It’s found in every steady hand And every brave pursuit.It’s the light that guides the way, A heart so bright and true.

The magic here at Cook Children’s Starts with mothers like you.

From all of us at Cook Children’s, #HappyMothersDay weekend! 

More Than Just A Day

"The Cook Children’s NICU annual reunion is so much more than a date on the calendar for our family, it's stepping back into the place that forever shaped our story.

As first-time parents, we expected a typical delivery and the joy of bringing home a healthy baby. After a normal pregnancy, we were stunned when our son was born with severe congenital complications and immediately rushed to Cook Children’s for specialized care. In a matter of moments, our world had shifted. What we thought would be a brief hospital stay became 110 days of uncertainty, growth, and learning how to parent in ways we never imagined.

During that time, the NICU became our second home. The nurses, physicians, and therapists were more than caregivers. They became our steady support in the darkest days. They taught us how to care for our fragile baby, encouraged us through setbacks, and rejoiced with us over every bit of progress. We never felt alone, they were there when we felt like we couldn’t do it on our own.

Because of that, coming back each year means everything. We reconnect with the staff who once worked patiently with him, and now they get to see him walking, running, and talking. Watching their reactions to the little boy he has become is something we treasure deeply. The place that once held so much fear now holds overwhelming gratitude.

We are grateful for the opportunity to return each year to not only celebrate how far our son, and so many other children and parents have come, but also to honor the incredible work the NICU staff does to help children like McLane. We cannot thank the NICU team enough." 

- The Randolph Family (Parker, Isabella and McLane)

NICU Reunion 2026

This year, the reunion will be on Sunday, May 3rd from 1:00 - 4:00 p.m. at the outside lawn in front of Cook Children’s Medical Center – Fort Worth. If you have any questions about the reunion, please reach out to Lauren Austin at nicureunion@cookchildrens.org.

“People are truly choosing to come here,” said Tiffany Pullom, nurse manager for the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Pullom and Suzanne Whitbourne, M.D. neonatologist, noted that many admitted infants arrive through the emergency department. Families often share that they chose the Prosper location specifically for its specialized pediatric reputation and its proximity to home.

“We have a long history of taking care of the babies in our NICU (stemming from our flagship medical center in Fort Worth,” said Dr. Whitbourne, “I think a lot of the reassurance comes from that expertise and that experience that we have, and they can see it day by day.”

The NICU typically cares for and admits infants up to 30 days of age. Since its opening, the unit has primarily treated upper respiratory illnesses and babies transferred from surrounding delivery hospitals.

The NICU features:

• 11 beds: 10 private rooms, including a room for twins.
• Family-centered amenities: On-site laundry services and single rooms equipped with bathrooms, breast pumps, milk warmers, and refrigerators.
• Dedicated nutrition lab and formula mixing.
• Virtual connection: A bedside camera system that allows parents to see their babies via an app when they cannot be at the hospital.

Pullom said these amenities reflect Cook Children’s holistic approach to healthcare.

“We have our lactation services; we have speech therapy. We have a multitude of subspeciality specialists here,” said Pullom. “Anywhere from ear, nose, throat (ENT) to pediatric surgeons, pulmonologist and sleep studies can be done here.”

 The care extends beyond the clinical needs of the infants to support the entire family. Case management and social workers assist parents with logistics, such as adding a newborn to an insurance policy.

“This facility supports families,” said Dr. Whitbourne. Having been with Cook Children’s Health Care System for 24 years, she believes established trust in the community is why families continue to choose their care.

 Related Stories:

• Finding Her Voice: How North Texas’ Newest NICU Helped an East Texas Newborn Heal from Vocal Cord Paralysis
• Cook Children’s Medical Center – Prosper Opens Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Expanding Care for Newborns in One of the Nation’s Fastest Growing Regions
• Cook Children’s Looks to Expand Medical Campus to Keep Up with Unprecedented Growth in Fort Worth

"Our new NICU is a promise to families that their children will receive expert, compassionate care without having to leave their community," said Kevin Greene, President of Cook Children's Medical Center - Prosper. "With each investment we make into our medical center and in our outpatient clinics, we are building a foundation for exceptional pediatric care close to home."

With more than 46,000 new residents moving to Prosper and surrounding cities each year, many of them young families, Cook Children's NICU ensures that even the smallest and most vulnerable patients have access to specialized pediatric care close to home.

“Unlike NICUs in adult hospitals, every physician, nurse and clinical team member here is exclusively trained in pediatrics,” said Jonathan Nedrelow, M.D., neonatologist and Chief Medical Officer at Cook Children’s Health Care System. “This means newborns benefit from care designed specifically for babies and children, backed by the full resources of Cook Children’s nationally recognized pediatric subspecialties.”

We can provide a consultation from a pediatric specialist in more than a dozen subspecialties, onsite. This significantly reduces the need for families to endure stressful transfers to other facilities, likely an hour away in Dallas or Fort Worth.

In the event a baby needs the highest level of medical care, they can be seen via telehealth by physicians at the Level IV NICU at Cook Children’s Medical Center – Fort Worth, and quickly transferred by Teddy Bear Transport, if necessary.

 We are a multidisciplinary, holistic care team led by Neonatologists. Cook Children's is committed to growing the NICU in both size and capabilities, and currently, our NICU features:

• 10 rooms, including a room for twins (11 beds total)
• Single rooms with bathrooms, breast pumps, milk warmers and refrigerators
• Dedicated nutrition lab and formula mixing
• Bedside camera system so parents can see their babies via an app when they’re away

Designed with families in mind, every detail of the NICU is crafted to support both patients and their loved ones. Bright, whimsical colors and geometric shapes create an uplifting and calming environment, while bold polka dots and playful floor designs serve as a thoughtful wayfinding system, helping parents and visitors navigate the space with ease.

