The Texas Department of State Health Services has not reported an outbreak.  

Cook Children’s pediatricians Devona Martin, M.D., and Jenica Rose-Stine, D.O., say they have seen a surge in cases at their primary care clinic in Willow Park, Texas.  

“Over the past few months, we have noticed a big increase in the number of cases of salmonella,” Dr. Martin said. “This usually presents as diarrhea that has blood or mucus and fever. Each case is reported to the Health Department to try to track down a cause, but a common source has not been identified.”  

Since July, the Emergency Department at Cook Children’s Medical Center – Fort Worth has also reported increased numbers of patients with salmonella.  

“In the ED, we usually see less than 20 patients per month with a diarrheal illness caused by salmonella,” said Stephanie Felton, D.O., associate medical director of the Cook Children’s Emergency Department. “In the month of July, we had 43 positive cases. We had 59 in August, 71 in September, and 74 in October.”  

Last week at Cook Children’s, 11 out of 229 patients tested for Salmonella were positive, resulting in a 5% positivity rate.  

Dr. Felton, Dr. Martin, and Dr. Rose-Stine provide answers to commonly asked questions about Salmonella.  

What is salmonella?  

Salmonella is a bacteria that can cause gastrointestinal illness and fever called salmonellosis. It is one of the most common causes of foodborne illness in the United States.  

What is the difference between salmonella and E. coli?  

Although salmonella and E. coli cause similar illnesses, they are different kinds of bacteria. E. coli more commonly produces a toxin that can lead to kidney damage, a condition called hemolytic uremic syndrome. This isn’t seen as often with salmonella.  

What are the symptoms of a salmonella infection?  

Symptoms of salmonellosis are diarrhea with blood and/or mucus, vomiting, abdominal cramps, and fever. 

How do children contract salmonellosis?  

Salmonella infection can be contracted by consuming contaminated food products, including poultry, eggs, produce, infant formula, and water. It can also be spread through contact with infected animals, like reptiles and birds, or other people who are infected if strict hand hygiene isn’t followed.  

Is salmonella contagious?  

Yes, salmonella is contagious and can be spread by person-to-person contact or by touching contaminated surfaces. The incubation period usually is between eight and 72 hours following exposure. You may be asymptomatic during this time.  

Salmonella is not as contagious as the viral stomach bugs we often see.  

How can parents and caregivers prevent infection?  

We can prevent infection with proper hand washing, especially before eating and after touching animals. Make sure that your counter spaces and sinks are clear of any bottles, sippy cups, or dishware before washing any fruits or vegetables. Cook and prepare all poultry and meat products appropriately. 

Only use FDA-approved formulas for your infants. Thoroughly clean all bottles, pacifiers, and toys before handing them to your children.  

How are salmonella infections treated?  

Treatment primarily involves rehydration and rest. Infants less than three months old or children with moderate to severe illness may receive antibiotics. These infections usually clear on their own.  

What should parents do if they think their child has a salmonella infection?  

If you are worried about your child having salmonella, please contact your primary care physician. He or she can run stool studies to confirm the diagnosis.  

Unless your child has blood, mucus, or fever with their diarrheal illness, it’s likely a stomach virus and not salmonella. Keep your child at home and make sure they hydrate!  

If your child is acutely ill or if you are concerned about dehydration or prolonged fevers (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit for five days or greater) please bring your child to the Emergency Department for an evaluation.  

She gives tips to parents about the importance of checking the volume of their child’s headphones and earbuds. The question for the column: My child wears headphones for school and on long car rides. Can this hurt their hearing? The answer, yes.

We live in a world where children love to watch movies or play games on their electronic devices, but Vaughan warns that prolonged headphone use can be risky.

“What is ‘too loud’ can vary based on a child’s ear size, type of headphones, and length of listening time,” Vaughan said.

With children having control of how loud or soft the volume is in their ear, she says listening at too high a volume can cause permanent hearing damage.

Vaughan explains if you can hear what your child is listening to, the volume is too loud and urges parents to use headphones with volume limits.

In the column, she also teaches parents that headphones are always a better route to go than earbuds, and often the volume has to be louder in earbuds to compensate for the way they fit in a child’s ear.

Lastly, she gives guidance that best practice may be for your child to go without headphones, but to also remember that external speakers can also be a hazard if your child is too close or the volume is too loud.

