The Grand Ole Opry is marking its 90th anniversary this year, and the Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt will be the first of nine charities to benefit during a campaign called “Cause for Applause.”

The Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt is growing to new heights on the shoulders of its board members, who are making key contributions to the campaign for a four-floor expansion, both in the giving of their time and resources.

Eric Scelzi was a healthy 15-year-old boy who enjoyed soccer and competitive cycling. But in three days in 2011, he went from having a headache to fighting for his life.

A nurse practitioner at the Vanderbilt Hereditary Cancer clinic is expected to be one of the first nurses in the country to receive a newly created certification in Advanced Genetics Nursing from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).

Two longtime Vanderbilt nurses are starting the year in new leadership positions with greater responsibilities for nursing education and advanced practice, respectively.

Cancer is bad enough. But cancer patients who receive surgery, radiation and chemotherapy may suffer from side effects that run from irritating to crippling — problems that are postural, musculoskeletal and respiratory, along with lowered self-esteem.