Sharmba Varner begins her workday at 4:30 a.m. and, for this mom of four, including two children with special needs, life rarely pauses for one minute until her early evening bedtime. That’s fine with Sharmba. Even though having a daughter on the autism spectrum and a son with Down syndrome means days filled with extra […]
Brothers burned in house fire develop special bond with their nurse
On a recent visit to Akron Children’s to get sized for new compression garments and undergo laser surgery procedures, Arthur (Artie), age 8, and Alan Curtis, age 9, raced down the hall to embrace licensed practical nurse Stacey Cool. Stacey, who cared for the boys last year when they were severely burned in an explosion […]
After shocking Prader-Willi diagnosis, baby Jayda is progressing by leaps and bounds
Warren native Michele Hampton’s pregnancy was typical: She had common pregnancy discomforts, a growing belly (and swollen ankles) and a baby that was developing normally. In fact, it was very similar to her first healthy pregnancy, so when Michele was induced at 40 weeks, her and her husband, Andrew, were excited and eager to meet […]
A high-fat medical keto diet can be life-changing for children with epilepsy
A diet where generous amounts of oil, butter, mayonnaise and heavy cream are encouraged may sound odd but it’s keeping dozens of Akron Children’s patients seizure free and restoring normalcy to their lives. That makes parents and doctors big advocates of the medical keto diet for children whose seizures do not respond well to […]
Akron Children’s secures NIH grant to lead research for home-based pediatric palliative care
Akron Children’s Hospital has been awarded a three-year $1.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)/National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) to better define the practices of high-quality pediatric palliative care, particularly in seeking out the voices of the children, teens and young adults at the center of that care. Dr. Daniel Grossoehme, […]
Mia’s journey: Much more than Leigh syndrome
When Valenica Soltys’ toddler daughter Mia started stumbling when she walked, she knew something wasn’t right. “She was the most perfect baby,” Valencia said of Mia. “She made all her milestones and did everything ahead of time. She started walking and around 13 months nothing was abnormal. So, there were no red flags for anything. […]