 Every feature, from the oversized rooms that allow for more family members to gather to the extra cabinetry for personal storage, prioritizes comfort, privacy and convenience during what can be a stressful time. Each room provides dedicated sleep spaces for parents, ensuring loved ones can remain close to their baby at all times.

“The opening of this NICU reflects Cook Children’s continued mission to improve the well-being of every child in our care and strengthen the health of our communities,” said Sheralyn Hartline, DNP, RN, CENP, RNC-NIC, Vice President, Nursing and Patient Care at Cook Children’s Medical Center – Prosper. “We’re looking forward to growing further to meet the needs of families.”

Just a few years earlier, orphan trains rumbled through Texas towns, carrying vulnerable children westward seeking new homes and opportunities. In Fort Worth, amidst the challenges of a growing frontier town, individuals and families opened their hearts and homes to these children. Some specifically chose to take in the sickest among them, the ones with special needs, or those whom others might have overlooked. It was a poignant time in the nation’s history, but that legacy of compassion would soon inspire a new kind of home for vulnerable children—a place devoted to healing and to a Promise to improve the health and well-being of all children in its care and communities.

A lot has changed in a century. Orphan trains are a thing of the past, replaced with child welfare services that aim to keep children safe and families together if possible. Camp Bowie is now a boulevard bridging history and commerce; the Stockyards are an entertainment hotspot showcasing cowboy culture; and Fort Worth’s population is nearing 1 million, making it the 12th largest city in the country.

But one thing remains the same. The spirit of embracing the vulnerable and offering hope to those most in need still runs deep in the heart of this community. Through all of Cowtown’s transformations, Cook Children’s has risen to meet the needs of the moment—expanding its campus, evolving its technological capabilities, and adding services to improve the health and well-being of all children in its care.

Today, Cook Children’s begins a new chapter in its 107-year history of hope and healing by breaking ground on the site that will soon see the rise of a new 760,000-square-foot patient care tower, currently referred to as the West Tower.

“About 59 people move to this area every day,” said Stan Davis, president of Cook Children’s Medical Center – Fort Worth. “To keep pace with this unprecedented growth, we must also expand. This isn't just about getting bigger. It's about ensuring we can continue to be that steadfast home for every child who needs us. It's about equipping our exceptional doctors and nurses with the leading-edge tools they need, providing a comforting space for our tiniest patients, and offering a sanctuary for our sickest children.”

Expanding the Blue Peaks
The addition of the West Tower will enhance Cook Children’s Heart Center, already home to the nation’s top pediatric cardiologists and cardiovascular surgeons. The growth, which includes two new dedicated cardiovascular operating rooms, paves the way for Cook Children’s surgeons to perform life-saving heart transplants.

The West Tower also makes way for the expansion and redesign of Cook Children’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Designs for the new PICU focus on two key elements for supporting healing and improving the patient and family experience—sunlight and privacy.

Over the past decade, studies have shown that a lack of natural light and loud environment can increase the risk for what doctors call ICU delirium, according to Kyle Brown, M.D., PICU co-medical director. It is a common occurrence in intensive care settings, especially those like Cook Children’s current 20-year-old PICU where there are few private rooms and natural light is hard to find.

“Some kids that come into the ICU after a serious injury are thinking clearly and know 100% where they are and who their family is. Mentally, they are their usual selves,” said Linda Thompson, M.D., co-medical director of Cook Children’s PICU. “Then, with a few days of not sleeping well, with pain medicine on top of that, and being stuck in bed, they can start to get confused. They don’t recognize people as well and they can start to see things that aren’t there. This is considered ICU delirium.”

One Patient’s Experience
For former PICU patient Emerson Bellucci, it only took 24 hours for the delirium to set in.

In 2024, Emerson spent 36 days in Cook Children’s PICU following a rare and life-threatening allergic reaction to the common antibiotic Bactrim. The reaction damaged her lungs so severely she required life-support via extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, or ECMO. It is the most advanced form of life support available. Essentially, an external artificial lung. A pioneer in her own right, Emerson was one of very few patients to remain awake and even walk around while on ECMO. Most are fully sedated during this life-supporting treatment.

In the initial days of Emerson’s PICU stay, she and her family shared space with 42 others healing from severe and traumatic injuries and illnesses. In her case, Emerson was separated from neighboring patients only by a curtain. The sights and sounds of every other patient’s monitors, machines, televisions, and even the cries of an infant patient, often interrupted her sleep and added to her own anxiety about her illness. The lack of natural light caused her to confuse her days and nights.

“There were no windows to notice it was night and we were supposed to be sleeping,” said Ashlee Bellucci, Emerson’s mom. “I think that was the beginning of her delirium that really set her pattern to where she was up a lot at night. As a mom, you’re up with her, too. So it was hard.” 

Despite the best efforts of Cook Children’s PICU staff to institute daytime quiet hours for napping, simulate nighttime hours with low light settings, and minimize disruption while caring for a neighboring patient, the scenario described by Dr. Thompson and experienced by Emerson happens over and over again.

“When we have increased delirium, that increases the length of time that patients spend in the ICU and the length of time that they spend in the hospital,” Dr. Brown said. “It also leads to what we now call post-intensive care syndrome, which is something that both patients and families can experience after they leave the ICU. This includes things like PTSD and anxiety.”

Once Emerson was placed on ECMO, she was moved to a more private, enclosed space in the current PICU. While it had a small window that helped regulate her sleep, it did not have a private bathroom. Emerson’s parents still had to trek to the family waiting area for showers and restroom breaks.

“Having to walk down the halls in my pajamas to the bathroom was very inconvenient,” Ashlee said. “But I think one of the hardest things was shower time. Her dad and I had to plan showers around when doctors would be visiting so that we could be sure one of us was there. I felt like a college kid in a dorm taking all my things, and having to go down and sometimes wait for a shower. Inevitably, you would forget something.”

