In 2021, the surgeon general warned of an emerging national youth mental health crisis. Yet, even as awareness grows, 1 in 5 adolescents report a lack of mental health support.  

"Mental health drives quality of life. It's also associated with your risk of chronic diseases, like heart disease," says Dr. Brian Lynch, a pediatrician at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. "Mental health during adolescence predicts mental health as an adult, so it's a critical time to intervene."  

The challenges affecting Mayo Clinic communities reflect nationwide trends.  

Mental health was identified as a key priority in the most recent Community Health Needs Assessments for Mayo Clinic in Florida, Mayo Clinic in Rochester and many Mayo Clinic Health System sites.  

Among young people, girls are experiencing especially high rates of anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts — nearly twice the rate of boys.  

"The stressors of peers, family expectations, social media — these seem to be affecting girls differently," says Dr. Lynch, the Community Health Needs Assessment physician director for Olmsted County, Minnesota, which includes Rochester. "It's a major concern."  

Through community grants and volunteer efforts, Mayo Clinic supports two organizations that help girls build confidence, coping skills and resilience. 

Pace Center for Girls in Florida 

When girls arrive at the Pace Center for Girls, they're often struggling academically, socially, emotionally — or all three. At each of the center's 16 Florida locations, the Reach Program provides no-cost counseling wherever girls feel most comfortable, whether at home, the library or a local park. 

"We believe all girls, regardless of their story, deserve safe, supportive spaces to heal and help them become strong, compassionate and successful women," says Erica Wortherly, the Reach Program director.  

Many of the girls, ages 11–17, have experienced life-altering challenges, such as sexual abuse, trafficking and homelessness. Some have a parent who is incarcerated or absent due to substance use. Nearly all wouldn't have access to mental health care without Pace.   

Given these complex needs, counseling alone isn't always enough. A 2026 Mayo Clinic Community Contributions grant has enabled Pace to offer psychiatric services — diagnosis, medication management, follow-up visits — at no cost to girls who need it.  

Psychiatric services are also available to participants in Pace's Day Program, which provides academic and mental health services in a classroom setting. 

With Mayo's assistance, "we're helping girls get to know themselves and receive the loving support they need to build relationships, develop healthy coping skills and look toward the future," says Wortherly. "Psychiatric services give that additional level of support."  

Another recent Mayo Clinic grant provided books for the Jacksonville, Florida, center's library, which opened earlier this year and will host a book club for girls in Pace programs.     

Girls on the Run in Minnesota 

Every fall and spring, hundreds of girls gather near Mayo Clinic in Rochester for the Girls on the Run 5K. But before they start running or walking, they need "happy hair." 

"The girls use all those fun hairsprays — pink, red, blue — to color their hair," says Amanda Neve, a pediatric nurse supervisor at Mayo Clinic in Rochester and coach for Heart & Sole, the Girls on the Run program for middle schoolers. "A lot of times, they make their running buddy do it too." 

The result? Dads with neon beards and moms with rainbow hair running alongside their girls.  

This nontimed event caps off the Girls on the Run season, which combines physical activity with social-emotional learning for girls in grades 3–8. In addition to the Rochester race, 5Ks are held in the Twin Cities and Duluth, Minnesota.  

This year, a Mayo Clinic Community Contributions grant provided scholarships for the after-school program, giving more girls the opportunity to learn about boundary-setting, relationships and emotional regulation while forming new friendships.    

"At first, they're often hesitant to talk," says Neve. "By the end of the season, they open up a lot more and have the skills to handle scenarios in real life."  

The race reinforces this confidence in a tangible way.  

Kristi Pogatchnik, the development director for the Girls on the Run Minnesota council, recalls one girl who exclaimed, "I'm a doer!" at the end of the event. When her dad asked why, she explained that she'd always thought of herself as a watcher. Now, she knew that wasn't true.  

This inner shift exemplifies the Girls on the Run mission.  

"When they cross that finish line, it's like, 'Wow, I just did that. What else can I do?'" says Pogatchnik. "It takes a whole community to support girls in this way. We're so grateful for all that Mayo does."  

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Mayo Clinic Children's in Rochester is one of only 20 hospitals nationwide to earn a ranking in all 11 pediatric specialties in U.S. News & World Report’s 2025–26 "Best Children’s Hospitals."  This distinction reflects broad-based excellence across the full spectrum of children's care and the strength of the team-based Mayo Clinic Model of Care.

In U.S. News & World Report's regional analysis, Mayo Clinic Children's is again ranked No. 1 in Minnesota for the fifth consecutive year and tied for No. 3 in the Midwest, which includes Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska and Ohio.

"Being recognized across all 11 pediatric specialties and among the top children's hospitals in the Midwest is an extraordinary honor," says Amie Jones, M.D., interim chair for Mayo Clinic Children's. "These achievements highlight the depth and breadth of our expertise and are a testament to the collaboration, innovation and compassion that define the Mayo Clinic Model of Care."

