Navigating Cook Children’s Health Care System

Quick Facts:

• A Fully Integrated System: Cook Children’s Health Care System is a comprehensive, not-for-profit pediatric organization encompassing two full service hospitals, physician network, home health care, surgery centers, a health plan, and a dedicated health foundation.
• Cook Children's: Within our network, our two full-service pediatric hospitals are officially named and referred to as Medical Centers (located in Fort Worth and Prosper).
• Urgent Care: For non-emergency medical needs that still require prompt attention, the system also operates seven Urgent Care Centers across the region.

An unexpected visit to the doctor can be stressful, especially when traveling. Cook Children’s Health Care System ensures that families can access health care at any time through its seven Urgent Care Centers (UCCs), or its two 24-hour emergency departments. With help from the Cook Children’s Language Services Department, families can receive care in their native language. 

Know before you go 

Whether visiting the emergency room or urgent care clinic, being prepared will help ensure care is timely and the child is back in action as quickly as possible. 

To be able to treat a child, a parent or legal guardian must be present or provide permission for treatment. If a parent or legal guardian is unavailable, a written letter of permission or immediate phone access to obtain verbal consent from the parent or legal guardian is needed. 

The adult accompanying the child should bring:

• A form of identification.
• Traveler’s insurance information (if available).
• A list of the child's medication. 

When to use the Cook Children’s Emergency Department 

With full-service medical centers in both Fort Worth and Prosper, Cook Children’s provides emergency care for children across North Texas.  

“We are always happy and prepared to help,” said Julio Castillo, M.D., medical director of emergency services at Cook Children’s Medical Center – Prosper.  

Cook Children's cares for more than 300,000 children every year through urgent care and emergency room visits, providing care in more than 200 languages.  

“We have local Spanish translators and multilanguage computerized access,” explained Dr. Castillo. 

Caregivers should take their child to the Emergency Department if their child is unconscious, not responding, a bone is sticking out, or the situation seems critical. For immediate assistance, dial 911. When a condition is sudden, life-threatening, or risks causing permanent harm, transport by ambulance is safest for the child. 

Take the child to the emergency department if your child is experiencing:  

• Severe bleeding that does not stop after 15 minutes of direct pressure
• Severe allergic reactions
• Difficulty breathing
• Bluish tint to the lips
• Coughing up or vomiting blood
• Sudden severe joint pain with swelling
• Insect stings accompanied by breathing difficulties
• Accidental swallowing of medications, chemicals or other substances
• Not being able to move or speak
• Severe or persistent vomiting or diarrhea
• Gaping wound (edges won’t come together)
• Head injury with loss of consciousness, vomiting or causing dizziness/confusion
• Visible broken bones or dislocated joints
• Fever higher than 100.4 F in infants under 8 weeks old
• Diabetes/blood sugar issues 

Urgent Care 

“For simple fever, cough, and congestion, your child can be seen in urgent care or by their pediatrician,” said Taylor Louden, M.D., medical director of emergency services at Cook Children’s Medical Center- Fort Worth. 

When a child needs same-day medical attention for non-life-threatening illnesses or injuries such as X-rays or stitches,a Cook Children's urgent care clinic can provide the necessary care.

“Cook Children’s Urgent Care Centers are available to see patients needing routine or urgent care while visiting our city for the event,” said  Kara Starnes, D.O. medical director of Urgent Care at Cook Children’s. 

Not all urgent care centers are the same. Cook Children’s Urgent Care clinics are not just kid-friendly; they are kid-only. Because childhood injuries and illnesses require specialized pediatric expertise, families must make an appointment prior to ensure a smooth, efficient visit.

When to use Cook Children’s Urgent Care 

• Ear infections/pain
• Strep/sore throats
• Cold symptoms
• Flu
• Mild dehydration
• Respiratory illnesses – including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), bronchitis, bronchiolitis, pneumonia and asthma without severe breathing difficulty
• Sprains and possibly broken bones
• Minor cuts
• Prolonged vomiting
• Persistent diarrhea
• Infected bug bites
• Foreign body removal (marbles, beans and other interesting things)
• Urinary infection symptoms
• Pinworms, ringworm, rashes and pink eye
• Painful muscle strains
• Head injuries without loss of consciousness or vomiting 

Related Stories:  

• Cook Children’s Shares Expert Advice About Norovirus 

• Invisible Barriers in ADHD Detection for Children 

• How to Spot a Counterfeit Car Seat 

With the holidays in full swing, accidents and illness may happen at any time. It is always recommended that you try scheduling an appointment with your primary care doctor first. If that is not an option, Cook Children’s Health Care System ensures that our families can access health care at any time through a telehealth visit, an urgent care center, or an emergency department. To prepare for when you need care, know when to use Cook Children’s telemedicine, urgent care, and when to rush to the emergency department.