The design of the new PICU aims to change that.

“Instead of making families feel like they're coming into our place, we need a way to make it feel more like home for them and more like we're actually entering their space,” Dr. Brown said. “That's really what creates a more healing environment for the patient and family,” Dr. Brown said.

Hope Lights the Way
In the redesigned PICU, every patient will have a fully enclosed private room with a window, as well as a private bathroom. A sliding glass door with a curtain for privacy will shield patients from the sights and sounds of their neighbors’ care and machines, while allowing the medical team to keep a close eye on their patients. Quiet sleep will go uninterrupted by the commotion of a middle-of-the-night admission of a new neighboring patient. Parents and young patients can focus on their own healing without the added trauma of witnessing the circumstances of others. When the sun rises, patient rooms will be drenched with natural light, awakening their souls to the hope of a new day.

“I think the first time I noticed the little window it just reminded me of outside and that I won't be stuck here forever,” Emerson said about the more private ICU space she was moved to while on ECMO. “Having a window definitely increased your mood. Having sunlight is just like a happy thing.”

New Frontiers
The West Tower will be a place where Cook Children’s charts new frontiers in medical research, ensuring that every step forward in patient care is informed by the rigorous pursuit of knowledge. While Cook Children’s already has 300 open clinical trials, as well as 500 ongoing studies, the expansion of services like Cardiology and Pediatric Intensive Care opens new doors for even more research that advances medicine and shapes the quality of care.

Take cancer treatment, for example. Over the past 50 years, research-driven protocols have decreased the five-year mortality for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia—the most common pediatric cancer— from 80% to 5%, according to a 2021 article published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine.

“The centers that do research have higher, better quality numbers than the centers that don’t," said William Stigall, M.D., Cook Children’s chief research officer. “Research is one of those things that make you better at everything, and the robust space and technological capacity of the new tower will give us the capacity to do even more.”

Design Through the Eyes of Others
Planning and design of the West Tower is a collaborative effort between staff, patients and the design and construction teams.

“We have thought long and hard about what is important to us and our patients,” said Melodie Davis, DNP, RN, CENP, Director of PICU, ECMO and Dialysis at Cook Children’s. “For several months we have gathered input from our team and our patients. Bringing together evidence from literature on how PICUs can create healing environments with our lived experiences and collaborating with the construction team is truly a dream come true. Our patients, their families, and our staff have so much to look forward to.”

Today, Emerson and her family joined Cook Children’s executives, members of the board of directors, city officials and community supporters to turn the first shovels of dirt on the site of the future West Tower. Construction is expected to take five years.

“This groundbreaking of the West Tower is not just the laying of concrete and steel. It is a powerful continuation of the pioneering spirit,” said Rick Merrill, president and CEO of Cook Children’s Health Care System. “It is a tangible manifestation of our enduring commitment to the future, a bold step driven by the same courage and vision that defined Fort Worth from its earliest days.”

Fast Facts

• The West Tower will seamlessly integrate with the existing medical center floor by floor.
• The services/units moving to the West Tower will make way for the expansion of Hematology/Oncology as well as the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, which will grow from 106 beds to 143.
• The Heart Center will gain two new operating rooms, a third cardiac catheterization laboratory for advanced diagnostics and interventions, 14 additional cardiovascular intensive care beds, as well as a new Step-down Unit for transitioning care as heart patients heal. All Heart Center inpatient services will be conveniently located on one floor in the new tower, from procedure prep spaces, to operating rooms and special procedure areas, to the Cardiovascular ICU and Step-down Unit.
• In addition to the Cardiovascular Operating Rooms, the West Tower will house eight new operating rooms. Two will be specifically equipped for Orthopedic surgery and two for Neurosurgery.
• The redesigned PICU will feature 56 private patient rooms with private bathrooms.
• Anticipating future growth, shell space will be included in the build.

The Cook Children’s NICU hosted its annual reunion on Sunday, April 6 to celebrate those connections. Over 490 attendees joined staff members for the rodeo-themed occasion. Everyone dressed in costumes representing their favorite animal, cowboys and cowgirls.  

The event allowed Cook Children’s former patients and their families to reunite with their care teams, including nurses, physicians, therapists, child life specialists and more. The care teams spend a significant amount of time with their NICU patients and their families while they’re admitted to the hospital and they always look forward to seeing how the former patients are doing after they are discharged from the medical center.

The NICU reunion also marks milestones and celebrates the achievements and successes of each patient.

About Cook Children's NICU

Cook Children’s NICU is designated a Level IV NICU, which is the highest level of neonatal care for medically fragile babies. Our NICU offers 106 beds in 99 rooms, including rooms designed for twins, triplets or quadruplets. The unit hit an all-time high of 101 infants in January 2024 – evidence of the North Texas region’s population growth and our medical center’s impact on the community.

We provide advanced technology and access to specialists including cardiology, genetics and neurology. Emergency surgery can be performed without having to leave the unit. The NICU care team also includes lactation specialists, physical therapists, occupational therapists, respiratory therapists and social workers. Watch a video tour or call 682-885-4375 to speak with a member of our team. 

The unexpected diagnosis of a rare condition of the heart, Long QT Syndrome, in my newborn son led to a crucial discovery for our entire family, highlighting the exceptional care and life-saving expertise at Cook Children's.

In November 2023, my twins, Nellie and Julien, were born. Nellie was 4 pounds and 10 ounces and we thought that Nellie would be in the NICU due to her size. It turns out it would be my baby boy, Julien. About 36 hours after their births, we were preparing to be discharged when the hospital’s pediatrician came to our room and did one last checkup on Nellie and Julien.

She said that something did not sound right with Julien’s heart and she ordered an echocardiogram; the results were sent to Cook Children’s. About an hour later, the doctors said that Julien would be transported to the Cook Children’s NICU via Teddy Bear Transport ambulance. 

