Kids Health Matters
Tag: scoliosis

Mpls. St. Paul Magazine recently released its “Top Doctors list,” which includes the names of 24 physicians from Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare. The magazine determines award recipients based on a survey sent to physicians each year, asking them to nominate one or more doctors (excluding themselves) whom they would visit if they or a loved one needed medical care.

"It was definitely a shock. I almost didn’t believe it at first. I’m a competitive athlete; I’d never really been hurt or sick in my entire life. I didn’t even know what scoliosis was." - Avery Wright

Gillette expert Danielle Harding, PA-C breaks down five things to know if you or a loved one have been diagnosed with this common spine condition.

Taylor’s a nationally ranked, competitive barrel racer. To watch her ride is a study of grace in motion. She makes it look effortless. When you stop to consider that she’s doing all of it while dealing with juvenile idiopathic scoliosis (JIS), it becomes even more impressive.

June is National Scoliosis Awareness Month and a good time to revisit some of the remarkable stories of the Gillette patients diagnosed with scoliosis. In May 2018, Joshua and his parents surprised Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare orthopedic surgeon, Tenner Guillaume, MD with an unusual and highly personal gift.

This is not the summer Kyra Condie, 24, was supposed to have. Just a few months from now, Kyra was supposed to be in Tokyo, competing as a climber in the Summer Olympics.It would’ve been the first time climbing was featured as an event in the Olympics and for her, a tremendous personal achievement. A milestone she’s been working towards her whole life.

"I realized, for the first time, that I was shooting straight. Due to my scoliosis, I'd been overcompensating." Erika, a basketball player, gained confidence after surgery to correct her spinal curvature.

Back pain is more common in children than one might expect. In fact, by age 15, 30-50 percent of all children have had at least one episode of back pain! At Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare, our team of internationally-recognized orthopedic experts work closely with many pediatric patients each year, helping them identify and treat their unexplained back pain.

For Janet Favorite, navigating her son Robert’s rare condition has been a rollercoaster, steadied by her family’s commitment to providing him with expert care and access to resources at Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare. Read her story.

The Fred C. and Katherine B. Andersen Foundation awarded Gillette a generous grant to help expand Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare’s spine program. This is the largest grant we’ve ever received.

Owen Earl can now swim and be active thanks to surgery at Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare to help with a curvature in his back due to scoliosis. Gillette performs 80% of spinal fusion procedures in Minnesota and 65% of spine fusions to correct scoliosis.

Everyone knows at least one iconic duo. There are Batman and Robin, Mario and Luigi, Ash Ketchum and Pikachu, and by the time you’re done reading, you’ll add another to the list: Josh and Tyler Lindgren.