I received a copy of a letter recently that reminded me of the lasting positive impact that a life in medicine and surgery can have. I asked the author of the letter and her family if we could share their story, and they generously told us to go ahead. I hope it inspires you as much as it did me.

In 1970 my mentor and Doernbecher benefactor, Dr. Mario Campagna, operated on Peggy Baker to clip a brain aneurysm. In the words of her daughter, Sheila (Baker) Bradley, Dr. Campagna “saved her life.” Forty-three years later, Sheila wrote a letter to share the rest of a remarkable story with Dr. Campagna and myself.

Dr. Nathan Selden and Owen in the OHSU Doernbecher Pediatric Neurosurgery Clinic.

Sheila went on to have children of her own, including Jennifer, who herself had a little boy named Owen, who is a terrific kid, full of life, but greatly endangered by severe seizures from a stroke he had before he was even born.

Owen was under the expert care of neurologists in Central Oregon and eventually also at OHSU Doernbecher. Medication, however, could not control his serious epilepsy.

His doctors realized that only a major brain operation, functional hemispherotomy, could disconnect the damaged side of his brain, free him from seizures, and give him a shot at improved development and a healthy, happy childhood.

When I met Owen, I had no idea of the connection between his great grandmother and Dr. Mario Campagna.

It took Owen’s grandmother a few weeks to realize that my position as head of neurosurgery at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital and special support for the work we do here comes from a transformational gift made by Mario and Edith Campagna that endowed the Campagna Chair, which I hold.

Forty-three years after he saved the life of Owen’s great grandmother, the Campagnas’ vision, generosity and leadership made sure the resources were there to treat Owen.

Dr. Stacy Nicholson, Credit Union for Kids Chair of Pediatrics; Dr. Nathan Selden; and Mario and Edith Campagna and at the June 2012 launch of the Campagna Chair of Pediatric Neurosurgery.

Sheila, Owen’s grandmother, wrote to the Campagnas:

“My family and I thank you both, from the bottom of our hearts, for your generosity and philanthropy that have made this possible for my grandson. You have no idea how much it means to me. You have touched my life twice, and I am grateful.”

For me, the Campagnas have been wonderful mentors and dear friends. They exemplify a life well lived, with exceptional values and lasting success. For Doernbecher Children’s Hospital and Oregon, they have been a true blessing.

Nathan Selden, M.D., Ph.D.
Mario and Edie Campagna Chair of Pediatric Neurosurgery
Director, OHSU Neurological Surgery Residency Program
OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital

You’ve done your research. You’ve checked them out. You’ve found the seat that fits your child, fits your car, and you are ready to use it on each and every trip. Now, just how long can you use this seat? And how will you know it is time to move on to the next one?

Let’s go over a few simple rules to help you know you are using the very best seat in the safest possible way.

Rule #1: The manufacturer is always right.

Every car safety seat has very specific weight and height limits, on both the lower and upper end. It is never OK to use a seat for a child that does not fit within those limits.

Simply put: The seat was tested, and was found to work, for a designated weight and height. Anything else could lead to injury or worse.

Rule #2: Check the date.

Every seat has a sticker or stamp that states the date on which the seat was manufactured. This serves two big purposes. The first is to identify the seat in case of a recall. Manufacturers will frame the recall based on model number (also on the sticker/stamp) and manufacture date. The second is to let you know when the seat has expired and should no longer be used.

Using an expired seat can be more dangerous than eating expired sushi, so it pays to know.

Many seats now also have an expiration date — much like the food in your fridge. Any seat that does not have an expiration date can be assumed to “expire” six years from the date of manufacture. Having worked in child passenger safety since 1997, I have yet to see a moldy car seat — so how can they “expire?” There are two big reasons exist for this.

1) Technology continually produces safer and better seats, and the manufacturers assume that if a seat has been around for six years, then it will not represent the best protection for a child.

2) The seats are subjected to the harshest of temperature fluctuations, from freezing in the winter to broiling in the summer, and this can take a toll on the seat’s components and cause them to slowly degrade. This process is not easily seen on the seat, but tiny defects in the plastic and the harness webbing can lead to increased injury risk to kids in seats, even if the seat is being used properly.

Rule #3: Know the history.