Those first few hours were scary, but soon we received answers and a diagnosis at the NICU. Julien had an issue with the electrical part of his heart and was diagnosed with non-sustained ventricular tachycardia (arrhythmia). He was found to have Long QT Syndrome, a rare condition where signals in the heart take longer than normal to reset, causing a prolonged QT interval on an electrocardiogram (ECG). This can lead to potentially life-threatening irregular heartbeats, possibly resulting in fainting or sudden cardiac death if left untreated.

Through genetic testing, we found that Nellie and I are also carriers of the LQTS gene and I had passed it to them. I had not experienced symptoms of this congenital condition in my 30 years. Growing up, I was always participating in either track, basketball or soccer.

Our genetic testing showed that we are type two out of three, which means our trigger is “startle,” like a fire alarm or extreme event. The other types can be triggered by exercise or sleep.

Following the diagnosis, all three of us take daily beta blockers, a medicine to assist our hearts. The beta blockers reduce the risk of cardiac events by lowering the heart rate and stabilizing the electrical activity in the heart. Our beta blockers protect us and we don’t have to be concerned about our trigger. If left untreated, LQTS could result in fainting or sudden cardiac arrest. We also have to be careful with medicines entering our system which may prolong the QT, especially in an emergency.

We are considered low-risk, so luckily our daily activities are not limited. Some people with higher risk may reconsider daily activities like high-intensity sports, per their cardiologist. 

Julien was in the NICU for 11 days, and Nellie spent most of her days as a visitor to the NICU. We learned how to be twin parents and juggled one newborn in the NICU and one who wasn’t. We were grateful for the support of Nellie too, some nurses would come by and say hi to her as well and shower her with love.

My husband and I are grateful to Julien’s entire care team at the NICU and for his team at Cook Children’s Heart Center for their expertise in this condition. From Julien’s quick diagnosis to the family-centered care, we knew that we were in the best place that we could possibly be.

My family appreciated Cook Children’s because of the stories I shared with them as a member of the Public Relations & Communications team, but we all had a deeper sense of gratitude for the excellent care teams who took care of Julien as if he were their own. My family was impressed with the support we received, from the lactation consultants to Child Life to the family lounge, and their favorite, the AngelEyes camera, so everyone could check on our little Julien.

Nellie and Julien visit regularly with Cook Children’s Cardiology. After our genetics tests, we visited Cook Children’s Genetics. We are grateful for Candace Gamble, M.D., because she added another perspective as well: Had Julien not experienced an arrhythmia, all three of us may not have ever been diagnosed.

The neonatologist at the birthing hospital said that we were lucky that Julien’s arrhythmia and LQTS were discovered in the hospital before we were sent home.

Our takeaway from this experience is that we had the right people in the right place, at the right time and Cook Children’s has been with us every step of the way.

When Julien entered the world, he may have just saved Nellie and I’s place in it.

This exciting event coincides with one of the biggest fundraisers supporting Cook Children’s NICU. Join us for Cook Children’s Day at The Rodeo on February 5, 2025. Half the cost of your ticket will benefit Cook Children's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The Rodeo has long been a treasured partner of Cook Children’s, benefitting the NICU for more than ten years.

Our Level IV NICU, with all-private patient rooms, provides the highest level of care for babies in our region. Grab your boots and come support our tiniest Texans!

Learn more about this exciting night here: https://www.cookchildrenspromise.org/events/rodeo/

Join us as we revisit the top 10 most viewed Checkup Newsroom stories of this year.

10. Record Broken: Cook Children’s NICU Reaches New Milestone with 101 Patients

On Jan. 25, Cook Children’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) hit its highest patient volume with 101 babies. Brittany McLaughlin, NICU director, said this milestone is evidence of the continued growth in our community and its impact on our hospital.

Cook Children’s NICU has 99 private rooms and is the only one in Tarrant County that offers single-patient rooms. With roughly 450 employees, the department is the size of a small hospital in itself.

The milestone coincided with one of the biggest fundraisers supporting Cook Children’s NICU. On Jan. 31, the legendary Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo donated half of all proceeds from tickets to Cook Children’s NICU.

9. Cook Children’s Marks One Year in Prosper with 1,800+ Bear Donation

Jan. 9, 2024 marked one year since Cook Children's Medical Center - Prosper opened its doors. To celebrate, a sea of teddy bears filled the medical center’s lobby. In December 2023, Sandra Peak, M.D., a pediatrician at Cook Children's Pediatrics Lewisville - Castle Hills, challenged her fellow pediatric offices in the Denton/Collin County area to collect Prayer Bears throughout the month.

Doctors at each participating primary care office posted a callout on their social media accounts and the community answered in a big way.

A total of 1,821 Prayer Bears were delivered to Cook Children’s Medical Center – Prosper during the hospital’s first birthday celebration. The bears were given to patients as a source of comfort and encouragement during their hospital stay.

8. Cook Children’s Named as One of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women by Newsweek

Newsweek named Cook Children’s one of America’s Greatest Workplaces for Women 2024. In this piece, we introduce some of the women who make Cook Children’s such an amazing place.

7. Celebrating National Doctor’s Day: Slime-A-Doc 2024

In March, we celebrated National Doctor’s Day with slime! Patient families and employees voted for the physicians, nurses, child life specialists, administrative staff members and advanced practice providers they wanted to see covered in slime. It was a special day spent celebrating the ones who take care of us when we’re feeling green.

6. Cook Children’s Named to No. 3 Spot on Forbes “America’s Best Large Employers” 2024 List

In February, with gratitude and a touch of pride, we announced Cook Children’s earned a top spot on Forbes America’s Best Large Employers 2024 list, debuting at No. 3 out of a lineup of 600. The rank acknowledged something we already knew — Cook Children’s is one of the best places to work among all large businesses across all industries nationwide. Cook Children’s was also named No. 1 in the health care and social industry category among large employers on the list.

