Meet Kelsea

I’m Kelsea Hutchings, APRN, CPNP-PC, FIM-P — a board certified pediatric nurse practitioner and functional medicine provider serving families across Florida.

I help families who know in their gut that something more is going on with their child — even when the labs are “normal” and they’ve been told to wait it out. Little Lanterns Pediatrics exists so you don’t have to choose between your intuition and what you’ve been told in rushed visits.

Board-Certified Pediatric Expertise

Over 10 years in medicine, with extensive experience in intensive and pediatric settings including ICU, NICU, pediatric emergency, urgent care, and pediatric primary care.

Now fully devoted to root-cause pediatric care through Little Lanterns Pediatrics, serving children across Florida via telehealth.

How Little Lanterns Began

I loved medicine, but I couldn’t ignore what I was seeing.

For years, I practiced in busy pediatric settings — emergency rooms, urgent cares, and primary care offices. I’ve seen firsthand how incredible conventional medicine is in a crisis. When a child can’t breathe, is severely injured, or needs urgent intervention, modern medicine is a gift.

But I also watched more and more families receive vague diagnoses, quick prescriptions, and “they’ll grow out of it” reassurances that never truly explained what was happening with their child. Parents were coming in with real concerns and leaving with very little clarity.

Little Lanterns Pediatrics was born from that tension. I wanted a model of care where your child is known by name, their story is heard fully, and treatment plans are thoughtfully designed — never copied, pasted, or rushed to fit a 10-minute time slot.

My Faith & My Practice

My faith doesn’t sit on the sidelines — it influences how I care for your child.

My Christian faith influences the way I practice. I believe God is still near to families, still healing, and deeply interested in the wellbeing of your child. I believe He designed the body with incredible capacity to heal and repair, and that functional medicine helps us honor that design with wisdom.

I pray for the families I work with. I ask God for wisdom as I review charts and labs. I take seriously the responsibility to steward both the science in front of me and the child in front of you with excellence, integrity, and compassion.

You do not have to share my beliefs to be fully welcomed, respected, and cared for here. My role is not to pressure you spiritually, but to be honest about the lens I bring into our work together: evidence-based medicine and a Biblical worldview, working together in service of your child’s health.

Training & Credentials

APRN, CPNP-PC, FIM-P — board-certified pediatric nurse practitioner
Over a decade of experience in pediatric and intensive care settings
Experience in ICU, NICU, pediatric ER, urgent care, and primary care
Additional training in functional and integrative medicine for children
Currently pursuing a PhD in Biblical naturopathy

Where and how I practice

I am licensed in the state of Florida and provide pediatric functional care via secure telehealth to children who are physically located in Florida at the time of their visit.

Telehealth allows families to avoid long drives and waiting rooms while still receiving in-depth, relationship-based care. With detailed history, careful listening, and targeted testing, in-person visits are rarely necessary for the type of work I do.

I also create non-patient-specific workshops and educational resources that can serve families worldwide.

How I Approach Care

Gentle where possible, targeted when needed, always individualized.

Modalities I use

Functional lab testing and gut–body analysis
Medicinal-level herbs and botanicals
Homeopathy and targeted aromatherapy
Nutrition and lifestyle-based interventions
Foundational vitamins and minerals when appropriate

Medications & balance

I am able to prescribe conventional medications when they are truly needed. In select cases, we may use a medication short-term to get a child to a more stable place, with a shared goal of eventually stepping back whenever it is safe and appropriate.

I do not believe in throwing supplements or prescriptions at symptoms without a plan. Every protocol is designed based on your child’s story, labs, and capacity — not trends or one-size-fits-all protocols.

A little more about me outside of medicine.

I’m a Florida girl through and through. My parents chose to spell my name “Kelsea” — with “sea” — on purpose, because of my connection to the ocean. The beach is where I often feel the most grounded, peaceful, and aware of God’s nearness.

I’m a mom and a dog mom, and my family and I actively live the lifestyle I teach in this practice. We truly do “practice what we preach” — from the food on our table to how we support our own bodies and nervous systems.

When I’m not reviewing labs or creating care plans, you’ll probably find me near water, learning, worshiping, or laughing with my family. I don’t take lightly the trust it requires to invite someone into your child’s health story — and I’m honored every time a family chooses me to walk alongside them.

The Heart Behind Little Lanterns

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

— John 1:5 (ESV)

Little Lanterns Pediatrics was named with purpose. I believe every child carries a God-given light — a design, a uniqueness, a purpose — and that the role of pediatric functional care is to protect that light, nurture it, and help it shine without being dimmed by chronic symptoms, confusion, or unanswered concerns.

I also believe that health is the true heirloom — the legacy we pass to our children through wisdom, nourishment, clarity, and consistency. The choices we make today shape their future vitality, resilience, and joy.

My work is rooted in this belief: when we shine light on what’s happening inside a child’s body, we empower families to break cycles, restore balance, and build health that lasts for generations.

If you’re ready for a provider who truly sees your child, I’d be honored to walk with you.

Whether you’re just starting to ask questions or you’ve been searching for answers for years, there is room for your story here. We can start gently — with a Clarity Consultation or the Mini Map — and discern together what your child needs.