Adding to this recognition, Mayo Clinic Children's was recently named among the world's best by Newsweek in its 2026 "World’s Best Specialized Hospitals" report. The ranking places Mayo Clinic among the highest-ranked pediatrics specialties worldwide, at No. 16 globally.

"Families turn to Mayo Clinic Children's from across the region and around the world because of our ability to bring together specialists from every field to care for the most complex conditions," Dr. Jones says. "We are proud of our teams, whose commitment and dedication ensure children receive the very best chance at healing, hope and lifelong health."

Mayo Clinic is the medical center most recognized as a top choice for patients and families by U.S. News & World Report, Newsweek and many other ranking organizations, and is the only healthcare organization that consistently ranks among the top providers nationwide regardless of the quality measures used.

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DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I have two sons, ages 5 and 11. My eldest is always excited to start school and have new adventures. My younger son will begin kindergarten this year. Although he went to child care part-time, my younger son has begun to express concern about being away from me all day and is showing increased anxiety as we talk about school. How can I help him be less anxious?

ANSWER: Getting ready for a new school year can be exciting for children, parents and caregivers. It may also be a major cause of anxiety or stress. 

Most people get nervous when they face change. Whether kids are heading off to elementary, middle or high school, or even college, leaving the safety and familiarity of home can prompt feelings of fear. 

One of the most helpful things you can do is reassure your son that what he's feeling is normal. Separation anxiety happens to many people of all ages. Then, as much as possible, help him gradually gain exposure to, and get comfortable with, going to school. 

Talking through fears

Try to gain a sense of what it is about school that makes your son nervous. Is he concerned about making new friends? Is he concerned about the teachers? Is he worried about the classwork? Is there something new that may be causing anxiety, like riding a bus? Sometimes, just being able to talk about those details and put the nervousness into words can help a child who is feeling anxious. 

Continuing to show love, support and warmth can go a long way. Share with your son an experience you had when you were anxious about facing something new. Talk to him about how you handled the situation. Ask your older child to share some experiences and how he overcame his fears. Doing this will let your younger child know that he is not alone in the situation, that it is OK to be nervous, and he can get through it. 

Preparing ahead of time

To help your son prepare for school, talk to him about what his school day might be like. You could also visit the school to meet his teachers, take a tour of his classroom, see the playground, or even locate the bus stop. If your son is nervous about getting on the school bus, call the transportation department to see if he can meet the bus driver early. 

Another idea is to find social opportunities with other incoming kindergarten students. Reach out to parents of children in your neighborhood who will be going to school for the first time. Then, plan a social gathering at a local playground. 

A week or two before school starts, develop a routine. Begin to wake up early and get ready on time. Also, consider practicing some schoolwork. You can get your older child involved in sharing his thoughts about what was the best part of school when he was that age. 

Spending time apart

Begin by spending some time away from your son. Maybe it's having your child go to a friend's home for an hour. Then, slowly increase the time away from your son so that he has an opportunity to feel comfortable being with others for longer periods of time. 

All of these steps will help him know what to expect, prepare him gradually for what school will be like, and ease the transition. This approach is based on one of the core principles of treating anxiety. That is, when you are frightened of something that is not dangerous, you need to have practice dealing with the source of your fear until it becomes routine or boring. You cannot be talked out of anxiety. You need exposure to, and experience in, dealing with the situation. 

If your child is resistant to the attempts you are making, or if his anxiety doesn't decrease even after you've taken these steps, talk with your pediatrician or primary care clinician about seeing a healthcare professional who can help. Books on coaching for anxiety can also be a resource. Anxiety is a normal part of life that can't be completely eliminated, but many successful strategies can reduce anxiety and how often it causes problems.

Stephen Whiteside, Ph.D., Psychology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 

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After more than 22 months at Mayo Clinic Children's, 13-year-old Ava Weitl went home to Iowa. She and her family were met with tears and cheers as dozens of members from her care team, who are now considered friends of the family, said goodbye and wished her well. 

This was a day Ava had been looking forward to after a long journey with heart failure, two lifesaving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) therapies, a heart transplant, kidney failure and a kidney transplant. 

Watch: 13-year old Ava Weitl leaves Mayo Clinic Children's after a 22-month hospital stay

Journalists: Broadcast-quality natsound video is in the downloads at the end of the post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic."

Born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), a life-threatening condition where the left side of the heart is severely underdeveloped, Ava faced three open-heart surgeries before she would reach her 5th birthday. Within 90 minutes of her birth, her first surgery was performed. Her second surgery was completed months later, but the third, typically required for HLHS patients between the ages of 3 and 4, was not possible due to other medical concerns. 