Car safety seats are designed to effectively protect children who fit within the weight and height limitations, and like bike helmets, they must be replaced after a crash.

We would consider a crash significant if:

1. The car was unable to be driven afterward.
2. There is damage to the door nearest to the car safety seat.
3. Any passenger suffered significant injury.
4. Any of the airbags deployed.
5. There is any visible damage to the car safety seat.

If any of those things happen, the seat should be replaced. If you are not 100 percent certain that the seat has never been is a crash, then you should not use it. This is why we strongly advise against secondhand seats from consignment stores and flea markets.

Along these lines, if the seat does not have the sticker/stamp with the manufacture date and model number, we cannot know for certain if it has been recalled, or if it is expired.

Take a minute and double-check the weight and height limits, and the manufacture and possible expiration date of your particular seat. Make certain you know the history of your seat as well. If you are not sure, get a new car safety seat that will fit your child and your vehicle. It isn’t worth gambling your child’s life.

If you have questions or need help, please contact the Doernbecher Tom Sargent Children’s Safety Center at 503-418-5666 or at safety@ohsu.edu  and we will make sure you have all the information you need!

Ben Hoffman, M.D.
Medical Director
OHSU Doernbecher Tom Sargent Children’s Safety Center
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital

Voices of Childhood Cancer came alive March 1 – 3 on the 10^th floor of OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. That’s when StoryCorps staff audio recorded the 40-minute conversations of 18 “interview pairs” for our Doernbecher-StoryCorps oral history project.

StoryCorps’ mission is to celebrate and honor one another’s lives through listening; they have recorded close to 100,000 interview pairs throughout the United States, all archived in the Folklife section of the National Library of Congress.

The Doernbecher project, Voices of Childhood Cancer, was conceived to honor the lives of those touched by childhood cancer, to preserve their stories for history, and to inspire others who listen.

Patients and family members were paired with other patients, siblings, parents, and friends, and they came from as far away as Baker City, Ore., to participate.

Two 11-year-old identical twins, one with cancer and one without, were the first to converse.  Then came a dialogue between a 6-year-old with cancer and her chemo pal.

Other interview pairs included two mothers whose boys had died of cancer, a 13-year-old leukemia survivor and her creative arts coach, the parents of a 12-year-old transplant recipient, and the mother and 16-year-old son whose daughter/sister died of cancer nine years earlier.

A young cancer survivor interviewed her older sister and their parents interviewed each other.

Two 10 year-old cancer survivors, both in the same class at school, talked to each other, as did two teenage patients not previously acquainted, as well as a patient and her good friend.

Several mothers and fathers described their cancer journeys to hospital staff.

Wrapping up the weekend, two grandparents shared their story about their granddaughter’s cancer experience.

All participants received a CD recording of their conversations, and each recording will be archived for history. StoryCorps will edit a few of the recordings into poignant vignettes for Doernbecher to use and share, and all of the interviews will be archived in the Library of Congress, and considered for the StoryCorps broadcast on National Public Radio. Participants were photographed after each recording.

One sibling remarked that his conversation will shape him in a way he had not anticipated. A teenage survivor stated she chose to participate so people listening to her story would learn that cancer “shouldn’t be a label”.  An oncology fellow in training interviewed a bereaved father and commented: “That was one of the most grounding conversations I’ve ever had.”

Another three-day recording session is scheduled for July.

For the OHSU Doernbecher staff involved in its design, the project gives us a chance to embrace the humanism in our work.

Linda Stork, M.D.
Robert Neerhout Professor and Head
Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital

Many people are surprised to hear that congenital heart disease is the most common birth defect in the United States and the leading cause of death in the first year of life. Even fewer realize that congenital heart disease is more common than cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy and all childhood cancers combined.

As I helped my children cut out their “heart-shaped” Valentine’s Day cards last month, I couldn’t help thinking about the difference between our romantic image of the heart and its actual shape.

Chest X-ray

Those of us who have the privilege of taking care of children with heart defects have come to rely on the extraordinary technological advances in medical imaging over the past century that have brought us increasingly clear, strikingly accurate, and truly beautiful images of the human heart.

