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Mateo, Gillette epilepsy patient

Kids Health Matters
Topic: Patient Stories

Patient Stories

Minnesota at its Best, Sled Hockey for Children who Have Disabilities

You know, there might be nothing more Minnesotan than lacing up a pair of skates and heading out to the rink. “You bet, you’d better believe it,” says Tony Lang of Loretto, Minnesota. “I grew up playing hockey my whole life. It’s a family tradition. In fact, when we had kids I built a rink in our backyard.”

Patient Stories

Therapy Two-A-Days: Connor Tackles Recovery from Traumatic Brain Injury

Tall, red-haired and boisterous, it’s not a surprise to learn that Connor plays on the football team back in North Dakota, or that he’s pretty popular.

Patient Stories

Leader, Friend, Outdoorsman: Meet Elijah

“Using a wheelchair is good and bad at the same time. A disadvantage is you can’t run around outside like your friends. An advantage is you can cut the line at Nickelodeon Universe. Chair or not, I’m the same person.” See how care at Gillette has helped Elijah emerge as a leader.

Patient Stories

Kelsey Teaches Yoga, Defies Disability

Kelsey's attitude is so affecting, she says that most people don’t notice at first. Kelsey was born with a radial club hand, and her left arm is significantly shorter than her right. This means that when she’s instructing yoga—perhaps the most public of exercises—she’s essentially doing most of it, one-handed.

Patient Stories

Gillette patient, Chuck, in the hallway at Gillette St. paul clinic

Love of Dogs Helps Chuck Through Spine Straightening Treatment

Chuck Schultz is a longtime Gillette patient, athlete, and most importantly, a dog lover. Learn how Chuck's love of dogs blossomed (and led to him becoming a dog owner!) during his seven-week inpatient stay to treat his severe spinal curvature, called kyphosis.

Patient Stories

She’s Katie. It’s Not What She Has, It’s Who She Is

Katie Allee takes Advanced Placement classes. She’s 15, and she’s a straight-A student. Her mind? It’s all there, and she’ll tell you as much. But when it comes to her body physically, for much of her life, she’s had difficulty.

Patient Stories

Avital Harris and Brothers

After Scoliosis Treatment, Avital Aims to Help Other Kids

After a surprising scoliosis diagnosis, Avital Harris wore a back brace for two years. Now she is sharing her story, and plans for the future.

Patient Stories

jeffrey and his family

“The Kid’s a Maniac” – Jeffrey the Marathoner

After Jeffrey received an intrathecal baclofen pump at Gillette, his world opened up. He inspired his dad to become a marathon runner and even became an official "marathon maniac" in his own right.

Patient Stories

Gillette patient Camdyn during doctor visit with Alison Schiffern, MD

Camdyn Kicks Clubfoot to the Curb

It’s delivery day. You’ve gone through all of the preparations for your newborn—from appointments and ultrasounds, to adding final touches on the nursery—and you are ready to finally meet your child. The last thing you hope for is any unexpected surprises.

Patient Stories

Gillette children's patient Ezra enjoys running on the soccer field holding ball

Ezra’s First Soccer Game

Ezra is here. He’s playing soccer. And he’s having the time of his life. After he nearly died from a traumatic brain injury in 2013, Ezra recently achieved his dream of playing on a soccer team.

Patient Stories

Why Medicaid Matters to my Family: Let’s Talk About it

Rebecca Pierce, the mother of a Gillette patient, speaks out about the importance of protecting Medicaid for children who have disabilities.

Patient Stories

Transition Support Propels Aaron Myers to Independence, Adulthood and Fulfilling Employment

Aaron Myers is like any other employee at The Works children’s museum with one exception: he is diagnosed with cerebral palsy. See how Aaron's family laid the groundwork for his successful transition to adulthood—and how the Gillette Transition Clinic is providing additional support.