“For simple fever, cough, and congestion, your child can be seen in urgent care or by their pediatrician,” said Taylor Louden, M.D., medical director of emergency services at Cook Children’s Medical Center- Fort Worth. “Your wait times for simple illnesses will be much longer and visits much more expensive in the emergency department than if your child is seen in urgent care or by their pediatrician.”

He explains that doctors expect a fever to return after the Tylenol/Motrin wears off; however, for fevers lasting more than five days, or if a child appears ill, the emergency department is the appropriate place to be evaluated.  

Urgent Care

When your child needs urgent care for things like X-rays, stitches, and illnesses that are not life-threatening but need medical attention the same day, you'll find the medical care you need at a Cook Children's urgent care clinic.

Cook Children’s Urgent Care clinics are not just kid-friendly; they are kid-only.

When to use Cook Children’s Urgent Care

• Ear infections/pain
• Strep/sore throats
• Cold symptoms
• Flu
• Mild dehydration
• Respiratory illnesses – including respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), bronchitis, bronchiolitis, pneumonia and asthma without severe breathing difficulty
• Sprains and possibly broken bones
• Minor cuts
• Prolonged vomiting
• Persistent diarrhea
• Infected bug bites
• Foreign body removal (marbles, beans and other interesting things)
• Urinary infection symptoms
• Pinworms, ringworm, rashes and pink eye
• Painful muscle strains
• Head injuries without loss of consciousness or vomiting

Virtual Urgent Care

Cook Children's patients with a MyCookChildren's account can video chat with one of our medical experts for non-urgent medical conditions without visiting the doctor's office.

This service is for patients who have minor medical conditions, and not for emergencies.

• Animal and insect bites
• Burns or cuts
• Circumcision check
• Conjunctivitis (pink eye) without other symptoms
• Constipation advice
• Covid-19*
• Diaper rash
• Fever advice
• Flu-like symptoms*
• Ingrown toenail
• Lice
• Mouth ulcers, thrush
• Rashes or skin infections
• Sore throat/strep throat*
• Urinary tract infections*
• Vomiting/diarrhea
• Wound care advice

*Drive-through testing available at Cook Children's Urgent Care locations if medically necessary.

When to use the Cook Children’s Emergency Department

Cook Children’s Health Care System has two medical centers with an Emergency Department for our Fort Worth and Prosper little ones. Parents should take their child to the Emergency Department if their child is unconscious, not responding, a bone is sticking out, or the situation seems critical. Dial 911 immediately for an ambulance. When your child's condition is life-threatening or might cause permanent harm, it is safer for your child to be transported via ambulance.

• Severe bleeding that does not stop after 15 minutes of direct pressure
• Severe allergic reactions
• Difficulty breathing
• Coughing up or vomiting blood
• Sudden severe joint pain with swelling
• Insect stings accompanied by breathing difficulties
• Swallowing poison or choking
• Not being able to move or speak
• Severe or persistent vomiting or diarrhea
• Gaping wound (edges won’t come together)
• Head injury with loss of consciousness, vomiting or causing dizziness/confusion
• Visible broken bones or dislocated joints
• Fever in infants under 8 weeks old
• Diabetes/blood sugar issues

To get an excused absence due to illness, please:

1. Contact your school’s attendance office to communicate your child’s absence. 
2. Submit a parent note in writing within five school days of your child’s return to campus. The excuse note should include the following:

• Student Name
• Student ID Number
• A written statement giving the dates and reason for absence
• Parent/guardian signature
• Parent phone number

3. If your child is absent for multiple days, contact your school for the attendance petition process.

From Cook Children’s Medical Center: Symptoms to be aware of and action to take

Like many hospitals and children’s hospitals around the country, Cook Children's is experiencing a surge in patients diagnosed with RSV, flu and other respiratory illnesses. The increase impacts our ability to care for patients in a timely manner.

RSV is a common respiratory virus. Some children require hospitalization, but most do not.

It is NOT necessary for your child to take a strep throat, flu or RSV test before returning to school.

RSV and Other Illness Guidelines for Parents

Parents should NOT go to the Urgent Care or Emergency Department for only a flu or COVID test. See your pediatrician, who can test for flu, RSV, strep throat and COVID. Adults can also use at-home tests or tests at a pharmacy.