Up until the 1950s, the images available to help us diagnose heart defects were limited to chest X-rays, which were woefully inadequate because they only provide information about the size and outline of the heart. Physical examination and the child’s symptoms were much more useful in guesstimating the most likely diagnosis.

Angiography showing the two major pulmonary arteries within the lungs.

A major breakthrough occurred in the 1950s with the development of angiography. For the first time, we were able to see the outlines of structures within the heart. These images allowed us to accurately identify holes within the heart, narrowed or leaky valves, and many other categories of heart defects.

While this was a huge advance, there were downsides – the imaging required sedating the child and placing catheters into her veins and arteries, and used radiation to take moving pictures of the heart.  Still, cardiologists and surgeons finally had accurate information to help create recommendations and plan treatments.

The next major advance came almost 30 years later with the development of echocardiography. This type of imaging uses sound waves to visualize the heart and surrounding vascular structures. Although the first pictures were blurred, the technology improved rapidly, ultimately producing stunning images and allowing precise diagnosis of many forms of heart defects.

2-D echocardiogram showing the four chambers of the heart.

Currently two- and three-dimensional echocardiography produce beautiful images of the moving structures of the heart.  In addition, tiny transducers are now placed in the esophagus, or even within the heart, to make these images even more accurate.

But even this modality has its limitations. Measurements of chambers and vessels are imprecise, and air within the lungs inhibits the transmission of sound waves necessary to create the images.  Thus, echocardiography is less reliable for examinations of structures which lie near or beneath the lungs.

In the past decade, cardiac MRI and cardiac CT have become increasingly sophisticated, and are now integral to the process of making diagnoses and treatment plans for children with a number of very complex heart defects.

OHSU Doernbecher has one of the most advanced MRI systems in the world (click on this link to watch an MRI clip of a narrowed right ventricle pulmonary valve that has caused the pulmonary artery to enlarge).

Dianna Bardo, M.D., one of Doernbecher’s experts in pediatric cardiac imaging, creates exquisite moving images of the heart, lungs and vascular structures throughout the chest. The detail she is able to provide, in structures that can be as small as a millimeter in diameter, are truly breathtaking and are changing the field.

3-D CT image shows the right coronary artery coming from the left (arrow), an uncommon anomaly.

Many experts within pediatric cardiology predict that technological advances on the horizon will result in even more precise images of the heart. It stands to reason that the more precisely we visualize the intricate details of the heart, the better our results.

Those of us who base our decisions, plan and even guide our procedures with these images eagerly welcome each new advance. Dr. Bardo, and her colleagues are an essential part of the Doernbecher pediatric cardiology team.

Although we use the word ‘defect,’ there is beauty in every child’s heart, whether three or four chambers, holes, fused leaflets or narrowed vessels.

Whatever its shape, the heart captivates, fascinates and enchants us all.

Laurie Armsby, M.D.
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Cardiovascular Medicine
OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital

Dianna M. E. Bardo, M.D.
Associate Professor of Pediatrics, Divisions of Diagnostic Radiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital

From left: Mark Richardson, Stacy Nicholson, Jeffrey Kirsch, Jeffrey Koh

In January I was invited to a very special dinner celebration to acknowledge my friend and colleague Dr. Jeff Koh, head of pediatric anesthesiology at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Koh was being honored as the first holder of the Fred Fax Professorship of Pediatric Anesthesia. This endowed position, a gift from the estate of Alice and Fred Fax, will support the important work of Jeff and his colleagues at Doernbecher now and in perpetuity.

At the dinner, listening to colleagues from near and far who were visiting to join in the celebration, I was reminded of the special talents that Jeff brings to his care of patients at Doernbecher.

His calm, warm and wonderful demeanor with children changes their operative experience (and that of their parents) for the better. His focus and skill as an anesthesiologist brings an unmatched level of safety and care to their outcomes.

Indeed, when one of my own children needed an anesthetic for placement of ear tubes, Jeff took care of them. This passion for quality extends to all of Jeff’s anesthesia colleagues at Doernbecher, in part because he helps to inspire it.

Jeff is also a superlative leader, who keeps a complex operation room environment humming, makes sure everyone is at their best, and that everyone’s contribution is valued. Holding the Fax Professorship is emblematic of all these skills and of what Jeff brings to Oregon’s children.

