Kids’ cancer diagnoses haven’t stopped during the COVID-19 pandemic and neither has their fight. September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and the time of the year when Norton Children’s Cancer Institute, affiliated with UofL School of Medicine, shines a light on our star patients, families, employees and providers. Norton Children’s Cancer Institute is the premier…
Louisville philanthropist Tom Dunbar will provide support up to $1.5 million to the Norton Children’s Hospital Foundation for pediatric cancer research at Norton Children’s Cancer Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine. This gift through the Evan Dunbar Foundation will create the Evan Dunbar Pediatric Cancer Research Program. Dunbar has been a long-time supporter…
What is Ewing sarcoma? Ewing sarcoma is a type of malignant tumor that can occur in bone or soft tissue. Ewing sarcoma is the second-most common type of malignant bone tumor that affects children and young adults, ages 10 to 20 years old. Approximately 200 to 250 children and adolescents in the United States are…
Kelsie Cooksey was devastated by the news from Katlyn Claywell, her friend, co-worker and Burkesville, Kentucky, neighbor, that Katlyn’s 19-month-old daughter Kamryn had been diagnosed with leukemia and needed prayers. Kelsie had a boy around the same age and felt her friend’s anguish. Days before, Katlyn had noticed a rash on her little girl with…
Esther E. Knapp, M.D., MBE, of Norton Children’s Cancer Institute, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine, is a board-certified pediatric hematologist/oncologist with specialized training in pediatric bone marrow transplantation. According to Dr. Knapp, taking on challenges was part of the appeal of entering her specialized field. “The truth is, I was impressed by doctors…
A 2017 study in the Journal of Neuro-Oncology showed that children in Appalachia, a region that spans 13 states including large parts of Eastern Kentucky, are more at risk for a type of pediatric brain tumor called juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma (JPA). What is juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma? The study compared how often pediatric brain tumors happened…
Leukemia is the most common cancer that affects children, with 1 in 3 children with cancer experiencing leukemia. Skin changes can be a symptom in early stage leukemia. Here is what parents should know and look for with skin changes in early stage leukemia. Skin symptoms of leukemia in children Bone marrow produces most of…
Sickle cell crisis prevention is important for families of children with sickle cell disease. A sickle cell crisis can come on suddenly, causing great pain for hours up to several days, as the sickled red blood cells block blood flow. Here are some sickle cell crisis prevention tips to help families. Why does sickle cell…
Signs of leukemia in kids are also symptoms of other common childhood illnesses. Leukemia is the most common type of cancer in children –– 1 in 3 children with childhood cancer have leukemia. Many of the early signs of leukemia are similar to those of other common childhood conditions. Here are the signs of leukemia…
Getting a life-changing diagnosis, such as cancer, can create fear, uncertainty and stress for a child and their family. Child life specialists are professionals who provide emotional support and education and help children and their families build resiliency while getting medical treatment. Certified child life specialists are educated and clinically trained in the developmental impact…
Victoria A. Statler, M.D., works hard to educate children undergoing transplants on ways to avoid potentially dangerous infections. She also treats them when they do get sick. Children receiving transplanted organs or bone marrow take medicines to help their bodies accept the transplant. The drugs work by suppressing the immune system, so transplant recipients are…
Bleeding disorders are a rare group of conditions that affect blood clotting. The human body has 13 blood clotting factors — blood components such as clotting proteins and platelets — that work together to help blood clot. Should any of these clotting factors be missing or deficient, blood clotting is affected, causing a bleeding disorder….