"I honestly had never thought about it before because there are so few of us, that’s always been my reality," Bowen-Jallow told "Good Morning America." "You’re just used to that."

Dr. Bowen-Jallow attained her undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University and earned a medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch.

"I wanted to be a cardiothoracic surgeon and then I desired to be a neurosurgeon," Dr. Bowen-Jallow remembered. "Right before I decided to go into pediatric surgery, I wanted to be a plastic surgeon."

She said becoming a pediatric surgeon was an accident, but it was the best accident that could've happened. She also believes it was worth enduring all 17 years of higher education.

"I'd committed to doing plastic surgery and was lining up interviews," she said. "As I signed up for my acting internship (AI), I wanted to do general surgery and was informed there were no more spots available. My only option was pediatric surgery, and within three days I'd changed my career path. I knew pediatric surgery was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life."

"Working with children is instant gratification," Dr. Bowen-Jallow explained. "If you perform a good operation, perfect your technique and pay attention to detail. Children will recover well."

Kevin Greene, assistant vice president of Cook Children’s - Prosper, recruited Dr. Bowen-Jallow.

"She’s a great surgeon, she comes from great training and she’s really been able to inspire and connect with families," he told GMA. "She's someone who personally wants to provide the best care for every child that steps foot on our campus."

Read the full story here.

“I make sure my patients are served breakfast, lunch, and dinner. When they get their trays, I love to see that smile so that’s what I’m there for,” Sandra told the show’s producers for a taped segment that aired during the episode.

Sandra is the lead ambassador in Food and Nutrition Services and logs 30,000 steps a day delivering meals throughout the medical center.

Live on the show, Tamron asked Sandra why she does what she does, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s just natural. I just love to do it. And joy is always in my heart, so I just love it,” Sandra said with a big smile.

Corey was also featured in a segment on the show. He said he finds joy in uplifting Cook Children’s patients and families and shared the story of a little boy who was unable to walk.

“I walked past him one time, and said ‘Hey buddy, how are you doing?’ and he smiled with a big smile and he showed me his muscles, and I said ‘I’m going to show you my muscles,’ and I showed him my muscles and said ‘You stay strong and you keep on getting strong,” Corey explained. “This kid wound up walking three months later in this hospital. That’s what drives me to keep on coming to work.”

All four Cook Children’s employees were part of the virtual audience received gifts from the show as appreciation for their commitment to serving throughout the pandemic.

Click here to see full story on cbsdfw.com.

He was just days away from his second birthday in August 2016 when his mom, Arielle, noticed something was wrong with his arm.

"I thought it was broken. We took him to the emergency room and I thought he was just going to need a cast and we would go home," said Arielle.

Instead, Arielle and her husband learned that Adam had neuroblastoma. The cancer was eating up the bone in his arm and had spread throughout his little body.

"The whole scan looked like someone took a highlighter to it, that's how much cancer there was," she said.

In the months that followed, Adam went through seven rounds of chemotherapy, 12 rounds of radiation, two bone marrow transplants and a surgery to remove a tumor that had developed near his left kidney.

Today, Adam has no evidence of cancer in his body. He's in his last phase of treatment and if all goes well, he could officially be deemed cancer-free by February.

"It's scary because he carries a gene that makes it possible for the cancer to come back anytime, but we try not to think about that," said Arielle.

Helping to ease that worry is a new member of the family. Arielle gave birth to a little girl earlier this month, making Adam a big brother for the first time.

"Her name is Maddison Paige," said Arielle. "She has made everything better and we are so happy she is finally here."

About #erasekidcancer

Each September, Cook Children's shares stories and raises funds in honor Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. The money raised for #erasekidcancer supports life-saving research, treatments, technology and programs for patients and families at Cook Children's in Fort Worth, Texas. Please help us create hope for kids, families and caregivers who are fighting every day to #erasekidcancer.

In August of 2013, Joshlynn was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, an aggressive bone cancer, occurring mainly in childhood and adolescence. Suddenly the 19-year-old single mom faced a whole new set of challenges.

“I was afraid my life was over,” she said. “I was afraid of what would happen to my daughter if I wasn't there. My little girl is my life. I thought, ‘Why me?’ Everything you could possibly think of went through my head. I had no idea how bad or what it was until we did tests and scans. I learned no matter what to be positive and you will make it.”