5. Surgery of the Century: Celebrating One Year

Jan. 23, 2024 marked one year since cheers rang out and tears of joy streamed in a private family waiting area at Cook Children’s Medical Center - Fort Worth following a long-awaited and monumental announcement to the parents and family of conjoined twins JamieLynn and AmieLynn Finley.

“You have two babies on two separate beds.” 

The declaration that the sisters were successfully separated in an 11-hour surgery performed by a team of 25 medical professionals, including six surgeons, was more than a year in the making. Planning and preparation for the twins’ complex care and intricate surgery began months before the girls were born. Back then, all hoped and prayed for the best, but few could imagine that seven short months after their separation JamieLynn would take her first steps, followed by sister AmieLynn a month later. In this celebratory update, we shared that the twins were moving at a toddler’s pace, keeping mom and dad on their toes and on high alert.

4. Cook Children’s Sees Rise in Cases of Mycoplasma Pneumonia

In July, the Emergency Department at Cook Children's Medical Center - Fort Worth experienced a significant spike in cases of Mycoplasma pneumonia, which is a common bacterial infection that can cause “walking pneumonia” in children. Usually, this infection presents with cold-like symptoms, which are treated at home. Stephanie Felton, D.O., associate medical director of the Cook Children’s Emergency Department, and Nicholas Rister, M.D., infectious diseases physician, explained symptoms and prevention tips.

3. Cook Children’s Unveils Plan to Expand Critical Care to Meet Community Demand

In November, we announced a 10-year master plan to expand and enhance our Fort Worth medical center. The plan includes a new 700,000-square-foot medical tower, known for now as the West Tower, which will add another signature blue peak to Cook Children’s flagship campus and Fort Worth’s skyline. It will be a seamless extension of the existing medical center, connected both above and below ground, and make way for an expansion of the NICU with an additional 37 beds. It will also allow for an expansion and redesign of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), and increase capacity for Hematology/Oncology services and research, as well as additional operating rooms and imaging services.

 2. Cook Children’s NICU Welcomes First Quadruplets in Over a Decade

Catie Pulsifer, RN, and her husband Cameron already had two children—3-year-old Allie and 5-year-old Robin—when they decided they wanted a third. On July 4, 2023, the pair discovered they were finally expecting.

When Catie went to her first ultrasound, her scan showed not one, not two—but five gestational sacs!

At the beginning of 2024, Catie gave birth to the first set of quadruplets Cook Children’s has seen in over a decade. Catie is a Psychiatric Nurse in the Behavioral Health Unit at Cook Children’s, making this extraordinary event all the more special for everyone at the hospital.

1. Cook Children’s Looks to Expand Medical Campus to Keep Up with Unprecedented Growth in Fort Worth

Fort Worth is growing fast and so is the need for pediatric critical care. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Fort Worth’s population was 978,468 as of July 2023. With an estimated 59 people moving here every day, the city expects Fort Worth to hit the one million mark this year. In September, we shared why Cook Children’s was exploring options to expand our Fort Worth campus.

Spencer Seals, vice president of Construction and Real Estate at Cook Children’s said, “The goal is to make more room on our current campus for critical care services, which we direly need. We’re evaluating our options to see what best serves the community, just as we have for the past 106 years.

Having a child in the NICU can be a very stressful and emotional experience for parents. In this episode of Raising Joy, we talk to Landy Blackmore, whose daughter, Tillie, was born prematurely and spent time in Cook Children's NICU. Landy shares her personal story and offers practical advice on how to cope with the emotional rollercoaster that comes with having a child in the NICU.

Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, scared, or simply exhausted, Landy's insights and support can help you navigate this difficult time.

If you're a parent whose child is in the NICU, or if you know someone who is, be sure to listen to this episode of Raising Joy!

Raising Joy is part of Cook Children’s Health Care System’s Joy Campaign, a communications initiative aimed at preventing youth suicides. For more information about the Joy Campaign, visit cookchildrens.org/joy.

New episodes of the Raising Joy podcast will be available each Tuesday. It is currently available on all major streaming platforms including Apple, Spotify and Google Podcasts.

Twins AmieLynn and JamieLynn Finley won the hearts of the nurses who fed, diapered and bathed the girls a little differently from other babies in the Cook Children’s NICU.

For the first three and a half months of their lives, AmieLynn and JamieLynn were joined from their breastbones to their bellies. The girls could lie only on their sides, face to face, because their chest/abdomen areas were connected. Caring for them in the NICU required some modification of the usual tools and techniques for infants.

Surgeons at Cook Children’s separated AmieLynn and JamieLynn on Jan. 23 in a rare and complex operation, a first for our medical center. Two separate isolettes brought the girls back to the NICU to recover under the watchful eye of the neonatologists and nurses who know them best.

“I’m excited that we’ve been part of their story,” said NICU Director Brittany McLaughlin, RN. “The team’s been very creative and innovative.” 

Born in October at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth, the pair were transported at five weeks to Cook Children’s, where the NICU staff stepped up to the unique challenges of caring for conjoined twins. Consider diaper changes, for instance: “There’s lots of legs flailing everywhere. When they’re both awake and moving, you have to kind of wrangle one’s legs away while you change the other one,” said Brianne Galvan, RN. “You have to be fast.”  

Or lifting their combined weight of about 22 pounds: “You’re not just picking up one heavy baby. It’s a lot more positioning,” said Raye Urbanek, RN. “You have double the number of wires you’re trying not to tangle as you’re taking them from the bed.”

Brianne has been JamieLynn’s primary nurse and Raye has been AmieLynn’s primary nurse since their arrival in November. NICU Manager Megan Maxwell, RN, prepared the setup for their room, which required a bit of layout reconfiguring for monitors and other equipment. Color coding – green for AmieLynn, purple for JamieLynn – designated the name bands, cords and other gear on each girl’s side of the bed.

