The day after Wren Patterson was born in October, doctors were concerned about a heart murmur and her low blood oxygenation. An echocardiogram at Aultman Hospital in Canton showed the reason. Wren had a congenital heart defect called tetralogy of Fallot, characterized by 4 malformations that robbed her of adequate blood flow to the lungs […]
Special needs don’t stop kindergartner from having a ball on bowling outing
When you are 5 years old and it’s a Tuesday morning, what could be better than going on a field trip to a bowling alley with your class? Jack Cleavenger has special needs but he was able to go bowling because Emily Ocheltree, a medical assistant in Akron Children’s School Health Services, was right by […]
Preparing for back-to-school success for a child who has special needs
Returning to school each fall is a time of both excitement and nervousness for parents and students. For parents who have a child with special needs, this time of year can bring increased anxiety and stress. We worry about all the same things most parents worry about like how will my child do in school? […]
Hale brothers are ‘twinning’ from the inside out
For most, ‘twinning’ is a fun way to sport the same outfit or hairstyle as someone else, but on Aug. 3, National Twins Day, twinning celebrates similarities in a way few others will ever know – the special bond of being an actual twin, fraternal or identical. For identical twins, Laken and Cason Hale, ‘twinning’ […]
Heckerts feel the fulfillment of adoption
The phone call from the adoption agency came in early January 2016. Sara and Ryan Heckert had prepared for this day for 3 years, when they initiated the lengthy home study process to become approved as adoptive parents. The North Canton couple had spent much of their careers working in the disabilities field, and they […]
Mom is champion of son with Down syndrome
After her baby, Gabriel, was born with Down syndrome 17 months ago, Hilary Tonni locked in on what she had to do to ensure he will lead a full and successful life. Like most parents who learn their child has Down syndrome, Hilary, a clinical research nurse at Akron Children’s Hospital, and her husband, Bill, […]
