After her grandmother passed away, Jackie DeCarlo remembers how her mother’s cousin, whom she affectionately calls Dollie, took her under her wing.

In the summer, Jackie would stay at Dollie’s home in Collingswood, NJ, and take trips to the Philadelphia Zoo and the Jersey Shore.

“As a child, I always felt special under her attention and care,” Jackie remembers. “She’s one of those adults who treated kids like they matter.”

In fact, Delores I. Males, RN, BSN, dedicated her life to taking care of others. While working full-time at PSEG, Dollie worked the night shift as a nurse at Cooper University Hospital until 1976.

“Being in the pediatric unit was a way for her to dedicate her time to help people,” Jackie said. “She did not have any children of her own, so I think it was a way for her to show her care and compassion for children.”

Recently, Jackie made a $15,000 to the Children’s Regional Hospital through the Dollie I. Males Angel Fund. The Fund was established to support projects in New Jersey that were special to Dollie, who now lives in an assisted living center for people with dementia in Jackie’s neighborhood in Maryland. In recognition of Dollie, a sign will be placed on the seventh floor of Kelemen near the parent’s lounge later this summer.

“Camden and the surrounding area are important to our family. We wanted to help the hospital and be part of the community development,” Jackie said. “I think Dollie would like the fact that she’s helping Cooper. She would like the fact that even though she is no longer a nurse, she is still part of the hospital.”

Robin Doster and her dog, Bluekey Nose.

Staying at the hospital can be a scary experience for children. Fortunately, Child Life Specialists from the Child Life Program at Cooper are on hand to make the experience less stressful for young patients and their families.

Age-appropriate preparation for tests, procedures and surgery, and emotional support, pain management and coping strategies are available. The program also offers a playroom with toys, games and activities, and additional therapeutic services such as animal-assisted therapy, and visits from Bumper T Caring Clowns.

Owner Robin Doster and her dogs, Ginger and Bluekey Nose, are among the regular visitors at the Children’s Regional Hospital. Every week, either Ginger or Bluekey Nose come bounding into the hospital with Robin to visit and cheer up patients with their tricks. Ginger will grab a tissue after a child sneezes and give high fives.

“Having that furry, friendly face come next to the bed brings so much joy to our patients,” Brittany Spaeth, Child Life Coordinator at Children’s Regional Hospital, said. “Staff members have told me that they have seen patients, who have been wincing and writhing from pain, almost instantly relax and begin to forget about the pain, when one of the dogs comes into the room.”

Each year the New Jersey Chapter 1 Blue Knights International Law Enforcement Motorcycle Club comes to the Children’s Regional Hospital to bring toys, games and other comfort items to the pediatric patients. On April 21, the 75 Blue Knights pulled up to the Roberts Pavilion on their bikes where they were greeted by four patients and Child Life Program staff members. The club donated toys and $600, which Cooper will use to purchase DVDs for the children.

“The roar of all the motorcycles as they pull into the circle always gets the kids so excited,” Spaeth said. “We’re so appreciative that they come every year. The toys that they bring to the patients make their hospital stay better. The money that they donate will go toward improving the services that we offer at Cooper.”

Honor your loved ones this Mother’s Day and Father’s Day with a personal inscription on the Dedication Plaque in the DiFlorio Family Healing Garden located at Cooper University Hospital.

Your contribution will be the perfect gift to make our garden blossom.

Click here to contribute or for more information.

From left to right: Dr. Lawrence Miller, MD, Chairman and Chief of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Director of the Cooper Bone and Joint Institute, Taylor Hatfield and Susan Bass Levin, President and CEO of The Cooper Foundation

By freshman year of high school, Taylor Hatfield had torn the ACL in her knee twice.

The first time was while playing soccer in seventh grade. She had surgery to fix the tear, and returned to the field. Then, the Georgetown, DE, resident tore it again while playing field hockey. Taylor learned that she needed yet another ACL reconstruction surgery and a meniscus transplant. The meniscus is an important cushioning structure in the knee. Replacing this c-shaped cartilage ring with a new one from a donor can help surgeons treat complicated knee injuries. Yet, no doctor in Delaware performs this specialized procedure. So, Taylor was referred to the Cooper Bone and Joint Institute.

