Tag Archive for: MIBG treatment at Levine Children’s Hospital

Leading The Way in MIBG Therapy

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Dawn Bartock

We are very fortunate to have Atrium Health’s Levine Children’s Hospital and an incredible pediatric nurse practitioner who is leading the charge with MIBG Therapy in our region.

Dawn Bartock, MSN, CPNP, CPHON, is the MIBG Therapy Program Lead at Levine Children’s Hospital. Being a nurse is all she has ever wanted to do. Dawn started her nursing career in Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, including time with Pediatric Hospice, then joined Levine Children’s Hospital from 2005-2011. She obtained her nurse practitioner degree in 2011 and left LCH to further her career in Pediatric Oncology at Texas Children’s Hospital and at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where she was the MIBG Therapy Nurse Practitioner. 

After Levine Children’s Hospital got the green light to build an MIBG Therapy Suite, Dr. Oesterheld – Dawn’s mentor – tapped her to lead the MIBG Therapy Program literally from the ground up. So in 2015, Dawn returned to Charlotte and to Levine Children’s Hospital. What started as a side project while she was working clinically as a nurse practitioner on the inpatient oncology unit, has become a full-time position where Dawn oversees every aspect of planning and building the ISF MIBG Therapy Suite. 

“Being a part of the MIBG Therapy Suite construction process has been rewarding and fun,” said Dawn who is currently taking a break from the clinical part of her job, which will resume when the MIBG room opens later this year. “I feel like the jack of all trades and love been involved in this project.”

Not only does she bring her previous MIBG experience to her role and vision of what this state-of-the-art MIBG program should entail, Dawn has a connection to Isabella. During her first stint at Atrium Health in the outpatient clinic, Dawn was one of Isabella’s nurses who assisted the oncology team with writing chemo orders, scheduling scans, and helping Erin and the family with questions and concerns throughout therapy. 

“Isabella was always a sweetheart who had the sweetest little voice,” said Dawn. “One of my biggest memories of Isabella is the relationship she had with her brother, Grant, and them holding hands during clinic visits. It is very exciting to be involved in Isabella’s legacy.”

Levine Children’s Hospital will be 1 of 20 hospitals to have a MIBG Treatment room in the U.S. and the only location in the Charlotte region. The two-room MIBG suite will provide targeted radiation to pediatric neuroblastoma patients with minimal side effects. This will impact kids fighting cancer beyond the greater Charlotte region and will eventually expand to include adults with rare tumors.

“It is very important that we tailored the suite to the patient and the family while keeping safety for the patients and staff the top priority,” said Dawn.

Patients will stay in the MIBG room 3-7 days after they get their injection. The suite is designed with an adjoining room for parents to stay and to be more involved with the day-to-day care of the patient. The MIBG room will have a giant viewing window and a close-circuit monitor for staff to have constant video access – and even remote access – to the patient. Area organizations and businesses are helping fund items such as parent gift baskets, iPads for the patients and specialized sheets that patients can choose upon their arrival. 

“There is a lot of support in Charlotte with the Isabella Santos Foundation, other wonderful organizations and from throughout our community to create a welcoming, positive and comfortable experience for the patients,” said Dawn. “This is an exciting time for the Isabella Santos Foundation and Levine Children’s Hospital.”

We are looking for individuals who want to be part of providing comfortable care for the kids/families that go through MIBG Treatment. Our MIBG Ambassador Program gives you the flexibility of raising $5,000 the way you want to raise it… 100% of funds raised through this program will be distributed very specifically through our LCH partnership with this very targeted MIBG purpose. {You do not have to be located in Charlotte to participate, contact Tia for details}

 

MIBG Ambassador: Melissa Scanlon

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Gemma & Melissa Scanlon

Last year, a little girl named Gemma Scanlon was diagnosed with Wilms tumor (a pediatric kidney cancer) on her 3rd birthday.  Instead of blowing out candles, the Scanlon’s family was faced with their daughter having cancer.  

Gemma received amazing care at Levine Children’s Hospital.  Dr. Pope and her team took care of their family with compassion and made a very difficult time so much easier.  The Scanlon’s were very grateful that their daughter’s cancer responded well to treatment, and just over one year they are seeing clear CT scans.

“I know the reason we have a great treatment protocol is because someone else raised money, did clinical trials and built facilities because the funding is sadly very limited.  It’s our turn to help the families that don’t have good options yet.  The ISF MIBG Ambassador program is designed to do just that.” 

Melissa is one of our MIBG Ambassadors through the Isabella Santos Foundation, fundraising to help make a difference. She is committed to help raise $5,000, knowing that it will help other families who are battling pediatric cancers right here in Charlotte.

“You can literally see the MIBG room being built uptown.  Kids in the Carolinas battling cancer will have better options for treatment here at home and that is awesome.”

MIBG Ambassador

Levine Children’s Hospital will now be 1 of 20 hospitals (and the first in the region) to have a MIBG Treatment room in the U.S.  The two-room MIBG suite, which will include a lead-lined patient room and an anteroom for parents and caregivers, will provide targeted radiation to pediatric neuroblastoma patients and other rare pediatric cancers with minimal side effects.  As the new MIBG treatment suite continues to progress under construction, we want to ensure that we are preparing for the kids and families who will be entering this program.  New in 2018, we have developed a fundraising program focused on MIBG Therapy – the MIBG Ambassador.  Our goal for 2018 is to have 20 members collectively raising $100,000 for this initiative.  If you are interested in becoming an MIBG Ambassador, please email info@isabellasantosfoundation.org.  

MIBG Treatment Room Construction Begins at Levine Children’s Hospital

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How satisfying is it to see your $1 MILLION worth in donations at work? To be able to touch and see the impact your dollars have on kids with cancer is immeasurable. Dawn (MIBG Therapy Program Director) and Lindsay (MIBG Head RN) stopped by the Levine Children’s Hospital ISF MIBG construction site to view the first steps of construction. Demo of the current hospital rooms where the MIBG treatment area will reside are underway, with the heavy demo starting today. We look forward to sharing progress photos and watching your impact unfold.

Levine Children’s Hospital will be 1 of 20 hospitals to have a MIBG Treatment room in the U.S. The two-room MIBG suite will provide targeted radiation to pediatric neuroblastoma patients and other rare pediatric cancers with minimal side effects. This will impact kids fighting cancer beyond the greater Charlotte region. Continue reading about the ISF MIBG room.

We are looking for individuals who want to be part of providing comfortable care for the kids/families that go through MIBG Treatment. Our new MIBG Ambassador Program gives you the flexibility of raising $5,000 the way you want to raise it… 100% of funds raised through this program will be distributed very specifically through our LCH partnership with this very targeted MIBG purpose. {You do not have to be located in Charlotte to participate, contact Tia for details}