Pediatric Endocrine and Metabolic Center of Florida

03/21/2025

My Dear Lorenzo,

Today, we celebrate you once again! Although it’s not your birthday, we love to honor you on Down Syndrome Awareness Day. You are now 2-1/2 years old, and you have no idea how profoundly you have impacted our lives and how much you teach us every day. You are getting stronger, and it’s a true joy to watch you grow.

We recently interviewed at a preschool, and I chose to be honest about your diagnosis. I asked them to meet you before making a decision, and thankfully, they accepted us! They only required you to be potty trained before starting. Initially, I considered placing you in the 2-year-old class to ease the potty training pressure, but I reminded myself to believe in your capabilities. To my joy, you became fully potty trained in just 2 weeks!

When we learned that you had an extra chromosome, my biggest concern was how it would affect your brother and sister. Now I understand that you are making them better human beings. The other day, when I picked up Adeline from school, she shared that she needed to do a book report and she chose the book I bought to help explain your diagnosis to her. Adeline needed to give it a Christian perspective and had already picked the perfect verse: “But the Lord sees not as man sees; man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). She aimed to teach her friends that true worth comes from one’s heart, not appearance. In that moment, I was overwhelmed with gratitude, knowing she understands that a person’s worth is not based on their appearance or achievements but rather what lies within their heart.

Lorenzo, I experience God’s love through you every single day. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but I am so grateful that God chose me to be your mom! I pray that your life is filled with love, kindness, and happiness, and that you never have to face rejection or discrimination because you are truly worthy of love and respect.

Lorenzo, we love you so very much!

10/08/2024

Attention Patients and Families:

Our office will be open tomorrow, Wednesday, October 9th, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. We will then be closed for the remainder of the day and all day Thursday, returning on Friday, October 11th.

The safety of our patients and staff is our top priority. If you have any questions or concerns about your appointment, please don’t hesitate to contact us or leave a message. Our phone lines will be open during regular hours.

Stay safe!

Best regards,
Pediatric Endocrine and Metabolic Center of Florida
Dr. Miladys Palau Collazo, MD

10/07/2024

Attention Patients and Families:

Our office will be open today, Monday, October 7th, during regular hours. We are closely monitoring weather conditions and will keep you informed of any changes. The safety of both our patients and staff is our top priority.

If you have any concerns regarding your appointment, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Stay safe, and we look forward to seeing you!

06/28/2024

Dear Valued Patients and Families,

We hope this letter finds you in good health and high spirits. We are writing to inform you of an important change at the Pediatric Endocrine and Metabolic Center of Florida.

After many years of dedicated service, Dr. Monica Martinez-Rubio will be leaving our clinic. Dr. Martinez-Rubio has been an integral part of our team, and we know many of you have developed strong relationships with her. We are incredibly grateful for her contributions and commitment to our patients’ health and well-being.

Dr. Miladys Palau-Collazo will be taking over Dr. Martinez-Rubio’s clinic starting on July 1st, 2024. Dr. Palau-Collazo is a highly skilled and experienced pediatric endocrinologist committed to providing excellent care to children with endocrine and metabolic disorders. We are confident that she will continue the tradition of compassionate and comprehensive care that you have come to expect from our clinic.

We are also pleased to announce that Michelle L. Jampol, APRN, has joined the clinic as a pediatric nurse practitioner. Ms. Jampol brings extensive experience as a pediatric and family nurse practitioner, and we are happy to have her join our team.

We understand that changes like this can be concerning, but please rest assured that our entire team is here to support you during this transition. We will contact you soon to reschedule your next appointment with Dr. Palau-Collazo or Ms. Jampol.

If you have any questions or concerns or would like to schedule an appointment with Dr. Palau-Collazo, please do not hesitate to contact us at 772-834-7362 or visit us at www.YourKidsEndo.com.

Thank you for your understanding and continued trust in the Pediatric Endocrine and Metabolic Center of Florida. We look forward to continuing to serve you and your family.

Sincerely,

Pediatric Endocrine and Metabolic Center of Florida
www.YourKidsEndo.com
(772) 834-7362

03/22/2024

Happy World Down Syndrome Day, my dear Lorenzo!

Thank you to all our friends and family who celebrated with us by wearing mismatched socks. We truly feel the extra love!

What a year it's been, Lorenzo, since we celebrated our first DS Awareness Day. That night, we ended with a helicopter ride to Miami to be admitted to the PICU for respiratory distress. Health-wise, it has been a challenging year. You have been admitted to the hospital six times due to breathing difficulties. I pray that God strengthens your lungs and your immune system so that we don’t ever have to go back to the hospital.

We have also watched you thrive in so many ways. You sat by yourself at nine months, started crawling at ten months, stood up at 11 months, and began cruising at 13 months. You have been walking nonstop since you turned 18 months old and have been a troublemaker ever since! I love watching you be like any other toddler. You have around five words and ten signs you use consistently, but I’m still waiting to hear you say, “Mama.” Undoubtedly, “Dada” is part of your repertoire. I’m eternally grateful for your grandma, who is your #1 therapist, and to all the other therapists who work with you every week.

Lorenzo, we couldn’t love you more. We feel so blessed knowing that God picked us to be your family. I can’t wait to see what the next year brings. You surprise us every day, and you truly make us better!

Love you to infinity and beyond,

-Mama

To all my fellow healthcare providers:
We are a part of every diagnosis conversation, and that's why Jack’s Basket created the Communicating Unexpected News curriculum for all medical professionals. Worth 10 Continuing Medical Education credits (CMEs), it’s an online program that will equip you with the knowledge, strategies, and communication techniques required to deliver unexpected news to patients and their families without bias. Please check it out and help us change the narrative so that no story begins with "I'm Sorry."

03/21/2023

03/21/2023

Celebrating World Down Syndrome Day! 🧦🥰🎉

March 21 (the twenty-first day of the third month) is the day dedicated to all individuals with Down Syndrome.

This day was selected to showcase the uniqueness of this genetic disorder - Trisomy 21 is the clinical way of saying Down Syndrome, which is the third copy on the 21st chromosome which causes the chromosomal condition.

Dr. Miladys Palau, has penned a beautiful letter to her young son, as her family observes their first celebration of WDSD.

https://www.toplinemd.com/blog/march-21-world-down-syndrome-day-wdsd/

Visit the blog to learn more about why this day is so important, and how parents can advocate for rights, inclusion and well-being of their child with Down Syndrome.

March 21 is World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD), the day that the Down syndrome community creates a single global voice advocating for the rights, inclusion and well-being of people with Down syndrome. TopLine MD Alliance affiliated physician, Dr. Miladys Palau-Collazo, has penned a beautiful letter to h...

10/24/2022

Thank you to Pediatric Endocrine and Metabolic Center for being one of our gala sponsors! They’re the best!! Make sure to get your gala tickets. The deadline is October 31st!