Patient Stories

Friends, Fun and Floor Hockey: The Full Life of Joe Carr

Joe Carr is updating his Facebook status, taking photos with his iPad, teasing his older sister, and good-naturedly ignoring his mother’s pleas to get ready for his imminent floor hockey game. Meet this busy 13-year-old with an easy smile and a powerful laugh.

Patient Stories

Caring for Karley: Growing Up After Anoxic Brain Injury

"If there is anything that I want people to understand, it’s that parents who have children who have disabilities want what any parent wants for their child."

Patient Stories

Trauma Care Partnership Saves Peyton After Brain Injury

When 16-month-old Peyton ran across the living room, slipped, and hit his head on the hardwood floor, the impact left him fighting for his life. See how a partnership between Gillette and Regions Hospital helped Peyton achieve a full recovery, and why his parents consider Gillette part of their family.

Patient Stories

Ava Approaches Rare Bone Disorder with Bravery

Ava has a rare condition called multiple hereditary exostosis, which causes boney tumors to grow throughout her body. Learn what the condition means for Ava and why she looks forward to surgeries at Gillette.

Patient Stories

Muscular Dystrophy Diagnosis Can’t Stop These Twins

Kiara and Keisy are twins who share a diagnosis of muscular dystrophy. Meet these sweet girls and learn how their parents, and Gillette, help them understand they're no different than other kids.

Patient Stories

Some Things Change, Some Stay the Same After Injury

Five years ago Guadalupe sustained a spinal cord injury that left her paralyzed from the waist down. She stayed at Gillette nearly six months as she built strength and learned to make the most of her existing abilities.

Patient Stories

Limb Lengthening and Perseverance Give Katelyn Momentum

“They almost didn’t notice it at first,” Karey Hall says. When her daughter Katelyn was born, her left leg was missing two toes and had an abnormal, rainbow-like bend to it. “No one at the clinic had ever seen anything quite like it before.”

Patient Stories

Gillette patient Mason with his dad on mission to see 500 bands.

Patient Embarks on Quest to See 500 Bands

Mason and his father Rich saw nearly 500 rock bands live in concert last year. They refused to let Mason's cerebral palsy get in the way of reaching their goal.

Patient Stories

80 year old Gillette Children's patient George Fedor with Gillette provider

Cerebral Palsy Diagnosis at 80 Brings George Fedor Peace

84-year-old George Fedor is a storyteller. But the one story that George couldn’t tell had to do with one question: What is wrong with the left side of my body?

Patient Stories

Pioneering Spine Surgery at Gillette Helps Joshua Ride a Bike

Joshua, a 10-year-old who has congenital scoliosis, dreamed of one day riding a bike. Learn about the groundbreaking surgery that straightened his severely curved spine, improving his independence and giving him the opportunity for a full childhood.

Patient Stories

Why I’m Here: For My Sister, for My Patients

When I work with my patients, something that comes out over time is that I understand the profound stress and anxiety that can come with caring for a child who has complex medical needs. I know this because I’ve devoted my career to working with patients who have disabilities, but also because I’ve lived it.

Patient Stories

Walker Overcomes Craniosynostosis

When Walker's parents and pediatrician became concerned about the shape of his head, their questions led to a diagnosis of craniosynostosis. Learn how a new surgical technique eliminated the need for a blood transfusion during Walker's craniosynostosis surgery.

Patient Stories

Emmy Makes Comeback After Surgery to Remove Brain Tumor

Small, gregarious, brimming with boundless energy and a mischievous smile, 4-year-old Emmy Veenis is the type of kid people tend to remember. But Emmy started having headaches.

Patient Stories

Gillette CP and epilepsy patient, Mateo, in healing garden at Gillette children's

The Journey of Mateo Arcos: Hope, Love and Cerebral Palsy

As he ambles down a long hospital hallway, smiling with every step and practically daring you to do the same, it can be pretty easy to forget that this wasn't supposed to happen. Mateo Arcos was never supposed to walk.

