Christine Woodburn remembers her first view of an Akron Children’s Charity Ball at Goodyear Hall. She was too young to attend the dinner and dance, in which her cousins were being presented as debutantes. But those long, twinkling lights dangling from the ceiling left a lasting impression. “That’s my visual,” she recalled. “We were too […]
The end of an era: Jean Christopher reflects on her career at Akron Children’s
The day Jean Christopher began working at Akron Children’s as a Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) in 2005, she was approached with a “little” project to work on. Twenty years later, this “little” project is continuing to shape central line associated blood stream infections (CLABSI) clinical work not only at Children’s, but around the country. Jean’s […]
The Magic of Michael Foundation brings holiday joy to Akron Children’s families
In 2015, John and Denise Hirschbeck formed the Magic of Michael Foundation in honor of their son Michael, who died of a rare neurological disease called adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) in 2014. The goal of their foundation is to help families facing life’s curveballs – a nod to Michael’s love of baseball and John’s longtime Major League […]
Online rewind: Our top YouTube videos of 2025
Inspirational patient stories dominated our 10 most-watched YouTube channel videos for the year. But there were still plenty of views left for our ever-popular Doggie Brigade and our amazing nursing staff. We received more than 4.5 million views in 2025 from children and their families throughout northeast Ohio … and the world. We invite you […]
How families can combat the obesity epidemic
Many kids in America struggle with their weight. While factors like hormones and genes cannot be changed, other reasons like poor eating habits and too much screen time can be improved. Parents play a key role in helping their kids not only lose weight but improve their overall health. A growing problem Data from the […]
Mending hearts across borders: Dr. Karamlou’s first medical mission
Akron Children’s cardiovascular surgeon, Tara Karamlou, MD, MSc, embarked on a life-changing medical mission to Nigeria this past fall. Driven by a calling to bring her expertise to communities with limited access to specialized heart care, Dr. Karamlou and Akron Children’s perfusionist, Lindsey Stuhm, took their talents over 5,600 flight miles away. Dr. Tara Karamlou […]