For a handful of years, Ava's care team monitored her to see what her body would do. During that time, Ava felt good and was "defying the odds," as her mom, Christina DeShaw, would say. 

It was in 2021, during third grade, when Ava began to show signs of her heart and lungs struggling. While cardiac catheterization improved the blood flow to her lungs, it was a temporary improvement, and by early 2023, doctors determined a heart transplant was her only option.

Officially listed for a heart transplant in February 2023, Ava's condition worsened, leading to hospitalization at Mayo Clinic in September 2023. That hospital stay was the start of her long journey of constant monitoring and tests, and it wasn’t easy on her family as they navigated life split between Minnesota and Iowa. 

In December 2023, Ava's condition took a critical turn. Ava was placed on life-sustaining ECMO, which provides heart and lung support when those organs are failing. Then, Feb. 26, 2024, the call came: a donor heart became available. The surgery was successful, but postoperative challenges arose.

Weeks later, complications with her lungs led to a return to ECMO for three months. She also needed a tracheostomy placed. While trying to save her lungs, her kidney function began to fail, leading to another gift of life — a kidney transplant on Jan. 25, 2025, thanks to a donation from her uncle through a kidney exchange with the National Kidney Registry. 

"She's a walking miracle," her mother says. "We can't even wrap our heads around what she's been through."

Ava is excited to be home with her parents, Christina and Brad, her twin brother, Aiden, and her younger brother, Miles. She says she looks forward to hanging out with friends, going back to school and having a barbecue with her family. 

The post (VIDEO) 13-year-old Ava is home with a new heart, kidney following a 22-month hospital stay  appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

Superheroes took a short break from fighting crime (and grime) to bring joy and smiles to young patients at Mayo Clinic Children's. The team of window washers from the Squeegee Squad in Rochester, Minnesota, dressed up as Batman, Superman and Spider-Man while demonstrating their superpower rappelling skills for children and their families. Afterward, kids had a chance to meet the team of superhero window washers and take photos with their favorite superhero.  

Watch: Superhero window washers brighten day at Mayo Clinic Children's

Journalists: Broadcast-quality video is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network."

Check out these images:

For Cory and his family, it is a gift to be able to give back in a meaningful way and bring joy to young patients currently fighting their own health battles. 

This is a full circle moment for Cory Simonson, who now owns and manages the Squeegee Squad in Rochester, and his son, Carter Simonson.

At the age of 5, Carter was diagnosed with T-cell leukemia and was treated Mayo Clinic Children's. Carter is now 17 years old and remembers the 2014 visit from superheroes when he was hospitalized. 

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On a Saturday evening in September of 2024, Mae Helgeson arrived at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, her small body reeling from the trauma of a life-threatening accident. Although she was intubated and sedated, it didn't take long for the care team to learn what made this little girl special. 

"I distinctly remember meeting her parents — you just immediately felt warmth and love," says Dr. Brenda Schiltz, a physician in Rochester's pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). "I could so clearly understand who Mae was through them."

At age 11, Mae was both an old soul and a spirited child. "She was a petite thing with huge energy," says her mom, Julie Helgeson. "She was a deeply feeling person."

Mae thrived on being outside, photographing birds on her family's property, her favorite field guide in tow. Mae loved to draw. She was learning to play the ukulele. Her passions began to bloom once the family started homeschooling, allowing Mae to learn in her ideal environment — among the trees.

It was obvious to everyone who met the family that they were tight-knit. "You could tell they knew that girl in and out," says Claire Shea, a nurse who cared for Mae early in her stay.

From the beginning, the team focused on incorporating all the things that mattered to Mae. While this is the goal for every patient, the family's well-defined sense of their daughter enabled the PICU staff to honor her in unique ways.

"I often ask parents to tell me about their child. Is there anything you think is important or that I should know about your family?" says Paige Dighton, one of the Child Life specialists who partnered with Mae's family. "This allows them to share the special things — those unique qualities that make them a family. You learn more than just what's in their chart."

What her parents shared influenced everything from the small details — like the hand-colored paper birds the nurses hung in her room — to the most impactful moments — like how Mae would spend her final hours. 

"They held Mae's hopes and dreams alongside the decisions they were making," says Dighton.

Those decisions were the hardest ones her parents have ever faced.

A musical pause

Several days after her arrival, caring for Mae meant providing a moment of reprieve through music.

When her dad, Matt, stopped Maureen Howell in the hallway of the PICU, he shared how much his daughter loved music and invited her to visit. As a music therapist on the Child Life team — usually with a guitar or guitalele strung across her back — Howell was eager to offer whatever support they wanted.    

The hours she spent in that hospital room would prove to be deeply memorable.

"Before my visit, they had gotten some difficult news from neurology," recalls Howell, "There was a weight — a heaviness — in the room."

