Cancer, Leukemia, NICU, Patient Stories

Meet the little boy who faces every hard thing with a smile

Six-year-old Louis McGill is exactly the kind of kid who fills a room without trying. He sings, he dances, he makes friends wherever he goes. He loves baseball, swimming and playing outside with his little brother, Presley. “He’s a big entertainer,” his mom, Laura, said. “He just loves people.” That joy has been a constant…

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Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Research

Locally led study helps opioid-exposed newborns recover sooner

A major new study shows that individualized treatment for babies born with opioid withdrawal can speed recovery and reduce time spent in the hospital. The clinical trial, led by Lori A. Devlin, D.O., neonatologist with Norton Children’s and a professor in the University of Louisville School of Medicine Department of Pediatrics, found a customized approach…

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Epilepsy, Neurosciences, Patient Stories

Born to play: How epilepsy surgery gave Grayson his life back

Grayson O’Barr is a fifth grader at Holy Spirit Catholic School in Louisville who says he “was born to play sports.” Soccer, swimming, track, basketball — if there’s a team he can join, Grayson is all in. But in 2022, when Grayson was in first grade, something strange started happening to the normally active child….

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Cancer, Childrens Hospital Foundation, News

Norton Children’s dedicates renovated family room to support cancer patients and their families

For families facing childhood cancer, even small comforts can make a big difference. Now, thanks to the generosity of community partners and donors, a newly renovated space at Norton Children’s Hospital is designed to provide just that. The reimagined David & Carol Tinkle Family Room was funded through more than $435,000 from the Norton Children’s…

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Diabetes, Endocrinology, Patient Stories

From diagnosis to advocacy: Nolan’s Type 1 diabetes journey

Nolan Rasmussen has never been one to sit still for long. If he’s not racing down the sidewalk on his scooter, he’s in the pool, on the soccer field or chasing after his big brother, Ian. Fear just isn’t part of his vocabulary. “He goes through life headfirst,” his dad, Jesse, said. “But he’s also…

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Diabetes, Endocrinology, News

Inhaled insulin expands for the treatment of children 6 and up

Researchers at Wendy Novak Diabetes Institute, a part of Norton Healthcare and Norton Children’s, were involved with Afrezza studies that have led to a safe and effective Type 1 diabetes treatment option for children, and they continue exploring its role in exercise and diabetes management. For thousands of children with Type 1 diabetes, controlling the…

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Patient Stories, Spine

Groundbreaking scoliosis surgery gives 11-year-old a straighter path to his future

Cooper Greer is a Lego-building preteen with a love for video games, YouTube channels and his dog, Daisy. The New Albany, Indiana, sixth grader also has scoliosis, a disease that causes the backbone to curve. Since last September, he’s standing with better posture — without discomfort or uneven shoulders thanks to spinal hardware and surgery…

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Chiari Malformation, Employee stories - Norton Childrens, Migraine Headaches, Neurosciences, Patient Stories

‘A heartbeat in my head’

At 10 years old, Halle Shelton didn’t have the words to explain what was happening inside her head. She just knew it hurt. It started in 2014 with double vision and small symptoms that didn’t seem connected. Then came the migraine pain. Her eye doctor noticed dangerous pressure and sent her to a specialist, who…

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Health & Wellness, Spine

Wearing a Scoliosis Brace

There’s no way around it: Kids who need to wear a scoliosis brace need to wear it a lot and for a long time. Bracing is intended to halt the progression of a spinal curve while a child is still growing. A scoliosis brace typically doesn’t straighten a curve completely, but wearing a brace as…

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Heart, Patient Stories

A new heart for Lorenzo: A story of hope and love

Complex diagnosis and delivery The diagnosis was hypoplastic left heart syndrome with mitral stenosis and aortic atresia, a severe congenital heart condition in which the left side of the heart is critically underdeveloped. Lorenzo’s very small left ventricle could not function properly; the mitral valve was narrowed, and the aortic valve was completely blocked. With…

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Nephrology, Patient Stories

What seemed like a stubborn strep infection was kidney failure — at age 7

When Isabelle Black started running fevers after her 7th birthday, the explanation seemed simple: Strep throat was going around. She tested positive and took antibiotics. The fever went away — only to return again and again over the next few months. After four rounds of antibiotics, Isabelle started losing weight and didn’t have much of…

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Orthopedics, Patient Stories

Clubfoot journey: Cory’s steps forward inspire

When DeLanna and Ryne Williams of Bowling Green, Kentucky, were expecting their second child and went for a 20-week anatomy scan, concerns from the scan led to additional imaging. Soon after, they learned that their baby, Cory, had a medical condition that could be identified before birth. Early diagnosis They were referred to Norton Children’s…

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