Joshlynn knew she wouldn’t go through her journey alone. In her home of Mineral Wells, Texas, she has her parents and four siblings. Although, they’ve been there for her, Joshlynn said her diagnosis placed a strain on everyone.

“At first it was really hard for everyone to accept that I had cancer,” she said “Everyone was afraid to talk about it or even ask questions because they didn't know how I would feel about it. But for me, talking about it helps me. And now my family, my closest friends and I are closer than ever and they really support me.”

While family and friends supported her, only those with similar experiences could truly understand Joshlynn. She struggled with the news of the cancer and mainly the impact it would have on her little girl.

“Being away from my daughter so much for treatment has been the toughest part,” she said. “Zoey is still young so she doesn’t quite understand why I'm gone all the time and it really hurts me. It’s hard when I’m home too because I’m sick and not able to do things by myself like I use to.”

Joshlynn found not only treatment for her cancer, but support from peers at Cook Children’s. She describes her physician, Karen Albritton, M.D., as “absolutely amazing.” Dr. Albritton is the medical director of the Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Program in the Hematology and Oncology Center at Cook Children’s.

“Dr. Albritton truly cares and understands all her patients,” Joshlynn said. “Cook Children’s is an amazing place. They gave me strength and courage to beat this. Everyone in the AYA program has helped me out so much. They have changed my life. It's really amazing to have people that know what you’re going through and understand you, when sometimes your family can't.”

For now, there’s one family member that doesn’t understand everything that Joshlynn’s going through and that’s just fine with her. Zoey will someday understand how her mommy battled cancer.

“It's really hard at times. Having cancer and doing treatments and being gone so much never gets easier,” Joshlynn said. “My daughter makes me want to fight and beat this even more. You have to keep a positive attitude, and know that no matter what, just believe in yourself.”

After all, that’s the attitude that makes fighters great.

Well, I was that parent too. And then one day everything changed in the blink of an eye. 

It takes a while to come to terms with the fact when “that would be so terrible” turns into “I can’t believe this happened to me.” Shock and disbelief take a long time to get over. 

On August 6th, 2012, we lost our 4-year old son Xander to drowning. The day our lives changed tragically forever, we were now that family. On a summer day playing with my three children and our friends in the pool, two short minutes changed everything.

The kids and I had met my friend and her three children for an afternoon at the community pool in her neighborhood. We all swam numerous times a week and were in the water all the time.

Immediately I was confused by the layout of this pool and the sight obstructions from many angles. I said to my friend, we would just have to watch them closely in this odd pool configuration. We began our day of swimming after a quick lunch. My two older girls could swim proficiently and we were still working on Xander jumping in and getting his face wet. He didn’t love water on his face but we were making strides. 

All day my son was attached at the hip to my girlfriend’s daughter, who was 3, they were inseparable; he was very smitten that day. Always a very loving boy, compassionate and wanted to take care of everyone.

After following Xander with his friend on his hip around the bend of the shallow lazy river, my middle daughter asked me to help her get watermelon out of the cooler, so I asked my girlfriend to watch the little ones. Her son called her a couple feet away and when she turned back around, the little ones had stepped too far where the slope starts to get deeper. 

I’m sure Xander panicked when the water touched his face and couldn’t turn around. When my friend turned around his face was under and he was holding his little friend up above the water, which pushed him down. It all happened in less than 2 minutes. 

They were pulled out immediately but he had slipped unconscious. We were amazed that there was a nurse at the pool that day with her children who began CPR right away. Unfortunately, it took too long to get a heartbeat, his tummy was full of lunch. Paramedics finally got a heartbeat after what proved to be too long. We were immediately flown by CareFlight to Cook Children’s in Ftort Worth, Texas where we could not have asked for better care. They did everything they possibly could and took amazing care of our son in his last days. 

In the grief and suffering and disbelief of losing our third-born child, baby and only boy, our hearts and minds have been so expanded by the knowledge and love of the amazing nurses and doctors at Cooks Children’s. The support system they have is amazing.  When they told us he would never wake we immediately agreed for our son to be an organ and tissue donor, we are proud that he went on to save so many lives. And we are grateful for the love and support we received from Cook Children’s and LifeGift donation care at an unimaginable time of our lives. 