Part of her role is to adapt her offerings, which range from therapeutic songwriting to guided imagery for pain relief, to meet the needs of the patient. That meant getting to know Mae and her family first.

"We're not just treating and healing physical needs," explains Jennifer Rodemeyer, manager of the Child Life program in Rochester. "We're also treating and healing the emotional needs of families," making care like Howell's so important.

Family photos and Mae's brothers' artwork decorated the hospital room, giving Howell an immediate sense of their connectedness. A few days earlier, Shea — one of the nurses who'd been there the first night — had decorated Mae's orthopedic boots with Sharpie to highlight her favorite things, from art to trees to tacos, while the nurses' vibrant paper birds had transformed the room into a nature scene.  

"We don't just think about the medical things going on in a patient's room," says Shea. "There's a lot of power in seeing them as a person, hearing the stories and bringing that in." Beyond creating a comfortable space for the family, this can help new members of the care team, like Howell, know how to connect.

As she talked with Mae's parents, they shared videos of their daughter playing the ukulele, welcoming Howell into their world. When she asked if she could sing for them, others in the room quietly departed.

It almost felt like time stood still as she strummed song after song, giving Mae's parents the opportunity to simply hold their girl and grieve.

"They were just lying in bed with her — singing along with me at times, crying, just kind of blocking out everything else that was happening," Howell says. "They just took that time to be together."

From "Over the Rainbow" to "Yellow" by Coldplay, Howell adapted her playlist — and in some cases, the song's lyrics — to offer as soothing an experience as possible for Mae's parents.

At a couple points, Julie noticed Matt glancing at her, silently asking if she needed a break. "I was like, 'No, stay,'" says Julie. She didn't want Howell's music — or their moment with Mae — to end. "Maureen created a remarkable, sacred space."

A devastating decision

It was only a couple of days later that Mae's family was faced with the devastating decision they'd hoped to avoid. As the severity of Mae's brain injury became apparent, they realized their daughter wouldn't be coming home. The question shifted from "Can we save her?" to "How do we say goodbye?"

Following their lead, the team began focusing on end-of-life care.

"Dr. Schiltz gave us the space to think and process our emotions — it didn't feel rushed," says Matt. "I think she would have sat there all day with us. There were some pretty long, quiet times with her next to us, which was what we needed."

From the beginning, Julie and Matt had been clear that a meaningful life for Mae would include photographing her beloved birds and enjoying nature.

"Life in that way for Mae was really not negotiable," Julie says. "They supported us following our instincts. To stay true to who we believe Mae is and what she would want."

"Sometimes, we just need to give the families 'permission' to know what's best," says Dighton.

The team also sat down with the extended family to explain Mae's condition, which wasn't always obvious, since she still looked like Mae — a beautiful sprite of a girl with sun-kissed hair.   

"We wanted to make sure that everybody walked away from this awful, tragic situation feeling as at peace as possible," says Dr. Schiltz.

With the guidance of the Child Life team, the parents took their boys — Henrik, 9, and Oscar, 7 — to a nearby park to prepare them, but also to seek their perspective, which they considered as valuable as their own. "I asked them, 'What would feel like a good life for Mae?'" says Julie.

Even as young kids, they knew what their parents did — that a life for Mae was a life spent outdoors. Freedom for Mae meant engaging intimately with the natural world.  

Before heading to the hospital, Henrik and Oscar chose a leaf to give to their sister, which they planned to add to the growing collection of bird feathers clutched tight in her hands.

Back in Mae's room, the boys peered quietly at the medical equipment, soaking it all in. They showed Dighton the leaf they'd found. Too nervous to place it in Mae's hand, they asked their dad to do it — their own quiet goodbye.   

"This family handled everything with such compassion and tenderness," says Dighton. "They were the epitome of creating something beautiful and impactful," while facing the outcome no family wants.

A beautiful goodbye

With the support of the care team, Julie and Matt carried that beauty into Mae's final day.

"When they were ready to take her off life support, they wanted to do it outside," says Dr. Schiltz.

Several days before, the team had brought Mae into a courtyard near the PICU, giving her the fresh air she loved so much. Now, the family wanted to venture farther out to a quiet, grassy knoll on Mayo's grounds. "We found these big, majestic trees — not just one kind, but like four different species," says Matt. He and Julie appreciated the nod to Mae's love of natural diversity.

Dr. Schiltz, Katie Schiltz, a nurse, and Nanette Matzke, a respiratory therapist, were determined to give them this gift. Together, the trio created a plan to transport Mae, along with her ventilator and other medical items they would need to keep her comfortable.

"This is what we do for our kids and families," says Dr. Schiltz. "We will do everything humanly possible to give every child the best possible care. And that care doesn't end because we can't save them."

As the little group wheeled Mae outside, others in the unit came together to show their love and support. "We turned the corner, and every single nurse was lining the hallway," remembers Julie. "I just dropped to the floor. That moment was as challenging as it was beautiful."