An additional step to safeguard patient identification happened every time the nurses turned the girls over. Nurses would alternate the spot where the girls’ heads and feet went in the bed to keep AmieLynn always on the left and JamieLynn always on the right after they were turned. “That’s so that we’re not confusing which one’s on which side,” Megan said. “That was obviously a big point of concern. We wanted to keep them safe.”

During the time they were conjoined, the girls’ faces were so close that they could suck on each other’s mouths. That made it tricky to feed them. Speech therapists at Cook Children’s helped by recommending ways to angle the twins’ heads to accommodate bottles.

Bath time required a round TurtleTub rather than the narrower standard model. The girls wore mittens even during their baths to cover their fingernails.

“We just swaddle them up and keep mittens on them because they will start to scratch on each other and then get angry,” Raye said. “If you keep the mittens on, then you can position them in the TurtleTub and have padding for their heads. They’re calm and happy and they love bath time.”

The twins could be propped up on a Boppy pillow or under a jungle gym for playtime. Other stimulation included music, physical and occupational therapy. Stretching exercises helped with the tight muscles in their necks and arms.

Family visits were key too. Their parents, James and Amanda, came to the NICU every day from Saginaw to feed and hold the girls. The babies liked to watch their entertaining 7-year-old brother and be soothed by the songs their grandmother sang to them.

Despite their shared anatomy, the twins developed distinct personalities. JamieLynn is known for her sass and strong will, while AmieLynn is easygoing and observant. Nurses say the girls used to arch their backs like they were trying to get away from each other. It wasn’t easy to keep a fussy baby from waking up her sleeping sister when they’re joined together.

“Amie’s gotten pretty good at sleeping through a lot of Jamie’s antics. But sometimes Jamie’s just punching her and it wakes her up and she is not happy,” Brianne said.

The nurses use words like “amazing,” “feisty” and “beautiful” to describe the twins. They look forward to cuddling the girls one at a time. Now that they're recovering in separate beds, Brianne predicted that AmieLynn and JamieLynn would miss the constant close proximity of being connected. “We’re going to have to figure out something so they can see each other in the NICU.”

Mary Frances Lynch, M.D. is the neonatologist for JamieLynn. Chad Barber, M.D. is the neonatologist for AmieLynn. Each has 16 years’ experience at Cook Children’s.

Dr. Lynch cited some medical complications that arose from conjoining:

• Limited mobility. The twins couldn’t be placed on their backs or tummies. They had to be turned frequently to prevent positional deformities and skin from breaking down.
• Breathing issues. JamieLynn needed oxygen by nasal cannula.
• Feeding concerns. IV nutrition and nasogastric feeding tubes allowed them to get their full feeding if they weren’t able to bottle feed. One twin grew significantly more than the other, likely related to their shared blood supply.

“Our primary focus in the NICU prior to surgery was to optimize their nutrition so that they could grow as much as possible,” Dr. Lynch said. “The bigger they are and the better their nutrition is, the easier their recovery after separation.”

During their post-surgery stay in the NICU, Dr. Barber said, major concerns include respiratory support and pain control. He and Dr. Lynch feel fortunate to take care of sick babies alongside the entire NICU team.

“It’s a big honor to be trusted by parents in the NICU,” Dr. Barber said. “Every day we have parents who are basically turning their child’s life over to us and believe in all the decisions that we make.”

Santa Claus stopped by to visit our tiniest patients in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to spread Christmas cheer. The babies were dressed in festive outfits to celebrate their first Christmas.

Patients in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) dressed up in adorable outfits to celebrate their first Easter.

Other patients participated in an egg hunt outside the Cook Children's Medical Center. There was a visit from the Easter Bunny, plus a few little chicks and a rabbit stopped by.

Who were they kidding? There's no emotional prepping anyone could do at that time. So, off to the OR for delivery we went. Talk about scared! They gave my baby a 10 percent chance of survival and they gave me a death sentence if they didn't deliver right then and there.

Graysen was brought into this world three months early weighing 1.4 pounds and not crying, or breathing. I remember seeing that he was the size of the nurse’s hand when she was working on him. I got to take one look at him before they had to intubate him immediately to get him breathing, since he was turning blue.

They then hurried away with him to the delivering hospital’s NICU. He was supposed to be born on March 15th (spring break baby) and he came into this world right before Christmas. With only a diaper the size of a tiny flip cell phone (which was the phone we had 10 years ago!), and under a heat lamp for warmth, inch by inch, ounce by ounce, he grew.

Weeks into life, the doctors decided to start feeding him by NG tube (Nasogastric tube that runs through the nose and into the stomach for feeds).

He did fine tolerating the feeds until he got an infection in the intestines, called necrotizing enterocolitis, also known as Nec. This made his belly swell up and, if not cured properly, could have resulted in a hole in the intestines, which is fatal. Surviving Nec was thought to be low. The doctors called to inform me that he was not doing so well and needed to be transferred by Teddy Bear Transport to the Medical Center’s NICU.

They loaded him up and took him by ambulance after two months in the NICU where he was born to begin his next few months of growing. Cook Children’s slowly nursed him back to better health, and, luckily, Graysen did not need surgery on his intestines. Miraculously, he pulled through another obstacle.

Weeks went by before they attempted to feed him again. In the meantime, the doctors had a central line surgically put into his chest so he could receive his nutrients properly. After a few weeks of feeds, the doctors started to see major improvement. They took him off the respirator and put him on a high flow nasal cannula to help with Graysen’s oxygenation and breathing. He did great with this new machine. Now breathing well, it was time to introduce the bottle at around 3 months. He took it, but not all of it.

The doctors had to decide what to do about the feeds he was leaving behind. They decided to put a G-button surgically into his stomach so that the left over feeds could be received by tube. This was the turning point. The hardest decision I had to make. Once that G-button was placed, I would have a medically dependent child.

