The ECU Health Cancer Center is bringing the spirit of the season to those who need it most by creating a pop-up gift shop for cancer patients.
Rylann Leng was diagnosed with a rare genetic disease three years ago, and like many others at the ECU Cancer Center, she won’t have the opportunity to spend the holidays in the comfort of her own home surrounded by family and friends. “I actually got sick around christmas time three years ago and so I didnt get to celebrate or be with my family we were in and out of the hospital at that time so christmas is a pretty big thing for me and I am a college student so I work on a really short budget and its hard to manage class, treatment and still feel ok at the end of it so this has been amazing I can shop for my siblings – I am a sibling of nine,” Leng said.
But with the support of nurses and community donations, a simple yet heartfelt idea has come to life—a pop-up holiday gift shop, designed to bring a little light to patients. “Most of our cancer patients are either not feeling well enough to go shop for Christmas gifts or their immune systems are so compromised that they don’t need to be out in the community in large crowds where they could catch any little bug or germ so we started this program six years ago,” nurse, Kelly Trout said.
The ECU Health Cancer Center is ensuring that some of the most courageous individuals, those battling cancer, feel the warmth of the season in their own way. “I didnt think this would impact me as much as it did but it has truly made this holiday less stressful and a lot better and more enjoyable to look forward to,” Leng said.
Thanks to donations from the community and the dedication of nurses, this special store is filled with gifts that patients can pick up free of charge for their loved ones. “With the burden of going through cancer treatments and such like that they don’t want patients having to worry about paying their medical bills on top of their mortgage rent and groceries,” Trout said.
While nothing can replace the comfort of home during the holidays, the cancer center’s efforts bring a glimmer of joy and a reminder of hope this Christmas season.
The ECU School of Dental Medicine hosted the ‘Smiles for Veterans’ event on Saturday to provide free dental care for veterans. Army veteran Mitchel Hudson says, “It means a lot to have this. A lot of people don’t have these services and I’m glad veterans do because they deserve it.” Dental students and faculty had the opportunity to work directly with patients to provide services.
Aleacia Lee graduated ECU in May 2024 and was able to work with the veterans as an AEGD Resident. “Usually with these events, I was doing assisting or something like that. But now actually doing the care for the veteran, it’s really special. I got a big smile after my patient left today,” Lee says.
Founder and Chairman of Smiles for Veterans David McCracken says the group relies on donations and grants to be able to give back to veterans in need. “The amount of money we get, and I think this is the thing I’m most pleased with, is every single dollar, 100%, goes to some veteran’s mouth,” McCracken says.
As a veteran himself, Dean of ECU School of Dental Medicine Greg Chadwick says its vital to provide dental services to veterans that need it. He says, “We enjoy having this school because of the people that have served in the armed services in years past and given us the opportunities to enjoy the freedoms that we enjoy.” Chadwick says this event was the first in Pitt County but certainly won’t be the last.
ECU says close to 30 veterans were helped during the event, and more than 400 total have been cared for through the program since 2018, receiving more $220,000 dollars worth of care.
ECU’s Brody School of Medicine is the only medical school serving Eastern North Carolina, and is set to expand after receiving a $265 million from the NC General Assembly signed by Gov. Roy Cooper in 2021.
Construction for the new 195,000 square-foot facility will begin in March 2025 and will finish during the 2027 – 2028 academic year.
“It’s a monumental day for our community,” ECU Chancellor Phillip Rogers said in his speech. “It’s a day of celebration for the future of medical education in our region.”
The seven-story building will be connected to the existing medical school and will feature two large learning studios seating up to 500 people in a banquet-style setting which can also transform into meeting spaces, seating up to 136 in each studio.
It will also feature one large instructional lab classroom for neurology, pathology, and immunology and spaces for simulation and standardized patient programs.
Shantell Mclaggan, a fourth-year medical student at ECU says the expansion is necessary for the future of medicine.
“Medicine is always changing,” she said. “Things are always changing, we are constantly learning. Even after I graduate, I will still be learning. With us just expanding and the fact that ECU and Brody School of Medicine takes care of the Eastern 29 counties of North Carolina, it’s long overdue for us to have a bigger space so that we can better serve our patients.”
University officials say this development will invest in the future of medicine and medical providers in North Carolina.
“ECU and Brody are the primary source of physicians in Eastern North Carolina,” Jason Higginson, Executive Dean of the Brody School of Medicine said. “We know that we educate the physician workforce out here. So having the ability to educate more physicians, will lead to better health outcomes here in Eastern North Carolina.”
According to university officials, the new educational space will further raise enrollment capacity from 86 seats to 120 seats in the medical school.