Do not buy the misconception from the movies of drowning. There is no splashing or screaming. It is silent and it happens FAST. My mission as his mother now is to carry on what I’ve learned in his name and work for safety and knowledge for parents and children.

It can be a pool, bathtub, toilet, sink or even a pail of water. I am now a fierce advocate with Cook Children’s and the Fort Worth Drowning Prevention Coalition to spread the word of the importance of water safety. I will honor my son until the day I die and I hope I’m teaching my girls to do the same. Even two seconds is too long to turn your back on a child in the water.

Unfortunately, I learned the hard way but I hope our story helps even one family be more aware. I would give anything in this world to kiss and hug my baby boy again. I pray no one ever has to feel what we have.  Please be aware and cherish every single moment you have with your children.

In February 2014, five girls were in a horrific car wreck near the baseball fields in their hometown Muenster, TX – Abby Pagel was one of them. By the time her parents arrived at the scene, first responders were surrounding the wreck and Abby’s mother, Laura, was searching for her 17-year-old daughter.

“Abby was face down on the other side of the 12-foot fence,” said Laura, “The car was on one side and Abby was on the other. It was a miracle that any of these girls survived; I know they each had angels watching over them that night.”

After being transferred by Careflight to a hospital in Plano, Abby spent 12 days in the ICU with numerous broken bones, a small brain bleed, and was in a coma. She was then moved to an acute care center in Corinth and started to wake up, moving her legs and arms constantly.

Especially being from a small Texas town, the support Abby received from family and friends was immense. The first words Abby said were the names of the other four girls in the car wreck that day. She was more concerned if they were ok than the fact that she was in a hospital. Abby spent 13 days in the Corinth facility until the day she was moved to Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth.

Laura said, “Abby was in need of rehab and had the option of going to a couple different places. As soon as we saw Cook Children’s, we decided this is where we would be moving Abby to.” Within one day, Abby was being transferred to Cook Children’s.

“We arrived at Cook Children’s and were put in a private room. I had been sleeping on a cot in the other facilities, but there was a couch in Abby’s room. That night I slept on the couch and for the first time I didn’t get up in the middle of the night. The nurses took such great care of Abby,” said Laura.

As a senior in high school, Abby‘s biggest concern was that she would miss her senior class photo with the rest of the graduates in her cap and gown. “Her class said if she can’t come to us, then they are coming to Cook Children’s.” Laura told us, “Abby was able to leave the hospital to go to her senior class photo and it was the first time for many of the kids in her graduating class to see her since the accident.”

The Pagel’s spent 57 days at Cook Children’s before Abby was able to return home. While Abby is still going through physical therapy and recovering from the accident, she has made immense progress in the past few months. Abby returned home in time for her high school graduation. Abby walked across the stage and received a standing ovation as she accepted her diploma.

"To hear that Abby was able to walk across the stage for her graduation is a testament to what happens in the Neuro-rehab unit. At one point I wasn't sure if she would ever walk again,” said Fernando Acosta, Jr, M.D., Cook Children’s pediatric neurologist and Abby’s doctor. “The most important ingredient in her recovery is the incredible effort that Abby put in day after day, with her family's constant support. Their efforts are fortified and nurtured by the dedicated and highly trained and skilled multi-disciplinary staff that makes up the heart of the Neuro-rehab unit. I am thrilled to hear that she was able to walk across the stage and I am so proud of Abby and the rehab staff and all that they were able to accomplish, through their care, hard work, dedication and determination to a common goal."

Oosthuizen said he was closing the bathroom door Tuesday morning at the place his family is staying for this week's Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. Sophia was on the other side.

"Her finger was on the side of the hinges," Oosthuizen said. "It nearly cut off the finger completely."

Oosthuizen rushed his daughter to the emergency room at Cook Children's, which is located in Fort Worth and is the primary charity for the Crowne Plaza Invitational.

At the hospital, they met with Dr. Pamela Sherman, an orthopedic surgeon and hand specialist. She explained that it was important to repair the nail bed on Sophia's finger and give the new nail a chance to grow in order to save the finger. Dr. Sherman then performed the surgery.

"It was a scary moment," Oosthuizen said. "It was Sophia's first time under anesthesia. You never know what's going to happen.

