Vanderbilt Children's Cleft and Craniofacial Center

This Father's Day weekend, we honor the incredible fathers and father figures who bring joy, strength, and love into their children's lives.
From early morning routines to memorable milestones, fatherhood is a journey filled with special moments.
Happy Father's Day!

Most bouts of vomiting in children are caused by common infections or ailments that clear up quickly. Here's what kind of vomiting might be more worrisome and a reason to take your child to a gastroenterologist:

When your child should see a GI about vomiting | My Vanderbilt Health When are kids vomiting harmless and when could it signal something more? Read what it could mean and when to see a doctor.

Earlier this week, Nashville Stampede bull riders visited Seacrest Studios at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital!
In town for the 2024 PBR (Professional Bull Riding) Team Series Draft, they shared fun facts, answered questions, and showcased their gear.
Did you know bull riders can only use one hand while riding? Thanks for the exciting visit!

We celebrate our 20th year as a freestanding children’s hospital by catching up with some of our most memorable patients. Among them: Dalton Waggoner, now 19 years old, 6'4 tall and a University of Tennessee student.

That’s a lot of progress, because when Dalton was a newborn, his parents were told that he might only live for days. Diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, he had a heart catheterization at 3 days old, and went home looking very ill and weighing just 5 lbs.

Since then, Dalton's had two open-heart surgeries, two heart catheterizations and many tests. His heart condition can’t be cured; every surgery is a repair until the next one.

“I always told him that he’d better own it, love it, appreciate it because it’s not going away,” said his mother, Susan Waggoner. “We are just thankful that Dalton has an outstanding medical team caring for him."

Susan serves on the Monroe Carell Family Advisory Council.

“We wanted those going through something like this to look at Dalton and see a light — maybe not at the end of the tunnel yet, but maybe in the middle of the tunnel,” Susan said. “A light that lets them know they are not alone in this journey, and they too can get through this.”

Since 2006, Dalton has helped raise support for Monroe Carell as a patient ambassador for various campaigns and fundraising partners, including Tri Star Energy-Twice Daily, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals®, and the Dierks Bentley Miles and Music for Kids. A room in the cardiology clinic bears his name, and the Waggoner Family Pediatric Heart Research Fund was also named in Dalton’s honor.

Dalton returns for clinic visits as an adult; he will eventually transition his cardiac care to the adult congenital heart disease program.

“I wish no other kid had to go through what I have been through, but I hope that by volunteering, raising awareness and fundraising, we have helped in some small way,” Dalton said.

More about Dalton’s experience: http://spr.ly/6185jChtX

For over half a century, our Neonatal and Pediatric Transport team has been pivotal in delivering critical care where it's needed most.

This EMS Week, we thank the dedicated EMS team at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. Swipe through to see our heroes in action, the specialized environments they work in to ensure the safest transport for our little ones, and some throwbacks. 🚑💙

Our nurses' dedication and compassion are vital to Vanderbilt Health. This Nurses Week, we celebrated our exceptional nursing staff, which makes a profound difference. Thank you for all that you do every day. 💙

Click through this gallery for an inside look at Sheppard's amazing visit with us in the studio last week! Thank you Sheppard for bringing some much-needed joy to patients and families here at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. ❤️
Ryan Seacrest Foundation

We had a great time at last weekend's Iroquois Steeplechase! The event welcomed Child Ambassador, Everett and his family to ring the bell to announce the call to post, watch the first race from the bell tower and participate in the trophy presentation. Everett has spent a lot of time at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt, patiently waiting for a kidney transplant, and he loves all things fast (horses included). Thank you, Iroquois Steeplechase for your support of Monroe Carell!

✨Hey, estoy aquí para ti! ✨🐰


Thank you, Bad Bunny for spending time with our patients in Seacrest Studios at Monroe Carell this week!

We are always so grateful for generous friends like and who share of their talents and time to bring us smiles and fun. A visit we won’t soon forget!

Today is Vanderbilt Health Giving Day!

Gifts from donors ensure that Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt will always have the very latest technology and treatments available. Today, you can impact care for patients like Poppy. Visit http://spr.ly/6185dJQ8z to make a gift and have it matched by our generous partner, Zander Insurance.

When the Cox family were told that their little girl was going to be born with spina bifida, they didn’t know what to expect, but something told them that she was a fighter. With the help of a dedicated team at Monroe Carell, Poppy is proving that she can do anything she sets her mind to!

Victoria Garcia, RN, BSN, CLC, was in her first weeks as a labor and delivery (L&D) nurse at Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital when a patient arrived in active labor with concerns about the baby’s health. As she watched fellow nurse Denise Zickgraf, RN, support the patient through a difficult birth process, one contraction at a time, Victoria marveled at Denise’s strength and compassion. She felt proud to be her co-worker — and her daughter.

