Vincent Forseth, 12, received a heart transplant at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin a week before his seventh birthday. He was selected for his courage to represent Wisconsin for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Champions program in 2011. Vincent was the first child in the Midwest to receive a Berlin Heart, a ventricular assist device, to keep him going until a donor heart could be found. Champions like Vincent have dealt with a wide variety of injuries and illnesses. A special ceremony was held for Vincent Wednesday at a Walmart store in Madison, where he was surprised with a $500 shopping card, a performance from the University of Wisconsin marching band and a football jersey from his favorite coach, Bret Bielema.

The Champions travel for a week in October. First they go to Washington, where they meet with their state senators on Capitol Hill and the President during a visit to the White House. From Washington, they take a private chartered flight, to Orlando, Fla. There, champions meet Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals sponsors, hospital representatives and media partners who all convene to celebrate a year of medical miracles during the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Celebration event at Walt Disney World Resort.

Vincent shared his excitement in a note to our readers:
It feels great to go on a vacation and I feel lucky to have been picked to go. I am really excited to go to Disney World. I want to go to water parks, meet Mickey Mouse and meet lots of new friends who were very sick like me. In Washington, I can’t wait to meet President Obama and to see all of the monuments. I will try to do a good job of helping CMN raise lots of money to help all of the sick kids and hopefully there will be no more sick kids to help.

View pictures from Vincent’s adventures:

Champions is a Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals program that brings attention to the important work being done at its 170 children’s hospitals. It does this by honoring 51 remarkable kids who have faced severe medical challenges and helping them tell their stories. Today, Vincent plays soccer, football, baseball, basketball and more.

- Keri Brunelle, Fundraising Manager for Chldren’s Hospital and Health System Foundation

A friend of mine was lamenting recently that the Green Bay Packers winning the Super Bowl should have united the entire state for at least 6 months. He was shocked by how quickly the euphoria faded.  It’s been such a volatile, eventful year that the streamers littering the field in Dallas, Texas seems like a distant memory. Since that joyous day when the Lombardi trophy was awarded, Wisconsin has become a state divided. Budget repair, recalls, recounts, petitions, protests are all words that have become part of our everyday vernacular. And even the most beloved football team in America couldn’t help us forget just how nasty things have been for those of us who live behind the cheddar curtain.

So, if the Packers can’t unite us, who can? The answer can be found in Isaiah 11:6 (and I will readily admit I had to look that up : ) “and a little child shall lead them.”

If there’s one thing I know about the people of this fine state, it’s that we take care of those in need. Especially our kids. Each and every year, for over 25 years, I watched in awe as hundreds of volunteers united to make the ‘KLH Christmas is for Kids party happen. Wisconsin ranks among the top states in the USA for volunteering. It’s just this simple; we know when it’s time to step up and make a difference. I’ve seen it time and time again. When an elderly neighbor needs help shoveling out after a storm, we help. It’s simply a matter of humanity. We have an innate ability to know when it’s time to step up.

This is that time. When it comes to our kids, it doesn’t matter if you’re a member of a Union or a Tea Party. Politics, race, color, creed, country of origin; none of that matters to a sick child. “And a little child shall lead them.” Those little children are what the Miracle Marathon is all about. It’s about understanding that, despite everything that’s going on around us, you have been given a tangible, legitimate, and meaningful opportunity to affect the future of a sweet, innocent child. Looking for something to bring us all together? How about the innocence, purity and unconditional love of a child?

And as you tune in to 96.5 WKLH and listen to the Miracle Marathon (May 26-27), keep this in mind: “There but for the grace of God (go I).”

Donate here.

~ Dave Luczak, 96.5 WKLH

I’m writing this on May 17, my daughter’s 22nd birthday. May is a busy month for my family. There’s Mother’s Day, Elizabeth’s birthday, my wedding anniversary and, of course, the Miracle Marathon. It’s a month totally consumed with families, mine and otherwise.

This will be the 14th Miracle Marathon for Dave and me. Every year, we get to meet new families, new patients, new kids and new doctors, and we get to visit with some old ones, too.  Every year, I learn something new and it’s not always a good thing. Every year, there is a new illness, a new problem and always a new loss.

I approach each Miracle Marathon with slight trepidation because I never know what the new year will bring. But, the one certain that I always walk away with as the marathon ends is that family is everything. In this time of great uncertainty, the one constant always is family.

