Harper Alm, a 3-year-old girl with Down syndrome, has shown great determination in overcoming obstacles through her physical and speech therapy at East Tennessee Children's Hospital. She learned to walk before age 2 and can now run and jump. She has also mastered fine motor skills and learned to say many words. Her drive to learn and cheerful personality inspire those around her. Her family is grateful for the specialized care and resources she has received at the children's hospital.

2. Mark Your Calendar
NOV.
27
Fantasy of Trees
9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 27
3 p.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 28 (Thanksgiving)
9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Nov. 29 and Nov. 30
Noon to 6 p.m. Dec. 1
Knoxville Convention Center
Tickets are $12 for adults;
$
6 for children ages 4 to 12;
free for children age 3 and younger.
Buy tickets at www.fantasyoftrees.org or at
the door. Proceeds go toward the purchase
of medical equipment at the hospital.
NOV.
2
Extra Life—a 25-hour
game marathon
8 a.m.
In your own home
Free to sign up. Ask your friends to support you.
Visit http://extra-life.org for more information.
All local proceeds benefit the hospital.
2
It’s About Children, Issue 3 • 2013

3. Spotlight
4
NOW
FLETCH club
Membership is $18 a month.
Visit www.etch.com/FLETCH to join. Your
monthly donation provides much-needed
funds for state-of-the-art equipment that
makes diagnoses quicker and treatments
less painful for children. You will receive
one of these bears with your membership.
Through
SEPT.
30
Curious George Merchandise
Kohl’s Department Stores
Books, plush toys, a backpack and note
cards are $5 each.
Visit www.kohls.com for more information.
All net profits from local stores will help
fund our helmet safety program.
OCT.
7
CPR class for parents and
teens age 14 and older
6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Children’s Hospital’s Koppel Plaza Building
(Meschendorf Conference Room)
Class costs $25.
Call 865-541-8262 to register. Learn CPR so
you can respond to emergencies in your home.
Donate at www.etch.com/ItsAboutChildren
The will to achieve
8
Jamie’s journey
Three-year-old Harper Alm’s
determination helped her walk
before her second birthday, master
fine motor skills and learn to say many
words and phrases—like “thank you.”
A young boy’s life will change
forever thanks to a surgery at
Children’s Hospital—one that allows
him to hear fully for the first time.
12
Here for your child
14
Growing for
your children
We treat more children needing
emergency care than anyone else
in East Tennessee, so our team can
handle everything from minor
injuries to major medical concerns.
We are set to launch a major
expansion that will strengthen
our ability to provide the highest
quality of pediatric care.
Connect with us:
www.etch.com/ItsAboutChildren
It’s About Children is a publication
of the Marketing Department at
East Tennessee Children’s Hospital.
Editor: Paul Parson
Designer: Deborah Hosterman
Cover photo by Expressive Moments Photography
3

4. 4
It’s About Children, Issue 3 • 2013

5. Photo by Expressive Moments Photography
THE
WILL
TO
ACHIEVE
by Jason Dixon
All children encounter barriers to
overcome in order to develop and grow,
whether colds, broken bones or more
serious challenges. For Harper Alm, an extra
copy of a chromosome posed an unexpectedly
high barrier. But no number of obstacles
seem to last long in the face of her unique
care and an enthusiastic perseverance.
e
ayn
de P
y Wa
to b
Pho
Donate at www.etch.com/ItsAboutChildren
5