After being in the NICU for five months, this was the only way he would be able to come home, and I was ready for that day. I gave the doctors the approval, and off to his first surgery he went. That was the first of 14 surgeries he would have throughout his first 10 years of life. Surgeries followed including fundoplication (an operation to prevent stomach contents from returning to the esophagus), hernia repairs, tonsillectomy, and a tethered spinal cord repair. Just to name a few. His spinal cord was taut at the end and neurosurgery was scheduled at 12 months. He caught meningitis after the surgery and, once again, beat dangerous odds.

Graysen went through so much that he didn’t eat. For six years, he was completely tube fed. He went through many years of intensive feeding therapy. He still didn’t want to eat orally. I put him in kindergarten and he saw his peers eating by mouth. That sparked an interest and, at 6 years old, he started eating. Now he demolishes whole cheeseburgers and fries! Not only has he beat death numerous times, he's gone through 14 surgeries and countless doctor appointments getting him to where he is now. This kid is here for a reason. This month we celebrate Graysen's 10th year of LIVING! Graysen is my Christmas miracle.

I could not have done this alone. I am so thankful that I had, and still have, a great network of people working together at Cook Children’s. Without their dedication to their job and to children, I don’t know if Graysen would have made it. Dr. Nancy Dambro was one of his main doctors from the time Graysen was born. Dr. Michael Deitchman has been his pediatrician through all the rollercoaster ups and downs. I can’t thank him enough for his support, countless visits and patience with us. We also see Dr. Jose Iglesias, Dr. Jill Radack, Dr. Bankole Osuntokun and Dr. Fernando Acosta.

It takes a village in Graysen’s case, and I’m glad our village is Cook Children’s!

The NICU has many babies who need holding, but they can’t all be held at once. Reynolds never wanted a baby to be left alone with no one to hold them, so she decided to donate eight mamaRoos for the babies in the Cook Children’s NICU.

A mamaRoo^® is a mobile infant seat that makes very rhythmic, natural movements that simulate things like a car ride, tree swing, ocean waves, and a parent rocking their baby. The mamaRoo was recommended to Reynolds by a Child Life specialist who had seen them make a huge difference in comforting distressed babies.

NICU Child Life specialist, Lauren Driscoll said, “I have seen inconsolable babies be quickly calmed and soothed by the mamaRoo. I have had staff share how overjoyed they feel by the mamaRoo’s ability to calm those patients. This is an incredible resource for our patients and I know without a doubt it is contributing to better developmental care and faster recovery.”

The mamaRoos stay with the babies who would benefit most from them, until they no longer need them or they are able to go home. With only eight mamaRoos in the NICU, there are still babies who could use one. Inspired by the Reynolds family’s gift, the Woman’s Board of Cook Children’s recently made a gift to the NICU for mamaRoo-related items.

“We are placing a fabulous order of more mamaRoos, covers, newborn inserts and a couple of extra power cords,” said Driscoll.

A mamaRoo helps to simulate the fluid motions these NICU babies would feel in utero. They provide comfort to babies who need it most. These mamaRoos are used in over 250 hospitals worldwide.

“Each baby deserves the love of a mom and dad and if they cannot have that, I want to do what I can to soothe them,” said Reynolds. “And if I can't be there, I want the nurses to have an available mamaRoo to make them feel as good as they can feel. Each of these little miracles needs the warmth and love of a body holding him/her as often as possible.”

For the last 234 days, the Cook Children’s NICU had been our home and the nurses and doctors had become our family. I couldn’t believe that after all this time they actually trusted US to take Avery home and take care of her all by ourselves. I wasn’t sure we were ready.

Well, it turns out, we were ready. Have there been times when I secretly wanted to be back in the NICU, “co-parenting” alongside nurses and doctors who all have much more experience in taking care of babies like Avery than we do? Absolutely! But, we powered through the first few scary and lonely days and nights and are slowly getting into a groove. We are finally those sleep deprived parents we longed to be for so long. I spend most days with no makeup and covered in spit up and I’ve never been happier in my entire life.

Perhaps the hardest part about being home with Avery is the realization that this journey isn’t over and her early entry into this world will continue to make things hard for her over the next few years. It’s not as if something magical happened when we drove away from Cook Children’s to erase her medical history of the past 7 and a half months.

We have many doctors’ visits in our future. We have weekly in-home visits from nurses and physical and occupational therapists. And we are still on oxygen and have a G button. But, we’re home and Avery is doing great! I’ve had to throw out all the old preconceived ideas I had about being a mom and accept that this is what’s it’s like to be Avery’s mom.

As we look forward to celebrating our first Thanksgiving at home as a family, there are so many things to be thankful for. Being in the NICU for so long taught us to be thankful for the little things. For example, we’ve celebrated so many firsts since being home: Avery’s first car ride, bath, walk in the park, even something as mundane as her first trip to the pediatrician didn’t go unnoticed or unrecognized.

I’ve said it before and I’ll continue to say it, this has been the hardest thing I’ve ever had to go through in my life, but I wouldn’t change it for the world because it has made me a better person. It has made me Avery strong.

Avery, Shawn and I want to wish everyone a very happy Thanksgiving! We are so grateful to everyone who has followed our journey and been so supportive of us. Whether we know you personally or you’ve just followed our blogs to keep up with Avery’s progress, it is just so incredible to know of the many people we’ve had cheering us on. Hopefully, we’ve made you Avery strong as well!

Avery's Journey:

• Avery's story - part 1
• Avery's story - part 2
• Avery's story - part 3
• Avery's story - part 4
• Avery's story - part 5
• Avery's journey - part 6
• Avery's journey - part 7
• Avery's journey - part 8

Once there, she was told they had to get the baby out immediately. Amanda was prepped for surgery and within 40 minutes Braelynn was born. Braelynn weighed 13 ounces at birth - the size of a can of soda. At the hospital in Abilene, Braelynn needed a special type of ventilator to help her survive and they did not have it at the hospital.

