Kids Health Matters
Topic: Patient Stories

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

Parents worry. Parents worry about their child’s growth, development, friends, school, future. It’s a universal truth, baked into our biology. When a child is diagnosed with special needs, however, a parent’s worry can snowball into anxiety. That's what happened to me, but here's what I did.

When Jenna Robinson was born, she only weighed three pounds and doctors told her parents she’d never be a “rocket scientist.” Now 28, she holds a Master’s degree in social work and has dedicated her life to helping individuals who have disabilities lead more independent lives.

Louie Romero is a smiley kid that simply can’t help the fact that he is irrepressibly charming. It's Louie's personality that makes an impression when you meet him. The fact that he is in a wheelchair and has cerebral palsy ranks much lower on the list.

Winter came back with a vengeance yesterday, and while every child should be able to have fun sledding, it’s more dangerous than many assume. Find out how to stay safe on the slopes this winter.

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.”

The hospital can be a scary place for anyone, especially a child, and no matter how nice the staff is or how thoughtfully the clinical spaces are designed, it’s usually difficult for a patient to forget they’re in one. At Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare, that’s no longer the case.

There are few moments in life as exciting and anxiety inducing as the day you have your first child, but for Andrew Bailey and his wife, Amanda, things were a bit more complicated. Amanda was home in Connecticut getting ready for her baby shower. Andrew, a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox, was in Seattle for an away game.

Not one to sit on the sidelines, Danny Lilya’s wheelchair and congenital spine diagnosis have never defined him. From playing hockey to scoring field goals on the football team, find out how this athlete and Vikings fan is headed to the Super Bowl this weekend.

After moving from small-town Iowa to the Twin Cities to be nearer to Gillette, Bentley’s parents describe him as a whole new child. He’s talking, reading and thriving in kindergarten, where his classmates exude kindness.

Most parents would tell you that having a child changes your life in ways you never could have imagined. That certainly was the case for my husband, Mike and me. Our daughter, Peyton, is now 6 years old, and it’s been a journey of hope, faith and love.

Hope is many things, including an animal-lover, a peacemaker and a big sister. She's also a longtime Gillette patient, where she receives treatment for multiple pterygium syndrome, a condition she shares with her dad.

Cassidy is known as the world's biggest fan of the University of Minnesota women's volleyball team. She attends most games and loves to cheer for the Gophers. Cassidy has quadriplegic cerebral palsy and her limited use of her arms and legs means is can be difficult to stand and cheer for her team--until now.

“I don’t think it would surprise anyone to learn that a lot of children love dogs,” says Emily DeBreto. “While we’ve had volunteers bring in therapeutic dogs at the hospital for comfort, we wanted to get our dogs more involved with the actual functional aspects of the therapy we’re providing.”

Even nine 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.

Every now and again, I write a new letter to my son, Landon. It’s my testament to him. To who he was, to who he is, and to who he could someday be.

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.

Your brain isn't like your arm. You can’t see it or touch it. It’s not really tangible, which means that we rarely spend time thinking about the thing that makes us think, unless we have to. This is what those who experience a TBI go through.

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

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.

Born missing her arms, Ruth Evelyn (RE) can do pretty much anything using her feet. But she's always dreamed of riding a bike. So her family turned to Gillette to help make her dream a reality.

“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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

"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."

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.

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.

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.

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.

“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.”

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.'"

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.

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.

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.

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.

"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.

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."

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.

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.

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."

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.