She’d hold his hand and talk to him during the sudden stiffness or muscle spasms and blank stare. She made sure he wasn’t choking. She stayed calm.

And whenever Luke had to be hospitalized at Cook Children’s Medical Center – Fort Worth, Lexi visited as much as she could. She got to know the neurology nurses, cuddled her favorite therapy dog, and watched as the staff treated Luke with innovative procedures and kindness.

Details that cater to kids made an impression on Lexi under the Blue Peaks. From the playroom to the holographic fairy on the wall … Cook Children’s was magical in her eyes. 

Lexi can’t remember a time she didn’t want to be a nurse. And she found her perfect fit in February 2025 when she started working as a registered nurse in familiar territory: the Cook Children’s neurology department. No longer a visitor, Lexi made Cook Children’s her workplace home. 

For more than a decade while they lived under the same roof, Lexi assisted her brother when his seizures flared up. That experience in caregiving gave Lexi a soft heart and a skillset that she now puts into practice caring for others. Seizures don’t intimidate her. She also sees the world through the eyes of patients’ siblings; she understands their questions and concerns.

“I love pediatric nursing. Children are resilient. They can go through so much, and their little bodies are so tired, but they bounce back and they handle it like champs,” she said. “I love taking care of the patients and their families, talking them through diagnosis, through treatment plans, everything.”

Lexi’s presence by Luke’s side has comforted him during countless seizures over the years. And if you ask Luke what makes his sister a great nurse, he’ll tell you: “Because she cares.”

Onset of Epilepsy

Seizures are caused by abnormal electrical bursts in the brain. Luke was 5 years old and Lexi was 11 in 2013 when his first seizure happened during a Mario Kart video game at their home in Arlington.

“I tried to hand him the remote, and he just couldn’t pay attention, and he couldn’t hear me,” she said. “I ran to get Mom in the other room, and by the time I came back, he was blue and shaking on the ground.” 

Luke rode by ambulance to Cook Children’s, the first of many hospitalizations. His seizures began to occur multiple times a day, sometimes in frequent clusters that medication couldn’t control. He was diagnosed with a severe form of epilepsy called Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS).  

As a teen Lexi helped their mom, Ami Waggoner, do research on Luke’s disorder. Lexi lived in the same house with her brother and parents for about 10 years after his epilepsy symptoms started. If she was around when Luke had a seizure, Lexi stepped up. She knew her role: keep Luke safe and keep him company until the seizure passed. She’d ask him to squeeze her hand or give a thumbs up if he couldn’t speak. Sometimes she’d record a video of the seizure to show his doctors. 

Ami, who is also a nurse, noticed maturity and nursing traits in Lexi from an early age. A few examples:

• At home whenever Luke had a seizure, Lexi knew where to find the rescue medications and the steps to follow.

• As a softball player and busy teen, Lexi made time after school to hang out with Luke when he was hospitalized.   

• As a volunteer at monthly neurology support group for Cook Children’s families, she provided crafts and activities for children while their parents attended the meetings. The parents knew Lexi was comfortable around seizures, and they trusted her.

Lexi’s face is Luke’s favorite sight to see when he comes out of a seizure, their mom said. Lexi always responded to her brother’s medical needs by keeping her cool and encouraging him every step of the way.  

Choosing Cook Children’s

Lexi worked as a patient care technician while attending the Tarrant County College nursing program. Her first nursing job was at another Fort Worth hospital. But while attending the 2024 Christmas party for neurology patient families at Cook Children’s, she realized she missed the magic. She wanted to work at Cook Children’s.

Ami remembers what Lexi said after deciding to work with pediatric patients like Luke. I think this is my place. This is what I feel like I'm made for.

When Lexi pivoted in her nursing career to join Cook Children’s Neurology, her mother saw all the pieces fall into place. “So yeah, I’m extremely proud,” Ami said. “It’s grown into this amazing thing where she wants to help so many others.”

Lexi works night shift on the medical center’s fourth floor, which includes the epilepsy monitoring unit. Some of her colleagues have helped care for Luke through the years. If Luke is admitted, Lexi can’t be his nurse.

