Employee stories - Norton Healthcare, Festival of Trees and Lights, Foundation

Employee volunteers make annual Festival of Trees & Lights tree a show-stopping fundraiser

For 13 consecutive years, David Miller, Norton Healthcare’s director of creative services has served as “chief elf” of the marketing and communications department’s Festival of Trees & Lights tree decorating committee. He oversees choosing a theme for the tree, purchasing and creating ornaments, arranging for the accompanying gift package and decorating the tree on-site. For…

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Patient Stories

Halloween fun at Norton Children’s

Follow Norton Children’s on social media Facebook Twitter Instagram Halloween is a fun time at Norton Children’s locations throughout Louisville and Southern Indiana. Patients and staff at Norton Children’s facilities dressed up, trick-or-treated and celebrated the fun fall holiday together. Check out all of our Halloween fun below! NCH staff costume FB album: NWCH staff…

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Heart, Heart Transplant, Patient Stories, PICU

Baby elephant’s name to be unveiled by toddler with a new heart

In Eli Alexander’s 23 months of life, he has overcome a congenital heart defect with the help of a heart transplant. His family has taken to comparing his strength and bravery to an elephant’s. It only made sense that he should help unveil the name of the Louisville Zoo’s baby elephant. In a naming contest…

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Heart, Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, Patient Stories

Courageous Clay gets his heart transplant follow-up visits closer to home in Bowling Green

Nicole Pendino has a courageous son. In fact, his nickname is “Courageous Clay.” Many members of his hometown community in Bowling Green, Kentucky, have rallied around him over the past 12 years. In 2017 when Clay’s heart condition worsened and he was added to the heart transplant list, he was literally fighting for his life…

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Heart, Heart Transplant, Patient Stories

Family follows journey their son’s heart took to transplant in 8-year-old

A day of tragedy in Charles City, Iowa, has led to lasting friendship and love for two families connected through one heartbeat. After Lenny and Wendy Luft’s 15-year-old son was injured in an all-terrain vehicle accident, his condition worsened. As it became clear he wouldn’t survive, they decided to donate his organs. “It was a…

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Brain Tumor, Cancer, Neuroblastoma, Patient Stories, Radiology, Solid Tumor

Family’s journey with child’s neuroblastoma goes from shock to hope

Andrea and Barry Smith will never forget April 25, 2018. That’s the day their 18-month-old daughter, Emaleigh, had a computed tomography (CT) scan that threw the family into a tailspin. The Smiths had barely gotten home from the test when the doctor called. Emaleigh had a solid tumor in her chest, near vertebrae — hugging…

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Flu, Infectious Disease, Newsjacking, Norton Childrens Medical Center, Norton Childrens Medical Group, Norton Community Medical Associates, Prevention & Wellness

Bad Australian flu season could spell trouble in U.S.

Australia just experienced one of its worst flu seasons on record, and experts are warning this could mean an early and rough flu season for the United States. Flu season in Australia usually spans from June to September and peaks in August. Officials say it started early this year, however, and the number of confirmed…

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Cancer, Patient Stories, Sarcoma

Woman’s own cancer journey reassures grandson with osteosarcoma

Symptoms of osteosarcoma in kids Pain and swelling are common signs of osteosarcoma. It is not unusual for active children and teenagers to experience limb pain as they grow, but any pain that lingers beyond two weeks should be checked by a medical provider, especially if it involves swelling. According to the American Cancer Society,…

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Blalock-Taussig (BT) Shunt, Fontan Procedure, Glenn Procedure, Heart, Open Heart Surgery, Patient Stories

Schielar Skaggs almost didn’t make it – but he fought

Before he was born, Schielar Skaggs’ parents, Terry and Melissa, worried about the life their son would have. Would he survive childbirth? If he did, would his life be short and filled with suffering and surgeries? Tests during Melissa’s pregnancy showed Schielar had a complex congenital heart condition known as hypoplastic right heart syndrome with…

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Behavioral-Mental Health, Norton Childrens Medical Group, Prevention & Wellness, Suicide

How to talk about suicide? First, talk about it

How did I not see the signs? What could I have done? These are questions no parent wants to ask. While suicide can be a dark and difficult subject to talk about, shining a light on it can help save a life. Suicide by the numbers More than 47,000 Americans die by suicide each year, making…

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Behavioral-Mental Health, Prevention & Wellness, Suicide

No one would miss me if I were gone

The pressures teens face today are enormous and much different than what most adults faced at their age. During these formative years, teens simply aren’t equipped to handle a lot of stress. As a result, more than ever teens are turning to suicide as a way out. In Kentucky alone, suicide is the second leading…

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Cancer, Hematology, Leukemia, Patient Stories

A team approach to tackling a 4-year-old’s leukemia

For many families, Christmas is a time for treasured memories. For the Walsh family, the Christmas of 2018 will always be unforgettable, but not for the usual reasons. That was when 4-year-old Seth was diagnosed with leukemia. Michelle Walsh said the news of Seth’s cancer threw the entire family into shock. “It all happened so…

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