Raising Joy

When Melarie Odelusi’s daughter was diagnosed with aplastic anemia in 2020, she didn’t know what the future held in store for her family. One thing she did know – it was going to be critical for her to take care of herself. While doctors focused on her child, Melarie and her husband made every effort to ensure they were mentally strong through the storm. Today, Melarie is a member of Cook Children...

Long before he became a health care executive, Rick W. Merrill was a West Texas boy with a guitar and a love for music. Today, he’s the president and CEO of one of the largest pediatric health care systems in the U.S., but music still holds a special place in his heart.    On this extraordinary episode of Raising Joy, Mr. Merrill opens up about his love for songwriting, parenting children through...

On this episode of Raising Joy, we meet M. Scott Perry, M.D. , head of Neurosciences at the Jane and John Justin Institute for Mind Health at Cook Children’s Health Care System. At the Institute for Mind Health, Dr. Perry is bringing together nine specialties that commonly overlap in the treatment of nervous system disorders. He talks to us about how this unique approach will make care easier for...

Being a pediatrician, Dr. Bianka Soria-Olmos knows how to identify the signs of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in her patients. When her own son was diagnosed, she learned the very personal challenges that come along with being a parent of a child with ASD. On this episode of Raising Joy, we talk to Dr. Soria-Olmos about how the diagnosis and how it has impacted her work as a doctor and as a mom.

Lynda Clayton is a North Texas high school student who recently earned the Girl Scout Gold Award for her project aimed at reducing the stigma around mental health.   On this episode of Raising Joy, Clayton tells us about “Not One More: A Mission to Eliminate Youth Suicide. To learn more about this program, and how to implement it in your school, please visit the Not One More website .

Kindness and empathy are important, in fact they are critical. Both are foundational cornerstones for emotional and moral intelligence, and it is the core to a civilized world. Studies have also shown if one experiences empathy, it can stop cruel and/or violent behavior.     On this episode of Raising Joy, neuropsychologist Lisa Elliott, Ph. D., explains how kindness and kind words can change the...

Raising a child who struggles with their mental health can be scary, challenging and confusing. The ACEs Task Force of Tarrant County developed a video series called The Roadmap for Children’s Mental Health to help families navigate this health issue.   On this episode of Raising Joy, we are joined by Dr. Brian Dixon from Mindful – a psychiatric practice based in Fort Worth and Frances Wampler fro...

When your child is struggling with their mental health, it can be difficult to know where to turn. Nationwide, waitlists for appointments with child psychologists and psychiatrists can be months long. As a result, pediatricians have become the first line of defense for families who need support.    Alice Phillips, M.D. , wears many hats at Cook Children’s. She’s the Board Chair of Cook Children’s...

Do you ever wonder if your teenager’s behavior is normal? On this episode of Raising Joy, Sam McCage, Ph. D., a licensed professional counselor at Cook Children’s, answers all of our questions about teens. From moodiness to social media, vaping and therapy – we’re doing a deep dive into teen behavior and what parents can do to make these difficult years a little easier. 

On this episode of Raising Joy, we meet Dr. Jillian Peterson, founder of The Violence Project, a nonpartisan nonprofit that created the largest and most comprehensive database on the life histories of mass shooters. She is a forensic psychologist, professor of criminology and author of “The Violence Project – How to Stop a Mass Shooting Epidemic.”  Her work has helped school leaders, police depart...

**Content warning – this episode contains difficult subject matter. We advise you listen with caution, knowing topics of child suicide, trauma, grief and mass shootings are discussed.    Suzy DeYoung didn’t plan on devoting her life to the subject of trauma, however an accident involving her child led her down a path exploring some of the most difficult subjects imaginable. For more than a decade,...

More than 113,000 children in Tarrant County live in poverty. Carol Klocek and the team at the Center for Transforming Lives work alongside women and their children to disrupt the cycle of poverty in a way that is compassionate and trauma-informed. On this episode of Raising Joy, we talk to Klocek about her role as CEO of the 115-year-old nonprofit, and how mental health, domestic violence and sub...

