s Story of Strength, Courage While Fighting Brain Cancer
From the time Tommy Domotor was a baby, his parents knew there was something special about him. “His mom called him Angel Face because he was such a good baby,” said his aunt Rose Dobbins. Rose became the legal guardian for Tommy, who was 13 at the time, along with his siblings Tibor and Isabella, […]
Meet Naiima: Special Needs for a Very Special Girl
When Naiima Oden was born prematurely, her mother Markita Batties expected things to go just as they had for her first child, Amirah, who was also premature and spent the first few weeks in Akron Children’s neonatal intensive care unit. However, Naiima’s situation was much different. She spent the first 2½ months of her life […]
Palliative Care Team Inspires, Supports Family to Thrive
When KeShawn Sanders Jackson was born prematurely at 23 weeks gestation, he weighed just 1 lb. 5 oz. He spent the first few months of his life at Akron Children’s neonatal intensive care unit at St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital before being transferred to the NICU at Children’s Akron campus. Through every step of the way, […]
