A truly great song can break and warm your heart simultaneously. Despite her age—or perhaps enhanced by it—7-year-old cancer patient Arianna has created just that while in the hospital. The opportunity wasn’t a musical miracle: It was Maryville University’s Kids Rock Cancer.

 If you think of the body as a structure, the feet are the foundation on which everything else rests. Pounds of force are placed upon the feet with every step we take. The delicate bones, tendons and tissues usually bear this load cheerfully enough, but the condition of your feet can provide clues to overall health and affect the condition of the rest of the musculoskeletal system.

Following graduation from college, I spent four years in medical school, then three years in a pediatric residency. This was long before medical student and resident work hours were restricted, so I spent up to 100 hours each week for many years learning medicine – specifically pediatric medicine. I’ve spent the rest of my life practicing to get it right. After all the time, effort and expense, what have I spent most of my professional time doing? Talking about poop: too much, not enough, too hard, too loose—you name it, some mom, dad or grandma has worried about it, and I’ve discussed it.

TAYLOR ROBINSON, a senior at Ladue Horton-Watkins High School, is one of 814 high school athletes nationwide who have been nominated to play in the 2013 McDonald’s All American Games. The 2013 nominees include high school basketball players from across the country who have been selected by coaches, athletic directors, principals and members of the McDonald’s All American Games Selection Committee. Pictured: Taylor Robinson with Colleen Schoendienst, local McDonald's owner/operator

A wedding is one of the happiest days in people’s lives. But at a recent reception, tragedy struck. That's when Dr. Pedro Suarez sprang into action after a fellow guest’s pacemaker failed, causing her heart to stop beating. The local health professional’s medical skills and rapid response saved her life. 

Dr. Rajiv Patel is an enthusiast. Yet, though he enjoys a nice glass of red wine, Patel is careful to emphasize that any advice he has to offer is based solely on the data.

Maybe your mother can no longer drive to the grocery store, your dad doesn’t feel that hungry anymore, or grandma says foods just don’t taste the same these days. As people age, many roadblocks to healthy eating can arise. 

Any time blood flow to the brain is interrupted, you have a serious problem. In many cases, this is known as a stroke, and it can have life-threatening and long-term consequences. In some cases, the body’s natural anti-clotting properties are able to break up the clot that is blocking blood flow. This is known as a ‘transient ischemic attack’ or TIA.

DR. COLIN DERDEYN, professor of radiology, neurological surgery and neurology at Washington University School of Medicine, has been appointed vice-chair and chair-elect of the Stroke Council of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.

He was on his way to sleep-away camp but was sent home upon arrival, says Janice Bailey, VP of St. Louis Children’s Hospital (SLCH) Foundation, of the boy who inspired one of the area’s most heartwarming summer camps. Bailey explains the youngster was sent home, gear in hand, because the facility was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of the boy's heart medication. This devastating rejection was crushing not only to the child, but also to his nurses, who felt inclined to create a solution for children in similar situations. These days, that solution is simply known as SLCH’s Camp Rhythm.

Caroline Kennedy will be in town next Wednesday, April 3, for the ninth annual Family Read Night at St. Louis County Library headquarters to discuss her new book.

Kim Eberlein (Volunteer Leadership)

About one in seven people experiences a random nosebleed at some point in his or her life, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology. Children and people older than 50 are the most likely to have a sudden nosebleed, and the trigger can be as minor as blowing one’s nose too hard or as serious as a clotting disorder.

Most women juggle busy schedules filled with demanding careers, motherhood and managing a household, often leaving their own health issues on the back burner. Amid these hectic lifestyles, doctors say the lesser-known symptoms of a heart attack can go untreated. “We commonly have women come to the emergency room who are stunned to learn they are having a heart attack,” says Dr. Linda Stronach, an interventional cardiologist at Missouri Baptist Medical Center (MoBap).

Hot off the press…Ten local women are being lauded for their leadership and community service as this year’s WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT honorees. They are: KIM EBERLEIN (Volunteer Leadership), SHEILA GREENBAUM (Social Justice), MARGARET ISRAEL (Health Education), SALLY KATZIF (Women’s Empowerment), VERONICA McDONNELL (Health & Arts), MERRY MOSBACHER (Community Betterment), PEGGY NELSON (Health Advocacy), BRENDA NEWBERRY (Civic Responsibility), MARIAN NUNN (Youth & Family), and VIDA ‘SISTER’ PRINCE (Multicultural Leadership). The Class of 2013 will be celebrated during an awards luncheon at The Ritz-Carlton on May 2. For reservations, call Sarah Thorowgood at 421-2005 or email sthorowgood@macmeetings.com.

Heart disease remains the No. 1 killer of American women. To educate the community about this health risk, SSM Heart Institute will host its fourth annual 'Her Heart: Every Beat Counts' education and screening day.

Eight days after giving birth to her son, Cameron, in April 2011, Rachel D'Souza-Siebert’s heart was aglow with love. It also was about to break.

Most babies are born healthy, yet the National Birth Defects Prevention Network (NBDPN) estimates that one in 33 infants enters the world with some sort of birth defect. January is Birth Defects Prevention Month, and women are urged to take proactive steps to help ensure a healthy baby.

The American Sleep Association estimates that about 12 million Americans have obstructive sleep apnea, a condition in which breathing stops for short periods multiple times during the night. Sleep apnea doesn’t only cause excessive daytime sleepiness, its most noticeable effect; it also increases risk for heart attack and stroke, making it a serious medical condition for the millions who don’t know they have it.

If cold weather is your excuse for avoiding exercise, a slew of local experts has news for you: There are many ways to circumvent the challenges posed by winter exercise and create a great workout strategy even at this time of year. A few of their best tips: 

Mercy Heart and Vascular Hospital St. Louis

The fact remains that more women die of heart disease than all forms of cancer combined. In response, the local chapter of the American Heart Association is working to ensure the disease is no longer a silent killer.

A team of cardiologists at Missouri Baptist Medical Center (MoBap) is helping elderly patients with heart valve disease not only return to their daily lives, but become even more active. The hospital is among the first in the region and across the country to use transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), a new, minimally invasive procedure approved by the FDA in November 2011.

Clue to Alzheimer’s Found in Brain Samples

We’re all familiar with the Norman Rockwell version of Thanksgiving dinners: grandma with the turkey, grandpa ready to carve, smiling faces, and children sitting expectantly—family bliss immortalized. I’m certain that all of your holiday celebrations are exactly like that, right? On the outside chance that you’ve experienced otherwise, here are a few tips for dealing with the stress that sometimes accompanies this time of year.