My favorite part of the dinner was to see Jeff’s wife, children and even siblings and father, some from very far away, visiting to enjoy their family member’s success, and to better understand his contributions. That night, they too became part of our “Doernbecher family”!

Nathan Selden, M.D., Ph.D.
Mario and Edie Campagna Chair of Pediatric Neurosurgery
Director, OHSU Neurological Surgery Residency Program
OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital

The pediatric cancer team at OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital joins the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute in its support of House Bill 2896, which restricts children younger than 18 from using tanning devices, unless proof of a physician exemption is provided.

Read Dr. Brian Druker’s call to action on the 96,000 Square Miles blog and let us know your thoughts:

“Our children deserve stronger protections from cancer-causing tanning devices.”

Linda Stork, M.D.
Robert Neerhout Professor and Head
Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital

It is very hard to find a teenager who does not have a smart phone or a cell phone. There clearly are many benefits to having a personal phone. It connects teenagers to their parents and peers, they can use it to play music, watch videos, read books and to surf the Web.

While these are important activities that enrich a teenager’s life experience, there can also be unintended consequences that affect sleep duration and quality with a very significant impact on daytime functioning and health.

Many teenagers already struggle to find enough time to meet the demands of school, extra-curricular activities and family and friends. One strategy to fit more activities into the day is to cut down on sleep time. As a result, many teenagers do not get the amount of sleep that allows them to function at their best.

Cell phone use further chips away at sleep time and also can have effects on a teenager’s biological clock by exposing the brain to light during a sensitive period.

It is likely that you have noticed the effects of sleep deprivation in your teenager as sleep supports many critical functions:

• It recharges our brain and helps us learn better and think more clearly.
• It stabilizes our mood and helps us keep a positive outlook on life.
• It recharges our energy stores and improves physical strength.
• It prevents us from falling asleep in school, at work or while driving a car.

Here are some suggestions for healthy cell phone habits that are worth considering:

• Parents should try to be good role models and lead by example.
• Changing a teenager’s habits is never easy. Try to do this in a collaborative fashion and provide lots of positive feedback.
• Turn off the phone before going to bed. Plug it into charger outside bedroom.
• Avoid looking at the screen to browse the web or watch videos an hour before going to sleep.
• Don’t take the phone to bed  and leave it on to check text messages.

Holger Link, M.D., M.R.C.P.
Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Division of Pulmonary Medicine
OHSU Doernbecher Pediatric Sleep Disorders Clinic

In the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), a simple touch between a parent and baby can have such a meaningful significance that it is too wonderful for words.

Several months ago our staff in the Doernbecher Neonatal Care Center (DNCC) was asked, “What do you want parents to remember the most about their experience in the NICU, specifically a take away ‘Signature Moment’?”

Most answers centered around the moments when parents actually get to touch their baby, from changing a diaper to simply allowing their baby to hold their finger to providing them comfort.

A parent holding their baby skin to skin, also referred to as “Kangaroo Care,” is an experience that was defined as the ultimate “Signature Moment.” Collectively, our staff decided that allowing more Kangaroo Care opportunities and other parent-driven bonding moments with their baby would be the focus of our Signature Moment.

In order to facilitate more bonding moments, a DNCC nurse suggested we develop breastfeeding covers to assist parents with privacy and provide extra warmth for the baby while enjoying Kangaroo Care. This idea took off! With lots of research and volunteers, a redesigned, special DNCC nursing cover was developed. Our staff voted on many names for the covers, and “Kangaroo Covers” was the winner!

It was decided that every baby would receive a Kangaroo Cover as a gift from OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital, to remind them of that “Signature Moment” they shared with their baby in the NICU.

In December, the DNCC celebrated the launch of the Kangaroo Covers with a baby shower-like party open to all Doernbecher families as well as staff. Parents had fun picking a cover from the many colors and patterns, while enjoying cake and refreshments provided by the March of Dimes.

This served as a wonderful opportunity for staff to be able to teach parents about the benefits Kangaroo Care has for both the parents and the baby.

Maintaining the program and striving for ways to continue that “Signature Moment” for our families is our goal for 2013, and we look forward to immense possibilities.

