This past year, 2022, Gillette Children’s accomplished a milestone that few pediatric hospitals in America can match. On October 27th Gillette was proud to mark 125 years of being one of the world’s most respected hospitals treating children with brain, bone, and movement conditions. As we begin 2023, we would like to share some favorite stories highlighting how we innovate, advocate, and celebrate from our 125th year.

Gillette Children's is one of just 14 U.S. hospitals designated as a Clinical Research Center of Excellence by the Rett Syndrome Foundation. Gillette clinical research in Rett syndrome promotes the highest standards of care and partners with the University of Minnesota to provide evidence-based medicine.

Gillette Children’s has a comprehensive team of pediatric neurologists to help parents and guardians understand the common causes and signs of seizures in children. These Gillette specialists work with families and primary care providers to ensure children get an expert, first seizure evaluation and a treatment plan if it’s needed.

Gillette Children’s conducts clinical research every day to answer some of the most important questions for patients and families. We focus on improving treatments and making life better for children with medical conditions or disabilities.

From fashion advice to practical tips for skin irritation, we answer the common questions kids and teens have about wearing scoliosis bracing.

Wondering how to get a second opinion on your child’s recent diagnosis? Here’s how to make a second opinion request, where you can get access to a specialist's opinion quickly.

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.

For 125 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. 

Gillette Children's is known worldwide for its expertise in caring for children diagnosed with rare diseases. Several Gillette providers are participating in an event at the University of Minnesota to talk about the successes and challenges in caring for rare disease disorders. Linda Krach, MD, is a Gillette rehabilitation medicine physician and a keynote speaker at the U of M event. Krach recently won a prestigious award for her work and is part of a team helping patients who have spina bifida and other rare diseases.

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.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication devices are part of a child's communication system, ranging from choice boards to iPad apps.

Gillette Children’s has a rich history of teaching students, residents and fellows. To ensure that this strong tradition continues, Steven Koop, MD will be the very first Teacher Emeritus at Gillette.

Mpls. St. Paul Magazine recently released the 7th edition of its “Top Doctors, Rising Stars” list, which includes six Gillette physicians. The list includes doctors who have been fully licensed to practice for 10 years or less, and were selected after a peer-nomination process.

March is National Cerebral Palsy (CP) Awareness Month and Gillette Children's 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.

Figuring out if your child has a rare disease is a concerning and challenging puzzle for parents.Two members of the Gillette team, pediatric neurologists Randal Richardson, MD, and Jamie Eskuri, MD, say finding answers and guiding families through a rare disease diagnosis and care plan is one of the most rewarding parts of their jobs.

Gillette Children's is known worldwide for its expertise in caring for children diagnosed with rare diseases. Gillette complex care pediatrician, Arthur Beisang, MD is part of the team devoted to providing excellent care and improving the lives of children living with a rare disease.

At the 2021 Annual Meeting of the International Perthes Study Group (IPSG), organizers announced that Gillette is second in the world in its enrollment of Perthes patients into IPSG studies.

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.

In a time where many may feel disconnected, the providers at Gillette Children’s are going out of their way to remind our patients and their families that we see them and that their inclusion matters. This is happening in a variety of ways, but let’s start with a girl named Mari and her new doll.

The U.S. Food Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) recent approval of a new oral medication to help treat spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is being hailed as a “game changer” by Gillette Children's neurologist, Randal Richardson, MD, MMS. “The main message I want to get out to people who have SMA and their families is—many of you now have options and the power to make a choice for yourself,” Richardson says.

There's a new level of excitement and commitment to conducting research at Gillette that could change and improve the lives of countless numbers of children everywhere, and donor support is pivotal in leading the charge. 

Toren Theiss is 11 years old. He’s an incredibly active young man who plays soccer, ski races and though he wouldn’t brag about it, does quite well at both. It wasn’t until a day in August two years ago when he was walking towards his mother Jill, that she realized something was wrong.

With her shock of blonde hair blowing in the wind, Mari laughs while flying down the trails on her mountain bike and has aspirations to conquer the monkey bars at her local playground. These athletic feats become all the more impressive when you consider the fact that Mari was born missing nearly all of the fingers on her right hand.

When virtual appointments were first proposed, we were appreciative but admittedly skeptical about how that would work. But having recently made the shift over to virtual appointments, we’ve been pleasantly surprised by how seamless the transition was. Naturally, there were some growing pains in the beginning, but there were many benefits that emerged over time.

“It’s just so wonderful to watch these children get better. It’s also very rewarding to see the connection that forms between the children and my dogs. They become friends.”

As loud music filled the adjoining hallways near the Neurosciences unit at Gillette Children’s, 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.

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, that’s no longer the case.

The day was Christmas Eve, the year was 2003 and the Ketelhohns were resting and watching a movie in their home near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was an idyllic evening, but their youngest daughter, 8-month-old, Kate, had a slight fever. It was the type of malady that many children experience throughout their development. There was no reason to worry, until there was.

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

Cassidy and her mom, Darcy, are two of the biggest fans of the University of Minnesota women's volleyball team. They're excited about the NCAA Division I women's volleyball tournament at Target Center in Minneapolis. While they're disappointed the Gophers will not appear in the NCAA tournament, they're proud of what the team accomplished this season. 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 Gillette helped make her dream come true.

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.

All babies born in Minnesota are now being screened for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) unless their parents opt out of the newborn screening, the Minnesota Department of Health recently announced. SMA is the leading genetic cause of early childhood death in the United States.

“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.”

Anna Hendricksen held her breath and spent hours in suspended hope as pediatric neurologist Randal Richardson, MD, and his team assessed her daughter, Annika, to determine if she met the criteria to participate in the clinical trial for Spinraza ™, also called nusinersen, a drug to treat spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

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.

Gillette Children's is playing a key role in the clinical trials and research into the drug Spinraza, also called nusinersen.The drug is being celebrated as the first real hope for people who have spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

Many children and teens who have disabilities require orthotics, prosthetics and seating services to help manage their conditions. Bradley Fisher, manager in the Orthotics, Prosthetics and Seating Department at Gillette explains the process for creating orthotics, prosthetics and seating devices such as braces, limbs and CranioCaps during a Facebook LIVE tour.

A Phase II study (NNZ-2566) of a drug called Trofinetide has potential to minimize the symptoms of Rett syndrome. Learn more and meet one family who is dedicated to moving Rett syndrome research forward.

Meet HAL. He has a pulse; he breathes, blinks, and speaks numerous languages. If need be, he bleeds. This will likely be one of the stranger things you read today.

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.

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.

Amanda Morcomb’s twins, Teagan and Orion, were diagnosed with plagiocephaly, or flat head syndrome, at 5 months old. Learn how the Gillette CranioCap® orthosis helped successfully round the babies’ heads—and why 3D printing means babies can begin wearing their helmets sooner.

Learn how a nurse-led initiative called family-centered rounding is improving communication between providers, nurses and families.

As we continue celebrating Nurses Week 2016, here's a look at how Gillette nurses are finding new ways to help families understand and manage their children's medications, both inside and outside the hospital.

“When I was a kid in the hospital, the nurses and registration staff remembered my name when I’d do my check-ups, and that always made me feel welcome. It’s incredible to think that now I’m on the other side of the desk recognizing families by name…it’s come full circle.” –Ed Jenkins