Three-year-old Apphia Rosenthal started a regular day last summer eating eggs and chatting with her parents. She was excited about what color glasses she would choose if she needed them (she was thinking something in pink). What her parents weren’t expecting was for Apphia to go from the ophthalmologist, to then have a magnetic resonance…
Kids with leukemia in the Louisville area soon will be able to get the next big advance in treatment, a revolutionary immunotherapy known as CAR-T (chimeric antigen receptor T cells) therapy. In CAR-T therapy, a leukemia patient’s own immune cells are collected and genetically reprogrammed before the cells are reinfused into the patient. The patient’s…
Not much rattles Joseph M. Flynn, D.O., MPH, FACP, chief administrative officer for Norton Medical Group and physician-in-chief for Norton Cancer Institute. Yet, he admits to having butterflies last May as he stood backstage with his guitar at Chili’s® Clip for Kids. He was excited — yet also a bit terrified — to perform with…
A recent study by the Journal of the American Medical Association, JAMA has prompted worries about sunscreen ingredients such as oxybenzone that can be absorbed into the bloodstream, but that doesn’t mean it’s time to stop protecting your family’s skin from ultraviolet rays. Indeed, the risks of skin cancer and other effects of overexposure to…
July is Cord Blood Awareness Month. Did you know that umbilical cord blood can be used to treat more than 70 diseases, including blood cancers like leukemia and lymphoma? If you’re expecting a baby, you have several options regarding the cord blood that can help treat blood cancers and other life-threatening diseases. Unless you choose…
Brain tumor symptoms in kids will depend on things such as the age of the child and the location of the tumor in the brain. The general symptoms in kids vary, but include: Behavior changes Blurry vision or crossed eyes Drowsiness and fatigue that’s unexplained, even coma Headache Poor balance Seizures Unexplained vomiting or nausea…
It was a few days after Morgan Villanova’s fifth birthday in September 2015, just as she was beginning kindergarten at Goldsmith Elementary School in Louisville, when she and her family received life-changing news. Morgan had cancer. The then 5-year-old, who is the youngest of eight children, was diagnosed with stage two nephroblastoma, also known as…
Leukemia is the most common cancer in children and teens, accounting for almost 1 out of 3 cancers. Most childhood leukemias are acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). Most of the remaining cases of leukemia in children are acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Chronic leukemias are rare in children. What is leukemia in children? Cancer is when cells…
When acute lymphoblastic leukemia took away Lana Dobson’s greatest love — gymnastics — she was left with a void she thought she would never fill. From age 4, gymnastics was Lana’s life. She practiced six days a week and excelled in competitions. By age 8, she was on a path to compete nationally, with her…
A new hematologist in Louisville is putting international research to practice for local kids. His specialty: blood and bone marrow disorders such as leukemia and immune deficiency. William T. Tse, M.D., Ph.D., with UofL Physicians – Pediatric Cancer and Blood Disorders, is the new director of the Norton Children’s Cancer Institute Pediatric Blood and Marrow…
From the studio to the stage, cancer patients at Norton Children’s Hospital are more like musicians-in-the-making. “The battle that they have done, and they are so resilient,” said Joseph M. Flynn, D.O., MPH, FACP, physician-in-chief, Norton Cancer Institute. Each child has a story to tell and is finding a voice through music. “The music gives…
Pediatricians at Norton Children’s Medical Group practices are using customized iPhones to detect serious eye problems, including amblyopia – lazy eye – and some types of eye cancer, such as retinoblastoma, in children age 6 and younger. “Detecting these issues in young kids has always been tough, because children don’t want to stay still and can’t…