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of pediatric patients being admitted to Cook Children’s Medical Center for mental health symptoms hit record levels. This resulted in a need for innovative ways to care for patients in a safe and compassionate manner.  On this episode of Raising Joy, Jennifer Horn, RN, and Alex Fejer, RN, from Cook Children’s introduce us to two solutions they helped create...

It’s a topic we don’t want to think about, but unfortunately it impacts every city across the U.S. Human trafficking involves the use of force, fraud, or coercion to obtain some type of labor or commercial sex act. In North Texas, the nonprofit Unbound Now is working diligently to support survivors and fight this hideous crime in our community.  On this episode of Raising Joy, executive director S...

The mental health crisis affecting children and teens is no secret. Families across the U.S. have struggled to cope through the pandemic and afterward. In Fort Worth, Texas, a local school district and university are teaming up to provide access to mental health resources to kids and their families.   Ottis Goodwin is the director of Family and Community Resources at Fort Worth ISD. He joins us on...

On this episode of Raising Joy, we meet Callie Crow, founder of Drew’s 27 Chains.   Crow spent her 27-year career saving lives as a paramedic, but she never imagined her focus would one day turn to overdoses. She started Drew’s 27 Chains in honor of her son who died of an opioid overdose in June 2020. The organization provides free Narcan and training to law enforcement agencies and other first re...

The holidays are upon us and that usually means gathering with loved ones around tables of food. For people with eating disorders, this can be a very triggering time of year.  Tyler Wooten, M.D., is a child, adolescent and adult psychiatrist with the Eating Recovery Center, Dallas. He joins us on this episode of Raising Joy to share his expertise about eating disorders and how we can help support...

Puberty can be a difficult time for kids and their families. It can be hard to tell if changes in mood are normal growing pains, or if there’s an underlying mental health problem. On this episode of Raising Joy, we’re joined by Shanna Combs, M.D., a pediatric gynecologist at Cook Children’s. She explains how puberty affects mental health and why girls are more at risk for developing issues with de...

When children are struggling, they may not be able to fully articulate their emotions like teens or adults. This is where a trained play therapist, such as Lizzy Brown, can help. Brown is a licensed professional counselor and registered play therapist at Cook Children’s. She explains how she uses the ‘universal language’ of children to help them process their emotions and work through unresolved t...

Suicide is the third leading cause of death among people aged 15 to 24 in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). During the first seven months of the COVID-19 lockdown, U.S. hospitals experienced a 24% increase in mental-health-related emergency visits for children aged 5 to 11, and a 31% increase for those aged 12 to 17.   On this very special episode of Rais...

In 2021, there were 1,570 visits at Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas. Jamye Coffman, M.D., is the medical director of the Child Advocacy Resources and Evaluation (C.A.R.E.) Team at Cook Children’s.   On this episode of Raising Joy, she talks to us about her work as a pediatrician dedicated to treating victims of physical and sexual abuse, neglect and drug exposure. Dr. Coffman a...

Since 2017, Cook Children’s Emergency Department has treated more than 300 children and teens for gunshot wounds. One of those children, a 4-year-old boy, changed the life of Daniel Guzman, M.D., forever. While Dr. Guzman couldn’t save this child from his fatal injuries, he vowed to do everything in his power to save other children from the same fate.   Later that year, he launched the Aim for Saf...

We all know sleep is important, but that doesn’t mean we get enough. And when it comes to kids, sleep is especially critical for their development and mental health.   So what should you do if your child has trouble sleeping? Hilary Pearson, M.D., is the medical director of the Sleep Center at Cook Children’s Medical Center. On this episode of Raising Joy, Dr. Pearson talks to us about sleep aids,...

Our relationships with our parents during childhood have a wide-reaching influence over the course of our lives. On this episode of Raising Joy, we talk to one of the leading experts in this field of research, known as attachment theory.   Casey Call, Ph. D., LPC, is the associate director of education at the Karyn Purvis Institute of Child Development at TCU in Fort Worth, Texas. She tells us how...

Back to school can be a difficult time for kids, especially if they suffer from anxiety. On this episode of Raising Joy, we’re talking to Laura Anne Burgos, LCSW. She is a licensed clinical social worker and therapist in the Gastroenterology Department at Cook Children’s Medical Center. Laura Anne explains how the mind/body connection can trigger physical pain such as stomachaches and headaches. S...