Sledding is an exciting winter activity for kids and parents alike. As you head out with your sled to enjoy the snow, take a helmet with you. Wearing a helmet could protect you from a nasty bump all the way up to a paralyzing traumatic brain injury.

Joslyn Jane Rogers is a cheerful, enthusiastic 11-year-old. She has many interests including reading, gaming, swimming and baseball. Joslyn also has cerebral palsy (CP) and she's been a patient at Gillette Children’s since she was 1. 

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.

The Quinn family shares their experience about their newborn daughter receiving a diagnosis of craniosynostosis. They appreciate the Gillette team approach to care which allows for collaboration between the neurosurgeon and the plastic surgeon to formulate a clear, patient-specific plan. Two surgeons working side-by-side in the operating room decreases operating time and reduces the length of exposure a child has to general anesthesia.

At Gillette Children’s, it’s our mission to help every child reach their potential and achieve the independence and agency to create their own story.That’s why we celebrate Disability Pride Month, and we hope that you'll join us.

Concussions are one of the most common, unexpected injuries in both adults and children. While we usually think of athletes who are running around and occasionally into each other, the truth is it can happen to anyone.

After a child has a seizure for the first time, it can be scary and overwhelming. Talking to medical professionals and getting answers is the best way to put worries at ease. At Gillette Children’s, we work one-on-one with patients and their families in order to determine underlying causes.

Deformational plagiocephaly, better known as "flat head", is a condition where a baby’s head has an uneven or irregular shape. Because external forces cause a flat head, it can occur while a baby is growing before and after birth. If the condition goes untreated, it can get worse. Gillette knows and understands just how important it is to help combat this condition and aims to treat it as soon as possible. This is why we became the first to create an orthosis approved by the FDA, known as the CranioCap or “baby helmet”.

Gillette Children's is marking its 125th anniversary in 2022. During this milestone year, we engaged stakeholders from across the Gillette community to shape our new mission statement and refresh our brand. We simplified our name a bit--we are now officially Gillette Children's. Read more to discover what this new name, look, and focus means.

For children with epilepsy, corpus callosotomy surgery is a way to reduce or eliminate seizures. This type of brain surgery for epilepsy can be incredibly beneficial; however, like all surgeries, there are some risks involved.

When you come to Gillette Children’s you’ll collaborate with one of the nation’s top providers of pediatric inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation therapies. Gillette Children’s has occupational therapists throughout the Twin Cities metro area in our St. Paul, Phalen, Burnsville and Maple Grove clinic locations. Gillette also provides access, if appropriate, to children throughout the region through virtual appointments.

Gillette Children's pediatric neurologist, Charbel El Kosseifi, MD, says a photo of a young girl inspired him and changed his life. "I even dreamed of that photo," El Kosseifi shares. This new member of the neurology team is helping children care for their muscles, nerves and bones.

Experiencing a seizure for the first time can be scary, especially as a child. As a parent, explaining what is happening and what will happen is the best way to put worries at ease.

An MRI uses magnets, invisible radio waves and computers to take detailed pictures of the inside of the body. In doing so, a provider can see bones, tendons, blood vessels, organs and soft tissues.

Rare Disease Day is Feb. 28. The main objective of the day is to raise awareness about how rare diseases have an impact on people’s lives and our communities. Gillette Children's is known worldwide for its expertise in caring for children diagnosed with rare diseases such as Rett syndrome, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), acute flaccid myelitis (AFM), Legg-Calve Perthes disease, Prader-Willi syndrome and other conditions.

Lucia Lazarus was only 5 years old when she had to have surgery at Gillette. She was devastated to learn she would miss Valentine's Day celebrations at school. But child life specialists at Gillette made sure she felt the love while in their care. Because of the dedication of the Gillette staff, Lucia's family worked to find ways to pay it forward. Now they make Valentine's Day bags for Gillette patients and help amplify the work of our researchers studying the use of Virtual Reality to help Gillette patients manage pain and anxiety.

Lipomyelomeningocele is a fatty mass under the skin on the child’s back, often seen as a lump on the child's spine. Learn more about this Spina Bifida condition.

I have always said that the only thing that I want for Peyton is for her to be able to “create her own story.” I want her to tell us what she is capable of doing and not let anyone believe less of her.

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.

Aaron Navarro is a teenager from Grandview, Texas. He's an active member of his high school debate team and runs 5K races (even though he’ll tell you that running isn’t his favorite thing). His mother, Christine, will tell you that the fact that he is running at all is nothing short of remarkable.

Finding the perfect gift isn’t easy – and when you’re shopping for kids and young adults who have sensory issues, physical disabilities or other special needs, it can prove even more challenging. Here are some tips from the experts at Gillette Children's.

After Jeffrey received an intrathecal baclofen pump that would help manage his cerebral palsy 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.

Gillette Children's is committed to providing access and excellence in health care to children throughout Minnesota. National Rural Health Day is November 18th and an opportunity to celebrate the community-minded spirit of rural American and to highlight health care providers who keep people living in these areas healthy. Although we’re headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, Gillette has clinics throughout the state in locations such as Alexandria, Baxter, Bemidji, Duluth, Mankato, St. Cloud and Willmar.

"Anyone who has spent as much time in doctor’s offices or waiting rooms as we have knows how frustrating it can be to start from square one when discussing your child’s medical condition. When you’re at Gillette, you never need to do that. I can’t even begin to tell you how much that means.” -Trisha Irvin

A diagnosis of epilepsy can be a confusing time for a family and child. November is Epilepsy Awareness Month and Gillette Children's wants to remind families we're a source for expert diagnosis, treatment and support of people who have epilepsy.

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

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.

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, Trevor strode out of the hospital doors - walking independently.

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. Read her story here.

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.

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.

“Knowing that Gillette is a PPMD-certified Duchenne Care Center means the world to us because we know for certain Tyler’s getting the specialized care that he needs," says his mom, Marilyn. Meet Tyler and learn about his family's "game plan" to tackle Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Elliot and his sister Amelia have a typical sibling relationship; they fight, they argue, they push each other’s buttons. But they have a unique relationship as well, that stems from Elliot's diagnosis with a rare chromosomal abnormality.