East Carolina University’s College of Nursing has received a significant investment of $3 million from the state of North Carolina to increase the number of entry-to-practice nurses who graduate from the college’s undergraduate program.
Of the nine UNC System schools that applied for, and received, funding increases to support their baccalaureate nursing programs, ECU received more than any other program, a signal of the state’s confidence in the College of Nursing’s capacity to graduate the most competent and practice-ready entry-to-practice nurses in the state.
“This is a huge investment in our program, and I think it will be a turning point in the history of Pirate nursing,” said Dr. Bim Akintade, dean of the College of Nursing.
In the current fiscal year, the college will receive $1,125,000 to expand the undergraduate program, with a further $1,875,000 projected to be transferred by May 2025.
In 2023, the college graduated 231 entry-to-practice nurses who achieved a 99.57% first-time pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX), which nursing school graduates must take before becoming licensed to practice.
College leaders are working on details about the number of new students who will be admitted and the number of faculty needed to support that growth but acknowledge that more students will require more teachers.
“Our current faculty have proven they know how to prepare nursing students to become nurses,” Akintade said. “I have complete confidence that our team will use this funding to bring more world-class instructors into our classrooms and clinical spaces.”
“Our students learn an incredible amount in the classroom, but clinical rotations with a live patient and preceptors providing real-time feedback is where the student nurses learn how to be nurses,” said Dr. Shannon Powell, associate dean for academic affairs and an associate professor of nursing.
The college offers several education tracks for its graduates: a traditional undergraduate program, an accelerated BSN program for students who already have a bachelor’s degree, and a partnership with 17 eastern North Carolina community colleges to help registered nurses transition to their BSN degrees.
The need for nurses in North Carolina is great. Projections from the UNC Program on Health Workforce and Research show that by 2033, there will be a shortage of at least 12,500 registered nurses, overburdening an already overtaxed health care workforce, particularly in rural and underserved areas of the state.
In 2023, the College of Nursing signed an agreement with ECU Health to expand the number of nurses in North Carolina through an academic-practice partnership. More than two dozen student nurses recently graduated from a nurse extern program that placed them in clinical settings for eight weeks to gain skills and insights they will use once they graduate.
“Everyone understands that this is an all-hands-on-deck situation. We owe it to our families, friends and neighbors to make the most of this investment in the future of Pirate nursing,” Powell said.
East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine has been recognized as a tier-one medical school in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings.
The school is one of only fifteen nationwide to receive this distinction for primary care practice and is the only medical school in North Carolina to achieve this status.
The recognition arrives as new students, such as Ryan Bonnett, prepare to start their medical education at Brody.
“The Brody School of Medicine has prepared doctors for decades who make a tangible impact in the community, and being part of that tradition is a big honor,” Bonnett said.
Brody School of Medicine was also highlighted for its emphasis on primary care in rural and federally designated health service shortage areas. The school consistently ranks highly for producing graduates who serve in these underserved communities.
ECU stated more than half of Brody’s graduates from 2015-2017 entered primary care residencies in specialties such as family medicine and pediatrics.
“More often than not, our graduates go into primary care and serve in communities that are in desperate need. We are incredibly proud of their commitment to service,” said Dr. Jason Higginson, Executive Dean of the Brody School of Medicine.
Students at the school’s annual Albernaz Golden Apple Distinguished Lecture expressed their enthusiasm for their forthcoming studies.
“I know that I’m in the right place and that this school is equipped in all areas to prepare me,” Bonnett said.
The U.S. News rankings considered various factors, including student selectivity and MCAT scores, and this year’s methodology introduced a tiered ranking system rather than an ordinal scale. Schools in tier one were deemed the highest-performing institutions.
Additionally, U.S. News released a separate report ranking medical schools based on research performance.
GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s call for a warning label on social media is based on what many call a mental health crisis, not only across the United States but also in North Carolina.
According to the United Health Foundation, here in North Carolina, more than 70% of children with a mental health disorder do not receive treatment. Murthy’s initiative isn’t the only one in the works… The United Health Foundation has put together another initiative with East Carolina University’s Telepsychiatry Program to combat the issue.
Though many factors play into one’s mental health, Pew Research reports that 69% of adults and 81% of teens in the U.S. use social media. Thus, putting a large amount of the population at an increased risk of feeling anxious, depressed, or ill over their social media use.
That’s why the United Health Foundation and ECU are partnering with a new three-year, $3.2 million grant to address the youth mental health challenges in North Carolina.
“There’s a greater need on mental health, particularly given the rising prevalence that we’ve seen here in North Carolina. I think the data is heartbreaking. 9% of our children, ages 3-17 years old have experienced anxiety or depression,” says United Healthcare Community and State CEO Anita Bachmann.