6. H
arper Alm’s obstacles began even before she was
born. Not only was she diagnosed with Down
syndrome, Harper was also found to have a
congenital heart defect that caused one side of her heart to
be underdeveloped.
Yet it seems that to Harper, obstacles don’t stand a chance.
When Harper was only 8 days old, her heart condition
was repaired at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital in Nashville; it’s
a procedure that isn’t conducted at East Tennessee Children’s
Hospital. She rebounded quickly from the surgery.
“Last year, we received the good news from her cardiologist
that Harper was becoming quite the boring heart patient,” said
Kristin. “It was music to our ears.”
Harper, now 3, has gone to Children’s Hospital’s
Rehabilitation Center since she was 6 months old for treatment
of physical and speech challenges associated with Down
syndrome. She is known as a hard-working therapy patient
with an irrepressible commitment to her development.
“She’s an amazing little girl who’s full of energy and
determination,” said physical therapist Deidra Seiber, who has
treated Harper for about two years. “She is always happy to
‘play’ and works very hard to achieve her goals.”
Ashley Henegar, Harper’s speech therapist, describes the
type of activities Harper is engaged in to help her communicate
functionally: she started by learning simple play like peek-a-boo;
she later progressed to playing with objects like balls and baby
dolls. Then Harper learned to identify objects, pictures, body
parts and concepts, using simple sign language in combination
with words to communicate.
Harper even delights in using an iPad to learn, but she has
also made progress with a simpler toy, a Mr. Potato Head she
nicknamed Tato. She places the parts on the toy and tries to say
the words.
Her drive to try constantly to learn was once shown when
she resisted help with Tato from a therapist; Harper wanted to
put the eyes on the toy herself.
The speech therapy Harper has received at Children’s
Hospital recently yielded a major success. The therapy involved
Harper attempting to say two words together. During a car ride
in late June, Harper’s father, Michael, opened a bag of potato
chips; he encouraged Harper to say the word “chip” before
handing her each one.
“She was having a little trouble getting the word just
right,” Kristin said. “She finally blurted out, ‘I want bite!’”
The family broke out in clapping and cheering—a response
Harper insists on, and responds well to. “It was a proud
moment,” said Kristin.
Harper’s cheerful determination is an inspiration to those
around her.
“Most of our time is spent in awe of how incredibly sweet,
loving and so very capable she is,” said Kristin. “She’s taught us
to be more patient, more inclusive and more thankful. And in
our journey with her, Children’s Hospital is just one of the things
we’re grateful for.”
Kristin appreciates the unique resources a children’s
hospital brings to pediatrics. “Though we drive past at least
three adult hospitals on the way across town to Children’s
Hospital,” she said “we’ve never even considered taking our
girls to any of those. We don’t know why parents would take
their kids anywhere else.”
Great Strides
Harper’s family attributes a number of her achievements
to the therapy she received at Children’s Hospital.
• Harper walked before her second birthday, which
is not universal in children with Down syndrome.
She is now running and even beginning to jump.
• She has mastered most fine motor skills
appropriate for her age.
• She has learned to say many words, including
daddy, eyes, uh-oh, please, thank you and, of
course, Elmo. She’s now attempting more two and three-word sentences; a new favorite is:
Don’t like it.
• She begins preschool this fall.
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It’s About Children, Issue 3 • 2013

7. Family
Care
Harper isn’t the only child the Alms
have trusted Children’s Hospital to
treat.
When Harper’s big sister Ellery was
13 months old, her parents discovered
a large lump on the side of her neck,
just beneath her ear. She was referred
to Children’s Hospital for tests and
to see ear, nose and throat specialist
Michael Belmont, M.D. Kristin said
Dr. Belmont was convinced a virus was
to blame and advised them to resist
the urge to immediately request an
exploratory biopsy.
“Our biggest fear was cancer—a
hard pill for any parent to swallow,”
said Kristin. “We know Children’s
has an amazing Oncology Department
and many families are dealing with
this unspeakable situation every day.”
Ultimately, Dr. Belmont’s suspicions
were correct and the lump disappeared
after a few weeks.
Photo by Expressive Moments Photography
Donate at www.etch.com/ItsAboutChildren
Photos by Wade Payne
7

8. ‘
Jamie s
Journey
Photos by Neil Crosby
For the first time in eight years, he can hear fully.
by Erica Estep
Imagine hearing the entire world
muffled, like you have a cold or water
blocking one of your ears. That’s how
8-year-old Jamie Fernandez has lived his
entire life.
“He just wants to be like other kids,”
said his mother, Myra. “He says, ‘why me?’
and I’m like, ‘I don’t know.’ As a mom, I
wish I could have that answer, but I don’t
have it.” Jamie wants to hear the world
like other kids. But, his right ear isn’t
fully formed, so sound doesn’t register
on one side.
Jamie has struggled to keep up in
school, and his speech was delayed. But,
the young boy’s life was about to change
forever with a surgery at East Tennessee
Children’s Hospital. It would allow him to
hear fully for the first time.
8
John Little, M.D., performed Jamie’s
surgery, implanting a magnetic anchor for
a new hearing aid. He’s the first child in East
Tennessee to experience the new technology
called the Sophono implant.
“It’s an exciting thing to be a part of,”
said Dr. Little, an ear, nose and throat
specialist. “The implant goes beneath the
skin into the skull and then creates a
vibration. The skull is a very good conduit
for transmitting sound and allowing the
patient to hear it better.”
“Dr. Little is not just helping us with
Jamie’s surgery. He’s helping us change his
life,” said Myra.
The surgery was successful, and just a
few weeks after his incision healed, Jamie
returned to the doctor’s office. This time,
continued on page 10
It’s About Children, Issue 3 • 2013