During her teenage years she absorbed the Cook Children’s culture each time she visited her brother in the hospital. She saw nurses practicing safety, respect, generosity and other values. She felt the impact of family-centered care. Now, in a journey that’s come full circle, she’s back at Cook Children’s and paying it forward.

“I definitely have a passion for epilepsy. I have a passion for finding the cure. I have a passion for helping out the siblings on our unit as well,” she said.

When she encounters a patient’s sibling, she checks to make sure they’re OK. Lexi takes time to explain whatever medical procedure their brother or sister is undergoing, like the electrodes hooked up for electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring.  

Lisa Mayfield, RN got to know Lexi while taking care of Luke for many years on the epilepsy unit at Cook Children’s. She remembers Lexi cheering him up by bringing his favorite snacks, watching movies with him and walking with him around the unit. His seizures didn’t rattle her.

“I was beyond excited when Lexi joined our team,” Lisa said. “She has a unique prospective that she can share with her patients and their families. She has empathy and an understanding that is unique to families that live with epilepsy every day but don’t let it define them. Lexi is an amazing nurse with critical thinking beyond her years. I am excited to watch her continue to grow in the field that she has been training for her whole life.”

When a new patient comes in, Lexi wants the family to know they’ll get the best neurology care possible from a team that delivers on the Cook Children’s Promise to do everything for the child. 

Celebrate the Struggle

Now age 18, Luke still experiences seizures every day. But his health and quality of life have improved thanks to a 2021 surgery at Cook Children’s that implanted a deep brain stimulation (DBS) tool. DBS -- a network of devices and wires -- sends small electrical impulses to specific areas of Luke’s brain. It’s designed to keep the worst seizure activity under control.

Luke’s parents collaborate with epileptologists Cynthia Keator, M.D. and  Jaehyung Lim, M.D., who oversees the DBS, and the specialists at the Jane and John Justin Neurosciences Center at Cook Children’s. They closely monitor how he tolerates different electrical amplitudes and speeds, and make adjustments as needed.

Because of DBS, Luke was able to cut back on medication. He can think more clearly. He’s more energetic.

The Waggoner family has the confidence to travel on vacations they couldn’t take prior to Luke’s DBS surgery. They appreciate the things Luke enjoys, especially trains and trips to the zoo. Their family motto? Celebrate the Struggle.  

“Living with Luke taught me to make the best of any situation. He always has a positive attitude,” Lexi said. “Even though I’ve moved out, Luke is still such a big part of my life. We’re very, very close. I’m thankful that he is doing as good as he is right now, and I love to spend time with him.”

RELATED STORIES:
Brain Stimulation Curbs Teen's Worst Seizures
Teen Becomes First in North Texas to Undergo Landmark Brain Surgery for Epilepsy

Here at Cook Children’s, we’re all about service. We give ourselves to the community, to children in need and to something greater than ourselves. Last week, Cook Children’s had the honor to witness a unique reminder of that call to serve.

Crystal Prince, RN, is from Mesquite and has been a nurse with Cook Children’s since 2006. On April 4, she swore an oath to take that nursing expertise to the U.S. Air Force. And she did it surrounded by her Cook Children’s family underneath the blue peaks.

Crystal first thought about joining the Air Force after college but decided on nursing instead. She started working at Cook Children’s in 2006 and moved to a position at Cook Children's - Prosper in 2023. Her supervisor, Prosper’s Director of Nursing and Patient Care Stefanie Tanner, described Crystal as “even keeled” and “the calm in the storm.”

While at Prosper, Crystal met Shalay Stancle, RN. Shalay has worked at Cook Children’s for 14 years but is also a critical care nurse and lieutenant in the Air Force. She has been deployed twice and worked on the Ground Service Team, which helps treat injured troops on the ground.

Crystal was able to ask Shalay all her questions about enlisting, and soon their other coworkers started to show Crystal support as well to go after her long-held dream.

When Crystal decided to at last fulfill her Air Force calling, it was only fitting that Shalay should sponsor her and be the one to swear her in. Crystal decided she wanted the swearing in ceremony, which often happens at a recruitment office, to take place at Cook Children.