When you become a parent, it is one of the greatest days of your life. You dream of the future and the days to come and wonder what your child will grow up to be and how your family will blossom. You never dream of sickness and disease or struggle and pain.

Unfortunately, these are the issues facing many families and patients at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. It’s a terrible thing to be told that your child is ill. It’s the beginning of a terrible journey, and the future is so uncertain. Every parent wants to just wave a magic wand and make it all go away. It’s your child. It’s your family.

I have great admiration for the doctors and caregivers here at Children’s. There is no task too great, no request too big or too small. This is a hospital made for the specific purpose of healing families. It is an amazing thing to watch and an amazing thing to experience. We all try to be the best parents we can be, but sometimes we need some help along the way, and I’m grateful that Children’s is here. The people at Children’s know what we as parents don’t, and they are here to help with situations we can’t fix. They’re family.

So, on this special day – my daughter’s 22nd birthday – I salute the families and the patients and the doctors and caregivers. I’m glad that they are a part of my family, too.

-Carole Caine, WKLH 96.5.

Ignore your teeth and they will simply go away. Sad, but true. Ignore the problem of access to dental care and the problem will NOT go away. Sad, but true.

Pictured (from left): Tom Barrett, mayor, City of Milwaukee; Carol Keintz, executive director, Next Door Foundation; Willie L. Hines, Jr. alderman and Milwaukee Common Council president; Bob Duncan, executive vice president, Community Services, Children's Hospital and Health System; Bevin K. Baker, commissioner of health, City of Milwaukee.

Everyday, Milwaukee families struggle to find dental care for their children. That’s why improving access to dental care is a top priority for Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. What began many years ago as a quiet conversation about bringing dental care to the most underserved of neighborhoods now is a reality. On Monday, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, in collaboration with the Next Door Foundation, opened its pediatric primary care and dental center.

It would be an understatement if I said I was anything short of being thrilled at the potential that lies within this opportunity. By partnering with the Next Door Foundation, Children’s Hospital has the chance to address the dental and medical issues that exist within the city. We’re partnering with our colleagues to ensure that every child has the medical, dental and educational support they need.

Rarely are we given the chance to make such a significant impact on the lives of children in so many ways. Since dental health can dramatically influence overall health, we must identify children who are at risk and provide preventive care as early as age 1. Since we know a child with chronic dental pain may be a child who cannot learn, we need to provide services so they can succeed in school.

It’s about teeth, but it’s about so much more. It’s about establishing a presence within the community so families know their children are our priority. Baby teeth come and go. The impact of establishing a medical-dental home for every child will last a lifetime.

~ Lori Barbeau, DDS, is the medical director for Dental Surgery at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.

Home can be a great place for families to exercise together – especially when the clouds and rain make it difficult to get outside. However, the Consumer Product Safety Commission says more than 25,000 kids are injured by home exercise equipment every year. It is important for families to learn how to use home exercise equipment safely.

Treadmills
Treadmills are a top safety hazard. Children are fascinated by treadmills and want to imitate their parents by walking on them. On a moving treadmill, children can slip and fall, get clothing or hair caught in the belt or sustain burns from the moving belt.

Children younger than 10 should not use a treadmill. Children older than 10 should be watched closely while using a treadmill. When not in use, the activation key should be placed out of reach and the treadmill should be unplugged. If possible, the room where the treadmill is located should be locked.

Weightlifting equipment
Weightlifting equipment also can put children at risk for injury through misuse. Until children are preteens, they should use only body weight or resistance bands for strength training. Children do not have the understanding of their limits that is required for controlled weight training. This can lead to overuse or trauma injuries. A child also can easily get a hand caught in the pulleys of weight equipment.

To prevent weightlifting injuries, place weights in a locked cabinet or room so children do not have access to them. Instruct preteens and teens in proper weight training techniques. Parents should seek information through the school gym teacher, a fitness instructor or athletic trainer.

Other safety tips
In general, parents should not wear headphones while exercising to be more aware of the environment. This can help prevent children from sneaking up and getting hands caught in pedaling bicycles, treadmill belts or plates of weight-training equipment. Parents also should explain that exercise equipment is for adults only.

~ Stacy Stolzman, MPT, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin