TODAY news - Jan. 16, 2003 - Loma Linda University Children's Hospital news

Thursday, January 16, 2003 TODAY

Loma Linda University Children's Hospital news

Santa Dogg donates gifts to ChildrenÕs Hospital on the night before Christmas

After reading Twas the Night Before Christmas, Snoop Dogg (right) signs autographs for the children, including (from left) Ronny Jaouhari, Nakia Ball with her daughter, Alisa, and Anthony Petta.

“Ho, ho, ho!” wasn’t heard from Santa Claus, but from Santa Dogg on Christmas eve. Famed rapper Snoop Dogg drove up to Children’s Hospital in his Snoop mobile, a blue and white Lincoln Town Car. He was met by a herd of media, employees, security, and fans standing in front.

Excitement filled unit 4800 as Snoop Dogg, who called himself “Santa Dogg” that night, walked out of the media-filled elevator and strolled down the hall. After signing the Christmas bulletin board, the entertainer read Twas the Night Before Christmas (with a hint of rap in his tone) to the children gathered in Cub Den, a little corner of the unit. Then, he personalized and autographed pictures of himself for the children.

After that, the multi-platinum rapper presented a $5,000 check to Children’s Hospital. The donation came from the first annual Snoop Bowl football game that was held December 19, 2002, in Long Beach. Snoop Dogg and his all-star team, mainly rappers and comedians, played against the Enforcers, the Inland Empire Police Department’s football team.

Originally, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) was scheduled to play in Snoop Bowl, but a few days before the game, the LAPD had to cancel. That’s when the Enforcers were asked to play. Despite having less than one week to practice, they agreed to the match.

Snoop Dogg pushes the gurney covered with Christmas gifts he brought for the children at the Hospital.

Although Snoop Dogg’s team won the game—33-21—the children at LLUCH would agree that both teams are champions. All the proceeds from the Inland Empire Enforcers’ games go to Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital. Snoop Dogg’s Save A Life Foundation plans to donate proceeds from the Snoop Bowl to a different hospital each year to benefit sick children.

“It’s just a regular day for me,” says Snoop Dogg. “I’ll always give back, it just happens to be Christmas eve.”

In addition to the $5,000, Snoop Dogg also handed out personally selected Christmas gifts to the children in the pediatric cancer unit. A gurney full of toys followed Santa Dogg as the rapper brought smiles in every room, talking and taking pictures with each patient. In return, he received cards and other Christmas surprises from thankful and happy children.

“I love doing it,” states Snoop Dogg. “I love doing this for the children.”
After making his rounds, Snoop Dogg left the hospital, only to be greeted by a flock of fans in the lobby. Despite security surrounding him, the popular rapper gave a few autographs to some lucky fans.

Before taking off, Snoop Dogg said, “I like to give. It’s better to give than to receive, and I hope everyone has a happy holiday!”

[More pictures]

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Growing Fit Clinic gets $166,000 grant to help expand program

Stephanie Norman (center), 12, tells of her experience in the Growing Fit program, as Andrew Yanez, 14, waits to do the same after Kiti Freier, PhD, introduced them.

Loma Linda University’s Growing Fit Clinic and Primary Provider Management Company (PPMC) of Riverside unveiled a new effort to combat the growing epidemic of childhood obesity on December 17, 2002. Supported by a generous grant of $166,000 from Health Net of California, the effort will strengthen obesity awareness and prevention among the healthy families population.

With an estimated 25 percent of the country’s children overweight, pediatric obesity has become a national epidemic. The Growing Fit Clinic’s pediatric obesity demonstration project will help overweight children develop the lifestyle habits that will help them lose weight, eat healthfully, exercise regularly, and enjoy healthier, happier lives.

Senior representatives from each of the organizations included Dave Meadows, Health Net vice president of state health programs; Sean O’Brien, Health Net director of operations, state health programs; Kim Jacobs-Tuck, Health Net director of provider relations, state health programs; John Mace, MD, professor of pediatrics, chair of department of pediatrics, School of Medicine; W. Barton Rippon, PhD, dean, Graduate School and School of Pharmacy; Kiti Freier, PhD, associate professor of psychiatry and pediatrics, director of the Growing Fit Clinic; Robert W. Dukes, MD, chairman and CEO, PPMC; Jay Zybelman, president, PPMC; Buddy Voit, chief financial officer, PPMC; and Helene Beilman, executive vice president, PPMC.

Growing Fit, a clinic for obese and overweight children, came about because of the recognition of the growing problem of pediatric obesity.

The vision to begin a program for pediatric obesity was promoted by Dr. Mace and Ravindra Rao, MD, chief of the division of general pediatrics. Larry Yin, MD, pediatrician, founder and initiator of Growing Fit, recognized the need for this vision and developed it into a reality. Dr. Yin believed that a behavioral approach was the best method to address pediatric obesity and that the clinic should be in a place separate from the hospital.

He felt that families should see people of all different backgrounds and shapes assembling at Drayson Center, Loma Linda University’s physical fitness center, to workout. Thus, in late 1997 Dr. Yin invited Kiti Freier, PhD, pediatric psychologist; Brian Haddock, public health and exercise physiologist; and Barbara Dickinson, MS, clinical dietician, nutrition services, LLUMC, to join him in developing and shaping the Growing Fit Clinic. Growing Fit then began to offer services to children early in 1998.

The combination of a physical fitness center for the exercise program, nutrition classes, a behavioral support group, and pediatric follow-up has allowed for a comprehensive and collaborative approach to pediatric obesity. Further, the name of the clinic, Growing Fit, exemplifies the mission and underlying purpose of the clinic and its staff and promotes Loma Linda University’s motto “to make man whole.” Growing Fit is not about being overweight per se but represents a living goal to develop within children a mindset of continued pursuit of whole-person fitness. The spirit of the Growing Fit Clinic is based on the desire to have a place for families to come and congregate, exercise together, and learn together.