Crystal was nervous as people began to take their seats in the Medical Center atrium. She said later that more people than she thought would be there; not only her friends, family (including her two sons) and coworkers attended, but at least a dozen members of Cook Children’s Veteran’s Group joined to show their support.

Sherry Foster, an Executive Assistant in the Strategic Marketing and Communications Department, served in the Coast Guard for four years. Sherry is the chair of Cook Children’s Veterans Group and said being able to share and witness the event with Crystal was an honor.

“For Crystal to want to share this with her Cook Children’s family just means so much for me; not only as an employee but also as a veteran,” Sherry said.

Stan Davis, President of Cook Children’s Medical Center, gave opening remarks, commending Crystal on her service to Cook Children’s and for her future service in the Air Force. Mr. Davis served in the Air Force for 21 years.

“Here at Cook Children’s, we have a promise,” Mr. Davis said. “This oath is similar to our promise at an elevated level. It talks about committing to defending our country and being on the front lines -- no matter what.”

Jennifer Hayes, MDiv, BCC, Director of Pastoral Care, led the group in a prayer, and the official swearing in began.

Shalay recited the declaration of “true faith and allegiance” to the United States and its people, and Crystal repeated the words back. Shalay said it was difficult to hold back tears during the ceremony. She was reminded of her own journey in the Air Force, and she felt honored to be able to swear in another woman into the service.

“As women, we carry a lot on our shoulders. You have to have a lot of grace, you’re taken away from your little ones, your family. You have to put your superwoman suit on. And as a woman, you go through the trying times when you're deployed in a predominantly male field,” Shalay said. “And myself, I've experienced that. And without the grace of God, I wouldn't be here.”

Afterwards, Crystal thanked everyone who attended, especially her family and children. Her two boys, 14 and 16 years old, watched their mom from the front row.

“It feels truly fitting to hold this ceremony here at work, where my colleagues and management have been here for me every step of the way during my journey,” Crystal said.

Crystal said the ceremony “felt like a family of people telling me good luck and congratulations.”

On Monday, Crystal began her eight weeks of officer training at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. After that, she will head to Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, where her family will join her.

“I want to be a role model for my kids and show them they can do anything, at any age, at any time,” Crystal said. “They just have to work hard for it.”

We wish Crystal the best of luck and thank her for her service to Cook Children's and our country.

I have had the privilege of working in the Emergency Department at Cook Children’s for 10 years, with three of those years as a nurse. I often have people ask me, “How do you do it every day?” or “What is the hardest part of your job?”

It’s hard to describe to an outsider just what happens inside our walls. One thing is certain, dear patients and families, I want you to know that we see you. Every Christmas I work, I remember my first one here. I walked in to find out we had already had two children die. To those families who lost their children, I want you to know that I see you and I think of you at Christmastime.

There are times when I drive home from work in complete silence and don’t even realize I forgot to turn on the radio. There are days when I have to sit in the driveway a few extra minutes before I go in to see my family, and they wonder when I am coming in.

To the mother who I sat with after she received news that her daughter’s cancer was back and metastatic, I see you and I remember you. I remember you when I walk in the door to see my daughter, who is the same age as yours. I see you when I don’t want to get up early to rush through the crazy morning. I see you when I’m lucky enough to drop my child off at school, knowing you would give anything to trade places with me.

As a nurse, I love nothing more than to send your child out the door feeling better and in good spirits. I will drop anything at a moment’s notice to have a bubble party or dance party. I’m never afraid to look silly in the name of making your child smile. I think most of us keep coming back to pediatrics because the good truly outweighs the bad. To the sweet sparkly princess who colored me a picture, told me thank you, and gave me a hug, you gave me the push to get through the rest of my day on a high note.

As an ER nurse, expectations and demands placed on me are high. I experience difficult situations every day. There are always more patients waiting who need care. I try to take a moment if I can to process what happened.

I am lucky to work with truly the best team of people who understand and who support me when I need it. It’s easy to feel lost and overwhelmed at times in our world. If you find yourself here with your child, I want you to know that each of your children impacts my life. They are the reason I come to work every day.

