ZaLayaa Wandrick is 9 years old. She’s an excellent cook, crafter and loves science, soccer and coding, but for much of her life, has had to deal with multiple sensory and complex medical conditions. Since her infancy, Zalayaa has endured a variety of different symptoms that have impacted her daily life, but perhaps the most frustrating thing about all of it has been that the underlying cause of these issues remained a mystery.

Gillette is one of the nation’s top providers of pediatric inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation. October is National Physical Therapy Month and a time to learn more about a few members of the Gillette PT team. A few of our physical therapists share their personal stories of what inspired them to enter the field and moments with patients they'll never forget.

If to be inspiring is based upon who you are, what you do and how you make those around you feel, then Abby is precisely that and more. That’s probably why she’s a Paralympian. Abby and her team took home the Bronze Medal at the 2021 Paralympic Games.

The Paralympic Games are underway in Tokyo. Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare has a history of encouraging all people to participate in sports. Our strong therapeutic recreation program helps children find opportunities to stay physically active. The benefits of consistent physical activity include better weight control, improved heart and muscle strength and the opportunity to make new friends.

Communication is important to a good overall quality of life. The team approach to care at Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare means an occupational therapist, a speech language pathologist and experts in orthotics, prosthetics and seating (OPS) work with families to help children communicate and socialize. When 6-year-old Maya was diagnosed with INAD, a rare, genetic disorder, her parents and a team of Gillette experts helped Maya find her voice.

When I was 2 years old, I was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Now, I'm 23. I've faced many challenges in my life, but I think my dad said it best, "Inch by inch, life's a cinch. Yard by yard, life's hard." You can't get too caught up trying to project what the end result might be, all you can do is try to deal with the challenge in front of you, and move forward.

Caleb Binkert wrapped up a preholiday evening shift as a cashier at a Target in Vadnais Heights, Minnesota on November 6, 2020. He put on his bike helmet, his reflective clothing and started biking home around 9:30pm. Caleb, 17, does not remember anything from that day as he rode through a crosswalk to continue his journey home. In an instant his life changed.

When I work with my patients at Gillette, I try not to impose my story and my “why” on them and their families. But inevitably, it comes up. My younger brother, Peter has cerebral palsy. He’s why I do what I do and why I’m here. I’m immensely proud of him and grateful to have had the privilege of being his sister.

When COVID first came to Minnesota and things started shutting down, we were concerned that our son, Wes, who is 8 Years old and has cerebral palsy, would not get the care that he would need. But that hasn’t been our experience.

March is National Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month. Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare is the world-renowned leader in the treatment of cerebral palsy. We enhance the lives of individuals who have cerebral palsy and promote their well-being by improving diagnosis, management, and care through research, innovation, and collaboration. The Harkness family shares their story of why selective dorsal rhizotomy (SDR) surgery at Gillette was the best choice for their daughter.

March is National Cerebral Palsy (CP) Awareness Month and Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare is one of the world’s leading centers for cerebral palsy diagnosis, treatment and research. We enhance the lives of individuals who have cerebral palsy and are advocates for CP patients and research.

Ethan Johnson was diagnosed with a rare condition as an infant. His parents were told he may never walk without assistance. Now seven years old, not only does he walk, he flies out on the ice. Read Ethan's story here.

On January 5, Amer and his son Ismail, 4, were out sledding on the hill just minutes from their home in St. Louis Park. It was a small hill, but there were a few trees at the bottom. On Ismail's final run of the day, what began as a fun outing turned into any parent's nightmare.

The ability to stand up straight is something that most of us take for granted. Peyton's family can tell you how the ability to stand upright, transformationally changed her view of the world. Read more about the surgery that made it possible.

January is National Winter Sports Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Awareness Month. Prevention and precaution are the keys to staying safe and minimizing injuries. If your child does become injured the team at Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare has a higher level of training to deal with pediatric TBIs.

Going sledding is ridiculously fun, but it can also be dangerous. Wearing a helmet makes it safer.

Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare is making changes to help more families have more convenient access to our expert care and to better serve our community. Our newly renovated Maple Grove Clinic opened Dec. 1, 2020 and means Gillette can provide more services and offer coordinated and comprehensive care in one location in the West Metro area.

Owen Nei is 11 years old, an avid hockey and baseball player, and a young man who lights up every room he’s in with his positive, irrepressible attitude. Given how his life started out, the fact that he’s even here, much less doing all of these things, is nothing short of a miracle.

October is Spina Bifida Awareness Month and October 25 is World Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Day. To recognize the day and the month, we're sharing the story of Chloe and Gracie, two longtime Gillette patients connected by spina bifida, but much more than that, their profound friendship. Read their story here.

"Grady’s so much more than his condition. The way we see it is that God gave us this incredibly cool kid who’s had to deal with a few things. We've had challenges, but life is good even when stuff is hard. Either way, because of Gillette and the care they provide, Grady's future will be whatever he decides it to be. That’s no small thing.”

Take a moment to learn about Laurie Black, APRN, PNP, who joined Gillette this month to serve patients in greater Minnesota as part of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation team.

At Target Field, every Sunday is Kid’s Day and on a beautiful summer day in August of 2019, Samuel Anastos scored the first honorary run of a Minnesota Twins game. It was a joyous moment made all the more meaningful because there was a time in Sam’s life when his parents questioned whether he would learn to walk or talk, much less run.