A big “thank you” to all of the staff, volunteers and March of Dimes for making THIS “Signature Moment” possible!

Robbie Hennig, R.N.
Assistant Nurse Manager
Doernbecher Neonatal Care Center
OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital

Any working mom can tell you, breastfeeding and expressing breast milk for a baby at work can be a tough job, and Oregon’s long-term breastfeeding rates highlight this difficulty.

While our state boasts one of the highest breastfeeding initiation rates in the nation — about 90 percent — its exclusive breastfeeding rates at three and six months after birth are nothing to brag about. Oregon’s exclusive breastfeeding rates fall to around 50 percent and 25 percent at three and six months, respectively.

Many organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Medicine, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and World Health Organization, recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, followed by continued breastfeeding, with the addition of foods, for one year or longer as mutually desired by mother and infant.

While Oregon is a model for much of the nation for our initial breastfeeding rates, we stumble when trying to meet the above recommendations and Healthy People 2020 goals for extended breastfeeding.

Unpaid maternity leave, increased numbers of women in the workforce (with increased financial pressure for them to return to work sooner), and the challenges breastfeeding women face when returning to work contribute to the difficulty in maintaining breastfeeding rates started at birth.

Fortunately, Oregon law supports women who intend to breastfeed their children when returning to work. Employers with 25 or more employees must make reasonable efforts to provide private space and time for nursing mothers who request a place to feed or express milk for their infants.

But, as working women know, it’s not just about the space, it’s about establishing a culture of breastfeeding support in the workplace.

The health benefits of breastfeeding are well established for both mother and infant, but supporting breastfeeding also makes good business sense. The U. S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health promotes “The Business Case for Breastfeeding,” citing studies which report lower insurance costs, fewer sick days, reduced employee turnover and even higher productivity and loyalty when breastfeeding mothers are supported in the workplace.

Healthier and happier employees are good for any organization, and Oregon Health & Science University leadership understands this.

HealthySteps, established in 2010, is an individual-initiated employee wellness program offered by the OHSU Benefits Department and managed by the university’s Division of Health Promotion and Sports Medicine. It encourages healthful behaviors in OHSU employees by providing financial incentives. Reduced health insurance premiums and annual cash bonuses are available for those who choose to participate.

Employees can earn points toward incentives by choosing from a menu of healthful behaviors, including exercise, community service, and team participation to achieve wellness and logging these activities. Now, breastfeeding and expressing breast milk are options for gaining points, as well.

In addition, similar to blood donation, points may be logged for making breast milk donations to the Northwest Mothers Milk Bank or any Human Milk Banking Association of North America milk bank (the Northwest Mothers Milk Bank plans to provide a local source for pasteurized breast milk, a life-saving medicine for Oregon’s premature infants, in 2013).

We congratulate Oregon Health & Science University, already a Breastfeeding, Mother-Friendly Employer, for taking another step forward promoting breastfeeding in the workplace!

Carrie Phillipi, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital
Director, OHSU Mother-Baby Unit

Annette Magner, R.N., I.B.C.L.C.
OHSU/Doernbecher Lactation Services

Michelle Otis
Senior Research Associate
OHSU Division of Health Promotion and Sports Medicine

Sarah McCormick
Research Associate
OHSU Division of Health Promotion and Sports Medicine

Resources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Breastfeeding Report Card –– United States, 2012
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health: Business Case for Breastfeeding

Dr. David Sheridan and his three daughters

As a resident who works 80 hours a week at times, who would think: “What else can I do at the hospital?” As crazy as it sounds, I said that as I planned to specialize in pediatric emergency medicine and enter fellowship training.

As a first-year resident, I thought about many specialties ranging from pediatric cardiology to neonatology. However, after a month in the OHSU Doernbecher Emergency Department, I fell in love with the procedures, diverse patient populations and overall organized chaos! With plans to apply for fellowship, I became interested in pursuing research to add new knowledge to the field.

As a father of three little girls and being married to the most amazing woman in the world, I had to find a way to succeed as a resident clinically and in the research realm, while continuing to be a dedicated husband and father who knows all the particulars of every Disney princess or Mickey Mouse character.