"Dr. Sherman was great. ... She told us it's important to have the proper people doing it, and they have some of the best there."

Sophia will go to Cook Children's on Sunday for a check-up before the Oosthuizens return home.

Louis Oosthuizen is grateful for the attention his daughter received at Cook Children's.

"If I'm in doubt ever to have any surgery or something for my kids, I'll fly in to see them," Oosthuizen said. "The way they handled it, the way they spoke to us and treated the kids -- it was amazing to us.

"I didn't even know there were hospitals like that."

At age 14, Jack Simmons was excelling tremendously on the football field; however, a collarbone injury at spring football practice sent him to the hospital. A routine x-ray revealed something disconcerting and a biopsy was performed on the lower, right-side of his neck.  A lump, the size of an egg was discovered and Jack was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Thirteen years later, Jack is cancer free, but once again found himself consuming the sounds, sights, and people of Cook Children’s;  his experience with non-Hodgkin lymphoma prepared him for the initial trial he and his wife, Rebecca, would endure at the birth of their first child.

The angst and confusion that enveloped Jack as a boy is still engrained in his memory. “I was too young, naïve about the nature of cancer, and unaware of what was happening,” Jack said. “People kept telling me that I was ‘courageous,’ but I was just doing what I had to do.”

Cared for by Paul Bowman, M.D., pediatric hematologist/oncologist at Cook Children’s, whom Jack regards as, “the best doctor in the United States,” the Simmons family knew their son was in good and experienced hands. “Dr. Bowman was very humorous, caring, and optimistic, but he was also realistic about things and that is what I needed. I wanted a doctor to tell me the truth, but always look at the bright side,” Jack said.

Dr. Bowman chose an extremely aggressive protocol- 14 months of chemotherapy accompanied by lots of rest- no school, football, or time outdoors.  Over the course of that year, Jack spent about 70 days at Cook Children’s Medical Center and was in and out of doctor’s appointments.  “While on chemo, I felt terrible overall; I remember a lot of fatigue, stress, and pain, but I had tremendous support from my family, as well as the kind and knowledgeable staff at Cook Children’s who made having cancer easier,” Jack said.

Jack and Rebecca’s romance developed in quintessential fashion; they met at the wedding of mutual college friends, she initially ignored him, but by the end of the wedding they found themselves enjoying each other’s company, and the rest is history. Too cute, right? The love Jack and Rebecca share is unmistakable and sincere- the kind of love truly capable of moving mountains and overcoming all obstacles.

As Rebecca phrased it, her pregnancy was “normal, exciting, and perfect. I was never sick. I could be pregnant all of the time!” The day before the expected due date, concerns of high blood pressure emerged and the doctor wanted to induce Rebecca’s labor. Doctors struggled to find a heartbeat and Jackson Simmons was delivered with his arm against his neck and the umbilical cord wrapped around his head and neck. No crying was heard. The body of newborn, baby Jackson was limp.

Anxiety and terror overcame Jack and Rebecca as a nurse hit a large button on the wall of the delivery room. Sirens reverberated throughout the hallway and doctors rushed to the Simmons’ aid.

“After six or seven minutes, the doctors were able to get Jackson breathing, but warned of potential brain damage,” Rebecca said. “The team of doctors in the Baylor NICU made it very clear that Jackson needed to be transported to Cook Children’s as soon as possible.”

Within a few hours, the Cook Children’s Teddy Bear Transport Team had arrived. Before their departure, the Teddy Bear Transport Team took Jackson to Rebecca’s room so that she could see her son for the first time. “I knew we had a long road ahead of us, but being able to see Jackson was a very important and happy moment,” Rebecca said.

The first few days of Jackson’s life were extremely scary for Jack and Rebecca. Jackson was placed under a hypothermia (cooling) blanket to cool his core temperature and temporarily decrease oxygen consumption, to limit any brain damage which may have occurred.  Jackson experienced a few seizures and then his brain activity began to increase. By the third day, Jackson’s core body temperature began to rise.

“I would rather take a bullet for my son than see him suffer. During my time at Cook Children’s I developed a sincere appreciation for life and an understanding that the people here truly care and want to help kids get better,” Jack said.