Megan Cole has worked at Cook Children's for 12 years, 10 of which have been in the Emergency Department. Outside of work, Megan enjoys baking, music and spending time with her family. To learn more about Cook Children's Emergency Services, click here.

Little Charlotte Friessen, 7 months old, arrived at Cook Children’s only 30 minutes prior and was rushed to the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. She needed an echocardiogram on her heart so she could get the help she needed. She needed to relax to get the proper readings before treatment could begin. But Charlotte was afraid and unhappy.

The years of training and experience weren’t enough for Tiffany Cox, Jen Jones and Mary Brennan. They needed to find something new to calm Charlotte down to get the ultrasound imaging of her heart.

What to do?

“Charlotte hated the little Doppler on her. The three nurses were doing everything they could to help her,” Anne Friessen, Charlotte’s mom, said. “They were talking to her and nothing worked. Then one of the nurses said, ‘Let’s sing nursery rhymes. The nurses had a blast.’”

The nursery rhymes and lullabies worked to perfection. Charlotte stopped crying. At least until the nurses stopped singing to think of new songs. Each time they stopped, Charlotte began to cry. Soon, everyone hit their stride and even Lane Lanier, M.D., a pediatrician on the Cardiac Specialty Care Unit team, joined in on harmonies.

Cox spent most of her career working with adults in the Intensive Care Unit and Cardiovascular ICU. She says one of the things she loves about Cook Children’s that she couldn’t do in the adult world of nursing “is be silly and play.”

“I have found such a deep joy working with these children and babies. The needs of kids, the things that make them feel better, are usually so simple,” Cox said. “If a little spontaneous singing and making silly faces with my colleagues makes a child in the CVICU smile and feel better, I will do it all day long. I happened to be across the hall that day with my own patient, and heard this poor darling across crying her eyes out during the echo, and I really just wanted to come ‘play’ with my colleagues. They were trying everything to make her feel better.”

But come on - how many nursery rhymes do you know off the top of your head? “We even ‘performed’ a sing-song version of the theme-song rap from The Fresh Prince of Bel Air,” Cox said. The three of us and the patient’s mom are about the same age and grew up watching that show. I mean, who gets to do THAT at work?! I love this place.”

The singing also helped ease Anne’s mind for a little while too. After all, so much had happened in such a short period of time.

“They sang so many nursery rhymes,” Anne said. “I felt like I stepped into an episode of Grey’s Anatomy. They sang for the entire echo. It was really neat.”

A month earlier, Charlotte was taken to see her pediatrician in Andrews, Texas. During her well-child visit, doctors found she had a heart murmur. About three weeks later, a specialist in Lubbock diagnosed Charlotte with a coarctation of the aorta. This means a narrowing of the aorta, requiring the heart to pump harder to allow blood through the narrow part of the aorta.

The family was immediately rushed to Cook Children’s and immediately the care began for Charlotte.

“The nurses met us as soon as we got there,” Anne said. “Everyone was so great. They helped us handle the situation a little more peacefully. Up until then, I had been so wide eyed about everything that happened. We talked to Dr. Lanier and all the nurses, I felt so confident in their work. They were so happy that we chose their hospital. Dr. Lanier thanked us so many times for letting him take care of our daughter. It made me feel good. Even through this horrible situation, it gave me peace.”

The next day, Vincent Tam, M.D., Cook Children's medical director of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Cook Children’s Heart Center, performed the surgery to fix the aorta. Anne said she and her husband, Albert, felt comforted during the surgery. Since the heart murmur was detected, the family's church had been praying for Charlotte and now they were praying for everyone taking care for the little girl.

“So many people, from all over the place, were praying for Charlotte,” Anne said. “But they were not only praying for us, but our doctors and the nurses too. Everything just went so smoothly. We were home in less than a week.”

Other than getting her high blood pressure under control, which was expected after her surgery, Charlotte is back to her normal self. She’s sitting up, playing and holding her own bottle.

And while Charlotte may not remember her time at Cook Children’s, it’s a moment the nurses will never forget.

“It was a special few minutes to be able to serve her and her family in that simple way,” Jones said. “I love that being a nurse sometimes means lots of time management and critical thinking, and sometimes means simply singing nursery rhymes over a scared baby girl.”