9. Donate at www.etch.com/ItsAboutChildren
9

10. continued from page 8
the purpose of his visit was to flip a switch
needed to open a whole new world of sound.
According to pediatric audiologist
Alison Whittle, Au.D., CCC-A, Jamie will
not only hear better, but be more rested,
and even happier. Dr. Whittle described
the experience as opening a window and
bringing the sounds of the outdoors in.
“He was saying constantly that he
was having to lean his good side forward,
saying I can’t hear you, talk on this side of
me,” said Dr. Whittle. “That’s exhausting for
anyone, especially a child. He won’t have
to worry about that anymore.”
Dr. Whittle patiently explained
everything to Jamie before attaching the
magnetic sound processor for his new
hearing aid to the outside of his ear. She
then asked Jamie if it was on. He just smiled
and nodded his head, able to hear fully
for the first time.
Jamie’s mom sat behind her son and
whispered his name. The 8-year-old’s big
grin lit up his face, bringing tears to his dad’s
eyes and a joyous laugh from his mom.
“You can hear me,” she said.
Though Jamie’s type of implant is a
first for Children’s Hospital, the audiologist
explained the emotional reaction from his
family is something she sees often when a
child’s hearing improves.
“The tears in dad’s eyes, the excitement
on mom’s face, the big smile, that’s something
we get every single time,” said Dr. Whittle.
“We see of lot of sad things here.
Sometimes we have to deliver bad news.
So this is good.”
“I know I put my baby in just the right
hands,” said Myra Fernandez before leaving
the office.
Jamie’s journey is just beginning. He
will have reconstructive surgery on his right
ear in the near future. It’s something he told
his parents he’s looking forward to.
Surrounded by mom, dad, his little
brother, Oscar, and family friends, Jamie
walked out of the doctor’s office to the
sound of applause, ready to experience all
the exciting sounds he had been missing.
Jamie’s mom sat behind
her son and whispered his
name. The 8-year old’s big
grin lit up his face, bringing tears to his dad’s eyes
and a joyous laugh from
his mom. “you can hear me,”
she said.
Visit www.etch.com/ItsAboutChildren to
experience Jamie Fernandez’s emotional journey.
10
It’s About Children, Issue 3 • 2013

11. Donate at www.etch.com/ItsAboutChildren
11

12. 12
It’s About Children, Issue 3 • 2013

13. or
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by Rya id Luttrell
Photo by
Dav
As a parent, you never want to think of your child being
injured. However, if your child is involved in an accident, he
needs emergency care quickly and in an environment that’s
best suited for him.
East Tennessee Children’s Hospital’s Emergency Department
provides highly specialized emergency care for infants, children
and teens. Because we treat more children needing emergency
care than anyone else in East Tennessee, our doctors and nurses
are equipped to treat everything from minor injuries to major
medical concerns. We understand we are caring for patients
who need a special kind of treatment—not only to make them
well, but also to make them feel comfortable and safe.
Our dedicated medical team is led by a group of boardcertified pediatric emergency medicine doctors. And our nurses
and other team members all have special interest, knowledge
and skill in the emergency medical care of children. Our
Emergency Department team works closely with all other
specialty departments in the hospital, including radiology,
surgery and child life, to provide coordinated, comprehensive
and child-friendly care.
We have the only emergency facilities in the city to offer
the services of Child Life Specialists who help our patients cope
with the anxiety of being in the Emergency Department. They
are there to distract children during painful procedures, talk a
child and his family through each aspect of treatment and be
an advocate for the child throughout his stay. We also have
translation services available at all hours to help anyone coming
to Children’s Hospital to fully understand a child’s condition
and treatment.
Our young patients also benefit from an Emergency
Department designed specifically with children in mind. The
décor is kid-friendly, which helps children feel more comfortable
during their visit. Unlike adult hospitals, our Emergency
Department has equipment made to fit growing bodies—from
smaller needles and anesthesia masks to breathing tubes and
blood pressure cuffs. In fact, many young patients who are
initially taken to nearby adult hospitals are then transferred
to Children’s Hospital because we are better equipped to
handle their special needs.
We have more than 72,000 emergency visits a year—
averaging 200 patients each day—and are ready to treat
children 24/7, 365 days a year. In our Emergency Department,
children are protected from potentially frightening adult
emergencies and inappropriate situations. And non-urgent
patients are triaged to a separate area within the Emergency
Department during evenings and weekends.
We realize the Emergency Department is the last place a
parent and child want to be, so we are committed to doing
everything we can to make the experience as comfortable
as possible. Not only can you be assured your child will be
provided the best care available, but also know it will happen
in a safe, child-friendly environment by medical personnel
specially trained to deal with any emergency situation.
Visit www.etch.com/ItsAboutChildren to see
how our pediatric Emergency Department made
a difference in one family’s life.
Ryan Redman, M.D., is the Medical Director of the Emergency Department at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital.
Donate at www.etch.com/ItsAboutChildren
13

