Helping Your Child Grow

Helping Your Child Grow

As parents and caregivers, we all want our children to thrive and reach their full potential. We don’t want any roadblocks along the way. We want to let life happen.

 

While our children’s potential for physical growth has nothing to do with their character or their spirit, a diagnosis of a growth disorder and the treatment that follows can cause anxiety and stress.

 

Life with a growth disorder will require some adjustments to your routine. Healthy living, regular doctor visits, and a consistent treatment regimen can all help to improve your child’s potential for growth and establish a new normal for you and your child.

 

 

Adolescent male wearing a baseball hat and sitting on a skateboard next to a skateboard ramp.

easypod User Stories

 

 

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Shortly after Kaitlynn was born, nurses and doctors became concerned about her head size and began ordering tests to see if something unusual was happening with her growth. Over time it became apparent that she was growing slowly, which was causing developmental delays because her muscles and bones were not growing at a normal rate. Kaitlynn was eventually diagnosed with Growth Hormone Deficiency. 

 

Kendra started using easypod® with the help of nurses, but she had trouble adjusting to the routine of giving Kaitlynn her daily doses. She found encouragement from other parents who were going through similar experiences and stayed in touch with the Momentum Patient Support Program as Kaitlynn became comfortable with her treatment. 

 

easypod became a normal part of the Hinther family’s daily life, and Kaitlynn’s newfound appetite helped her grow and become more independent as she caught up to her peers over time. 

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When Adrian reached 9 months of age, his doctor became concerned because his weight hadn’t changed for 3 months. His diet was adjusted and the family’s habits changed to help Adrian grow, but nothing seemed to make a difference. Jennifer had always suspected that something unusual was happening with Adrian since her other children seemed to be growing normally. After several years of uncertainty, he was diagnosed with Growth Hormone Deficiency. 

 

Guidance from the staff at SickKids hospital led the family to start using easypod. Although they were nervous about giving Adrian daily injections, they were assured that this treatment would gradually help Adrian reach his genetic growth potential. The Momentum Nurse helped the family get started at home, and after a few difficult days Adrian settled into taking his daily treatments. 

 

easypod allowed the Conforzi family to establish a daily routine, with minimal interruption to their daily lives.  After spending some time getting comfortable with their plan and scheduling, the family is happy to have made the choice to help their son grow.

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Linden Cross’ journey with growth difficulties began before he was even born, when his mother Becky was diagnosed with neonatal abnormalities (bilateral notching and a two-vessel cord). Linden was developing slowly in utero, and the decision was made to schedule Linden’s birth by caesarean section at 36 weeks of gestation. The pregnancy and early days of Linden’s life were very stressful for Becky, but after several weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit the family was happy to find that Linden was progressing well.

 

However, a few months later Linden was diagnosed with a growth disorder and had to be fed using a feeding tube, which led to recurring issues and regular hospital stays. He was experiencing issues with appetite and gastric processing, which regularly led to problems with his blood sugar levels.

 

When growth hormone therapy was suggested to help Linden, Becky was nervous about mixing his treatments at home and administering daily injections, but she was pleasantly surprised to learn that they would be using easypod rather than a traditional syringe or injection pen. She found the device easy to use and discovered that easypod came with a strong patient support program. After years of use, they are very happy with easypod and everything that comes along with it.  

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Casey Wright spent his childhood in various medical settings after developing a brain tumour at a very young age, which was followed by endocrine and thyroid issues that were associated with his disease. At the age of 6 he began taking growth hormone therapy; in the beginning his doses had to be prepared each day and administered using an injection pen. This was particularly problematic for the Wright family because Casey doesn’t have the use of one arm.

 

easypod quickly changed the family’s daily routine because Casey could administer his own dose with one hand using his new device. Casey’s independence grew and he gained a sense of control over his own life, which had remained unfulfilled before he started using easypod. The family also found the patient support program to be very helpful for ordering new supplies, and they’re thankful that the service has made their lives easier.

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Alex was reluctant to start a therapy involving daily injections that would carry on for several years, but he overcame his worries with the help of his easypod. The customizable user settings and colourful faceplates helped him integrate his easypod into his daily routine, and over time he learned how to administer his own doses of growth hormone. After taking several hundred doses, Alex is proud of his accomplishments and his commitment to his treatment.

 

The patient support program has also been a huge help to a busy family. The Millers appreciate the various levels of support they’ve received, from the initial home visit by a nurse to the regular ordering of replacement supplies.

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Both of Mark Bloch’s children were diagnosed with growth hormone deficiency; his son at age 7 and his daughter at age 5. Mark and his wife stayed positive and followed through with growth hormone therapy because they knew this treatment could help their children reach their growth potential. Like many other parents, Mark and his wife began their journey by manually mixing human growth hormone powder and injecting their kids six days per week. But their lives became much easier once their children began using their own easypods.

 

Mark describes easypod as a device that’s about the size of a smartphone. It gently inserts a needle into the skin and automates the delivery of the growth hormone. The family appreciates the customizable comfort settings and user-focused features of the device, along with the ease of use that easypod offers. The device also helped their children overcome their fear of needles and helped them gain independence, pride, and confidence. Mark believes that without easypod in their lives, their children would not have followed through with the full course of their therapy.

 

 

We were worried about replacing our son’s needles. Then the Momentum Nurse showed us the easypod. Very kid friendly! When the light goes green, it means go and he presses the button. Even from day one, he took to it, and has never had an aversion. Plus the screens, his name, the tiger case... I think makes it all less scary, right?

Caregiver, easypod user

Patient Resources

 

Several resources are available to help you understand and navigate your treatment journey:

growingguide.ca

 

is an excellent resource for Growth Hormone Deficiency and growth disorder information and support.

The MAGIC Foundation

 

is an organization that provides information about childhood growth, including endocrine health, advocacy, education, and support materials.

The Turner Society of Canada

 

is a non-profit charitable organization offering support and up-to-date medical information on Turner syndrome to families, physicians, and the public.

Dietitians of Canada

 

is a great resource for evidence-based food and nutrition information.