As Alexandra (Alex) Lucas and her mom raced down a grocery store aisle for an urgent visit to the bathroom, they found themselves in a very different kind of emergency situation. Upon entering a stall, Alex, just 5 years old, went into cardiac arrest. “Alex fell face-first onto the floor. I thought she must have […]
Surgery for blocked tear duct leads to congenital heart defect diagnosis
New parents Cassie and Michael Amick spent the better part of 2020 looking forward to the birth of their first child, a boy, due in late February. Ashton Michael Amick made his entrance into the world on Feb. 3—3 weeks before his due date. “Besides being a little jaundiced for a day, he appeared […]
Surgery to repair leaky valve mends 4-year-old’s “broken” heart
Addisyn Piekarski and her mom, Kristen, had just the right outfit in mind for Addisyn’s Jan. 13 follow-up appointment with her heart surgeon, Dr. Robert Stewart. Sporting a shirt covered in small hearts, with a large, sequin heart in the center, seemed fitting to meet with the man who just 8 days earlier had repaired […]
Father and son team up in the heart center
Many Akron Children’s employees say they like working at the hospital because of its culture, team-oriented approach and positive energy. Over the years, these favorable reviews have resulted in family and extended family members working at Children’s. And while most of them work in different departments and locations, two family members have recently found themselves […]
Determined 2-year-old lights up recently opened New Philadelphia Health Center
Jaxon Britton is not even 2 yet and he’s already developed a reputation for marching to the beat of his own drum. “He’s a unique kid, what can we say?” his mother, Bridget said. Jaxon has defied the odds multiple times and lived to smile about it. He’s been through more serious health issues than […]
Heart patient, family face PICU stay amidst pandemic
Our son Maverick, who is now 5 months old, and our family have had a long and bumpy ride. Just his diagnosis of a rare congenital heart defect alone is scary. Add the COVID-19 pandemic on top of our child’s fragile health makes it even more nerve wracking. Because Maverick has these heart issues, his […]