Dr. Lawrence Miller, MD, Chairman and Chief of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Director of the Cooper Bone and Joint Institute is one of the few surgeons nationally who performs this complex procedure. He and his team performed the meniscus transplant surgery in June 2010 and ACL surgery the following November.

Taylor is thankful for the comfort and care that she received at Cooper. Now a senior at Sussex Technical High School, she is back to playing field hockey.

“You would be surprised that I’ve had four knee surgeries,” she said. “This year, I felt the most improvement. I’m very thankful.”

As part of her senior class project, Taylor held a fundraiser night at Grottos Pizza to raise money for the Cooper Bone and Joint Institute and awareness of meniscus transplant surgery. The event was a huge success.

On March 22, Taylor came to Cooper University Hospital with her mom, Kristen, to present a donation of $1,000 to Dr. Miller and Susan Bass Levin, President and CEO of The Cooper Foundation.

“I was just amazed – shocked – when she called to tell me. She is such a great patient. This is so wonderful,” said Dr. Miller about Taylor’s fundraiser. “She could not have picked a better thing to do than donating to the Cooper Bone and Joint Institute.”

Taylor’s experience as a patient has inspired her to pursue a career in physical therapy. She recently participated in a physical therapy shadowing program and has been accepted into the University of Delaware’s Athletic Training Education Program.

“I feel like I connect better with the patients and really help them to get better,” she said.

Ever since Karolynn Grays, 18, of Camden, was a little girl, her dream was to one day travel to France and experience all that the city of Paris has to offer. On Wednesday, April 24, 2013, Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper, in partnership with the Make-A-Wish Foundation®, made that dream a reality.

Staff from around the hospital, including Hematology/Oncology, Adolescent Medicine, and General Pediatrics, organized the presentation by transforming a conference room into a scene from Karolynn’s favorite movie, “Lady and the Tramp.” They bought red and white check table cloths and balloons, and served red velvet cupcakes with blue icing — Karolynn’s favorite color. There, they presented Karolynn with an all-inclusive, 10-day trip abroad.

Karolynn says she is most looking forward to seeing the iconic sights of Paris, like the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre — and, of course, shopping!

“This trip will be Karolynn’s escape — an escape from chemotherapy and constant doctor visits, and an escape from her diagnosis,” said Kasey Massa, LSW, pediatric social worker at Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper. “Now in remission, Karolynn and her family can fully enjoy this life changing journey — her wish come true.”

After meeting Karolynn, Massa, a specially trained Make-A-Wish volunteer, had referred her to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“I’ve worked in Hematology/Oncology for many years and I have worked with kids with different types of wishes. I try to tell them, ‘You could go somewhere —be something,’ ” Massa explained. “I think the presentation made Karolynn feel special, and it showed support from the entire Pediatrics staff.”

Since 1980, the Make-A-Wish Foundation® has enriched the lives of children with life-threatening medical conditions through its wish-granting work. The Foundation’s mission reflects the life-changing impact that a Make-A-Wish® experience has on children, families, referral sources, donors, sponsors and entire communities.

Photo Caption: Members of the Hematology/Oncology, Social Work and General Pediatrics teams at Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper helped Karolynn and her family celebrate her receiving her dream trip to France. Posing from left to right are: Kristine Walinski, Patient Service Representative; Michael Goodman, MD, Chief, Department of Pediatrics; Lorraine Raimo, Acting Administrative Director; Emma Colon, Clerical Assistant; Caroline Eggerding, MD, Pediatric Faculty; Suzanne Marques, Administrative Coordinator; Michael Hardiman, RN, Nurse Educator; Kasey Massa, LSW, Social Worker.

Change a child’s life today! Join us for A Tribute to Children’s Regional Hospital on Wednesday, June 12, at 5 p.m. at Cooper University Hospital, Roberts Pavilion, 10th Floor. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres will be served.

Proceeds from the fundraiser will benefit The Children’s Regional Hospital and four of its special programs: Cooper Learning Center, Child Life Program, Child Abuse Prevention and Pediatric HIV/Treatment Center. Last year, more than 200 people attended the tribute event and raised $130,000.