The beauty was that we had our first daughter my first year of medical school, and I learned to master time management. Thanks to these skills and my wife’s support (i.e., being lucky enough to have her accept my proposal 6.5 years ago!), I have been able to balance all aspects of my career and home life reasonably well.

It was incredibly easy to get involved with research in the OHSU Doernbecher Emergency Department because of the amazing interest and mentorship that exists here. I was blessed to find two amazing mentors in Garth Meckler, M.D., and David Spiro, M.D. – both supervising physicians in the OHSU Doernbecher Emergency Department. Their help and support has enabled my research study to thrive and expand to the point it is at today. Despite being two very busy people themselves, they have constantly devoted time to answering my questions, helping me think through my results and providing their wealth of clinical expertise.

My research has focused on helping children who come to the emergency department with severe headaches, a frequent emergency department complaint. Studies have shown that as many as 30 to 60 percent of children and adolescents will suffer from them.

In conjunction with the OHSU Doernbecher Emergency Department (Matt Hansen, M.D., Spiro and Meckler) and the head of Pediatric Neurology at OHSU Doernbecher, Thomas Koch, M.D., I recently completed a study looking at representative national data for pediatric headaches, and our results estimated that children have approximately 340,000 visits to the emergency department each year with this complaint.

One of the challenges for emergency department physicians is to decipher which children have headache disorders, also known as primary headaches, and which headaches are caused by other conditions, referred to as secondary headaches, such as brain tumors, meningitis, trauma, bleeding in the brain, etc.

Fortunately, most headaches are due to primary headache disorders and the most common form (approximately 75 percent in one study) is migraine headache.

Migraine headache treatment is two-fold, consisting of medications to prevent attacks and medications that treat an acute attack. Most children presenting to the emergency department have failed preventive medications and over-the-counter treatments such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

Acute treatments have not progressed much during the last 10 years, and some of these treatments have side effects, such as drowsiness, that can result in a longer emergency department stay. However, in some cases, our emergency department has started to use a new therapy in hopes of making the patient’s head feel better sooner thus shortening the time in the emergency room.

I was the lead author of a study recently published in Pediatric Emergency Care and presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) national meeting in Boston, Mass. It reviewed our hospital’s experience with a medication called Propofol for migraine headache. Ours was the first-ever report on its use for migraine headaches in a pediatric population.

Propofol is used as a general anesthetic or sedative. It’s the white IV medication you see on most TV shows that patients about to undergo surgery receive just before they become groggy. Emergency medicine physicians are specially trained and certified in sedation and have very important airway skills, making it appropriate for use in this setting, but not in clinics or outpatient therapy.

In the OHSU Doernbecher Emergency Department we use it in very low doses for migraine headache. To put it in perspective, we use approximately 25 percent of the dose that is used for sedation or surgery and do not use it as a continuous infusion. It has a very fast onset and wears off quickly, which makes it an attractive option in the emergency department to give patients faster headache relief and recovery. And unlike surgery, most patients never actually fall asleep at these doses.

Our experience showed that when compared with standard treatments for migraine headache, Propofol was significantly more effective at reducing pain, resulted in a shorter emergency department stays and produced no side effects.

Based on this study, I was awarded a resident research grant from the American Academy of Pediatrics and am now the lead investigator on a study that will incorporate four institutions around the country, including OHSU Doernbecher, Boston Children’s Hospital, Vancouver B.C. Children’s Hospital and Hennepin County Medical Center.

With the advantages we have seen thus far in children, we will be comparing Propofol in low doses to standard therapy on a larger scale to help us provide the best possible care to improve this very difficult to treat disorder. Enrollment for this clinical trial should begin in the spring or summer 2013.

The support I have received from physicians and nurses at OHSU Doernbecher not only highlights the dedicated and most up-to-date care that children receive here, but also the education and research that happens at this institution. Every advancement or idea is with children’s health at the forefront of our decision making.

There is no doubt in my or my wife’s mind about which children’s hospital or emergency room to take our daughters if they get sick. With that important decision behind us, the next most important move for me is to find pink Seattle Seahawks jerseys so my daughters can cheer on their/my favorite sports team to the Lombardi trophy next year.

David Sheridan, M.D.
Resident in Pediatrics, Division of Emergency Medicine
OHSU Doernbecher Emergency Department
OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital