Cook Children's’ kids are the fairest of them all
At least twice a year, the Ezernack family makes a three-hour drive and a two-day stay to Cook Children’s. 11-year-old Hunter Ezernack was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder. There are only two other children in the country with a similar case.
“It’s an OGT gene that’s never been discovered,” explained Brandon Ezernack, Hunter’s dad. “He’s just kind of writing his own story as he gets older.”
The Journey to Cook Children’s
At an early age, Hunter had severe acid reflux. Brandon and his wife, Lori, sought treatment for Hunter in their home state of Louisiana. They went from hospital to hospital until they were transferred to a genetics doctor at New Orleans Children’s Hospital.
“It came back unknown, they’d never seen it before,” said Brandon.
They were recommended to try a children’s hospital in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. As they searched, Lori’s cosmetologist aunt explained her nephew's case to one of her clients. They recommended Cook Children’s Medical Center.
“They got a bunch of doctors together and said you know we’ve never seen it before, but we want to take it on,” said Brandon.
That was six years ago.
“He’s happy-go-lucky,” said Brandon.
Full circle
It has become a family trip. Hunter, Mom, Lori, Dad, Brandon, brother, Aiden, and grandma, Janet, pack up the car and head to Fort Worth. They plan all of Hunter’s appointments in two days, sometimes spending more than eight hours at Cook Children’s.
But it’s not just medical appointments. They make sure to schedule an appointment with Jasmine Villarreal at Mirror Mirror.
“We just try to bring him here and give him, like a little safe space,” said Villarreal, manager, and stylist at Mirror Mirror.
Hunter is nonverbal and in a wheelchair. Brandon has tried taking Hunter for a haircut in their hometown of Shreveport, but finding a hair salon to be accommodating has been difficult.
“We’ve had people just look and as soon as we walk in, they're like, hey, we're going to go take a break right now,” said Brandon.
Six years ago, Brandon stuck his head into Mirror Mirror and asked if they could cut Hunter and Aiden’s hair. He explained Hunter’s condition, which sometimes means he may kick, scream, or throw stuff. Villarreal didn’t skip a beat. She put the family at ease.
“And I'm like, it’s fine, we got this. He'll be fine,” explained Villarreal.
Villarreal drapes the wheelchair with plastic to avoid getting hair on it. Next to her, a tray with clippers, a comb, a spray bottle, and scissors ready for the haircut itself. Plus, she adds a few more extra combs for Hunter to play with and Villarreal gets the hair dryer ready too. The sound of it they have learned helps put Hunter at ease.
She places a cape on Hunter.
“However long it takes, it can take 30 minutes, and it can take an hour,” said Villarreal, “We get it done.”
Villarreal has been cutting Hunter’s hair for as long as she has been at Cook Children’s. She says it is a fulfilling job. Villarreal and her staff work to ensure patients and adults get an experience just as if they were at a salon outside of the hospital. 
“I want them to be able to come here and feel special,” said Villarreal. “We see kids with all different situations. We’re not scared. We welcome them.”
The salon offers haircuts, manicures, pedicures, hair color, and even a blowout. Their services go beyond that of a traditional salon, helping patients get EEG glue out of their hair without having to cut it off and detangling hair after an accident.
“In a way, it makes me feel special that I can be that person to just give them a haircut and make them feel special and pretty,” said Villarreal.
Chatting and smiling Villarreal, Brandon, and Lori kept Hunter occupied as he got his haircut. In less than an hour, Hunter was sporting his new haircut.
Two days at Cook Children’s may seem like a lot, but Brandon explained the hospital is more than a medical facility.
“We walk across the hall [the Child Life Zone], and they got a bunch of entertainment stuff for the kids to do,” explained Brandon, “and then we just make a day of it here and go play in the playground.”
About Cook Children's Health Care System
Cook Children’s is more than a health care system: we strive to be an extension of your family, growing with your child from their first steps to adulthood. By collaborating to deliver on our Promise—to improve the well-being of every child in our care and our communities, we connect the dots for our patients. Between primary and specialty. Between home and medical home. Between short-term care and long-term health.
Based in Fort Worth, Texas, we’re 9,700+ dedicated team members strong, passionately caring for over 2 million patient encounters each year. Our integrated, not-for-profit organization spans two medical centers (including our state-of-the-art location in Prosper), two surgery centers, a physician network, home health services, and a health plan. It also includes the Child Study Center at Cook Children's, Cook Children's Health Services Inc., and Cook Children's Health Foundation. In 2024, Forbes named Cook Children’s the top health care employer in the U.S., and third on the list of ‘America’s Best Large Employers.’
And our impact extends beyond the borders of Texas. We proudly treat children from virtually every state in the nation and 32 countries. By seeing the world through the eyes of children and their families from all backgrounds, we’re able to shape health care suited to them: connected by kindness, imagination, and respect—with an extra dose of magical wonder.
Discover more at cookchildrens.org.