Two esteemed leaders in Pediatric Medicine and Nursing will be honored during the event: Anat R. Feingold, MD, and Jackie Ficerai Tedeschi, RN. Read more about Dr. Feingold and Jackie here.

EVENT SPONSORS

Mercedes-Benz of Cherry Hill and The Cooper Women’s Board

HONORARY CO-CHAIRS

Michael Hartung, Trustee, The Cooper Foundation
Dr. Michael Goodman, Chief of Pediatrics, Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper,
Dr. William Sharrar, Chief Emeritus of Pediatrics, Children’s Regional Hospital

Click here to purchase your tickets, become a sponsor and feature an ad in the Tribute Book.

If you have an item to donate to the Silent Auction, please complete the Auction Item Donation Form and return to The Cooper Foundation.

Kindly RSVP by June 1. For more information, please call Danielle Zarnosky at 856-968-07225 or e-mail Zarnosky-Danielle@cooperhealth.edu

The Cooper Foundation announced today a $20,000 grant from the Jack Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation in honor of George E. Norcross III, Chairman of the Cooper Board of Trustees. The grant will support the Bright Beginnings Neonatal Follow-Up Program at The Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper.

“It is my pleasure to accept this generous grant on behalf of Cooper University Health Care,” Norcross said. “The Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper has distinguished itself as the only state designated children’s hospital in South Jersey. This donation will ensure that Cooper continues to offer the most comprehensive pediatric services in the region.”

The Bright Beginnings Program at Cooper will benefit from the grant. The program provides care and services through specialists in newborn and child health for an underserved community that may not have access to the attention, management and health assessments that families need to care for their fragile infants.

“Our Foundation’s priority is to help children receive quality care in the communities where they live,” said Honorary Chairman Jack Nicklaus. “We believe The Bright Beginnings Program at Cooper provides the specialty care families need right in their own backyard.”

Through the Bright Beginnings Program, physicians, clinical nurses and nurse coordinators assist parents in adjusting to the transition from neonatal nursery to caring for their child at home. Social workers facilitate appropriate referrals for transportation, financial needs, medical day care, specialized medical equipment/supplies and insurance issues.

“The Bright Beginnings program plays a vital role in our community, offering the critical services and resources needed in the City of Camden,” said Susan Bass Levin, President and CEO of The Cooper Foundation. “We are grateful for the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation’s commitment to our littlest patients.”

The Nicklaus family founded the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation in 2004 in an effort to provide children access to world-class pediatric healthcare in their own communities. Collaborating with children’s hospitals across the country, the Foundation has grown from a vision to reality, supporting innovative programs focused on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of childhood illnesses.

“When Jack and I were young parents, we quickly discovered the importance of accessible quality pediatric healthcare,” said Barbara Nicklaus, Chairman of the Board of the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation. “We always said that if we were ever in a position to help someone, our focus would be children. Our family’s passion to help children is what originally led us to create the Foundation.”

In honor of Child Abuse Awareness Month in April, Cooper partnered with Prevent Child Abuse New Jersey’s “Pinwheels for Prevention” campaign to recognize and educate our community on child neglect.

When Kathryn M. McCans, MD, Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Child Abuse Specialist, meets with children and their families, she listens to their stories.

“The children relate experiences that no child should encounter. They have suffered from sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse and/or neglect,” Dr. McCans said. “The caretakers, mothers, fathers, grandparents, aunts and uncles relate stories of being overwhelmed by what has transpired. They are fearful of what happens next. The non-offending caretaker is also a victim. Their trust in a family member has been violated. Too often, the caretakers suffered similarly as a child.”

Dr. McCanns added, “We must be willing to call attention to the plight of the children in our lives. If we witness aggression against a child, morally and ethically, we must intervene on that child’s behalf. We must change our interventions from being reactionary to protection and support to prevent the abuse from ever occurring. We will need to address not just the ‘who did it’ but the ‘why did it’ to ever get to that point.”

