Now in college, preemie twins remain closer than ever, grateful for parents and Beacon
Next month, Beacon Children’s Hospital will celebrate five years of delivering expert care, close to home in its current location. So we are shining a spotlight on some of our inspiring patients, like Amanda and Erin Farmer. Spend some time talking with 19-year-old twins Amanda and Erin Farmer together and one thing quickly becomes clear: […]
Believe you can – A nursing story
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” – Theodore Roosevelt Ten years ago, at age 31, starting nursing school was possibly the furthest thing on Mellisa Lathion’s mind. She had an eight-month-old daughter and had just started working for Beacon as a breastfeeding peer counselor at the St. Joseph County WIC office, sponsored by Memorial […]
Caring for 39 premature infants daily
Working with families from the very beginning Angel Eyes Sometimes an infant’s stay with us is extended, and parents cannot be with their baby around the clock. The decision to leave their newborn with us while they attend to other life responsibilities is tough. Our Angel Eyes program provides a convenient way for parents to […]
The art of healing sick kids
Creative and Support Services How do you explain to a child what a trach is and why she won’t be able to talk? Who helps to calm and distract a child while a nurse puts in an IV? Who supports the divorced parents who love their dying child but can barely speak? Who coordinates birthdays […]
New food pantry opens at Beacon Children’s Hospital
New Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Food Pantry opens at Beacon Children’s Hospital We are seeing more and more kids each year. What is more distressing, is we’ve seen a dramatic increase in complicated cancer diagnoses. Within the last year, we started treatment for 140 new pediatric cancer patients. When parents enter Beacon Children’s Hospital, they have a […]
Follow your passion in nursing education
Follow your passion Before stepping into a health care career six years ago, Jesse Kooistra thought he would become a paramedic because he was attracted to the adrenaline rush of helping others during an emergency situation. Fortunately for his patients and his team at Elkhart General Hospital, he followed his true passion, realizing that being […]
Your Gifts at Work
The new Beacon Children’s Hospital has served more than 6,500 kids since its opening in May, 2017. More Pediatric Specialists New Pediatric Neurosurgery and Pediatric Endocrinology Programs have been launched – keeping even more kids at home to get their care! Increased Patient Satisfaction Scoring 4.75 out of 5! It’s a home away from home […]
Transforming Care for Newborns and Their Families
Eat, Sleep and Console is a new concept in Newborn Intensive Care Units. This program is for babies born addicted to drugs. In the past, the most effective way to wean an infant was to give them medication. This program offers an alternative. Parents become partners with the health care team. They are asked to […]
Smallest Neurosurgery Patient at Beacon Children’s Hospital
Bud Smith was born prematurely in a Michigan City hospital. With bleeding in his brain, a risk when babies are born so early, Bud was transported to Beacon Children’s Hospital. Beacon’s NICU team determined he needed surgery. In the past, Bud and his family would have been transferred to a far away hospital for such […]
Flaherty Food Fights
The University of Notre Dame’s Flaherty Hall held a new signature event last month, “Flaherty Food Fights.” The event, a cooking tournament, concluded with a competition between a team from North Dining Hall (NDH) and another from South Dining Hall (SDH), all in support of Beacon Children’s Hospital. “It’s like the show ‘Chopped’ on Food […]