After taking Mae to the family's chosen spot, Matt laid his little girl on a blanket spread across their laps under the trees. The team extubated her, and as the ventilator quieted, chickadees and nuthatches flittered nearby. A brave squirrel ventured close to the blanket.

"Nature showed up right when we needed it," says Matt. "We couldn't have hoped for anything else in that moment."

In the stillness of the day, "her parents just held her," recalls Dr. Schiltz. "They spent a couple of hours outside, with the birds and the sunshine coming through the trees. It was as beautiful a situation as you could ever want."

Later the next day, on Sept. 9, 2024, Mae passed away in her room at Saint Marys with her parents by her side.

Remembering Mae

During her time in Mae's room, Howell had watched Julie and Matt listen to their daughter’s heartbeat with a nurse's stethoscope. She'd asked them if they wanted to record the sound.

Their "yes" enabled Howell to care for them in one final way.

When invited to sing at Mae's funeral, Howell suggested a more lasting way to honor her legacy — recording a song with Mae's heartbeat thrumming in the background. The family played the song at the service, an audible reminder illuminating their daughter's boundless, beautiful energy.

The care team has found their own ways of remembering Mae, who left a mark on all their hearts.

"It was so clear that Mae and her family touched so many people and that so many people were able to support them," says Howell. "This was one of the most beautiful examples of that in my time at Mayo."

Many of the staff still cry when they talk about her. When teaching trainees, Dr. Schiltz makes a point to bring up Mae, encouraging them to care for patients the way the PICU team cared for her.

"None of this was because any one individual did something. It was because we had an entire team focused on helping this family," she says. "It was about giving them everything we could in such a tragic situation."

For Julie and Matt, that care was apparent in the tender way the nurses cleaned Mae's hair. The shared sadness they saw in others' eyes. The willingness to do whatever it took to give them their goodbye. "We were all praying for a miracle at the end of this," says Matt. "It was the miracle we didn't get, but the care we received was remarkable. It was just as much about what we wanted for her as what we needed for us. There was care for all of us."

The post Honoring a young girl’s love of nature on her final day appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

At birth, Beckett Hoggarth Beyer appeared to be a healthy newborn baby boy, growing and changing like a typical infant. But when his aunt — a physician — visited their home near Fargo, North Dakota, she noticed something was not right. Beckett's stools were light in color, and his skin tone was slightly more olive-toned than expected.

Beckett's parents, Tracie Hoggarth and Ron Beyer, took him to his pediatrician. Blood tests revealed elevated liver enzymes, which often indicate inflammation or damage to liver cells.

To find out more about the cause of Beckett's symptoms, the family traveled to Minneapolis to see a pediatric gastroenterologist. At just eight weeks of age, fearing Beckett had biliary atresia — the most common condition associated with his symptoms at this age — they pursued advanced care to investigate the cause of his liver disease. 

For the next 13 years, Beckett's care was managed by a few teams of gastroenterologists in Minneapolis.

After several rounds of genetic testing, they discovered that his liver disease was caused by Alagille syndrome. This rare genetic disease affected his liver and bile ducts by reducing bile flow out of the liver and causing jaundice, which is the darkening and yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes. This bile buildup in the liver damages cells, eventually leading to liver failure.

Alagille syndrome can affect the liver, heart, kidneys, skeleton, eyes and blood vessels. Complications of the syndrome may be life-threatening. Fortunately, Beckett's form of Alagille syndrome only affects his liver.

Living with liver disease  

Beckett is a mechanically inclined 14-year-old who likes lawn mowers, riding four-wheelers, and repairing and driving RC cars. But his liver disease was throwing a wrench in his health and keeping him from doing all the activities he enjoys.

For several years, he had a mass growing in his liver that eventually grew to 10 by 13 centimeters in size. "For three years, they monitored it via ultrasound and secondary conditions from his liver disease with endoscopy, which is how we learned his disease was advancing," recalls Tracie. “When they performed an updated biopsy on his liver, they learned he had advanced cirrhosis.” Cirrhosis is severe scarring of the liver, which makes it difficult for the liver to do its job.

Given a liver transplant was becoming a likely future necessity, Beckett’s family wanted the best for their son — so they sought the medical expertise of Mayo Clinic. 

In November 2023, Beckett had an initial consultation and testing at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. The care team at Mayo Clinic recommended that Beckett be put on the liver transplant list before he became more ill.

With stage 4 liver cirrhosis and a tremendously enlarged spleen, Beckett dealt with difficulty breathing due to his firm liver pressing against his diaphragm. Not only did he have a distended belly and chronic back pain from his liver disease and his enlarged spleen, but low platelet count put him at an increased risk of bleeding.

He had a yellow cast to his skin and was in end-stage liver disease — things that had just become normal for him. But his blood tests showed he was on the cusp of crisis.