Call your pediatrician if:

• If your child is experiencing mild respiratory symptoms but is not having difficulty breathing and is well-hydrated.
• If you need to have your child tested for RSV, the flu or COVID-19.

Seek immediate medical care if:

• Persistent fever for more than two or three days. However, any temperature greater than 100.4 in an infant under two months of age is considered a medical emergency.
• You have concerns that your child is dehydrated.
• In dehydrated babies, parents will see fewer wet diapers or a lack of tears. Their flat spot on the head can also appear more sunken.
• Breathing faster than usual or can see the skin between the ribs being sucked in.
• If your child requires frequent use of their albuterol rescue inhaler or is having worsening asthma symptoms.

Prevention:

• Get the flu vaccine and stay up to date on the vaccine schedule from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
• Get the COVID vaccine and approved boosters.
• Teach your children to cough or sneeze into their elbow.
• Use hand sanitizer.
• If sick, wear a mask in public and stay home.

If your child attends a different district, please call your campus to find out what your absentee policy is.

RELATED

• RSV Decreases While Flu Continues to Increase at Cook Children's (checkupnewsroom.com)
• Prepare Now for Flu Season with Vaccine Protection
• Get Immunized for a Healthy School Year (checkupnewsroom.com)
• Does My Kid Have Allergies, COVID, a Cold or the Flu? (checkupnewsroom.com)

Since Aug. 30, our ED and UCC have hit record levels. In the last 24 hours, 580 patients were seen at the emergency department and 705 patients were seen at our Urgent Care Centers. This has resulted in extremely long wait times.

Many parents are bringing in children who have been exposed to COVID-19 but show mild to no symptoms. This is putting unnecessary strain on the health care system. It’s also important to note that an average of 5.5% of COVID-19 tests at Cook Children’s are coming back positive at this time.

Parents and caregivers, please call or visit your pediatrician first if your child is experiencing mild symptoms or a minor injury. View the chart below to see when you should bring your child to the ED or UCC.

As you can imagine, long wait times have led to frustration for those seeking care. Our exhausted staff has heard an abundance of complaints and mean comments that are discouraging when they are working so hard to serve our patients and families. Unfortunately, they are outmatched by the demand.  

Here’s what we know:

1. The vast majority of patients in our UCCs and ED have upper respiratory infections like colds.
2.  The vast majority of COVID-19 tests are coming back negative.
3.  All of our pediatrician offices offer COVID testing and it’s safe to wait for one to two days for COVID testing if you plan to keep your child at home.
4. If your pediatrician does not have available appointments for your child’s cold symptoms, there are at-home COVID-19 tests available in stores currently.
5. Minor concerns like sore throat, cough, low-grade fever, diarrhea and other stomach problems are issues your pediatrician can help with.
6. The ED should only be used for severe symptoms and injuries.
7. The UCC should be used for moderate symptoms and injuries.

Media partners: If you are interested in telling this story, please contact Public Relations Manager Kim Brown at Kim.Brown3@cookchildrens.org or at 682-885-1080, 817-266-3728

For information about some common questions we hear, take a look at these articles:

• My Child's Fever Isn't Going Away. Should I Be Worried? (checkupnewsroom.com)
• Fever, Headaches and Stomach Pain. When Should You Be Concerned? (checkupnewsroom.com)
• Does My Kid Have Allergies, COVID, a Cold or the Flu? (checkupnewsroom.com)
• 5 Reasons Why Your Child's Coughing Is A Good Thing (checkupnewsroom.com)
• Let's Learn About Fevers (checkupnewsroom.com)
• How Much Sickness Is Too Much? (checkupnewsroom.com)

On Monday, Nov. 18, our staff saw 567 patients in the emergency room, which is equivalent to a patient checking in every 2.5 minutes for 24 hours straight. That’s nearly double the number of patients we typically see in the ED.

What’s causing the high census rate?

Hospitals across Dallas/Fort Worth and the state are experiencing similar situations right now due to a variety of bugs making their way around the region. Respiratory illnesses like RSV and croup are being seen in high numbers. We’re also seeing the first wave of flu cases, along with a range of gastrointestinal illnesses.

What does this mean for you?

If you’re planning to come to Cook Children’s Emergency Department with non-emergent issues, be prepared to wait.

“If your child is experiencing cough, fever or vomiting, you should contact your primary care physician first to make sure the ED is the right place to take your child,” said Corwin Warmink, M.D., medical director of Cook Children’s Emergency Department. “Wait times are going to be much higher than normal, and patients may have to wait several hours to be seen if they are not suffering from a life-threatening emergency.”

