At three years old, Willie was diagnosed with infantile idiopathic scoliosis, a condition that caused a curvature in his spine. Willie’s journey began when his mother, Breana, took him to see several specialists because he wasn’t hitting developmental milestones on time. Willie started walking and crawling later than other children his age. He also began to experience chest pain and shortness of breath. At first, Willie’s specialists thought he might have cerebral palsy or multiple sclerosis. It wasn’t until they went to Nemours Children’s Health in Jacksonville that he was diagnosed with scoliosis. Willie underwent a rigorous treatment plan that included wearing a halo and using traction to stretch his large curve before surgery, a rare process reserved for special cases. He also had many occupational and physical therapy sessions. With the help of Dr. Kevin Neal, Willie is in complete recovery at 10 years old. It was a tough […]

Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month: Madelynn’s Story
Madelynn was 7 days old when the pediatrician called her mom, Rebekah, around 6pm in the evening (never a good sign). Rebekah knew right away that something was amiss. The pediatrician mentioned cystic fibrosis and said they should do some testing on baby Madelynn. She was 14 days old when she went for her first sweat test. Rebekah was petrified holding her newborn while electromagnetic currents were taped on Madelynn’s arm. Then, they had to sit in a hot room, hoping for Madelynn to produce enough sweat to test for sodium chloride levels. The waiting was awful. Early the next morning, they received a call from the pediatrician, stating they had a 3pm appointment with the pulmonologist. This is when Madelynn’s journey with CF began. When Madelynn was 7 years old, her family found out that one of her original CF doctors was retiring. Additionally, her family had recently moved to […]