The request to put Beckett on the transplant list was approved, and he was placed on the list in mid-February. During appointments with the liver transplant team, Beckett shared, "Maybe I'll get a liver by my birthday."

His birthday on April 1 was quickly approaching, and getting a liver often takes months, so getting his birthday wish seemed unlikely.

The call that changed everything

Eleven days after Beckett officially went on the transplant list, Ron received a call from a Minnesota phone number.

"It'd only been a couple of weeks since we were in Rochester, and I thought maybe Mayo Clinic needed more information or was calling about another test," recalls Ron.

But the care team had something else in mind — a liver for Beckett.

The family had eight hours to get from North Dakota to Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Ron called Tracie home from work. He called the school to let them know a liver was available for Beckett and to send Beckett and his sister home immediately.

When the call came in, Beckett was in history class. "The teacher was about to start teaching, but then they said, 'Beckett, you can head to the office.' And I'm like, what for? I didn't think I was in trouble," Beckett says.

Rather than being in trouble, Beckett soon learned that he was in luck.

Out with the old, in with the new

Dr. Timucin Taner, a transplant surgeon at Mayo Clinic, performed Beckett's transplant on March 13 — just two weeks before his birthday.

"The only treatment for patients with cirrhosis is a liver transplant. Cirrhosis is a chronic disease that does not get better with other treatments," notes Dr. Taner. "Beckett needed a new liver, without any doubt. Without a transplant, Beckett would have continued to have jaundice, and his fatigue and other symptoms would have continued to get worse."

“I remember it vividly,” Tracie says. “I was astonished and grateful for the surgeon. Dr. Taner even took the time to wheel Beckett in his hospital bed down to the surgical suite.”

After hours of tenuous waiting, the transplant was a success. The transformation was noticeable. The night before the transplant, Beckett's eyes were yellow-tinted, but the morning after the transplant, they were already white, recalls Tracie.

Beckett recovered in the pediatric intensive care unit at Mayo Clinic for the next 10 days.

"I got the power-reclining bed with the remote and all the warm sheets I needed," says Beckett.

Visits from a Caring Equine miniature pony named Munchkin and a pet therapy dog named Benny Burrito were highlights of his stay.

"He was kind of sad to get discharged. He was getting like a five-star hotel experience," laughs Tracie. "It says volumes about the care they got when somebody is sad to get discharged."

Beckett and his parents note that all the staff they encountered were exceptionally kind and professional. The entire team — the pediatric intensive care unit doctors, his gastroenterologists, the nurses and the support staff — cared about Beckett and his journey.

Loving his new liver

Since getting the transplant, Beckett can go on long walks. He has more energy, can breathe much better and has less back pain.

"I would get winded just walking, and I couldn't play football or participate in contact sports," says Beckett when thinking back to life before his transplant. "I felt stuffy after I drank or ate a lot. And then when I had my transplant, it felt like I had a lot more space."

Beckett's medication regimen has significantly improved. Previously, he endured a challenging schedule with many daily pills, a bitter-tasting oral medication and daily self-administered injections. Now, he takes a set of pills in the morning and early evening.

Dr. Samar Ibrahim, a pediatric transplant hepatologist at Mayo Clinic, manages Beckett's ongoing care. Dr. Ibrahim routinely monitors Beckett's medication regimen and watches for signs of rejection or infection in his lab work.

"Beckett's new liver is functioning normally, so his symptoms of end-stage liver disease are gone," says Dr. Ibrahim. "He will get to live his life like any other teen and celebrate many more birthdays."

For Beckett and his family, receiving a new liver was the best birthday gift they could have imagined. "When he got the liver before his birthday, we were astonished," says Tracie. "We will be eternally grateful for that."

The post Beckett gets a lifesaving birthday gift appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

If you've been bit by a stomach bug lately, you're not alone.

Noroviruses are usually more widespread in the fall and winter, but you can get sick from the virus any time of the year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says norovirus is the leading cause of vomiting and diarrhea from acute gastroenteritis in the U.S.

Norovirus infection, sometimes referred to as stomach flu, is unrelated to the flu caused by the influenza virus. Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, a pediatric infectious diseases physician with the Mayo Clinic Children's Center, says it's a virus that causes gastroenteritis.

"Norovirus is a type of virus that causes gastroenteritis or stomach flu. Usually, it presents with symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea. Most healthy people will have recovery over a few days. But for people with a weakened immune system, for example, their symptoms can last longer than that," she says.

Watch: Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse explains norovirus and how to avoid it

Journalists: Broadcast-quality sound bites are available in the downloads at the end of the post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Name super/CG: Nipunie Rajapakse, M.D./Pediatric Infectious Diseases/Mayo Clinic.