The school nurse has long offered an escape from the classroom… and as many Band-Aids as a kid could need. But the responsibilities of a school nurse stretch far beyond their tiny office walls. They are the keepers of care for hundreds, if not thousands, of students. Their duties range from administering CPR to managing insulin pumps and blood sugar levels. In between all of that, there is another heavy responsibility they are tasked with: recognizing and reporting suspected abuse and neglect.

“We want our nurses to have the updated knowledge, skills and resources they need to keep our kids safe and to do their job effectively,” said Cindy Parsons, Director of Health Services at Keller ISD. “The school nurse has an important role in education about child abuse. Teachers and other school staff members may not be as familiar with subtle signs of neglect, and the school nurse is often the person who helps to educate them.”

If you don’t know her name, you more than likely have seen her photo because she has blown up the Internet with a photo of her breastfeeding her own son and the son of a friend.

For some it’s a beautiful expression of what’s perfectly natural. For others, it’s caused a range of emotion from “yuck” to outrage.

And for our lactation experts at Cook Children’s, well, they look at it as an opportunity to educate the public.

The lactation nurses at Cook Children’s have been busy working and had not seen the photo making the Internet rounds until called for this story. They realize that it makes many of us uncomfortable in the United States to see such a bold expression of a natural process. But they say it’s a common practice in many other countries around the world and accepted and sometimes expected culturally.

From a medical aspect, the lactation experts say milk sharing is becoming a more common practice but not without risks. There are numerous transmittable diseases that can be passed on through a mother's milk as well as many medications that will be passed on through milk too. As milk sharing is becoming more common there are even websites out there where people can share breastmilk with one another. Again, caution must be used when sharing breast milk.

To be perfectly safe, for those babies that have a medical need and prescription for breastmilk, they recommend a place like Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas, which allows moms to donate breastmilk. The mothers go through a screening process and is then the milk is pasteurized to make sure there’s no harmful bacteria.

The consultants hope that people don’t focus on the photo as much as they do the benefits of breastfeeding.

And for those of you wondering, “Aren’t those kids a little old to be breastfeeding?” Come on. We know a lot of you are. The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding babies until at least 2 years of age.

The lactation nurses aren’t willing to weigh in as far as the emotional aspect of the picture or how it impacts them developmentally. Breastfeeding in a personal choice and one that we hope every mother will attempt. How long to feed your baby is personal and will be very different for each mother. At the end of the day, breastfeeding is supported by the World Health Organization, Center for Disease Control, the American Academy of Pediatrics just to name a few.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a baby’s life, “followed by breastfeeding in combination with the introduction of complimentary foods until at least 12 months of age, and continuation of breastfeeding for as long as mutually desired by mother and baby.”

About the source

Because research shows that breast feeding helps improve babies' health and helps moms bond with their little ones, Cook Children's has full-time lactation specialists on staff to assist mothers with pumping and breastfeeding. We offer breast pumps in every room and have an on-site milk bank available for safety and storage. There are numerous resources available through lactation services for moms that are having difficulty with nursing/pumping. While other nurses are focusing on the baby's care, the lactation consultant can provide extra attention to mom.

Clark couldn’t resist. Just like all the times she’s spent playing with some of the long-term ventilated patient population, actually getting on the floor mats along with the children. She says this helps keep her grounded in Cook Children’s nursing philosophy of caring.

It’s that attitude that helps someone like Clark stand out and be named as one of the 2015 DFW Great 100 Nurses, sponsored by DFW Great 100 Nurses Inc.

Clark was one of four Cook Children’s nurses named to the DFW Great 100, along with Melissa Irving, Bernadette Kelly and Elizabeth Leper.

The nurses were chosen based on the following categories - role model, leadership qualities, service to the community, compassionate caregiver and significant contributions.