14. News
Our Neonatal Intensive
Care Unit takes care of
about 700 premature
and critically ill newborns
each year.
Growing for your children
Children’s Hospital is set to launch a major expansion that
will strengthen our ability to provide the highest quality of care
to the region’s children. It will involve the construction of a new
five-story building adjacent to the current facility on White
Avenue between 20th and 21st streets. The entire project
provides 245,000 square feet of new hospital space, 146 parking
spaces and renovations of selected areas within the hospital.
Groundbreaking is expected within the next 12 to 14
months and construction of the new building will take about
two years. Renovations of areas within the hospital will take an
additional year with an expected completion date of fall 2017.
Key features of the project include a new 44-bed Neonatal
Intensive Care Unit (NICU) with private rooms, a new perioperative
surgery center and enhanced family areas, such as roof-top
gardens. Patient families and staff have participated in the
planning process since the beginning and will continue to play
a large role moving forward.
Estimated cost for the project is $72 million to $75 million.
Though Children’s Hospital plans to pay for this largely with
internal funds, we will look to the community for additional help.
During construction, all services will continue to be offered
at Children’s Hospital.
Visit www.etch.com/ItsAboutChildren to
see an artist rendering of the expansion.
14
It’s About Children, Issue 3 • 2013

15. Make Plans Now To Attend Our Annual
Experience Christmas on Main Street with something for the entire family.
• Designer trees • Holiday gift shops • Children’s activities • Continuous entertainment
Nov. 27 to Dec. 1 at the Knoxville Convention Center
Buy tickets at www.fantasyoftrees.org or at the door.
Proceeds go toward the purchase of medical equipment at Children’s Hospital.
Donate at www.etch.com/ItsAboutChildren
15

16. Your Dollars at Work
A night of music and celebration
Center Stage was a special night—a celebration of the work
that happens daily at Children’s Hospital thanks to our generous
donors. Funds raised will be used to purchase medical equipment
for our Goody’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).
Our PICU team provides comprehensive care for infants,
children and teens who are critically ill or injured. They may
be dealing with life-threatening infections, complications from
chronic illnesses or injuries related to a serious automobile
accident or near-drowning.
Organized in 1993 by Wendy and Robert Goodfriend and
now headed by Kaye and Jeff Goodfriend, Center Stage is an
evening of pure entertainment. This year’s event introduced
attendees to rising country star Laura Bell Bundy. Attendees
then put on their boogie shoes when headliner KC and the
Sunshine Band took the stage at the Knoxville Convention
Center.
This year, Center Stage’s major sponsors were Pilot Flying J
and the Goodfriend Family Foundation.
Pictured above/inset: KC and the Sunshine Band had Center Stage attendees
shake, shake, shaking the night away.
Pictured at right: Country singer Laura Bell Bundy performed her latest single
Two Step at Center Stage.
16
It’s About Children, Issue 3 • 2013

