1. Originally posted in January 2017, this item featuring Dr. Robert Parry and hand-drawn scar coverings was #3 in our top posts of the decade. The repost went viral (almost 17 million people reached by our post), and it was picked up by dozens of media and social media sites.
Pediatric surgeon Dr. Robert Parry always takes a moment to make sure a scar isn’t the only lasting memory of a child’s surgical procedure. He surprises them with a hand-drawn dressing featuring a character or something that personally interests them.
2. An emotional clap out brought tears to the eyes of everyone there. “Today was the happiest day of my life,” said 19-year-old Matt Driscoll. “After 3.5 years of receiving chemotherapy for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, I finally got my last treatment and got to ring the bell. This could not have been done without my family, friends, and God.”
On average, our Showers Family Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders cares for 8 newly diagnosed children with cancer each month. It’s moments like this that inspires us all. Best wishes to Matt for a healthy, bright future!
3. Caitlin Brohm wants other parents and caregivers to know what she learned – the importance of keeping newborns away from germs by limiting visitors and keeping them out of public.
Hazel Grace was born on Sept. 4, healthy and happily welcomed by her loving parents. In 25 short days, Hazel would lose her fight against HSV2 (herpes simplex viruses).
4. If you notice a sweet, young chocolate lab prancing through the halls on our Akron campus, there’s a good chance you just met Chase! Handled by Officer Ramona Caley, Chase is an officer in training with our Department of Public Safety.
Chase is working to be both a bomb sniffing dog and a therapy dog! We suspect she’ll have a nose for smiles and giggles.
5. Born with Down syndrome, a hole in her heart and a cleft palate, Kennedy has faced many battles, but that hasn’t dimmed her uplifting personality.
Kennedy’s parents say she is their Irish warrior princess, and she proves it every day.
6. When a fight broke out among a small group of children near the stadium at Warren G. Harding High School, one of the children lost consciousness and had difficulty breathing. Akron Children’s Athletic Trainer Alex McCaskey, who works at the school, and Shamara Golden, a Youngstown State University intern trainer. jumped into action and began CPR and attached an AED to the child.
McCaskey later found out from the paramedics that the child is alive and stable thanks to his and Golden’s efforts.
7. When Logan Elliot’s fused vertebrae broke in half again due to a significant growth spurt his spine was repaired by Dr. Todd Ritzman using cutting-edge 3D intraoperative navigation technology.
Logan is thrilled with the results of the surgery and has returned to his favorite activities like marching band.
8. 111 of our providers and 21 departments were ranked in the 75th percentile or better nationally by NRC Health.
These rankings are the results of hundreds of surveys given to the families we care for every day.
9. 17-year-old Sidney has known Dr. Chandrakant Patel her whole life. In utero, he diagnosed her with a serious congenital heart defect called double outlet right ventricle (DORV).
After 3 open-heart surgeries and a lifetime of appointments, Sidney stopped to say goodbye to Dr. Patel as she gets ready for college.
10. Two Akron Children’s employees appeared on the TV reality show Restaurant: Impossible, which worked to rehabilitate Edgar’s Restaurant located in West Akron.
The show featured Akron Children’s Food Services Supervisor Marcy Smith (top) and Culinary Associate Marcy Fulton.
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