ZaLayaa Wandrick is 11 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. This year, she is leading the Gillette community at our Walk & Roll fundraising event.

It was a day everyone knew was coming. After months of planning, it was time for 13-year-old Owen Earl to have spinal fusion surgery with Gillette orthopedic surgeon, Tenner Guillaume, MD. Follow Owen and his family on surgery day and learn how the expert spine team at Gillette makes a difference for children who need scoliosis care.

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.

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.

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.

Two mothers share their journey of receiving cleft lip and/or palate care for their babies at Gillette Children's. July is National Cleft and Craniofacial Awareness Month. Gillette has one of the largest craniofacial programs in the U.S. Both mothers appreciate the expertise care and support at Gillette. You can see by her smile that Heavenly Smith is delighted with the outcome. 

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.”

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.

"Every step Sophia takes is a testament to the countless dedicated individuals who made it possible." Sophia and her family traveled from Arkansas to Minnesota for several major surgeries to treat her cerebral palsy.

Bubbles, books, and stuffed animals are tools of the trade for child life specialists at Gillette Children's. March is Child Life Month and a time to highlight the joy and hard work these health professionals bring to hospitalized children and their families. When you come to Gillette you’ll collaborate with child life specialists who have extensive knowledge of child development and are experts at understanding how a medical environment can affect children.

The 12th Annual Gillette Children's Adaptive Ski Day was an opportunity for children who have disabilities to discover the thrill of downhill skiing. Marcie Ward, MD, is a Gillette pediatric rehabilitation medicine physician and says these adaptive sports events bring joy and can transform children and families.

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

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.

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.

To see Taylor ride her horse is a study of grace in motion. That she's doing it after treatment for juvenile idiopathic scoliosis, makes it even more impressive.

In just over a month, Kyra Condie will be competing as a climber in the Summer Olympics in Tokyo. It will be the first time climbing has been featured as an event in the Olympics and for her, a tremendous personal achievement and milestone she’s been working towards her entire life. A diagnosis of scoliosis could've made this feat unattainable, but her personal dedication and the treatment she received at Gillette made it possible.

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.

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.

When Isabella Gregory, 11, received a diagnosis of juvenile idiopathic scoliosis in 2019, it was a shock to say the least. Read about the unique surgical procedure that got Isabella back to her life and activities just 6 weeks later.

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.

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

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.

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.

"I realized, for the first time, that I was shooting straight. Due to my scoliosis, I'd been overcompensating." Erika, a basketball player, gained confidence after surgery to correct her spinal curvature.

Gillette Children's 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.

“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.”

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.

Nicole Leinonen says she’ll never forget the phone call that she says changed her life. “Every time I think of that phone call from Gillette telling me that I qualified for some financial assistance I get emotional. I’m amazed at how generous people are,” Nicole says. “The Gillette Assistance Program (GAP) means I can focus on Ella and her needs. I don’t have to be so stressed worrying about how, as a single parent, I can pay for her care.”

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

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, that’s no longer the case.

Laney and Lilah are feisty, happy twin sisters. They share a diagnosis of cerebral palsy, but that is just one aspect of their lives. More importantly, they dance, they laugh and occasionally throw things.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

"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."

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.

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.