“I knew my mom was a labor and delivery nurse, but to work beside her and see her do those things adds another level of respect,” Victoria said. “I get to watch my mom do what she does best — what she’s called and meant to do — and learn from that. She’s done this longer than I’ve been alive.”

Thank you both for your hard work and dedication to caring for our patients and their growing families!

Read more on this dynamic duo here: http://spr.ly/6185d1V41

Has the current invasion of cicadas made you nervous or stressed out?

Jim Kendall, LCSW, the manager of Vanderbilt’s Work/Life Connections-EAP, says you can always fall back on one simple fact: they are truly not a threat.

“While they can be frightening, annoying and even somewhat revolting, cicadas will not hurt you and they don’t bite,” he says.

This too shall pass.

http://spr.ly/6187jhaDD

Last week, we held the annual Blessing of Hands, a celebration initially created to honor the nurses at the Medical Center. Now, it is a way to honor all of the roles that go into making Vanderbilt Health a success.

The tradition was introduced by the Rev. Raye Nell Dyer in 1999. She was the longtime chaplain at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and now serves as the chaplain of LifeFlight.

“Our hands are symbolic of our lives and who we are,” Dyer said. “They are symbolic of our lives’ work. For many, this blessing is like a cleansing, a renewing. To be appreciated and loved and have it spoken to you is a powerful thing.”

Click the link for an onsite account of the Blessing of Hands: http://spr.ly/6184j7NLg

Often women have been given the impression that they should not become pregnant if they were born with a congenital heart defect. But most women born with congenital heart disease can safely carry a pregnancy, with specialized medical care.

Congenital Heart Disease and Pregnancy: Planning, Risks & Safety When cared for by the right team, patients with congenital heart disease can have a safe pregnancy. Learn more about planning for pregnancy with CHD.

Krissy Campbell did what no other mother has done at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. She gave her 14-month-old son, Cameron, a portion of her liver.

In 2022, genetic testing showed Cameron had a rare metabolic disease called ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency, a genetic disorder that prevents the breakdown and excretion of ammonia. The only cure is a liver transplant.
After waiting nearly 11 months on the liver transplant list, the Campbells came to Monroe Carell in the fall of 2023 once they learned that the hospital offered living donor liver transplantation as a surgical option. This surgical option is when a person donates a part of their liver. The donated portion will grow in the recipient (in this case, Cameron) and the donor's remaining liver grows back to almost its normal size. Monroe Carell is the only program in Tennessee doing living-donor liver transplants for children. With the donation of his mom's liver, Cameron is now essentially cured of his disease and living a relatively normal, healthy life. Check out these "then and now" photos, courtesy of Krissy.

“I felt like it was always my purpose,” said Krissy. “We never found a match for him before coming to Monroe Carell. It was in my heart that it was always supposed to be me. I am a perfect match, and my liver is the right size."

We hope everyone has a wonderful Mother's Day weekend. Click the link to read more about the Campbells' story: http://spr.ly/6183jxKGU

The first race in the Tri My Best Triathlon series will take place on Saturday, May 18 at Ga***rd Opryland Hotel and Resort! This series of adaptive events pairs a child with a disability (ages 5-18) with a peer buddy (ages 5-18) to complete each race together as a team, using any modifications necessary to ensure the success of each child. Distances of swimming, biking and running are all short and child-friendly! Following the race is a complimentary family festival including bounce houses, balloon artists and face painting. Focusing on health, wellness and inclusion, this special event promises a positive and fun experience for all involved. Visit http://spr.ly/6185jUl9N to register today!

From patient mom to Perioperative Services Registered Nurse — Jennifer's career at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt began with a scary trip to the hospital for her daughter when she was 6 years old.

Her daughter had immune thrombocytopenia purpura and one day, they received a phone call that her platelets fell below 7,000 and she needed to come in. "We had weekly visits to the Hematology/Oncology floor with Dr. Esbenshade. As a parent you come in, you're really scared, you're nervous, and I've never been put more at ease. We would leave the hospital and I would think, 'Those people genuinely love what they do. They actually take pride what they do and love their job,' and I remember telling my husband, 'I want to be part of that. I want to be part of a place that actually genuinely cares and that makes families feel at ease.'"

Thank you for your 13 years of service, Jennifer! For those interested in joining us, click the link to book your virtual interview: http://spr.ly/6184jocq0

We're teaming up with Safe Kids Worldwide and State Farm for a seat check event this Saturday, and you're invited! Click the link to for more details and to rsvp:

Good Neighbor car seat check with Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital

Great care comes from great nurses. ❤️

This week and every week, we're thankful to our Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt nurses for the love and care they pour into our patients — one hug, Lego block and doll check-up at a time.