Dehydration is a concern, especially for young children, older adults, and those with other health issues or who are pregnant. Those symptoms can include decreased urination, dry throat and mouth, and feeling dizzy when standing up.  

Transmission

"Norovirus is spread through contact with the virus. People sick with norovirus shed the virus in high amounts in their vomit and stool, so coming into contact with the virus is how you get sick. This can be through direct contact or through contaminated food, or you can pick it up from a surface. That's why hand-washing is important and the best way to prevent getting sick with norovirus," says Dr. Rajapakse.

Risk factors

The CDC says that around half of food-related sickness outbreaks caused by norovirus are linked to restaurants or food-related environments. This happens when infected food workers and staff touch food or when it is contaminated.

Dr. Rajapakse says food that is contaminated with norovirus usually looks, smells and tastes normal so it can be difficult to tell it is contaminated.

Norovirus can quickly spread, especially in confined spaces, such as day care centers, nursing homes, schools and cruise ships. These viruses are tough to eliminate since they can endure high and low temperatures and most disinfectants.

"One of the common places that we see norovirus outbreaks occur is in close confined settings, like cruise ships, for example, where you have a lot of people eating from the same places and living in close proximity to each other," says Dr. Rajapakse. "Even one case of norovirus on a cruise ship can spread quickly to others there. That's why it's crucial to make sure that you're washing your hands well, especially before you eat."

Preventing norovirus infection

Antibiotics won't help because it's a viral infection, not bacterial. The best protection is prevention.

Tips to prevent the spread of norovirus:

• Wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
• Avoid food and water that might be contaminated.
• Clean fruits and vegetables before eating.
• Cook seafood thoroughly.
• If you're sick, stay home and avoid others.
• Avoid preparing food for others if you are sick with vomiting/diarrhea.
• Disinfect surfaces and counters that may be contaminated.

And use caution when traveling. The CDC tracks outbreaks of norovirus and other diseases. You can learn more on their website. 

The CDC says outbreaks from norovirus are usually more common in the winter months. In countries above the equator, outbreaks are most common from November to April, while they are most common from May to September in countries below the equator. 

Related post:

• Mayo Clinic Minute: What to do when sick with norovirus or ‘stomach flu’

The post Norovirus: What to know and how to avoid it appeared first on Mayo Clinic News Network.

"If you excuse me — I can show you my deck," Arthur says, darting upstairs. Moments later, he returns with a stack of Pokémon cards 5 inches high.

"This is Code Breaker," he explains. "It puts two of any card on top of your deck. It's handy."

As he shuffles through the stack, explaining each card, it's clear that he's become something of an expert.

At just 5 years old, Arthur has been battling neuroblastoma — a cancer most common in children 5 and younger — since he was 2½ years old. His love for Pokémon has been his superpower, lifting his spirits as he battles what no child should ever have to face.

It started when Arthur had pneumonia, which continued to land him in the emergency department in his hometown. He began complaining about his leg when it started swelling, and his belly became firm.

"I called my mom and told her an internet search says it's cancer. We took him in, and, sure enough, it was cancer," says Freya Heyer, Arthur's mom.

The tumor was crushing the bottom of his right lung, so he went on breathing support and eventually extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a machine which pulls blood out of the body, reoxygenates it and puts it back in. The care team at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, also performed a tracheotomy for breathing, which is where surgeons place a small tube in a hole that they make through the front of the neck and into the windpipe. "It was terrifying," recalls Freya. "They pulled us aside at one point and asked me to decide on an acceptable quality of life for him."

After extensive treatment, Arthur went into remission for a year and was taking medication to prevent the cancer from coming back. "A few months later, we discovered that the cancer had moved to his brain and is now terminal," says Freya.

Freya, and Arthur's other parent, Tyler, took him back to Mayo Clinic for treatment so they could spend as much time with him as possible. For Arthur, staying at the pediatric hospital is fun, with unlimited popsicles and ice cream, magic shows, tons of movies, a rolling video game cart, and therapy dogs.

"I like when I get to go," says Arthur. "I get to crack stones and find gems with PT and OT. I like getting to play video games. I have loads of friends." And when he says friends, he's referring to the incredible Mayo Clinic Children's Center care team — his nurses, child life specialists, therapists — and other pediatric patients. Because his initial cancer diagnosis was at such a young age, Arthur hasn't had the chance to make many friends outside of the hospital.

One particular friend he made during his time at Mayo was the one who helped him discover his love for Pokémon.

A new friend ignites a passion

Kevin Pike is a security ambassador at Mayo Clinic, running weapon detection systems and verifying patient visitors. "I frequently see kids coming through for appointments or to visit patients," says Pike.

As a serious Pokémon player, Pike enjoys buying Pokémon card packs. Only a few cards in each pack are rare enough to keep, while the rest — known as bulk — are often set aside. But these bulk cards are perfect for kids in the hospital who are just learning the game.

