When Ethan was born, his parents thought they had welcomed a healthy baby boy into the world. Just 24 hours later, their hearts were broken when a newborn screening revealed a serious problem.

"It was discovered that he has a congenital heart defect called Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome," said Jennifer Rosell, Ethan's mother.

Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome is a complex and rare condition in which the left side of the heart is severely underdeveloped. Doctors at Baylor Medical Center in Grapevine, Texas immediately referred Ethan to the Heart Center at Cook Children's in Fort Worth, Texas, but getting there would prove challenging. While most ambulances are equipped to care for people of all shapes and sizes, it takes special training and tools to care for the tiniest of patients. That's why the Teddy Bear Transport team at Cook Children's was called in to help. Decked out in blue jumpsuits, the Teddy Bear team carefully loaded Ethan into an ambulance packed with medical tools made specifically for babies. The team then transported Ethan nearly 30 miles to Cook Children's where he would undergo emergency heart surgery.

"It was his first time riding in a vehicle," said Jennifer.

Ethan's parents never forgot that first ride, so when his daycare recently announced they were going to hold a boxcar parade, they knew exactly what kind of car to make. 

"We wanted to go with the Teddy Bear Transport theme since it's close to our hearts," said Jennifer.

Jennifer recently posted a video of Ethan and his boxcar on Cook Children's facebook page. The Rosell's were then invited to meet the team they credit with helping save Ethan's life. 

Ethan continues to be a patient at Cook Children's. He has undergone two surgeries to repair his heart but still has one to go. That procedure is expected to be performed sometime in the next 12 months. 

Today, the Rosell's were reunited with the Teddy Bear Transport team at Cook Children's aircraft hangar in North Fort Worth. Ethan was able to climb inside one of the blue and white ambulances and he even turned on the flashing lights. Don't be surprised if one day he's an official part of the Teddy Bear team. After all, he already owns the jumpsuit.

About Teddy Bear Transport

Cook Children's is supported by one of the largest pediatric transport programs in the nation. More than 2,400 children are transported to Cook Children's Medical Center annually from Texas and its surrounding states, most for critical care. Read more here.

When people think of homelessness, they commonly think of someone living in a park or on the street with no structure to sleep under but the effects of homelessness are felt by many in less dire circumstances. There are various classifications of homelessness which include homelessness without shelter but also include the following:

1. Homelessness with shelter - Living in a supervised private or public shelter.
2. Imminent homelessness - A chance that the primary residence will be lost in 14 days.
3. Youth/family instability

In survey data from 2012, the Cook Children’s Center for Children’s Health show than 7.5 out of 1000 kids in Tarrant and the surrounding counties had spent the night in an emergency shelter or with family/friends due to homelessness. Because of the nature of the study, my suspicion is that this number is likely understated. Despite the fact that it is more common in low socioeconomic areas, it is not restricted there. An example of this might include a child who is kicked out of the home for various reasons.

What are the effects of homelessness youth and children?

1. 97 percent have moved more than once in the last year.
2. Interrupted or ineffective school participation
3. 22 percent have been witnesses to domestic violence
4. 50 percent of homeless teenagers have depression or anxiety
5. More likely to have severe asthma, malnutrition, ear infections, exposure to toxins
6. More likely to have mental health and substance abuse issues
7. More like to engage in dangerous sexual activity leading to STDs and unintended pregnancies
8. 7 times more likely to be victims of violent crime

All of these issues can be categorized under the heading “toxic stress.” Toxic stress occurs when a child experiences strong, frequent and prolonged adversity. Studies show that these experiences can have significant effects on the development of the brain and other organs which can lead to increased risk for negative mental and physical health outcomes. These problems can persist well into the adult years, even when the stressful situations have resolved.

What can you do?

1. Be aware - One of the biggest problems with addressing homelessness is that many people are not aware that it is even an issue in their area.
2. Donate time - There are many programs available in our area where you can serve as a mentor to children in schools. Children going through toxic stress benefit greatly from having an adult who spends time with them and with whom they can process their experiences.
3. Donate financial resources - Many homeless shelters struggle to survive financially. They have a hard time providing healthy nutritional options and, certain times of year, even enough beds to house all those in need.

Learn more about homeless in Tarrant County here.