St. Joseph's Children's Hospital of Tampa — Starting Out Healthy

Up Close & Personal

Dale Dreyer, Howard Bayless, Honorary Chairs Claudia and Ronde Barber, Greg Toepp and Austin Jones.
Dale Dreyer, Howard Bayless, Honorary Chairs Claudia and Ronde Barber, Greg Toepp and Austin Jones.

2009 Golf Classic

St. Joseph’s Hospitals Foundation hosted its 2009 Golf Classic at the prestigious Old Memorial Golf Course in Tampa on October 5, 2009. The annual tournament was emceed by Gayle Sierens. This year’s honorary chairs were Ronde and Claudia Barber and the tournament chair was Kirk Davis. The event raised nearly $100,000, which will be used to support St. Joseph’s Hospitals’ mission to extend health care services throughout the region.

During the tournament, 96 participants played 18 picturesque holes of golf and received fabulous gift packages from Titleist, as well as lunch, hors d’oeuvres and drinks. The day was capped off with a catered awards ceremony by Bonefish Grill, prizes and a live and silent auction.

Pediatric patients enjoyed lots of treats and fun during a special Halloween parade inside the hospital on Friday, October 30, 2009.Pediatric patients enjoyed lots of treats and fun during a special Halloween parade inside the hospital on Friday, October 30, 2009.
Pediatric patients enjoyed lots of treats and fun during a special Halloween parade inside the hospital on Friday, October 30, 2009.

A Special Halloween Parade

St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital patients celebrated Halloween on October 30, 2009, with a special party and trick-or-treating throughout the hospital. The annual parade provides an opportunity for kids to celebrate the holiday even though they are in the hospital.

Tampa Police Officer Roy Paz fits a student with a bike helmet.
Tampa Police Officer Roy Paz fits a student with a bike helmet.
This student shows her admiration for a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning Bolt Brigade.
This student shows her admiration for a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning Bolt Brigade.

“Kids are Heroes” Kick-Off Event

With the help of Tampa Bay Lightning team mascot ThunderBug and members of the Bolt Brigade, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital kicked off its 13th Annual “Kids are Heroes” campaign with a “Passport to Safety” event for 80 Dunbar Elementary students at the St. Pete Times Forum on September 15, 2009. During the event, the first- and second-graders rotated through seven safety stations to learn about fire, bike/pedestrian and water safety, and the importance of good nutrition, hand washing, physical activity and wearing seat belts. This year’s winners, chosen by judges made up of current and past pediatric patients of St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital, will be honored during an upcoming awards ceremony.

Since 1996, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital has recognized more than 1,000 children who have performed heroic deeds, or displayed acts of selflessness and demonstrated good citizenship during the past year. For information on the next “Kids are Heroes” campaign, which will kick off again in early September 2010, go to www.stjosephschildrens.com, or call (813) 870-KIDS.

During a special low-protein cooking workshop for patients with inherited metabolic disorders such as PKU, participants learned creative and tasteful ways to make low-protein meals.During a special low-protein cooking workshop for patients with inherited metabolic disorders such as PKU, participants learned creative and tasteful ways to make low-protein meals.
During a special low-protein cooking workshop for patients with inherited metabolic disorders such as PKU, participants learned creative and tasteful ways to make low-protein meals.

Low-Protein Cooking Workshop

Children and adults with Phenylketonuria (PKU) joined St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital metabolic registered dietitian, Belkys Prado, for a low-protein workshop at the International Culinary School at The Art Institute of Tampa on October 24, 2009. PKU is a rare genetic disorder that prevents the body from properly breaking down phenylalanine (PHE), an amino acid present in all protein-containing foods. Treatment consists of a medically supervised diet that is extremely low in protein, along with the consumption of a prescribed amino acid formula that is free of PHE. In some cases, patients can only consume 5 grams of protein per day — roughly the equivalent of one small egg. The condition can lead to central nervous system damage and mental retardation if not carefully managed throughout a patient’s lifetime.

During the hands-on cooking workshop, nationally recognized low-protein cooking expert Malathy Ramanujam demonstrated how to create relatively protein-free meals from recipes created to tempt any palate.