In all the ways that matter, Peter is your typical 8-year-old. He’s a protective older brother to his younger sister Katie, loves cars, sports and Star Wars. He’s easy to smile, quick to laugh and brings joy to all who meet him. When you’re in Peter’s presence, the fact that he has cerebral palsy and can’t speak, quickly becomes an afterthought.

Matthew suffered a traumatic brain injury 15 years ago. After the treatment at Gillette that saved his life, he’s had a singular goal: To live every day, better and stronger. As he says, “It’s not about what I lost, it’s about what I’m getting back.”

Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare has launched a new resource to help parents of children who have complex, rare or traumatic conditions. The first book released by the new Gillette Children’s Healthcare Press is Spastic Diplegia—Bilateral Cerebral Palsy and it’s written by Lily Collison, an Ireland-based author and the mother of a Gillette patient.

For 123 years the doctors, nurses and employees at Gillette have worked every day to provide the very best care for all children. This dedication has led to treatments and outcomes that have influenced cerebral palsy care worldwide. 

“It’s not an exaggeration to say deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery at Gillette changed Sam’s life,” marvels his mother Coleen Wedig. Sam Wedig, 16 and his mother first traveled to Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare from Des Moines, Iowa in 2015 seeking help for cerebral palsy and dystonia. They’re passionate about sharing their story in the hope they can help other families dealing with similar medical challenges.

"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 several major surgeries aimed at reducing Sophia's spasticity.

After enduring a ruptured aneurysm, doctors told Trevor's parents were told he'd never walk again. After a six-week rehabilitation stay at Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare, Trevor strode out of the hospital doors - walking independently.

As loud music filled the adjoining hallways near the Neurosciences unit at Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare, passersby could be forgiven if they were a bit confused. The atmosphere was festive and there was good reason for it. At long last, James Bostic, 17, was able to go home. He had been in the hospital for 15 months.

Rehabilitation therapy helps patients learn how to maximize their abilities and become familiar with new ways of moving. Locomotor training, a form of walking therapy that involves body weight support, can help eligible patients increase function in their lower extremities and improve their mobility.

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.

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.

A researcher from the University of Minnesota has identified a virus associated with acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), a rare, polio-like disorder that can cause sudden paralysis in children. Most of the Minnesota children diagnosed with AFM last fall received treatment at Gillette.

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 lead more independent lives.

Wes Jackson is a thoughtful, kind and inquisitive kid. He also has cerebral palsy, but he won't let that (or anything else for that matter) get in his way. Get to know Wes and his family, you'll be glad you did.

The human body is a miraculous makeup of coordinated and interconnected systems that, when operating properly, are a wonder to behold. But when things aren’t operating correctly, this interconnectedness can cause a whole host of complications. This issue is precisely why Gillette’s Aerodigestive Clinic was established last year.

Learn how a selective dorsal rhizotomy and single-event multilevel surgery (SEMLS) Gillette, along with her intrinsic determination, has led to newfound independence and confidence for Kaidyn.

It’s funny, you never know at the time when you’re living the day that will change your life forever. But that’s what happened to me four years ago. I work in Community Engagement and Events for the Minnesota Twins and I was volunteering at an event Joe Mauer was hosting for Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare, when I saw a little boy sitting by himself on the ground. I sat down next to him and he turned and said: “Hi, my name is Bennett and I love dinosaurs.”I fell in love on the spot.

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.

When 3-year-old Ashlyn sustained life-threatening injuries in a car accident, her family worried her personality, which they call "fierce," might not return. Discover how care at the Regions-Gillette Level I Pediatric Trauma Center helped Ashlyn, and her entire family, heal.

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.

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.

Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare provides support and resources to help kids achieve their athletic goals. Our therapeutic recreation specialists take pride in helping kids improve their strength and flexibility while having the fun experience of playing sports.

The Gillette inpatient rehabilitation program is accredited from the prestigious Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities. We also received accreditation for our pediatric brain injury specialty program. Read about the meaning behind these honors.

“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.”

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.

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.

Pain affects all aspects of life, but for many of us, it’s an abstract concept. But, for a moment, imagine what it would feel like to experience chronic pain for an entire month. Start with that, but now expand it out to a year—or maybe even, every day of your life.

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.

Marshall Taniguchi, MD, recently spoke to us about his work to help patients who have cerebral palsy achieve their highest possible levels of independence and quality of life. Watch the Facebook LIVE video here.

Have you seen our new therapy pool? It's perfect for kids who have cerebral palsy, spinal injuries and other complex medical conditions. Take a virtual tour to learn more about the state-of-the-art facility.

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.

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.

A significant portion of children who have chronic care conditions – many of whom are already on numerous medications – might benefit from the low-risk and non-toxic benefits of acupuncture.

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.

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.

A new study shows that the number of trampoline injuries is on the rise. Gillette experts say there is only one way to curb that trend -- don't use them.

For many children and families, summer means plenty of fun in the sun. Parents, however, need to be cautious. Many outdoor activities can end with injuries or – even worse – a trip to the emergency room.

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."

At Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare, we understand that choosing a fellowship program is a difficult and important decision. So, we sat down with two of our current Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine fellows to talk about how they made their decision, why they ultimately chose Gillette, and having been here, what they think now?

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.

Every parent wants their child to be healthy, but that isn’t always the case. The reality is that as many as one in about 325 parents will have a child who has a complex medical condition such as cerebral palsy, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC also says about one in six children will have some type of developmental disability.