Jackson remained at Cook Children’s for 12 days; he has appointments with his neurologist, Howard Kelfer, M.D., every six months and has begun to talk and make sounds like the other children his age. “When the time came to choose a pediatrician, Dr. Kelfer referred us to the pediatrician of his own children- that is all the assurance we needed.”

Rebecca and Jack call Jackson their “Miracle Man.” Seventeen months later, he is a jovial and spirited toddler with a contagious giggle and infectious warmth.  “Jackson is truly a miracle and we accredit it all to the incredible doctors and nurses at Cook Children’s.  This is a wonderful place, filled with great people who really do care. A year and a half later, Jackson’s nurses still remember him and will rush out to see him when we visit,” Rebecca said.

“Things come into our lives that are extremely difficult and if we let these things beat us, we are not doing what the Lord calls us to do,” Jack added.

Jackson and the entire Simmons family are filled with hope and life.  Jackson and Jack both overcame conditions on their lower, right necks to become shining examples of how to never take life for granted. Expecting another baby boy, the future is ripe with excitement.

But the scar remains after surgery to remove what his surgeon called the largest tumor he had ever seen for a child his age. It serves as a reminder of all that he’s been through at a young age and as an inspiration for what the future holds for the 16 year old from Keller.

As he entered elementary school, other kids began asking Gatlin about his scar that goes all the way to his upper back. For him, it’s never been something to be embarrassed about. Just the opposite.

“It means I’m different somehow,” Gatlin said. “It means I’m special that I survived something like that.”

The scar also makes Gatlin believe that God may have a bigger purpose for him. When you look at his story it’s easy to see why.

When he was 2 years old, Gatlin and his dad, David, went to see James Wheeler, M.D., a Cook Children’s pediatrician. Gatlin had the kind of cough where parents bring their child to see a doctor, but nothing to cause too much concern. Dr. Wheeler examined Gatlin, prescribed him some medication and sent the family on their way.

Call it doctor’s intuition, but Dr. Wheeler stopped the Engles before they could get out the door. He wanted to run an X-ray. That X-ray showed the tumor that would lead them to Cook Children’s.

“I remember Gatlin lying limply on his father’s shoulder,” Dr. Wheeler said. “Occasionally, he would let out a barky cough very reminiscent of the common illness known as croup.  His exam and history were otherwise unremarkable. I was about to let the father and son leave with a treatment plan for croup in place, when Gatlin’s poor energy level and lack of other cold symptoms made me want to get a chest X-ray. Nothing could have prepared me for the radiology report that detailed a huge mass filling almost half his chest.”

Gatlin’s mother, Kortnee, credits that early catch by Dr. Wheeler for saving her son’s life. “Thank God for Dr. Wheeler,” she said.

“I always tell my patients that the joy of my job is that, as a general rule, kids are healthy or get better, with me providing the occasional medicine or simple reassurance for anxious parents, but I have to always be on the lookout for the exceptions to this,” Dr. Wheeler said. “I am so thankful for Gatlin’s miraculous story and the small part I got to play in it.”

A nearly 10-hour surgery at Cook Children’s surgeon removed the massive tumor that spread throughout Gatlin’s abdomen and chest, followed by 4 months of chemotherapy treatment at Cook Children’s. Even 14 years later, it’s hard for Kortnee to recall that scary time.

“Just thinking about it, it brings it all right back to me,” Kortnee said. “The treatment. Gatlin losing weight. How lethargic he was. I remember giving him a bath and his hair falling right into my hand because of the chemo. That’s when it really began to sink in for me. I had to compose myself. My husband though, went right down and shaved his head so they could both have a ‘cool haircut.’ We never told Gatlin he was sick. We didn’t want him to have the mentality that he was sick or different, or that anything was wrong. But the fear never really goes away.”

The fears have been somewhat lightened by what are now annual trips to W. Paul Bowman, M.D., senior hematologist and oncologist at Cook Children’s. Gatlin said Dr. Bowman has helped him in many ways on his way to recovery and supported him as long as he can remember. Much like Dr. Wheeler, Kortnee Engles looks at Dr. Bowman as a “godsend. “I didn’t know his reputation and how great he is. As a mom, I said put me with the best oncologist there is. I’m so thankful we found Dr. Bowman. We go back to Cook Children’s once a year. I always say, “I can’t talk to anyone else, but Dr. Bowman. He calls me afterward and tells me everything’s OK.”