She was transported by Cook Children's Teddy Bear Transport to Cook Children's 8 hours after her birth.At a week old, Braelynn was diagnosed with bilateral grade inter-ventricular hemorrhage which is the most severe form of brain bleeds. Braelynn has had her right lung collapse twice.  

Braelynn is a big girl and has made immense progress against the odds. She's talking, walking, running and counting to 13. Braelynn turned 3 on Aug. 30, 2014 and now weighs 27 pounds. We met Braelynn as a baby and this is her story. 

Avery's Journey:

• Avery's story - part 1
• Avery's story - part 2
• Avery's story - part 3
• Avery's story - part 4
• Avery's story - part 5
• Avery's journey - part 6
• Avery's journey - part 7

Her day begins bright and early around 7 a.m. with cuddles from Mommy and then it’s time for her bottle feeding at 8. Other activities for the morning include a visit from the respiratory therapist (RT) for her breathing treatment and morning “massage.” Her “massage” is part of her chest physiotherapy where they use an oxygen mask to firmly pat her on her chest and back to help expand her lungs and break up any mucus she may have. This is one of Avery’s favorite parts of the day. We love to watch her as she lies in her bed on her stomach and dozes off to sleep as the RTs work their magic.

She may also get a visit from occupational or physical therapy for a morning workout where they work on fun things like learning to put her feet in her mouth and building her core strength to help her learn to roll over and sit up. They also have taught us about infant massage and given us stretches we can do with Avery to help her with her flexibility.

After her morning workout, she has likely worked up an appetite so it’s time to eat again. This time, a speech pathologist may come to give Avery her bottle. Learning to eat after 6 months is tough, so a speech pathologist is working with us on what bottles and nipples to use, positions to try when feeding her and different combinations of breast milk and formula to use. All of these things play an important factor in helping Avery to swallow efficiently and effectively and not having her food go down the “wrong way” which can cause aspiration and an infection in her lungs. We are about to introduce her to solid foods which will be another fun adventure!

Once she’s done eating, it’s usually time for a visit from Daddy, where she likes to squeeze in her afternoon nap on his lap. All the activity from the morning often wears her out for a few hours. She is, after all, a baby who needs her rest so she can grow healthy, new lung tissue.

In the afternoon, she may get a visit from the Child Life specialist for some “smile therapy” where we work on coaxing a smile out of her or arts and crafts activities with her footprints. The music therapist may come by to sing and play music while Avery works on her babbling.

Interspersed throughout this busy day of therapy visits, eating, naps and playtime, she also receives countless visits from the NICU staff and our family, all stopping by to see her outfit of the day and get an update on how she’s doing.

The late afternoon and early evening is reserved for family time where she plays on her play mat, works on tummy time or hangs out in her Bumbo® or exersaucer. By the time Shawn and I are ready to go home and sleep, Avery is usually asleep, worn out from all of the day’s activities. After all, she has to get a good night sleep so she can wake up and do it all over again the next day.

Related links:

• Avery's story - part 1
• Avery's story - part 2
• Avery's story - part 3
• Avery's story - part 4
• Avery's story - part 5
• Avery's journey - part 6

It’s been a long time since my last blog post. Honestly, I just haven’t really had anything new to say. I was hopeful that my next post might talk about how we were starting to bottle feed Avery or some of the other “milestones” that we have to achieve to get closer to going home. But unfortunately, that update is yet to be written.

Since the beginning, we have talked about the importance of taking it one day at a time, but up until last week I don’t think I had been. It is my tendency to be two steps ahead of whatever is going on in my life, whether it’s work or personal. In most cases, this has been a good thing. I like to make plans and be prepared for whatever is next. However, in this situation, that way of thinking can be dangerous. On any given day, there are far too many options for how a day might go. There are too many potential next steps, both good and bad. Trying to prepare for all of those will drive you insane.

For me, part of being “prepared” is the need to know what the worst case scenario with Avery could be. In Avery’s case, our worst case scenario is ending up with a tracheostomy and a ventilator. They don’t think it would be permanent, but no one knows how long she would need to have it. I have been told that it’s not as bad as it sounds and, of course, we will deal with it if that’s what Avery needs.

Up until last week, things had really been pretty uneventful. We had slowly been weaning down Avery’s oxygen support until it was low enough so she could start working on bottle feeding. We were literally days from this when everything changed. Her lungs had been tolerating the changes we were making, but just barely. It seemed to me like we were always waiting for the other shoe to drop. And then, it did.

Without going into too much medical speak, Avery’s lungs took a turn for the worst and within just a few days, we were close to facing our worst case scenario. And then, just as quickly, thanks to some powerful steroids, things were better again. But what happened in those few days has changed me. I think for the better.

Now, I am not just repeating what I’ve heard from so many others: “Take it one day at a time.” “Celebrate the good.” “On a bad day, hope for a better one tomorrow.” “Enjoy the moment.” I am actually living that way.

I imagine this is the way that any parent of a chronically ill child must cope. It’s hard to believe that it took almost six months for me to really learn this lesson. This last up and down roller coaster ride helped me figure out that living in fear of the worst case scenario is no way to live. For now, thoughts of Avery needing a tracheostomy creep into my mind occasionally, but I know that if I focus on them too much, I’ll miss out on all the good days that Avery is having. And she does have a lot of good days.

P.S. Just as I hit send on this blog entry, I got a phone call from the nurse telling me they were going to go ahead and try bottle feeding for the first time. Further proof that you REALLY never know how any given day in the NICU might play out.

Related links:

• Avery's story - part 1
• Avery's story - part 2
• Avery's story - part 3
• Avery's story - part 4
• Avery's story - part 5