Middle schooler Gianna Pennell is making up for lost time. Diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) in January of 2018, she was unable to attend classes at Norton Middle School during her entire 6th grade year. The pain was so great, she couldn’t wear shoes. Her parents, James Pennell and Amanda Duskey, were unable […]
At Akron Children’s, we believe in the power of personal stories to provide support and inspiration. We encourage you to share how we’ve touched you and your family, and by doing so, allow our online community to learn from your experiences.
Halo traction therapy and spinal fusion surgery mean more ‘airtime’ for coaster enthusiast
For 14-year-old Matt Hill the news that he needed scoliosis surgery was far from welcome. It meant the rollercoaster aficionado had to keep two feet on the ground and sit out the already short Ohio coaster season last summer. A freshman at Hoover High School in Canton, Matt has been a platinum pass holder at […]
The friendship of these ‘butterfly sisters’ took flight after a chance meeting in the kindergarten line
If 1 in 2,000 girls are born with Turner Syndrome, the odds of two little girls with Turner Syndrome meeting each other in line at their kindergarten orientation must be, well, too serendipitous for even the oddsmakers. Four years later, Marlie Workman and Madison Pritt are third graders, BFFs and self-described “butterfly sisters” navigating life […]
How my daughter’s journey with OI has made our Radiothon efforts more meaningful
A year ago I was pregnant with my first child, beyond excited to be starting our family. At our 20-week ultrasound, we were told there was something “wrong” with our baby and she likely had skeletal dysplasia. From that point, the doctors asked both my husband and me if we wanted to terminate our pregnancy. […]
A safer scan for patients like Bailey
Bailey Fumich’s mother has lost count of how many X-rays he’s had to have since first being seen for scoliosis nearly a decade ago. “He’s had a lot,” said Tina McKenna, noting that Bailey got X-rays about every 6 months as doctors in the Akron Children’s spine program monitored his scoliosis. Now Bailey, who underwent […]
After 222 days in NICU, baby Ella heads home!
Two must be Ella Wombacker’s lucky number. 2020 looks very bright for the little girl as she heads home to Pennsylvania after 222 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Born with central nuclear myopathy, a muscular disorder, Ella deals with muscle weakness throughout her body. That doesn’t stop her from charming the whole […]