Patient Stories

“Facetime” With Your Doctor through Telemedicine

For children like Ava who live in greater Minnesota or outside the state, appointments at Gillette can involve hours of drive time and nights spent in a hotel. All that can add up. Meet Ava and learn how Gillette is helping families like hers by expanding its telemedicine services.

Patient Stories

A Legacy of Strength and Smiles

As a child in the 1940s, Lyn Baier traveled with her mother by bus from the family farm in southwestern Minnesota to the old Gillette building near Lake Phalen in St. Paul. She spent months away from home getting treatment for her deformed right leg.

Patient Stories

Jackson Defies Gravity with ReWalk Robotic Exoskeleton

Jackson sustained a spinal cord injury when he was 16 years old. The injury thrust Jackson, who stands a tall 6’2’’, into a new reality of life in a wheelchair. But instead of giving up, Jackson made the decision to embrace his new reality.

Patient Stories

Back to School Sleep Opens Eyes on Facebook

Gillette recently hosted a Facebook Live video Q&A featuring John Garcia, MD, sleep medicine specialist, about back-to-school sleep issues. Learn more and watch the discussion.

Patient Stories

Avery’s Story: Becoming a Back-to-School Model

Avery, a sixth grader who has cerebral palsy, recently had the opportunity to showcase some of her favorite back-to-school fashions to thousands when she modeled for the Mall of America's 2016 Back to School Look Book. Learn how the experience helped build Avery's confidence and how care at Gillette has helped her thrive.

Patient Stories

Family Speaks Out on Dangers of Drinking and Driving

As the Bodell family returned home from an afternoon of bowling, an intoxicated driver plowed into their car. Three-year-old Havana Bodell sustained a spinal cord injury. Less than a year later, the family is speaking out about the dangers of driving under the influence.

Patient Stories

Steven Koop, MD, Has Put Patients First for 30 Years

For 30 years, Steven Koop, MD, has believed that all of medicine is about "Someone who says, 'Help,' and someone in the other chair to say, 'That's my work. To help you.'"

Patient Stories

Redefining Colten’s Childhood After Mystery Illness

Colten's family thought he'd come down with the stomach flu. Then his illness became something much more severe. Learn how a Gillette pediatric neurologist and Colten’s rehabilitation team helped him reclaim his childhood.

Patient Stories

Girl Scout’s Greatest Achievement is Being a Kid

Born a micro preemie weighing less than one pound, Ava came to Gillette when she began missing milestones. See how far this active 9-year-old has come as a result of treatments informed by gait and motion analysis data.

Patient Stories

What Happens When You Have Your First Seizure

Even eight years later, George Jamison clearly remembers the moment. He was with his older brother, Jack, at summer camp, having the type of fun that only 8 and 10-year-olds can. Then everything went black. When he awoke, a lot had changed.

Patient Stories

Darius’ Remarkable Journey from Lithuania to Minnesota

Darius, who spent the first six years of his life in an orphanage in the city of Vilnius, was born with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy. His dad shares their adoption experience, cultural differences and talks about the support they received from Gillette along the way.

Patient Stories

A Promise to Her Dad Motivates Maria Renata

Seven-year-old Maria Renata Sanchez Diaz traveled 1,600 miles from her home in Mexico City to Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare as part of her plan to keep a promise to her dad.

Patient Stories

Saving Ahriana After Near-Tragic Accident

"Don't think it won't happen to you," says Ahriana's mom, Cassie Sonnentag. Ahriana sustained serious injuries when a TV fell on her in a terrible accident. See how her family's quick action and care from the Level I Pediatric Trauma Center saved her life.

Patient Stories

Kids gather around baseball diamond for field of dreams game

Gillette Family Makes “Field of Dreams” a Reality

The Feyereisen family built a sandlot field in their backyard to inspire inclusiveness and teach kindness among their triplet sons, who have varying degrees of disabilities, and their friends. It's come to resemble a real-life "Field of Dreams."