“Gatlin’s story emphasizes the care of children with cancer is a long-term commitment,” Dr. Bowman said. “You go through several phases with a child who has cancer. First, is the shock of the diagnosis. Then you seek the appropriate treatment and the necessary resources, to bring your child to the other side and hopefully, recovery. But even if it is a success and you are free of the disease, it’s not over. The child has gone through surgery and chemotherapy. He has battle scars. We have to attend to those. We can’t pat ourselves on the back, our treatment is not over. It’s a thrill for me to be able to see these kids, like Gatlin, over the long haul and reach their full potential.”

Kortnee’s faith in her physicians at Cook Children’s has paid off and it is helped give the family a positive attitude that carries through to this day. But Dr. Bowman returns the credit to Gatlin’s family for helping him be the boy he is today.

“Gatlin has a huge scar and there were some concerns early on in childhood,” Dr. Bowman said. “Dr. Miller cut through his ribs and there was concern about disfigurement and body image. This was Gatlin’s new normal. But it wouldn’t impede his activities and it was nothing to be ashamed of. We not only had to monitor his basis organ functions, but his school performance and his psychological adaption. But in the end, this didn’t stop Gatlin from being a happy and productive citizen. His family addressed this from the beginning and Gatlin has done extremely well. It’s a credit to what a cohesive and loving family unit Gatlin has grown up in. Gatlin is proof, there are no excuses because of cancer. He still stands tall on his own as a cancer survivor and is a normal person.”

Because of the size of the tumor, the surgery involved removing parts of the upper abdomen and lower chest. The concern was the surgery might impact the expansion of Gatlin’s lungs and might impair him from competing in sports where he would have to assert a lot of injury. That’s certainly not been the case.

Even after he was told he would never be able to play sports again, Gatlin competed in basketball at around 6 years old and continued to do so until his freshman year. Shortly after ending basketball, Gatlin shifted his focus to the wrestling team at Timber Creek High School. He wrestled varsity last year as a sophomore and has excelled in martial arts. He will have his blue belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and won the state championship in the 165-pound weight class for his Peak Performance team.

Gatlin believes that wrestling and martial artists play to his strengths. And although he’s too modest to put it quite like this – he’s smart. He wants to be a lawyer when he grows up, with an emphasis on business law. He enjoys public speaking because as he jokingly puts it, “I like to argue.” He is a member of the Honor Society and Future Business Leaders of America. He won regionals for public speaking and competed at the state level.

“I’m extremely grateful. I don’t want to be held back,” Gatlin said. “Really, everything I’ve gone through  pushed me to be a better person and not hold me back.”

“I don’t remember it,” she says.

Maybe, if she could hear the beginning of the song that would help her. Quickly, the video for the song is pulled up on YouTube.

Quietly and shyly, a lovely singing voice begins almost with a whisper. She chooses a song that’s surprisingly fitting, not because she identifies with the breakup of a young couple. But because of the true heartbreak that has been weaved in and out of Carson’s young life.

“I’m so glad you made time to see me.How’s life? Tell me how’s your family?I haven’t seen them in a while.You’ve been good, busier than ever,We small talk, work and the weather,Your guard is up and I know why.Because the last time you saw meIs still burned in the back of your mind.You gave me roses and I left them there to die.”

Carson wears a “Red” rubber bracelet on her wrist. She looks forward to leaving Cook Children’s soon so she can show her classmates what’s been given to her special from one the biggest pop stars in the world, along with an autographed picture, guitar picks, stickers and a T-shirt she wears quite often to school. Her grandparents say the is the envy of everyone at South Grand Prairie High School 9th Grade Center.

For a child who has one of the most unique diseases in the world and has lost both her parents to cancer, Carson’s love for Taylor Swift is refreshingly common.

What’s not so common is why Carson is receiving this care package. Carson has a disease that less than a 1,000 people in the world have been affected by, calledAlström syndrome. Carson had thought about meeting Taylor as part of the Make-A-Wish program, but was a little shy to meet her musical hero.

A counselor at Camp Reynal, a summer camp for children with kidney disease, knew about Carson’s love for Swift and managed to contact someone on her team.

