The Best Place for Kids, Especially Their Own

Each year, more than 500,000 children come to Le Bonheur for care. Included in those numbers are hundreds of kids whose parents work at Le Bonheur. These Associates know firsthand that Le Bonheur is the best place for kids and entrust their children’s lives and health to their Le Bonheur colleagues.

Helping Kids Like His Son

Terrence Hamilton, Jr. was diagnosed with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), a genetic disorder that causes noncancerous tumors to grow in organs throughout the body, at 3 days old. He had more tumors on his brain than the doctors at a local hospital near his Louisiana home could count, three inoperable tumors in his heart and polycystic kidney disease, causing multiple tumors on both kidneys.

Terrence Jr. was also diagnosed with a complex form of epilepsy. During his first few years of life, his seizures grew worse to the point where he had 20-30 seizures per day.

Through a fundraiser for TSC, the Hamilton family found Le Bonheur and its Tuberous Sclerosis Center of Excellence. As a specialist in medical imaging, Terrence Hamilton, Sr. witnessed firsthand the expert care his son was receiving at Le Bonheur.

The Hamiltons traveled back and forth to Memphis several times a month from their Louisiana home until Terrence Jr.’s seizures worsened. In 2018, the Hamilton family dropped everything and moved their lives to Memphis so Terrence Jr. could be closer to the expert care he needed at Le Bonheur. Terrence Sr. was inspired by the care his son had received and became a senior radiology tech at Le Bonheur.

Terrence Sr. is greatly involved in assisting his son and other children when facing anxiety related to imaging procedures.

“I got into radiology so I could be closely aware, and he was able to return home the day after the
operation."

“I tell anybody, coming to Le Bonheur was the best decision we ever made. To see him thrive even with all he’s dealing with has been a huge blessing,” said Latrice Hamilton, Terrence Jr.’s mom.

The family now waits, filled with hope that the surgery will provide Terrence Jr. with some relief from seizures. In a few months, if the results are positive, Terrence Jr. would return to the operating room to remove additional tumors, also via laser ablation.

Now, Terrence Jr. is getting back in the ring — literally and figuratively. He recently held a boxing event to raise money for a seizure alert dog, of course, named Rocky. The Hamilton family also volunteers their time to help others with TSC, epilepsy and autism.

Caring for Kids with Compassion

In 2007, Nicole Wright and her husband, Kirk, were overjoyed to welcome their daughter, Hallie. Excitement soon turned to fear when Hallie was diagnosed with a life-threatening condition, as her esophagus was not properly connected to her stomach. When Hallie was 4 days old, Trey Eubanks, MD, FACS, who currently serves as Le Bonheur’s president, performed life-saving surgery.

The surgery was a success and Hallie spent time recovering in Le Bonheur’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). During Hallie’s NICU stay, Nicole was inspired and shared with Kirk her desire to become a nurse so she could help patients and families like theirs.

Nicole enrolled in nursing school and, in 2011, fulfilled her dream of becoming a nurse at Le Bonheur. That same year, Hallie swallowed a dime and underwent surgery at Le Bonheur to have it removed from her esophagus.

Yet an X-ray showed something more concerning than a dime: Hallie had a curved spine and was diagnosed with scoliosis. Hallie was monitored for the condition, and in 2019, Derek Kelly, MD, performed a successful spinal fusion surgery that led to an admission at Le Bonheur. Once again, Hallie received expert care and Nicole knew her daughter was in the best hands.

“Having a child as a patient has made me a more compassionate nurse,” Nicole said. “I believe that my experience as a parent taught me to not only communicate with words but with presence and reassurance during a difficult time in the patient's and family’s lives. When you are caring for a child, you’re not only caring for them but for the entire family.”

Today, Nicole serves as the manager of Le Bonheur’s Urology Clinic. During her 14 years at Le Bonheur, Nicole has achieved many milestones along the way, including receiving a Daisy Award as the result of a nomination from a patient's family for the outstanding nursing care she provided.

“My daughter Hallie inspires me the most,” Nicole said. “She has faced so many obstacles in her life and never let any of them stop her from accomplishing her goals.”

First, Hallie inspired her mom to become a nurse; now, Hallie plans to follow in her mom’s health care footsteps and attend medical school.

This past summer, Hallie took the first step in that journey and shadowed Dr. Kelly so she could help more kids like herself in the future.

A Family-Based Approach

Courtney and Webb Smith were over the moon to be expecting their first child. Midway through the pregnancy, the excitement turned to shock and concern when they learned their son would be born with spina bifida.

Luckily, Le Bonheur’s top-ranked Neuroscience Institute was there. After Carter was born, he was transferred to Le Bonheur’s NICU.

Carter underwent multiple surgeries and clinical visits, and along the way, the Smiths built strong relationships with Le Bonheur specialists and nurses, creating a true partnership and team approach to Carter’s care.

During Carter’s first few years of life, Webb decided to pursue his PhD in Kinesiology and Exercise Science at the University of Mississippi. During that time, the Smiths welcomed their second son, Cohen, now 11 years old.

Inspired by Carter, Webb joined Le Bonheur’s Healthy Lifestyles Clinic as a clinical exercise physiologist in 2014.

“I love the family approach at Le Bonheur,” Webb said. “We have been involved in Carter’s care every step of the way and have been part of the decision-making process.”

Working at Le Bonheur has been a chance for Webb to not only pursue his passion for combating childhood obesity in Memphis, but to be a part of the hospital that has helped Carter through his journey.

Webb’s influence extends beyond his role as a clinical exercise physiologist. Patient families often seek Webb’s guidance and ask questions about his experience as a parent.

”I have an appreciation of some of the barriers and challenges that exist for patients and their families and I have a unique perspective on how to solve them,” Webb said. ”I’m happy to draw upon my own experiences and serve as a mentor to families at Le Bonheur.”

While Webb was initially focused solely on caring for obesity patients, he now works with Heart Institute and endocrinology patients, too. Webb helps kids get healthy not only for upcoming surgeries, but for the rest of their lives as he works to advance physical exercise as part of clinical treatment plans.

“I have opportunities at Le Bonheur to do things that have pushed some of what we know about kids in the exercise environment,” Webb said. “Other centers are curious about how we are able to solve these problems because we have helped change how people view physical conditioning in the medical environment.”

While Webb continues to make a difference in the lives of kids and their families at Le Bonheur, his biggest Le Bonheur inspiration continues to excel. Today, 16-year-old Carter is a thriving high school student who has undergone more than 30 surgeries and comes to Le Bonheur annually for appointments.