Here’s a glimpse of the nomination letters sent on behalf of the recipients:

Melissa Irving, Teddy Bear Transport, Neonatal Transport Nurse

Melissa has been a member of the Teddy Bear Transport team since1985. Melissa was one of the first team members; she set the standard for the qualities that we look for in our nurses today: compassion, leadership, critical thinking, and stewardship. Being a transport nurse is not exactly the same as being a bed side nurse. You play many different roles, as the team is comprised of a nurse, RT and a paramedic. You have to be able to assess and relay the information to the accepting physicians without hesitation. Melissa is an excellent teacher and often provides her expertise to the referring staff to help with the care they provide prior to our arrival …

Melissa leaves a lasting impression on her patients. She becomes that beacon of hope for those she cares for; it could be the gentle voice or the assuring touch and the ever-present smile. She has consistently received cards and emails from the families that she has cared for over the past 30 years; she just connects with people …

Melissa is such a compassionate caregiver; she has an amazing affinity to calm those around her. She cares for the entire team, the referring staff as well as her patients. She treats every child as if they were her very own; it is her calling to provide the best care.

Bernadette Kelly, Cardiac Intensive Care Unit Nurse Manager

Recently the CICU cared for a patient (baby) whose mother never left the bedside. The patient was constantly fussy and crying secondary to his diagnosis. This family had been on the unit for a few weeks and was noted to have no additional family support and difficulty communicating with staff as English was their second spoken language.

(Kelly) was a resource nurse that day and did not have a patient assignment. She noticed the mom looked exhausted and took this as a time to discuss self-care. It was around 4 p.m. when she asked the mother if she had eaten. She said, “No, I can’t leave because he will cry if I put him down.”

(Kelly) knew due to his defect he could not cry for long periods without having status changes. This nominee volunteered to take the baby and he immediately went to sleep with her rocking him. Once his mother noticed her compassion toward her ill infant she left to go eat. When she came back, (Kelly) encouraged her to lie down and that she would still be available to hold him. Caregiver fatigue is often seen in parents that care for ill children. (Kelly) provided education to a mother with minimal family support about the importance of her eating and resting while her son was in the ICU. This young mother was so grateful for the time this nominee spent holding her baby so she could take care of herself. (Kelly’s) compassion for pediatric cardiac patients has been at the forefront of her career and secondary to her skill set, compassion and empathy, she was the PICU Employee of the Year in 2012.

Elizabeth Leeper, Perioperative Services Nurse Manager

(Leeper) is a compassionate caregiver to patients, families and staff. This nurse follows our philosophy of being a patient advocate and promoting a culture of serving others with respect for individuality and diversity. I have seen her make allowances for special needs patients collaborating with anesthesia and nurses.

For example, we have older autistic children that have extreme separation anxiety making it difficult for a nurse to push them back on a hospital bed to surgery. This nurse will step up and make special provisions for a parent to go back to the OR with the patient until they are asleep. This consideration promotes the organizations promise of a save environment for our patients and families. This candidate is very caring to staff in times of family emergencies, personal problems and need for time away from work.

Her kindness and concern for her staff make you feel you are a family member of hers. I have seen her cry and comfort her colleagues during times of lost loved ones, sick or injured children or spouse or simply having a bad day. I was stuck in Houston when my loved one was having surgery and we had to stay longer due to complications. Not only did she empathize and console me but helped me cover my shifts so I could stay and look after my loved one and not worry about my job.

Teresa Clark, Chief Nursing Officer

This nurse has been a role model for those around her for three decades. At our institution alone, she has practiced and offered sound leadership for over 25 years. She has both an advanced certification and a master’s degree. From my own conversations with this nurse, I know that she has always felt called to our profession … this calling is not something you can teach ...

While this candidate has a long history in nursing and one that illustrates her wonderful work, this past year’s contributions are remarkable. She was promoted to CNO following the retirement of a long tenured CNO. She demonstrated her strength as she held together a large nursing staff – encouraging teamwork, professionalism and collaboration during this change in leadership. She led efforts to finalize and implement a new professional development program, restructured our nursing org chart and updated our nursing practice model and nursing strategic plan. She has accomplished all of this while enrolled in her DNP program and battling metastatic breast cancer.

Still, I think her most significant contribution is her caring … which is really the defining characteristic of our profession. She cares about the children in our community, the staff she leads, the organization she works for and the profession she was called to serve.

This Great 100 nominee displays such dedication to our profession of healing hands and caring hearts that inspires me even today.