By using a physical fitness center it was hoped that the children would not see exercise as a punishment due to their weight size, but rather have the experience that exercise is a part of wholeness and a way of life for many people.

Growing Fit’s exercise program was designed to be fun and improve not only endurance but also fine motor and gross motor skills. It is based on games and adaptations to existing games so as to promote participation from all members of the family.

The nutrition component is vital in supporting the parents in what foods to make available to their children and in teaching the children how to make choices in their eating behavior. The goal is not to provide a litany of what cannot be eaten but rather to teach children how to think about portion size and the cost-benefit or trade offs that occur when they choose what to eat.

The process of growing fit is not diet and exercise alone but requires that attention be given to psychosocial well-being also. Thus, Growing Fit has included a counseling component which is conducted via a semi-structured support group. While the emphasis is on positive well-being and promotes discussion and problem-solving strategies for exercise, nutrition, and emotional health, the children are encouraged to discuss any factors which are currently a part of their growing fit journey. The counseling unit also has offered opportunities for both children and parents to discuss strategies to work towards their growing fit goals.

The medical component is a key factor to addressing the current physical health and the potential improvement in the physical condition of the children who attend Growing Fit. Thus the physician is integral to developing the individual goals for each child’s Growing Fit goal.

All the components of Growing Fit support each other in its mission to try and enlighten both kids and adults. More importantly, it provides children with the tools or experiences that will promote behavior change. It will also empower parents by giving them tools to change behavior not only in themselves but also in their children.

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Chaplain’s office performs Christmas program at LLU Children’s Hospital

Chatty (left) offers yet another type of love, with strings attached, to Chuckles who can’t afford it.

On December 16, 2002, Saul Silva, Children’s Hospital chaplain, coordinated “A Christmas Celebration” for patients of Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, along with the help of several performers from inside and outside the hospital.

The chaplain’s office held the program in rooms 1830 and 1832. Full of singing, clowns, a puppet skit, a storyteller, and a live Nativity scene, the program was also televised live by the audiovisual department for patients unable to attend.

Chatty and Chuckles, the Clowns, kicked the program off as the first act. Chatty’s and Chuckles’ presentation helped kids grasp God’s unconditional love. Chatty tried to give several different kinds of love (represented by ornate signs with bright red strings tied on) to Chuckles, but they all came with strings attached. She finally offered God’s love, which had no requirements.

Chaplain Silva led the kids in singing Christmas songs afterward, and they all used the clapper noise-makers given to them as they entered the room to express their joy.

Following the singing, several administrators, nurses, and doctors all wished the kids a Merry Christmas via a video Christmas card.

Later, Betsy Jabola, a ventriloquist, told the story of Katy and Houston to illustrate that “the most important part of a gift is the giver.” Katy couldn’t afford the expensive Lego® set Houston wanted, and he was upset with the scarf she made him. But it all turned out well as the scarf kept Houston warm as he and his friends went to the mountains for some fun in the snow.

The last act of the program was the live Nativity scene that illustrated the Christmas story as Roland Silva, a clinical therapist from the Behavioral Medicine Center, narrated.

The program ended with everyone singing “Silent Night” and a prayer by Leslie Young, program director for Children’s Hospital. Each of the kids at the program were then able to place an ornament on the Christmas tree with their Christmas wishes and prayers on them. After all were gone, the remaining staff gathered in a circle near the tree and lifted those recently placed requests up in prayer.

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Celebrities celebrate Christmas with LLUCH

Singer and actors Lisa Foiles (left) and Josh Martinez give pediatric patient, Tamara Hines, a Christmas present as they visit ChildrenÕs Hospital on Christmas day.

Christmas at LLU Children’s Hospital brought more than just gifts. Celebrities visited the children and gave them Christmas presents.

On Christmas eve, KFRG-95.1 disk jockey, Hoppy, dressed up as Santa Claus to hand out presents with his elves, John Urbuch, producer, and Corissa Hillius, listener service representative. Prior to their visit, KFRG announced their plan to go to Children’s Hospital and asked listeners to help by donating gifts. The response was great. They received 70 calls in just 5 minutes.

“ We had a great time,” says Hoppy. “We look forward to doing it again.”

KFRG and Children’s Hospital greatly appreciate the individuals for their donations.

On Christmas day, Lisa Foiles and Josh Martinez came to Children’s Hospital to visit with the children and pass out gifts. Lisa Foiles is a young dancer, singer, and actress who appears every Saturday night on Nickelodeon’s “All That.” Josh Martinez is a singer and actor who opened for country artist Brad Paisley. He is seen on “General Hospital” and was a guest star in Disney’s “Lizzie McGuire.”

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Foothill optimist delivers teddy bears to LLU Children’s Hospital

On December 23, 2002, Foothill Optimist and two other local clubs, North Hollywood in Action and Burbank Noon, delivered National Childhood Cancer Foundation (NCCF) bears to inpatient children at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital.

The Foothill club is a fairly young club of only five years, but all members are very active in various programs. Eloise Catalano, chair for the Childhood Cancer Campaign, introduced the National Childhood Cancer Foundation’s “Adopt-a-Teddy” bear program to the Foothill club.

“ Everyone fell in love with the concept,” Ms. Catalano says. “It was a slow start, but with the help of our members and a local youth group, we began to raise money.”

All proceeds from the bears ($50 a bear) go directly to NCCF for childhood cancer research.

The clubs brought along Santa and his elves to help with the delivery.

“ These are children that may not be able to visit malls to tell Santa what they want for Christmas, so we brought Santa to them,” smiles Ms. Catalano.

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Thursday, January 16, 2003 TODAY