If you are going to the ED, please limit the number of people you bring with you (if possible).

“The waiting room at the emergency department is so full that Cook Children’s staff have brought out folding chairs to accommodate as many people as possible,” said Dr. Warmink. “We are working as quickly as we can to get patients into rooms, while still providing quality medical care to each child. We know it’s frustrating for families to be stuck in the waiting room, but we ask for patience.”

Also, be aware that anyone who comes into the ED is at a high risk of being exposed to and contracting an illness. The following groups of people have the highest risk of infection:

• Pregnant women
• Infants and young children particularly under age 2
• People of any age with certain chronic health conditions (including asthma or lung disease, heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease or some neurological conditions).
• People with severely compromised immune systems.

What other options are there besides the Emergency Department?

Cook Children’s has a variety of options for care including primary care offices, neighborhood clinics and urgent care locations.

“If your child is over 3 months old and has a fever, even a high one, it’s OK to see your pediatrician as long as they are breathing comfortably and drinking well,” said Diane Arnaout, M.D., a pediatrician at Cook Children’s Forest Park. “If your child has mild wheezing, we can give breathing treatments in the primary care offices. If you’re not sure whether your child’s issue is an emergency, our nurses can talk to you over the phone about symptoms and help you decide between the ER, urgent care and a primary care visit.”

Cook Children’s has seven urgent care locations that provide services that are both convenient and comfortable for your child during the evenings and on the weekends, including two brand new locations in west Fort Worth and Prosper. Many of these locations are also experiencing a high number of patients, but not nearly as high as the emergency department.

If you’re not sure whether your child’s issue can be seen at an urgent care, click here to see a quick list of conditions and where to go for each.

What else should parents know?

The best way to keep yourself and your child out of the emergency room with seasonal illnesses is to wash your hands frequently. This means before, during and after preparing food, before eating, after using the restroom, after blowing your nose or sneezing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests scrubbing your hands for 20 seconds, or hum the ‘Happy Birthday’ song from beginning to end twice. This will greatly reduce your chance of getting sick and spreading bugs to others.

And if you haven’t already done so, get your flu shot! It’s not too late, in fact, flu season is just beginning to ramp up. An annual seasonal flu vaccine is the best way to protect against the flu and reduce the risk of hospitalizations and deaths.

Learn more:

• State Confirms Rio Grande Valley Site of First Pediatric Flu-Related Death, 74 Cases of Flu Last Week at Cook Children's
• Let's Learn About Fevers
• https://www.checkupnewsroom.com/lets-learn-about-fevers/
• ER or Urgent Care? How to Decide Where to Go When Your Child Needs Immediate Medical Attention

But choosing the best place to go for your child's care  can be a difficult one for some parents. After all, Cook Children's offers several options within its system, ranging from primary care, urgent care, the neighborhood clinics and the emergency department.

So how do you know where to go? To begin with, visit the handy infographic to the right or click here.

"Every patient who comes into our Emergency Department is important to us. However, some patients may be able to receive the care they need from their primary care physician, a neighborhood clinic or an urgent care center," said Corwin Warmink, M.D., medical director of Cook Children's Emergency Department. "The best thing a parent can do is know what constitutes an emergency, so they know where to go when that time comes."

When it comes to choosing where to go, Kara Starnes, D.O. medical director of Urgent Care at Cook Children's, advises parents to think about the severity of the issue.

For instance, your child's Cook Children's pediatrician can see a number of ailments, including allergies, the flu, migraines, pink eye, sprains and vomiting.

During times when your pediatrician's office is not available, the Urgent Care Centers at Cook Children's can handle the same ailments, along with most fractures (broken bones) and cuts. Fractures with severe deformities or open fractures should not come to the Urgent Care but instead should go to the Emergency Department (ED). The ED has more equipment to handle the most severe cases, and the child can be admitted quickly to the medical center for continuing care.

If your child has multiple injuries, neck injuries or head injuries with loss of consciousness and/or vomiting, they should go to the ER. These kids typically need the ER because the UCC is not as equipped in imaging and other sophisticated tests available at the medical center.

"Possible surgery, such as appendicitis, is tough for parents to determine because most of the time, abdominal pain is caused by something simple like constipation," Dr. Starnes said. "But severe abdominal pain, testicular pain or swelling, bleeding when vomiting or severe bleeding with bowel movements are reasons to go to the ER."