"I started making little packs to hand out to kids so I could shrink down my bulk collection," recalls Pike. One day, as Arthur passed through, Pike offered him a deck of cards, which he gladly accepted. "I learned what he was facing and asked if I could visit him."  

Once Pike learned what Arthur was facing, he asked if he could stop in to play cards with him during his lunch breaks from time to time, as he does with other patients. Arthur and Pike became fast friends, and Arthur dove headfirst into the world of Pokémon.

"The gift that Arthur got with that first deck changed his life. Pokémon became something constant and something to look forward to every time we go to Rochester," says Freya.

And Pokémon has taught Arthur skills beyond a new game. "When he started playing Pokémon, he couldn't read," says Freya. "But now he can."

Make-A-Wish Minnesota party

Knowing his illness is terminal, the social work team referred Arthur's family to Make-A-Wish Minnesota to bring Arthur some extra special joy. In Arthur's five years, he's lived a simple life — much of it in the hospital — so the family didn’t want an extravagant wish. To share his love for Pokémon, Arthur and his parents decided to host a Pokémon party for his friends at Mayo Clinic.

Make-A-Wish provided funds for Arthur to plan the Pokémon party at the Children’s Center, as well as a pizza party for him and his family — and the chance to crack 100 Pokémon packs.

The community came together to support the wish and greatly surpassed Arthur and Freya's Make-A-Wish expectations:

• Arthur's aunt Liz sought community donations of bulk cards or new card packs, and over 1,000 packs were collected.
• David and Travis, Arthur's buddies at Coulee Cards in Rochester, helped make packs for the party and gave a deep discount on purchased supplies.
• Travis connected with Pokémon Corporation and arranged to get free Pikachu plushies.
• Rachel, their Make-A-Wish coordinator, contacted the Pokémon Squishmallows parent company, and they sent over 100 Pokémon plushies.
• They held the pizza party at Tilda's Pizzeria in Rochester because of its robotic waiter. The staff decorated the robot to look like a Pikachu, with a face, ears and tail. It made Pikachu noises as it delivered pizza to Arthur and his guests.

During the Pokémon party, Arthur was the heart and soul of the event. Beaming excitedly, he handed out cards, plushies, coins and toys to his hospital friends — the pediatric patients, his nurses and care providers, including those from the PICU. Even those who don't play Pokémon had fun collecting the cards they thought were the cutest.   

Arthur's other friends — Pike, David and Travis, and his friends from the local Pokémon League in Rochester — joined the fun to support him and his wish.

Arthur's legacy will live on

Arthur’s family appreciates how supportive people have been and wants to share that kindness with others even after Arthur's journey is complete — and the connections they fostered through Artrhur’s journey will help ensure that the joy of Pokémon will be shared with other patients for years to come.  

For example, Pike continues to share his bulk cards with patients, and he plays cards with those he connects with. Cards are also given to patients with simple instructions so they can easily learn to play the game. Coulee Cards hopes to start Pokémon Nights at the Ronald McDonald House in Rochester, which is extra special for the children who can't leave the facility.

"All this happened because Arthur wanted to share his love for Pokémon with everybody," says Freya.

So often with cancer, people focus on how sad and unfair it is. "I want to focus on how much fun we're having and the people we've met," reflects Freya. "Mayo Clinic Children's Center has helped us buy this time we're using to make memories."

If he could be any Pokémon for a whole day, Arthur says he "would definitely be a Miraidon. He looks like a motorcycle, and I like motorcycles. He's a dragon from the future."

It's a choice full of spirit and strength, just like Arthur.

About Mayo Clinic Children's Center

At Mayo Clinic Children's Center, over 50,000 children and adolescents from the U.S. and around the world receive exceptional care each year. Our world-class pediatric experts inspire hope and provide healing for even the most complex cases in over 70 clinical and surgical departments. Scientists and researchers in the Children's Research Center pioneer groundbreaking treatment options to help children live longer, healthier lives.

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Approximately 20 active-duty soldiers from the Twin Cities area were in Rochester, Minnesota, for a special mission.

They made a visit to Mayo Clinic Children's Center to meet with 5-year-old Gabe Downey. Gabe is battling rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare type of cancer often found in soft tissue.

Diagnosed in April, Gabe has been receiving weekly chemotherapy treatments. His family has a strong military background, so his mother, Riley, reached out on social media to share Gabe's medical journey. This led to an incredible outpouring of support from soldiers worldwide, who sent Gabe letters, Facebook messages via his mom's account, and flags and patches from soldiers' uniforms, lifting Gabe's spirits.

The soldiers presented Gabe with more patches and other Army gear.

The group organized a "field promotion" ceremony for Gabe, who was also presented with gifts from both the Minnesota Twins and Minnesota Vikings.

Judging by the smiles of his family, mission accomplished!

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