“Carson has been a blast to work with,”  said Robert Gillespie, M.D., MPH, a nephrologist  at Cook Children’s. “ One of my favorite memories of camp is Carson portraying Taylor Swift in the camp movie.  She has had so many difficulties but she is very determined and she just keeps on going!”

On a recent visit to Dr. Gillepsie, Cook Children’s staff presented Carson with the care package.

It was a happy day for a young girl that has seen her fair share of tragedy lately.

Carson was born blind. Her family thought that was her only issue until she started school. A hearing test was performed on her when she was 5 years old and it was discovered Carson had a hearing problem. It was unusual though because her hearing loss was atypical. It was more mid-range frequencies, which are the voice frequencies. So Carson did not seem to have trouble hearing from far away, but she had issues close-up.

“We couldn’t believe that because she could hear us whisper across the room,” Jim Ziegler, Carson’s grandfather said.

In the sixth grade, Carson’s blood sugar would peak at a high level and her stomach hurt.

Once, Carson’s blood sugar was so high she was rushed to Cook Children’s Emergency Department. They found she had Type 2 diabetes. As tests continued, other issues were discovered – low kidney function, heart issues, liver problems and scoliosis.

Dr. Gillespie researched Carson’s problems and discovered she was battling an extremely rare genetic disorder, known as Alström syndrome. 

“It usually goes undiagnosed most of the time because you treat the first symptom you see,” Ziegler said. “We were really lucky that Dr. G diagnosed it that early, even though her kidneys were pretty much gone at that point.”

“Carson has been a blast to work with,” Dr. Gillespie said. “ One of my favorite memories of camp is Carson portraying Taylor Swift in the camp movie.  She has had so many difficulties but she is very determined and she just keeps on going!”

Physicians at Cook Children’s managed Carson’s medications and insulin. She had no serious heart issues and fortunately that continues to this day. Her kidneys were another issue. She needed a transplant.

While the family dealt with a disorder that very few people in the world have even heard of, they were soon stricken by a much more common, yet tragic, disease. In the course of 15 months, Carson lost both of her parents, Chris and Trisha Snow, to cancer. They were childhood sweethearts, athletic and seemingly in perfectly good health. Then, in an incredibly short time period, they died. Chris was 39 and Trisha, 41.

With her father now deceased and her mother barely clinging to life, Jim and his wife, Darla, were embracing more and more responsibility. They were dealing with the death of their son-in-law, the impending loss of their daughter and were now the primary caregivers of their three grandchildren - Carson, Savannah and Ryder Snow

Even prior to Trisha and Chris getting ill, Darla Ziegler had volunteered to be the kidney donor. Trisha said no and that she wanted to be tested first. But once the parents were battling cancer, Darla readily stepped in to donate.

The family’s pastor was with most of the family members at Cook Children’s and Trisha, who at this point was in the hospital in Arlingon, was given constant updates by her younger brother, Bryan, and his wife, Crystal, who were relaying phone updates the day of the transplant. The transplant worked beautifully. Carson’s numbers have been great. Soon after, Trisha died, knowing that now all three of her children were taken care of and doing well.

Darla says the day of the transplant is one she will never forget. After all, it occurred on Dec. 5, which happened to be the birthday of Savannah, Carson’s older sister. It’s also the month that Taylor Swift sings about in Carson’s favorite song.

“But this is me swallowing my prideStanding in front of you saying, I’m sorry for that night.’And I go back to December…It turns out freedom ain’t nothing but missing you,Wishing I’d realized what I had when you were mine.”

Carson finishes singing and everyone in her room at Cook Children’s claps. She is there for a follow-up visit and things are going very well. But after the song has ended, there’s not a dry eye in the room. Mainly, it’s because of the incredibly sweet performance by Carson. But it’s also something more. It’s a sense of thanks. Thanks to the doctors at Cook Children’s for helping Carson, to the fact that they have survived a horrific couple of years and that arguably the biggest pop star in the world right now sent a care package that meant so much to a 15-year-old girl.

“I can’t imagine it,” Darla said. “I can’t believe just by someone making some phone calls or emails that somebody would be so sweet to somebody she doesn’t even know. It’s very rewarding for someone that young would care about a child that has special needs.”

 “I’d go back to December, turn around and make it all right.I’d go back to December, turn around and change my own mind I go back to December all the time.All the time.”