Life-Saving Care Closer to Home

Watching energetic 17-year-old Roman LaDuke round the bases at his local park in Wyoming, you would never know he almost died of a rare adrenal gland condition when he was a toddler. And that he still lives with this condition today under the medical care of Children’s Hospital Colorado.

Shortly after Roman turned 3-years-old, he became very ill and started throwing up. “He was really dehydrated and was just limp, it was really scary,” said his mom, Becky.

His parents took him to his pediatrician who recommended he be admitted to the hospital in their hometown of Casper, Wyoming. He was given fluids and some tests were run, but there were no conclusive results. Once he was stabilized and felt better, he was sent home – his family unsure how their healthy child had gotten so sick so quickly.

About four months later, Roman got sick again, and this time he was near death. He was hospitalized with dangerously low sodium levels. Roman’s pediatrician ran some more tests but still couldn’t determine what was wrong with the little boy. That’s when his pediatrician reached out to Children’s Colorado for guidance. A pediatric endocrinologist at Children’s Colorado advised Roman’s doctor to run a test which ultimately showed that Roman’s adrenal glands weren’t working as they should. Adrenal glands create hormones and help regulate many critical bodily functions, like blood pressure and keeping the body’s salt and water levels at a normal range.

Roman was diagnosed with primary adrenal insufficiency, but there was no known cause. Once they received the diagnosis, Roman and his parents drove 4.5 hours to Denver to Children’s Colorado to meet with a pediatric endocrinologist. There, they found a path forward including learning what medications he needed to remain healthy.

A New Diagnosis and Expert Care

During their time at Children’s Colorado, they met Philip Zeitler, MD, a pediatric endocrinologist, who goes to Casper twice a year to visit patients in the Children’s Colorado Regional Clinic in the McMurry Medical Arts Building on the Wyoming Medical Center Campus. The Children’s Colorado Regional Clinic is a strong partnership with Wyoming Medical Center who leases the space and staff to Children’s Colorado to support the clinics.  The Olivia Caldwell Foundation (OCF) has also been an important partner to the regional clinics as the OCF has provided money to pay for the clinic operations, the travel costs of the physicians and staff that come from Children’s Colorado. The OCF also funded the transformation of the space into an inviting and pediatric friendly environment that is a welcoming and soothing environment for patients and families.  The goals of the regional clinics and Children’s Colorado’s partnership with Olivia Caldwell Foundation and Banner Wyoming Medical Center is to improve access to pediatric specialty care for children in the region and keep care close to home when possible, for kids and families.

The location of the clinic is helpful for families like Roman’s, who would otherwise have to drive several hours to the Denver metro area to receive care at one of Children’s Colorado’s locations. With a pediatric specialty clinic in their community, Roman and his family can receive world-class care closer to home.

“We benefit from Roman not having to take two days off school, us not having to spend money on fuel, food and hotel rooms for one visit. The drive is about 4.5 hours away and the appointment is a half hour visit, they’re short visits but they’re important. Having Dr. Zeitler come to the clinic here in Casper saves us so much time and effort,” said Becky.

The Olivia Caldwell Foundation, created in honor of Olivia Caldwell who was a patient at Children’s Colorado and passed away in 2013, funds research and programs that focus on improving the lives of children who are battling cancer and other serious diseases in Wyoming and around the world. The organization expanded their mission in 2019 when they partnered with Children’s Colorado and Wyoming Medical Center. The clinic, located on the same campus as the Wyoming Medical Center, was built just for kids with a child-friendly aesthetic with bright colors and kid-friendly murals.

Now, 14 years later, Roman and his family still don’t know what caused Roman’s adrenal gland insufficiency. But the 17-year-old is on medicine to keep him stabilized. While he’ll be on these medications for the rest of his life, he’s able to enjoy life to its fullest, including playing baseball on a club team in Wyoming.