It’s an issue that faces many challenges like a continued stigma attached to having open dialogue, having an open discussion about mental health, and care access due to a shortage in the amount of healthcare, according to Bachmann.
Dr. Sy Saeed North Carolina State Telepsychiatry Program Executive Director says they see over 10,000 children.
“Over 1800 showed a large to moderate level of anxiety, says Saeed. “We are providing both therapy and child psychiatry services.”
This program will help address mental health issues in teens sooner rather than later.
“Most mental disorders start early. As many as 75% of people who have mental disorders would have had their first episode of that illness by age 25. Anxiety, depression, and when people are having difficulty of stress and relationships,” says Dr. Saeed.
Officials say it will create a holistic and effective approach when treating children.
“Mental health for children includes mental, emotional, and behavioral well-being, and that provides the launching pad for how they think, feel, act, and handle stress,” says Dr. Saeed.
Dr. Saeed says the program currently treats 200 children with six clinics in North Carolina but the goal is to expand.
Dr. Saeed and Bachmann say that it’s vital for those dealing with mental health challenges to reach out to their healthcare provider or call the 9-8-8 mental health crisis hotline.
For 39 years now, Eastern Carolina and beyond have shown up to help sick and injured children.
WITN teamed up for another year of fun and inspiration for two days for the 39th Annual Children’s Miracle Network Telethon.
With your donations, we were able to raise $1,258,511 for the James and Connie Maynard Children’s Hospital at ECU Health Medical Center in Greenville.
Those dollars help fund cutting-edge technology as well as quality-of-life items for the families and patients being cared for at the hospital.
If you missed our broadcast, no worries! You can still donate by heading here.
You can watch our Miracle Child stories here.
A fun day out on the water surfing behind a boat at Pine Knoll Shores last August quickly turned tragic for 13-year-old Wiley Sloan.
Wiley says, “I could just hear the propeller spinning and getting closer and closer.”
As the boat circled around to pick him up, he was struck by the propeller. “I knew I got hit but I didn’t know it was going to be this bad, said Wiley.
Wiley’s dad Hamilton was about to head to the coast from their Raleigh home when his wife Hannah called. “She just said there’s been a boating accident. I don’t know what’s going on. Just go to Greenville. I’ll meet you in Greenville.”
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As Hamilton frantically rushed to Maynard Children’s Hospital, his wife called back with more details, “And said Wiley’s lost an arm, um, and he’s in a helicopter on his way to Greenville right now.”
Wiley remembers, “You don’t want to look cause It kinda makes the pain worse but it’s pretty hard not to look.”
Now, this young man, who loves the water and competing in every sport you can imagine, was in his toughest battle yet. For his life.
Hamilton says, “The doctors, as they should be, were very straightforward about the fact that he was a very sick young man and had significant traumatic injuries.”
Not only did Wiley lose his left arm, he had severe injuries to his abdomen and leg, and would have to endure 10 surgeries.
Back home, his classmates lifted him in prayer, while at the hospital, ECU baseball player Parker Byrd, who lost a leg in a boating accident a year earlier, lifted his spirits, all helping Wiley stay brave and calm through it all.
“Maybe just motivation to get better and better and I just kept my mind off of what happened,” said Wiley.
After 33 days in the hospital, he was well enough to go home.
Hamilton says, “And that’s a testament to Wiley’s toughness and healing and a testament to the staff at the hospital.”
Today, not even a year since the accident, he’s back doing some of what he loves as he continues to heal in the pool and on the basketball court.
Being from Raleigh, Hamilton says he wasn’t familiar with Maynard Children’s Hospital and initially wasn’t sure what to think when Wiley was flown there, but says as time moved on and they learned more about the hospital, the doctors, and the level of care they were receiving, he says it became very obvious they were in the right place.
Hamilton says, “Eastern North Carolina is very fortunate to have the Maynard Children’s Hospital. It is a first-class facility.”
One that he says deserves your support and one that he thanks for saving his son’s life. “I’m a witness to a miracle at ECU Health and Wiley is absolutely fortunate to be a miracle child,” said Hamilton.
Wiley couldn’t be more grateful. “I see myself as a miracle cause everything was so perfect and good.”
Be sure to tune in this weekend for the CMN Telethon and make a pledge to help ensure kids like Wiley are able to get the critical treatment they need right here in Eastern Carolina.
Layah Collins is like any other kindergartner, bubbly and full of life. But in 2019 and over the next five years, she would endure unimaginable pain and suffering from Neuroblastoma. But her mother says with help of the doctors and nurses at the Maynard Children’s Hospital, it’s a battle Layah would fight and win.
