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gillette STORIES Topic: Patient Stories

Home / Gillette STORIES / Topic: Patient Stories
Patient Stories
September 21, 2023

Embracing Community: Meet Gillette Children’s 2023 Walk and Roll Ambassador

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.
Bones
June 15, 2023

Spine Surgery Day for Owen

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.
Bones
December 28, 2022

Joslyn Jane, Joy and Cerebral Palsy 

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. 
Brain
Gillette epilepsy and seizure patient George
November 22, 2022

What Happens When You Have Your First Seizure

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.
Brain
November 1, 2022

Aaron’s Cerebral Palsy Odyssey

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.
Brain
July 28, 2022

Trust Your Instincts: A Craniosynostosis Journey

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.
Patient Stories
Heavenly Smith Cleft Patient
July 19, 2022

Two Mothers Share Cleft Lip Stories

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. 
Patient Stories
May 10, 2022

Sled Hockey Provides Access for Children Who Have Disabilities

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.”
Patient Stories
April 14, 2022

A Girl, a Bike and a Dream: RE’s Story

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.
Cerebral Palsy
March 22, 2022

Sophia Soars: A 700-Mile Journey to Treat a Daughter’s Cerebral Palsy

"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.
Patient Stories
March 15, 2022

What Drives Gillette Child Life Specialists

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.
Community
February 17, 2022

Why Adaptive Skiing Matters

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.
Innovation and Research
February 9, 2022

What Are Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Devices?

Augmentative and Alternative Communication devices are part of a child's communication system, ranging from choice boards to iPad apps.
Brain
December 30, 2021

An Ordinary Day and an Extraordinary Recovery from TBI

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.
Cerebral Palsy
November 30, 2021

The Journey of Mateo Arcos: Hope, Love and Cerebral Palsy

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.
Patient Stories
June 20, 2021

After Treatment for Scoliosis, Taylor Barrels Ahead

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.
Patient Stories
June 13, 2021

Olympic Qualifier, Kyra Condie Reaches New Heights Following Spinal Fusion

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.
Cerebral Palsy
March 28, 2021

Why I’m Here: For My Brother, for My Patients

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.
Patient Stories
February 26, 2021

Ethan Glides, With a Little Help from His Friends

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.
Patient Stories
February 10, 2021

“Getting Back to Being Me” – Isabella’s Scoliosis Story

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.
Innovation and Research
January 26, 2021

Promise Found: Peyton’s Halo-Gravity Traction Journey

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.
Bones
Boy sledding in the snow during winter.
January 5, 2021

No Helmet, No Slide: Wear a Helmet While Sledding

Going sledding is fun, but it can also be dangerous. Wearing a helmet makes it safer.
Innovation and Research
August 27, 2020

Limb-Lengthening and Deformity Correction Treatment at Gillette Gets Toren Back in Action

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.
Innovation and Research
August 12, 2020

The Marvelous, Mountain Biking Mari

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.
Cerebral Palsy
July 29, 2020

Turning Can’t Into Can Since 2011: Peter’s Cerebral Palsy Journey

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.
Patient Stories
June 4, 2020

Erika Comes Back After Spinal Fusion

"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.
Cerebral Palsy
May 28, 2020

Gillette Children’s Healthcare Press Brings the Personal and Medical to Parents

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.
Innovation and Research
February 24, 2020

Puppies with Purpose: The Benefits of Animal-Assisted Therapy

“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.”
Brain
Trevor Brain Injury Patient at Gillette Children
December 22, 2019

Trevor Gets Back in Action After Aneurysm

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.
Patient Stories
November 7, 2019

Gillette Assistance Program (GAP) Changes Lives

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.”
Cerebral Palsy
October 2, 2019

A Promise to Her Dad Motivates Maria Renata

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.
Cerebral Palsy
October 1, 2019

Dear Theodora: One Family’s Cerebral Palsy Journey

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.
Innovation and Research
July 17, 2019

Virtual Reality Bolsters Clinical Care at Gillette

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.
Cerebral Palsy
March 5, 2019

All Kinds of Weather, We Stick Together: Laney and Lilah’s Cerebral Palsy Story

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.
Brain
Robert Favorite as a young child on a bike
February 27, 2019

Robert’s Life with Prader-Willi Syndrome: A Rare Disease Story

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.
Bones
Gillette patient, Kate Ketelhohn, who had limb lengthening procedure.
January 9, 2019

Limb-Lengthening and the Triumphant Life of Kate Ketelhohn

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.
Patient Stories
July 31, 2018

Hope Brings Her Family “Full Circle” at Gillette

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.
Brain
Old hockey photo of Landon
June 3, 2018

Letters to My Landon: A Message to My Son

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.
Cerebral Palsy
Gillette patient Louie Romero posing in the skyway
March 12, 2018

It’s Not a Career, It’s a Calling: Bringing My Son Home

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.
Patient Stories
September 27, 2017

A Message of Love, Parris Recovers From Traumatic Brain Injury

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.
Cerebral Palsy
March 2, 2017

Caring for Karley: Growing Up After Anoxic Brain Injury

"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."
Cerebral Palsy
back to school photo of Avery
September 7, 2016

Avery’s Story: Becoming a Back-to-School Model

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.
Cerebral Palsy
Twelve-year-old Yael Wahnon
March 3, 2016

International Cerebral Palsy Patient Finds Help at Gillette

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.
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