Throughout his care, Connor developed strong relationships with the clinical teams who supported him through treatment, hospitalizations and recovery. While his medical journey included radiation therapy and ongoing oncology care, Connor credits the compassion and dedication of Children's Mercy nurses and care teams as some of the most meaningful aspects of his experience. 

Connor's story also underscores the value of integrated supportive services. Working with Children's Mercy Art Therapist Katie Brewer, MS, LPC, ATR-BC, he transformed a radiation treatment mask into a Spider-Man-inspired work of art using his own 3D printing skills. The project provided an opportunity for creative expression, helping him process his experiences while reinforcing identity, resilience and self-efficacy beyond his cancer diagnosis.

Art therapy is one of many supportive care resources available to patients at Children's Mercy. These services can help children and adolescents navigate the emotional and psychosocial challenges of serious illness, reduce anxiety and foster coping strategies throughout treatment. Connor's experience demonstrates how comprehensive pediatric cancer care extends beyond treating disease to supporting the whole child and helping patients thrive throughout their health care journey and beyond. 

As he moves into adult care, Connor continues to embody the resilience that has defined his journey, offering encouragement to other patients facing health challenges: “Never, never give up. Always believe in yourself.”

Born prematurely at 28 weeks with Down syndrome, Cate required early NICU support at Children’s Mercy and experienced ongoing medical and social instability, including re-hospitalizations and time in foster care.

Just before her first birthday, she was diagnosed with myeloid leukemia associated with Down syndrome (ML-DS)—a rare but highly treatable subtype of leukemia. Her care involved multiple cycles of inpatient chemotherapy over approximately six months, with close monitoring, nutritional support and frequent readmissions between treatments. 

While ML-DS carries a favorable prognosis—with reported five-year survival rates around 85%—Cate’s course underscored the importance of vigilant management and multidisciplinary care, particularly in children with underlying genetic conditions and complex social needs.

Shortly after completing chemotherapy, Cate developed severe sepsis, requiring escalation to the PICU with ventilatory support and dialysis due to acute renal failure. She experienced additional complications, including vascular compromise that resulted in partial foot amputation. Despite these challenges, Cate demonstrated remarkable resilience, ultimately recovering renal function and discontinuing dialysis.

Her recovery reflects the strength of an integrated care model, including:

• Timely escalation to critical care
• Close collaboration across oncology, intensive care, nephrology and rehabilitation teams
• Ongoing support from care management, social work and family-centered services

Equally important was the role of consistent, engaged caregivers. Cate’s foster family—Joel Koenig, MD, pediatric urologist at Children’s Mercy, and his wife Karen who later adopted her—worked in close partnership with her care team, helping provide continuity and advocacy throughout prolonged hospitalizations and recovery. 

Now cancer-free and thriving at age 9, Cate continues to receive specialty follow-up care to support her long-term health and development. 

Her journey also speaks to the lasting impact these experiences can have on providers. Her adoptive father, a Children’s Mercy pediatric urologist, now integrates his perspective as a parent into his leadership in care management and patient-family services—reinforcing the importance of whole-child, whole-family care.

Cate’s case is a powerful reminder that optimal outcomes in medically complex pediatric patients depend not only on clinical expertise, but on coordinated systems of care and strong partnerships with families at every step.

Dr. Shannon Carpenter has accepted the role of Division Director of Hematology, Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplant, effective immediately. Dr. Carpenter earned her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from the University of Virginia and her medical degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. Following pediatric residency at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, she completed her pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship at Duke. Prior to joining Children’s Mercy in 2008, Dr. Carpenter was a faculty member at the University of Texas – San Antonio. Dr. Carpenter has been an Associate Division Director in Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplant and Section Chief of Hematology since 2013. She stepped into the role of interim Division Director of Heme/Onc/BMT in September 2024.

Thank you to the members of the search committee for all their efforts on behalf of the DOP and Children’s Mercy: Committee Co-Chairs Drs. Sherwin Chan (Radiology) and Tarak Srivastava (Nephrology), and committee members Drs. Ghufran Babar (Endocrine), Todd Bradley (Genomic Medicine Center), Denise Bratcher (GME), Andrea Carver (Heme/Onc), Aileen Har (Gastroenterology), Tomoo Iwakuma (CMRI), Karen Lewing (Heme/Onc), and Doug Myers (Heme/Onc).