A Struthers couple is living up to the mission they began nearly 2 decades ago: support families who struggle with caring for a medically fragile child. Ken and Vicki Pavalko started the Touched by Nathan Foundation in honor of their late son, Nathan Charles Pavalko. He passed away 40 days after he was born with […]
Patient Stories
Pediatric Surgeon Continues Tradition of Making Unique Surgical Dressings for All of His Patients
We go the extra mile to help kids feel like kids. Pediatric Surgeon Dr. Robert Parry creates special drawings on surgical dressings. For Nicholas Sender, 8, that meant waking up from surgery with his own Lamborghini.
Food Chaining: A Proven Technique to Double the Number of Foods Your Child Eats
Getting your preschooler to stop playing and sit down to dinner is challenging enough, let alone getting her to eat the nutritious meal you just prepared. Preschoolers are picky by nature. For some kids, fussy eating is a fleeting stage. For others, it can become an ongoing challenge and make mealtime a stressful, chaotic experience […]
Overweight Kids Take a Lot of Grief. Here’s How to Help.
They call it “bean dipping.” Kids come up to an overweight boy at school and pretend to dip a chip under his so-called “man boobs.” “They think that they are being funny,” said psychologist Geoffrey Putt, who works with obese children in the healthy weight clinic at Akron Children’s. “But it’s torturous.” Harassment of overweight […]
Recipe: Fast-fried Noodles With Chicken, Lettuce, Carrots and Peanuts
This recipe from Parents Magazine takes about 30 minutes to make and has less than 500 calories per serving. Ingredients 5 ounces Chinese noodles (chuka soba) 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce 1 tablespoon oyster sauce 2 teaspoons rice vinegar 1 tablespoon peanut oil 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic 1 pound chicken tenders, cut into bite-size strips 1/2 head iceberg lettuce, shredded (4 cups) 2 large carrots, […]
Regular Bedtimes in Young Kids May Lessen Obesity Risk
It’s no secret childhood obesity in this country is a growing problem. In the United States, about 12.7 million children and adolescents are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nearly 9 percent of kids aged 2 to 5 are obese, compared to 17.5 percent of kids aged 6 to 11 and […]