17. Golfers tee up for children
With 244 participants, this year’s
Peyton Manning Golf Classic was a great
success—raising approximately $100,000.
That total will be split equally between
the PeyBack Foundation and Children’s
Hospital, which will use the money to
help purchase a Giraffe OmniBed. This
is not just a bed; it’s a specially designed,
high-tech care station for critically ill
newborns.
Manning, quarterback for the NFL’s
Denver Broncos, was present and visited
with golfers throughout the day. All of the
money raised for his foundation from the
golf outing will stay in this area. The
PeyBack Foundation promotes the future
success of disadvantaged youth by assisting programs that provide leadership and
growth opportunities.
This year’s Golf Classic once again took place at the Fox Den Country Club. Major
sponsors for the event were Cellular Sales, Knoxville News Sentinel, On-Belay Medical
Foundation and Republic Plastics Ltd.
Former University of Tennessee football coach Phil Fulmer made a special appearance at this year’s Peyton Manning Golf Classic.
A gift from the heart
Chasity Lynn Roberts and Jeff Jennings, M.D.
Donate at www.etch.com/ItsAboutChildren
Chasity Lynn Roberts celebrated her 21st birthday at the end
of July—a milestone that was shared in a special way.
In her honor, her father’s employer, Norfolk Southern, gave
a generous gift of $1,700 to Project ADAM Tennessee. Led by
Children’s Hospital, Project ADAM Tennessee coordinates programs
that help prevent sudden cardiac arrest. Cardiologist Jeff Jennings,
M.D., with Children’s Hospital, is the medical director for the project.
Roberts has been a patient of Dr. Jennings since she was born
in 1992. Diagnosed with a heart defect that made her skin appear
blue, she had three heart surgeries by her third birthday.
Earlier this year, while visiting relatives in Alabama, Roberts
collapsed during a Mardi Gras parade. Luckily, two firemen and an
emergency medical technician (EMT) were nearby. They performed
CPR and then used an automated external defibrillator (AED) to
shock her heart back into rhythm.
Roberts was airlifted to Children’s Hospital. Dr. Jennings had
close contact with the family during the transport and was waiting
on her upon her arrival in Knoxville.
Roberts, who is doing well these days, plans to substitute teach
at Northview Academy in Sevier County this academic year. Project
ADAM Tennessee will use the money donated by Norfolk Southern
to purchase an AED for the school where Roberts will be spending
a lot of her time.
17

18. Your Dollars at Work
Putting muscle into their support
50' Closer to a Cure, a group of athletes from Massachusetts
that performs feats of strength to raise money for charities, helped
raise $550 for Children’s Hospital at the Claiborne County Fitness
Expo. It was done in memory of Katelyn Norman, who was treated
at the hospital.
The New Tazewell event was originally organized to fund
items on Katelyn’s bucket list. Unfortunately, she passed away from
bone cancer before the competition took place. Katelyn’s mother,
Erica, insisted all the proceeds go to Children’s Hospital because
of what the hospital had done for Katelyn. The money will go to
support other children with cancer.
Jeffrey Simons, the expo’s organizer, recognizes the
importance of pediatric hospitals.
“They provide tailored care to a very specific demographic
of patients,” he said. “Not only do you have to provide care to the
children, but you also must encourage and support the parents.
We couldn’t be happier with the decision to donate to the hospital.”
50’ Closer to a Cure, the main event at the Claiborne County Fitness Expo, featured a competition between four teams of 10 to see which team could pull a fire truck the fastest.
The group’s founder, Justin Sulham, pulled a 40,000-pound fire truck 34 feet uphill while team member Kristen White pulled an 11,000-pound armored army Hummer.
18
It’s About Children, Issue 3 • 2013

19. Planning for the future
The trustees of the Wade Travis estate donated
$1 million to Children’s Hospital. The donation will
be used to help the hospital’s expansion.
Though he had no children himself, Travis had
a high respect for the valuable medical treatments
Children’s Hospital provides to children in the region.
He made numerous donations to the hospital during
his lifetime.
“Before he died in 2002, he set up a trust to
support his wife and after she died, the remaining
balance was directed to charities—the largest part of
which is going to Children’s Hospital,” said Richard F.
Warren Jr., attorney and one of the Travis trustees.
“He was impressed with Children’s Hospital because it
does not turn away families from treatment, regardless
of their inability to pay.”
Travis and his brothers, Leon and Hilliard, were
the original Shoney’s Big Boy franchise owners for
Knoxville and its surrounding counties.
Additionally, the Wade Travis estate also gave
$150,000 as a pay-it-forward donation to support
Children’s Hospital’s annual Fantasy of Trees in honor
of Shoney’s employees. Shoney’s has been a long-time
partner and supporter of Children’s Hospital, and
this donation will honor both Travis and Shoney’s
connection to the hospital.
Warren Jr. about our
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Donate at www.etch.com/ItsAboutChildren
19

20. NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
2018 Clinch Ave. • P.O. Box 15010
Knoxville, Tennessee 37901-5010
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
We always try to stay current with friends of the hospital.
If for any reason you should receive a duplicate issue or
need to update your address, please notify the hospital at
865-541-8723 or LAMadigan@etch.com.
Sam’s Club Golfing 4 Kids
Monday, Oct. 21 • Starts at 9 a.m.
Gettysvue Polo, Golf & Country Club in Knoxville
$
325 for a team of four
Call Patty Metheny at 865-694-2175 for more information or to register.
Proceeds benefit Children’s Hospital.
PERMIT 433
KNOXVILLE, TN