Patient Stories

“My Body was Haunted” – Ali’s Recovery from Chronic Pain

Even after an injury heals, sometimes an imprint of it can remain. How this happens varies from person to person. But for some individuals, like Ali Tokkesdal, it manifests in the form of chronic pain. “I couldn’t walk. It felt like my body had turned against me, like it was haunted,” says Ali.

Patient Stories

Maddy’s Life Without Barriers

Maddy’s mom describes her as “a warrior” — and rightly so. Maddy has spina bifida. But she also has much more: extraordinary compassion, a keen sense of humor, and a vibrant personality. Meet Maddy and learn why she’s excited to represent Gillette during the Walk & Roll 3K on June 18, 2016.

Patient Stories

Hunter Overcomes Bullying with a Little Help from His Friends

When Stacy Soman’s son Hunter started being bullied consistently last year, this question came up more and more. “When your kid starts coming home with bruises, it’s hard not to say: ‘You know what, maybe you should hit back, and they’ll leave you alone.’ Many children would take that advice, but not Hunter."

Patient Stories

Family Makes 700-Mile Journey to Treat Daughter’s Cerebral Palsy

"Every step Sophia takes is a testament to the countless dedicated individuals who made it possible," says her mother, Susan Slinkard. Last summer, Sophia and her family traveled from Arkansas to Minnesota for major neurosurgery aimed at reducing Sophia's spasticity.

Patient Stories

International Cerebral Palsy Patient Finds Help at Gillette

A Venezuelan mother's prayers are answered as her daughter receives treatment for cerebral palsy at Gillette. “No word is good enough to express our gratitude for helping our daughter have a better quality of life and to overcome the challenges she’s had since birth,” she writes.

Patient Stories

Twitter Chat Offers Insight Into Rare Diseases

Gillette participated in a Twitter chat hosted by ABC's Dr. Richard Besser on rare diseases as part of Rare Diseases Day. Gillette was one of the top chat influencers.

Patient Stories

Gillette Patient Takes Stand Against College Bullying

A longtime Gillette patient takes a stand against college bullying after using adaptive equipment on campus. She used social media to respond.

Patient Stories

Adaptive Skis Allow Patients to Soar Down Slopes

Gillette hosted its 7th Annual Adaptive Ski Day for its patients and their families. Event organizers said the event was a success with dozens of patients and their families participating.

Patient Stories

Tragedy Turns to Triumph; One Boy’s Remarkable Recovery

A little more than a month after a near-tragic accident, 9-year-old Yael Rodriguez is not only walking and talking, he was recently discharged from Gillette and is now happily at home with his family. Read about his recovery from a serious brain injury.

Patient Stories

My Gillette Story by Betsy Keil

I was born 10 weeks early, and as a result spent the first seven weeks of my life in an incubator. Six days after I was born, my pediatrician told my family that there was a possibility that I had cerebral palsy (CP).

Patient Stories

Pioneering Treatment at Gillette Gives Cooper Independence

Cooper Wilson recently sat on the bench at the Minnesota Wild Hockey game as part of the franchise’s “Bench Buddies” program. As recently as two years ago, Cooper was barely able to button his own shirt, let alone have the strength and energy to attend a hockey game.

Patient Stories

Jonathan’s Story: Thriving with Hydrocephalus

Patient Stories

My Gillette Story by Tommy Collison

Patient Stories

What Miracle Treat Day Meant to my Family

The following is an open letter to the Coon Rapids Dairy Queen by Melissa Reich, Gillette Mom. Her family stopped by to greet staff, share their story and thank them for their donations to Gillette.

Patient Stories

Moving …. Teens ….Forward

Patient Stories

Gillette’s Lifesaving Care Helps Preschooler Thrive

Patient Stories

Hot cocoa, comics, and compassion from a 6-year old that gave back!

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