Not everyone keeps a 鈥淪tranger Things鈥 Lego set on the kitchen table. But Dr. Heather Cassell is not your typical pediatrician.
In her living room, sets of Harry Potter Legos sit on a wooden chest and neighboring shelves. There鈥檚 the Whomping Willow, Hogwarts castle, complete with Hagrid鈥檚 hut and an oversized spider, a Quidditch field and Hogwarts Express.
Cassell explains that this is the set she lets people play with. The 4,000-piece Harry Potter castle remains safe in the master bedroom.
鈥淚鈥檓 a hardcore kid at heart,鈥 Cassell said.
Cassell is a 蜜柚直播 pediatrician and allergist who treats young patients and educates parents and families about food allergies. An 蜜柚直播 native, she grew up in 蜜柚直播 and went to Pima Community College before studying at the University of 蜜柚直播 for both her medical degree and pediatric residency.
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She served as a general pediatrician in the Air Force for 4陆 years before completing her fellowship in allergy and immunology at National Jewish Health and the Children鈥檚 Hospital in Denver. She moved back to 蜜柚直播 two years later to work in private practice, seeing adults and children.
About three years ago, she returned to the University of 蜜柚直播 and Banner to pursue more research opportunities and work with residents. She鈥檚 involved in clinical research on how to prevent peanut allergies in children and adults.
Dr. Cassell鈥檚 Harry Potter living room.
Relates to kids
Jo Kesler is the mother of one of Cassell鈥檚 pediatric patients. Her daughter Angela is 8 years old and has multiple allergies, peanut allergies being one of them, and has been seeing Cassell since she was 2陆 months old.
鈥淣ot that long ago, Angela had a day where she was at the peanut study and we love that Dr. Cassell is a part of it because it helps Angela out really well,鈥 Kesler said. She said her daughter and Cassell had a really great conversation about the Avengers and how Angela loves the Hulk.
鈥淭he next time we went, she had to get blood drawn. Dr. Cassell got her the Hulk doll with the motion-movement arms and everything to help her get the bloodwork,鈥 Kesler said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 awesome because she sits down, and they鈥檒l be talking about things and I鈥檓 like, 鈥榃hat are you all talking about?鈥 ... I鈥檓 like lost and they鈥檙e on the same wavelength.鈥
Sarah Gibson said Cassell鈥檚 knowledge of children鈥檚 movies and toys helps her relate to patients who have similar interests. Gibson has worked as a nurse with Cassell since 2009.
鈥淚 think she鈥檚 a huge nerd. She鈥檚 very much into 鈥淪tar Wars,鈥 鈥淗arry Potter,鈥 Legos, that is her world for sure,鈥 Gibson said.
鈥淚 can always sit there and talk 鈥楽tar Wars鈥 or Avengers,鈥 said Cassel. She is 48 years old and still loves children鈥檚 movies and stories.
Cassell grew up in 蜜柚直播 and got her medical degree at the University of 蜜柚直播. She鈥檚 involved in research on peanut allergies.
This is apparent when one sees her living-room wall and observes it in greater detail. It is covered in posters of her and her husband鈥檚 favorite movies including 鈥淪tar Wars,鈥 鈥淭he Goonies,鈥 鈥淲illy Wonka,鈥 鈥淭oy Story,鈥 鈥淗arry Potter鈥 and 鈥淭he Lord of the Rings.鈥
She thinks her inner child stems from her observations of adults when she was a kid.
鈥淚 think what it was is that I remember growing up thinking that being an adult was so boring. And I thought 鈥業 don鈥檛 want to grow up, because who wants to grow up and not get to play with toys? Not go to Disneyland? Not do fun stuff?鈥 because that鈥檚 what I saw adults doing,鈥 Cassell said.
鈥淪o, I think I just decided when I was a kid that I wasn鈥檛 going to be that kind of adult.鈥
鈥淗uman side of medicine鈥
Natalia Elias Calles worked with Cassell as a senior research specialist on pediatric food allergy trials at the University of 蜜柚直播 Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center.
鈥淢ost kids come fearful to the clinic,鈥 Elias Calles said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 an intense place to be, especially when you go to a hospital. 鈥 It鈥檚 terrifying for a kid and even the family can be uncomfortable, and she puts everyone at ease just by talking to them.鈥
Cassell said allergies can be traumatizing for children and families. She said parents and families almost have PTSD from seeing allergic reactions, and this is why it is so important to be able to educate the patients and their families about allergies.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the human side of medicine that I really love doing,鈥 Cassell said.
Dr. Uwe Manthei worked with Cassell during her time as a private practice physician at Alvernon Allergy.
鈥淪he has a gift to communicate with the kids directly. 鈥 She had an amazing rapport with the kids of any age, and then of course, on a different level with the parents,鈥 Manthei said.
Having a strong inner child is important for pediatricians, according to Manthei.
鈥淭hat is how we thrive. You cannot practice pediatrics, general pediatrics or pediatrics in any subspecialty, without sort of in your heart being a kid and then at the same time being protector of the kids,鈥 he said.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 what characterizes a good pediatrician and Heather, of course, is among the best.鈥
Dr. Heather Cassell keeps a 4,000-piece Harry Potter castle in her bedroom.
Davina Dobbins is a dual-degree master of business administration/master of public health student at the University of 蜜柚直播. She is also working on a graduate certificate in science communication and originally wrote this story as part of an advanced reporting journalism class through the certificate program.
