Spring 2010 - Arkansas Children's Hospital

Ambassadors
2010 ACH
ACH Ambassadors: Some are young, barely able to walk, some are older,
preparing to head to college. Some tell their own stories, others rely on their
parents to share their experiences. Some live near the hospital, others live in
different states.
Despite their differences, Ambassadors and their families have one thing in
common; their lives have all been touched by Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
In March, the 2010 Ambassadors were announced at a luncheon held in their
honor. ACH Ambassadors are a group of current and former patients who are
giving hope and inspiration to other patient families, donors and volunteers by
sharing their stories. For one year the Ambassadors and their families will share
their ACH stories in their communities by attending events and speaking engagements,
through publications and by being goodwill ambassadors for the hospital.
Editor’s Note: Watch the next two issues of the ACHiever for the rest
of the Ambassador stories. You can also view all Ambassador stories
online under the Foundation section of www.archildrens.org.
Belinda Bube
In 1991, Belinda was born with a cleft
palate. Belinda and her family lived in Kansas
at the time, and at 10 months, she underwent
her first surgery to repair the cleft.
The surgery was unsuccessful, due to the
thinness of her soft palate tissue. A fistula,
a large hole, appeared within a month
after the surgery. At age 5, she had a pharyngeal
flap surgery, which resolved
many of her problems. Belinda’s family
moved to Arkansas when she was 10
years old. Immediately after the Bubes
arrived in Arkansas, Belinda began seeing a cleft palate
specialist at ACH. Within the year, she had surgery to repair a second fistula.
When she was 12 years old, Belinda received braces. All of her orthodontia
work was overseen by the cleft team at ACH. Belinda attends college at Oklahoma
City University, where she is studying music theater. In 2009, she won the Miss
Batesville pageant and will participate in the Miss Arkansas pageant in July 2010.
Mhalik X. Donahue
PEDIATRIC CARE
Are Making an Impact in
Communities Across the State
Ambassadors
are a group of former and current
patients who share their ACH stories
with others in their communities.
For one year, the Ambassadors
and their families will inspire
others through printed
materials and at
speaking engagements.
Mhalik was born at just 26 weeks gestation with
underdeveloped lungs. When he was 6 months old, he
was diagnosed with RSV, a respiratory infection, and
treated at ACH. He recovered from the RSV, but a
month later, he was back at ACH. He had a cold, which
was causing his breathing to be erratic. Mhalik was so
severely ill he was admitted to the Pediatric Intensive
Care Unit (PICU), where he was placed in a medically
induced coma. As he
recovered, doctors
noticed when he ate,
he was silently aspirating
into his
lungs. To repair his
aspiration problem,
Mhalik underwent
surgery to have a
gastrostomy-button
(G-button)
implanted, giving
his family a way
to provide nutrition
and medicine
directly into his stomach. Mhalik was fed through the
G-button for a year. Mhalik visits the ACH pulmonary
clinic for an annual check-up. He enjoys playing
basketball at school and singing in his church and school
choirs. Continued on page 10
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