MARSHFIELD CHILDREN'S - Key Persons
Christopher Redford is an active little guy. He enjoys being outdoors, going down slides and playing in sandboxes.
For his parents, Sarah and James Redford, they can now look forward to his future. But that wasn't always the case. During Sarah's pregnancy, a 20-week ultrasound revealed that Christopher would have a cleft lip. Sarah was later informed that her pregnancy was high risk.
This is when Sarah was referred by her physician to Dr. Kazumasa Hashimoto. He is an obstetrics and gynecology physician that specializes in maternal and fetal medicine at Marshfield Medical Center in Marshfield. As a part of her care, Dr. Hashimoto offered Sarah gas cards to help with the cost of traveling to Marshfield from Chippewa Falls. Donors to Marshfield Clinic Health System Foundation sponsor this program.
Sarah was hospitalized at 34 weeks due to severe preeclampsia and Christopher was born six weeks early. He ended up spending 12 nights and 13 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Marshfield Children's Hospital. A team of board-certified neonatologists, specialized neonatal nurses, respiratory therapists and dietitians were all focused on providing the best care possible for Christopher.
Nearly five months after he was born, Christopher had surgery to repair his cleft lip at Marshfield Children's Hospital. The procedure went smoothly and Sarah was happy that everyone answered all her questions before and after the surgery. The Cleft Lip and Palate Clinic allowed Christopher to be seen by many doctors in the same day to make all the appointments easier on the family.
Dr. Brad Morrow, pediatric plastic and reconstructive surgeon, continues to provide follow-up care for Christopher. When Christopher bumped his lip once causing it to swell, Dr. Morrow arranged space in his schedule to see Christopher - putting Sarah's mind at ease.
During every step of the way, caring nurses and child life specialists were there to support Christopher and his family. Sarah especially appreciated the care they provided after his cleft lip surgery. To help, the team brought a portable tub into the room to ease him from coming off anesthesia.
Christopher also needed tubes put in his ears. Ear, nose and throat specialist Dr. Joshua Smith performed that surgery in Marshfield. Sarah was surprised when Dr. Smith called her personally to answer a question.
As Christopher's parents look toward his future, they have chosen Dr. Bushra Javaid at Marshfield Medical Center-Eau Claire to be his pediatrician. For them, it was important to choose a pediatrician that could provide quality primary care seamlessly with Christopher's specialists.
Christopher receives his care through Marshfield Children's to keep him healthy and so he can keep flashing his smile.
Will Krause loves hanging outside with his brother Benjamin. Together they enjoy the Northwoods on vacation, whether it be tubing on the lake or zip lining over it.
For his parents, Dave and Becky Krause, they would not have it any other way. But their life stopped when Will was first diagnosed with Leukemia at the age of three. With the help of Marshfield Children's, he beat that cancer. However, he was diagnosed with cancer again in March 2019 - this time with Hodgkin's lymphoma. Dr. Michael McManus, pediatric oncologist with Marshfield Children's, has led his care since his first bout with cancer.
Will's family and friends are again stepping up to help him through this new journey. His family and care team have encouraged him to continue to live life as a kid. He and his friends have been hanging out at arcades, enjoying the outdoors and having sleepovers.
Along with those typical 11-year-old activities, Will has been receiving his chemotherapy treatments at Treyden's Cabin. Built in memory of Treyden Kurtzweil with generous donations from the community, this pediatric oncology space was designed specifically for kids and families. The unique outpatient waiting and patient rooms feature wildlife scenes with forest murals, campfires, hidden animals and movies to make children and families comfortable and entertained during their infusions and care. For Will, it reminds him of being up North with his brother.
Whenever Will comes to Treyden's Cabin or Marshfield Children's Hospital, he is greeted by our child life specialists. They also have many fun activities while he is in the hospital to take his mind off everything going on. They help him understand the procedures he will have to put all of his fears at bay. Support for Marshfield Children's programs by Children's Miracle Network means there is never a cost to patients to use child life services.
Child Life helped Will when he needed port surgery to have his port-a-cath placed. This was done at Marshfield Children's Hospital through a partnership with the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin. This partnership allows pediatric patients to receive surgery from a pediatric surgeon in Marshfield, close to home with family and friends. Follow-up care was provided by Sarah Collins. She is a nurse practitioner at Marshfield Children's Hospital that is trained to provide surgical follow-up care for children.
During his first battle with cancer, Will's family realized they could do more to help families affected by cancer. They created the Krause Family Pediatric Cancer Angel Fund. This fund provides financial support to pediatric oncology patients and their families for non-medical needs like lodging, groceries, transportation, meals, car maintenance, rent expenses and survivorship programs. Will and Ben work together to raise awareness and support for childhood cancer care and research, doing everything from selling slime to shaving their heads for the cause. In 2018, the brothers received a Youth in Philanthropy Award for their dedication to giving back. They do it so families can rest easier and allow their child to be a kid - just like Will.
Will receives much of his care through Marshfield Children's to keep him healthy and to keep him playing outside with his brother.