“Girl on fire.” 6-year-old Layah Collins says that’s her favorite song. Ironically, it also describes her incredible journey in her fight against cancer.
In 2019, 1-year-old Layah was diagnosed with stage four Neuroblastoma. Her mother, Alysha Collins, says she found out after a scan at the Maynard Children’s Hospital revealed a bump on her head was actually a tumor.
To donate to the Children’s Miracle Network in Greenville — Click Here!
“I was shocked not what I was expecting. It’s one of those you see the commercials on TV but you never think it’s going to be your child,” says Collins.
Enter Dr. Cathleen Cook, a woman who Alysha says not only became their physician, but an honorary member of the family and would stand by her and Layah’s side from that moment on.
“On my fridge, on the top part, I have when she was diagnosed and all the pictures that she has shared and given to me. So, my son even knows who Layah is, so we do get very close to our patients,” says Cook.
By 2020, 2-year-old Layah had seven surgeries, five bone marrow biopsies, one specialized radiation session, one stem cell infusion and thirteen cycles of Chemotherapy. It was then that Alysha says it became apparent the disease was winning and she was forced to make the hardest decision she’s ever had to make and stop treatment.
“Nothing was working and the treatments made her sick, she was nauseous, she threw up, she had lost all of her hair, her beautiful curls had all fallen out and I just wanted her home because if it wasn’t working I didn’t want to keep putting her through that. She was only 2 and her little body had already been through so much,” says Collins.
Alysha says, however – her daughter did live and thrive – and over the next three years frequent scans showed the cancer was not growing or spreading.
The relief was short-lived — in 2023, tests showed new sites of the disease not previously seen. That’s when 5-year-old Layah would undergo yet another brain surgery and be given a different Chemotherapy agent, referred to as compassionate use medication.
The new treatment worked — and in January 2024 6-year-old Layah’s scan was negative. Alysha says it is nothing short of a miracle for her daughter to be in remission for the first time in five years.
“I was like what does this mean and she said that she would be considered in remission, and I just cried, because those were words that I never thought I was going to hear,” says Collins.
Alysha says although it’s been a rough road, she’s grateful for the support from all the doctors and nurses at the Maynard Children’s Hospital.
“The care here was amazing, everybody made us feel like family, still when she walks through the front door everybody knows who Layah is, everybody knows,” says Collins.
She says Layah is stronger than ever and living the life that she deserves.
“This girl is on fire. She’s walking on fire. This girl is on fire,” says Collins.
Dr. Cook says Layah is in remission and there are no new signs of the disease. She says Layah will receive scans every three months for the next couple of years and continue to be monitored through age 25.
You can continue to make miracles like Layah’s happen when you tune in and make a pledge this weekend during the Children’s Miracle Network Telethon.
The neonatal intensive care unit at Maynard Children’s Hospital, also known as the NICU, is where the most delicate babies who need the highest level of care and attention come.
Most of them are premature babies who are born locally in Greenville or from 28 other counties in the east.
Premature babies born under 30 weeks or that weigh less than 1,500 grams come into this world with many risks, including retinopathy of prematurity.
“Where the blood vessels of the retina do not form normally,” Dr. Ostrovsky, the Chief of Ophthalmology Services at ECU Health System explained.
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The retina contains the photoreceptors in the eye, making it crucial to see normally.
So, every day and every hour matters to babies born with this condition.
“Sometimes untreated, it can cause retinal detachment and blindness,” Dr. Ostrovsky said.
Now, imagine if doctors can detect conditions like this beforehand and ensure a life of healthy vision that is made possible with the retina cam.
Once the doctor instills numbing drops, dilating drops, and stabilizes the baby’s eyelid with a metal speculum, the retina cam can take high-resolution, 130-degree pictures in a matter of seconds.
“Create better images of the baby’s retina, allow us to follow the more reliably, also to create a more reliable follow-up for the babies as they continue their treatment,” Dr. Ostrovsky shared.
Those images then allow doctors to monitor and evaluate a baby’s eye health.
The retina cam can also be used on normal, full-term babies, who have gone through non-accidental trauma, or abuse.
“These images are not only important clinically, again, for monitoring the progression of how these kids feel after the trauma they sustained, but also medical-legally when these images are shown in front of a judge and jury,” Dr. Ostrovsky said.
As a pioneer in this revolutionary technology, the Maynard Children Hospital’s retina cam will not only change many life trajectories but also serve as a role model for many doctors and hospitals across the country.
You can ensure equipment like that is available for kids in the east when you make a donation to the Children’s Miracle Telethon this weekend on WITN.