You should visit the ED with your child in case of a medical problem that could cause death or permanent injury if not treated right away.

Daniel Guzman, M.D., a Cook Children's Emergency Department physician, adds “when in doubt of the severity, always visit the higher level of care such as the Emergency Department” and if immediate attention is required call 911.

And of course, we are right in the middle of flu season. Last week (Jan. 5 to Jan. 11, 2020), 837 kids were tested for the flu. Of those kids, 141 tested positive for Influenza A, 187 for Influenza B and another 102 for RSV. 

For those kids, Cook Children’s has a variety of options for care including the primary care offices, neighborhood clinics and urgent care locations.

“If your child is over 3 months old and has a fever, even a high one, it’s OK to see your pediatrician as long as they are breathing comfortably and drinking well,” said Diane Arnaout, M.D., a pediatrician at Cook Children’s Forest Park. “If your child has mild wheezing, we can give breathing treatments in the primary care offices. If you’re not sure whether your child’s issue is an emergency, our nurses can talk to you over the phone about symptoms and help you decide between the ER, urgent care and a primary care visit.”

The Fort Worth Urgent Care Center staff is seeing volumes in the 300s on a regular basis. Mansfield and Alliance UCC locations are seeing in the hundreds with the Southlake location seeing 60 to 90 patients regularly. Each site is seeing an increased volume, which is typical for the flu season. 

With that many children visiting the Urgent Care Centers, not all children are tested for the flu during their time at the Urgent Care Center.

So why are some children tested and some not being tested? There are a variety of medically sound reasons:

Currently, there is a national shortage on flu tests and stock is on backorder. The flu testing stock at each clinic is all the staff has left at this time.

The staff follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations on testing and treatment of the flu which is the following:

Children less than 2 years of age, should be treated for influenza. Additionally, any child at high risk from complications from the flu should be treated. Children with any of the following medical conditions are at high risk of complications such as pneumonia, central nervous system complications, exacerbation of chronic pulmonary diseases, and carditis.

a. Asthma

b. Neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions

c. Chronic lung disease

d. Heart disease

e. Blood disorders

f. Endocrine disorders

g. Kidney disorders

h. Liver disorders

i. Metabolic disorders

j. Weakened immune system due to disease or medication

k. Children who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy

“We have a finite number of flu tests and a finite amount of Oseltamivir which is the drug of choice for flu treatment,” said Parul Martin, M.D., medical director of Urgent Care Services. “As a result, the provider will determine if your patient has the flu by clinical criteria alone such as history and exam more often than a flu test. Additionally, the flu test is not always accurate. For example, I have had patients have flu exposure and flu symptoms, and have a negative flu test.”

If your child is healthy without the above listed medical conditions, the flu is self-limiting and does not require treatment. Bring your child in if he or she is having breathing difficulty, is not eating and drinking and is not urinating normally, looks sick when they do not have a fever or their fever has lasted longer than three to five days.

The best treatment for a healthy child that has the flu is not prescription medicines, but rather good old fashion TLC: rest, fluids, over the counter cough and cold medicines and Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen for the body aches, sore throat and headaches. Over the counter cough and cold medicines are only recommended for children 6 years of age and over.

“There’s a myth out in the community that fever will cause brain damage. This is not true,” Dr. Martin said. “Fever is our best friend and is the body’s natural defense mechanism. Allow the body to heal itself when your child has the fever. Do not treat the fever but rather treat the symptoms such as headache, decreased appetite or discomfort. Allow the fever to help fight the infection.”

For more information:

• Influenza/Flu Information

• Your child tested positive for the flu. But does she really have it?

• Guide for considering influenza testing when influenza viruses are circulating in the community

• Let’s Learn About Tamiflu

• 7 Facts To Help Parents Feel Less Scared About the Flu

On Feb. 2, 2016, Ashleigh and her husband David cried tears too, but this time it was waiting for their little boy to get through heart surgery.

It's amazing how far they all have come. 

When she was 20 weeks pregnant, Ashleigh Wilford went with David, her husband, for what was supposed to be a routine sonogram.

But during the visit, things didn’t go as planned or even hoped. The sonogram detected a possible heart condition. The concerned couple called Lisa Roten, M.D., a pediatric cardiologist at Cook Children’s Heart Center, to schedule a fetal echo cardiogram. Dr. Roten and her Fetal Echo Program team confirmed the initial diagnosis of a transposition of the great arteries.

Transposition of the great arteries is a rare heart defect in which the baby’s two main arteries leaving the heart are transposed. Because of this, he wouldn’t be able to properly oxygenate his own blood.