On Monday, April 8, Cooper employees brought awareness to the epidemic of child abuse and neglect by hosting a “Planting Pinwheels” event on the front lawn of the Roberts Pavilion. Prevent Child Abuse America’s Pinwheels for Prevention® campaign is an effort created to change the way our nation thinks about prevention and how we can deliver on our commitment to America’s children. The blue pinwheels are the new symbol for child abuse and are an uplifting reminder of childhood and the bright futures all children deserve. Throughout the entire month of April, Cooper lit the hospital in blue to encourage others to get involved and make a difference in our children’s lives.

“Through this event we wanted to celebrate the lives of our young children who have endless possibilities ahead of them,” said Dr. McCans. “It is our responsibility to protect them and lead them in the right direction to a bright, successful future.”

Cooper employee Robyn Rowe with her husband, Greg Gillens and their baby, Alexis.

While pursuing their master’s degrees in Reading Education from Rowan University, Adrienne Evans and Maureen Hicks completed their teaching clinical in Camden. There, they discovered the need to create an early literacy program within the community. The Haddon Heights residents wanted to teach parents of newborns directly, so they created Story Storks and turned to Cooper University Hospital to partner with them.

Their nonprofit organization, established in 2012, focuses on creating future readers at birth by providing parents of newborns with the strategies and books needed to promote infant literacy development. Since its inception, Story Storks has expanded its offerings from Cooper’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to the hospital’s Mother Infant Unit.

“The staff at Cooper University Hospital has been extremely supportive and the response from the families has been overwhelmingly positive,” said Maureen Hicks, a retired teacher, who serves as the organization’s president. “A Story Storks representative is at the hospital every day and every volunteer has found the experience to be very fulfilling.”

Last year, Story Storks representatives educated more than 1,000 mothers of new babies about the importance of reading to their babies beginning at birth, and they expect to see that number increase to 3,000 in 2013. The organization donates books personalized with the baby’s footprints and shares educational brochures with reading strategies and tips to help new parents establish a reading routine. These books become a family keepsake and encourage reading.

“They are able to see what happens when they read to a baby,” Adrienne Evans, vice president, explained. “It was pretty eye opening for the nurses and volunteers.”

In addition to promoting early literacy, Story Storks representatives serve an additional purpose — providing comfort to families of babies born with serious conditions.

“For babies in the NICU, with the parent’s permission, we read to their babies,” Barbara Funkhouser, the organization’s secretary and treasurer said. “To me, it’s been so fulfilling to see these babies grow and development. I feel like I am part of an amazing process.”

To learn more about Story Storks, visit its website.

As the region’s only child-learning program affiliated with a university-level medical center, the Cooper Learning Center at the Children’s Regional Hospital, offers parents and children the most advanced methods and expert clinical consultation for treating learning difficulties.

Since the program’s inception in 1995, the Cooper Learning Center, under the direction of Richard Selznick, PhD, has helped thousands of children learn to read and build self-esteem. The Center offers individual and small-group instruction. A number of upcoming summer programs are available:

Lanning Square Summer Reading Project
Six-week remedial reading support program is for students in the Lanning Square section of Camden, who are in grades K-3. The program includes four full days a week; no cost to families.

Summer Reading Camp in Voorhees
Eight-week reading support from the last week in June through the second week of August for students from K-12-years old.

Spring and Summer Reading Therapy
Hourly support sessions held at both Moorestown and Voorhees offices for students, K-high school age. Early evening and daytime hours are available.

“Helping Parents Wade Through the IEP and Evaluation Paperwork Nightmare!!”
Dr. Richard Selznick will present this informational workshop in conjunction with the New Jersey Learning Disabilities Association, on June 25 from 7 to 9 p.m. at our Town Center located on Centennial Ave in Voorhees.

Summer Educational Trainings for Teachers
Cooper Learning Center will host summer educational trainings in the areas of “Social Thinking,” “Vocabulary Building” and “Understanding Reading Difficulties.” Trainings are open to public and private school teachers throughout the area.

Lecture and A Latte Series
Series of monthly workshops with topics aimed at parents and educators presented by leaders in our Pediatric staff, including Dr. Richard Selznick, Dr. Michael H. Goodman and Dr. Thomas Drake.

For more information, please contact the Cooper Learning Center at fran@cooperhealth.edu.