Interested in becoming a nurse for Vanderbilt Health? Click the link for Nurses Week virtual events and interviews: http://spr.ly/6187jdog3

Social media heavily influences children and teens, shaping moods and behavior and potentially robbing them of sleep, among other problems. How parents can set healthy boundaries with kids around social media to protect their mental health:

How Social Media Affects Kids’ Mental Health Helping kids and teens navigate their digital lives safely is more important than ever. Learn how to your kids' social media use.

It takes a great team to provide great care, and pediatric
otolaryngologist Dr. Frank Virgin was drawn to Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt by ours.

Dr. Virgin decided to work at Monroe Carell because the team members he met while interviewing here were committed to the common goal of taking care of patients and were people he wanted to work with.

“We here at Monroe Carell, take care of complex patients — kids that have complex surgical problems as well as complex medical histories that make even routine surgeries difficult. And the surgeon is one part of that team, but we really couldn’t do what we do if we didn’t have all of the support staff. Nursing. Scrub techs. Anesthesia techs.
Anesthesiologists. It takes everyone to take care of these patients.
If we didn’t have all those people, then we wouldn’t be able to do what we do.”

Check out our current job openings and join us:
https://www.vumc.org/careers/allied-health-technicians-assistants-therapists

When we say our brand promise, Making Health Care Personal, we mean it. Last month, our Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt Vascular Anomalies unit hosted patient families for a full-filled day at the park with breakfast, face painting and the playground! It was a great way for our Monroe Carell families walking the same experience to meet one another and for our patients to see their care teams outside the typical clinical setting.

Our multidisciplinary vascular anomalies team includes a variety of specialists from throughout the hospital. Vascular anomalies happen when blood vessels develop in an abnormal way resulting in hemangiomas, tumors and unknown lesions.

Our program coordinators serve as patients' single point of contact, ensuring patients receive timely, individualized and quality care. They went above and beyond with this great event at the park. Big kudos to the Vascular Anomalies unit!

Liver transplants are not limited to adults. Troy Mills, 16, a sports fan and athlete, is a liver recipient.

In May 2023, he was admitted to our hospital. After a series of tests he was treated for liver failure due to cirrhosis, advanced scarring of the liver from an autoimmune disease. Medication didn’t help. His family was startled to learn that Troy needed a liver transplant, news that kicked off a rapid series of tests and assessments that make up an urgent liver transplant evaluation.

A large team of our experienced specialists care for children and teens awaiting a liver transplant. They continue that care after this high-level surgery. Troy met with our many experts: doctors, surgeons, the anesthesiologist, transplant coordinators, a dietician and many others. During his hospital stay, which lasted more than a month, he briefly ended up in intensive care for encephalopathy (liver failure leads to a buildup of toxins in the body and brain, causing foggy thinking and other problems). But eventually he was placed on the wait list for a liver.

Troy benefited from the generosity of his organ donor. And he had other support, too. He charmed the nurses and bonded with the whole medical team. His sister, Brynn, asked the doctors excellent questions. Baseball coaches and teammates came to see him; so did church leaders. “I got to meet a revolving door of awesome friends who really adored Troy,” said one of his liver specialists, Dr. Anita Pai.

Troy worked with our hospital-based teacher to stay on top of schoolwork. And he enjoyed pet therapy with our facility dog, Squid.

Troy’s liver transplant took place on May 25, 2023. He was able to go home about nine days later, to continue recovery. And months later, he was able to return to school.


More about our highly skilled pediatric liver transplant program: http://spr.ly/6180bQ6nG

In 2015, McCall Alexander Carmichael (MAC), was brought to Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt after he was revived due to a choking incident earlier that day.

His parent's, Brandi and Hunter, remained at Monroe Carell for three days while two separate cognitive tests were performed on MAC, who remained on life support. During that time, the spiritual care team did everything they could to help the family.

Unfortunately, there was nothing that could be done for MAC. He had suffered irreversible brain death.

In his honor, the Carmichaels established the MAC Carmichael Fund to raise support and awareness in the community for spiritual care resources. They started the annual MAC Sized Bass Tournament to raise donations to help ensure that spiritual care is staffed and can provide invaluable support for patients and families in the hospital.

The MAC Carmichael Fund, along with the generosity of Tri Star Energy and Fran Hardcastle, have allowed Monroe Carell’s Department of Spiritual Care to grow and help more families during their time of need.

http://spr.ly/6182bcW9a