Since she found out about her baby’s diagnosis early in her pregnancy, Ashleigh was closely monitored and cared for by the Heart Center staff at Cook Children’s before her son was born.

Now, a plan could be put in place to prepare for the birth of their little boy – Graham.

“Throughout the pregnancy, they were preparing for him, which was a big burden off of us,” Ashleigh said.

Before the birth, however, both admit that there was no way to be ready for what was to come.

“I don’t think we really knew what to expect. We just thought ‘he’s going to be born, they’re going to fix it, and he’s going to be fine,’” David said.

After carrying Graham full term, the day finally came for Ashleigh to give birth to a 7 pounds, 9 ounce boy.

“I’ve wanted to be a dad for a long time. When I saw him for the first time, you’re just taken away by that moment because you see that new life,” David said.

However, their first few moments with Graham were fleeting. Within minutes, he was whisked off to the Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit at Cook Children’s.

“We had about five minutes with him. Talk about having a moment as a dad. David went straight from the delivery room to Cook Children’s and had to be strong for Graham and for all of us,” Ashleigh said.

In the first few days of Graham’s life, things seemed to be going fairly well. “Everyone kept saying ‘he looks better than expected after everything he'd gone through,’” David said. At 6 days old, Graham was ready for surgery with Vincent Tam, M.D., medical director of cardiothoracic surgery at Cook Children’s.

However, on the morning of his surgery, something unexpected happened. But this time it was a welcome surprise. Dr. Tam and his team told David and Ashleigh that they had a very important role that day, a role that ended up being an emotional, beautiful moment during such a scary time.

“One thing that we didn’t know we had the opportunity to do, but that the staff here was very adamant about, was us holding him before surgery,” Ashleigh said. “Until that point, holding him was too dangerous, due to the amount of lines that were helping keep Graham stable. They made sure that we had a good hour each. That was invaluable.”

Although Graham will not remember that moment like his parents will, he responded in a way that amazed everyone.

“Because of the medicine, you could tell he just wasn’t feeling very good. He was clenching himself in pain,” David said. “But when we would hold him, his numbers would level out. You could tell that he felt us.”

But then Graham was taken away from them, and the fear settled in.

“They gave us hourly updates,” David said. “Then they called at one point and said ‘everything is still fine, but we did another echo and saw something we want to go back in and fix.’ So they had to put him back on bypass.”

The entire surgery lasted about nine hours. But as hard as that day was for them, Ashleigh and David agreed that it was even more difficult to see Graham after the surgery.

“When we went back in after surgery, there was a piece of mesh over his chest, but we could see his heart pumping,” Ashleigh said.

“He was pale and cold… it was like he wasn’t alive,” David said. “Seeing a little 6 day old baby look like that… it was tough.”

However, the staff surrounding David and Ashleigh constantly made them feel reassured and comforted.

“It was the worst day of our lives,” Ashleigh said. “But even while experiencing the worst day of your life, it was comforting to see the CVICU nursing staff and the physicians so under control. They’re not panicked. They’re just working. So seeing them take care of him took away those initial gut feelings of ‘this is bad.’ Seeing how confident they were in treating him was a huge relief.”

Ashleigh is an employee at Cook Children’s. As a physician liaison, she spends her days informing doctors and health care providers throughout Texas about the specialties, treatment programs and physicians at Cook Children’s. Even before Graham's birth, she had promoted the fetal echo program at Cook Children's.

But now she speaks from first-hand knowledge the kind of care a patient can receive where she works.

“I can talk about the program and I’m able to explain it to people in a completely different way now,” Ashleigh said. “It has made me a better employee. I approach my job with a compassion that I don’t think I could have had until I was a patient family member.”

Graham made such rapid progress, however, that Ashleigh and David were not patients for long. Graham was at Cook Children’s just under three weeks before he was able to go home.

Two years after his surgery, Graham sees Scott Pilgrim, M.D., at Alliance Urgent Care and Pediatric Specialties every 6 months, which is near the Wilford’s home.

Graham is doing fantastic. We were recently told we could space our appointments out to every six months! And because of all the education we’ve received, David and I know what to look for and whether or not to call if we are concerned before then."

While their boy is still so young, Graham has already made his parents incredibly proud. His strength pushes them every day, amazing even them.

“I was told there is something about these kids that spend time in the NICU, they’re just fighters,” Ashleigh said. “It’s true. You can’t really explain it, but we can already see it.”

Written by Elizabeth Sparks