Advanced burn care helps Gianna return to the stage

Gianna loves being on stage – dancing, cheering and showcasing her skills.

The 2025 Christmas season didn’t start as planned for the Ivery family of Stow, Ohio. A burn accident put 12-year-old Gianna, a competitive cheerleader, in the hospital. But thanks to her determination and innovative treatment at Akron Children’s, she rejoined her cheer team just a few months later.

“It was the first day of winter break from school, Dec. 19. Gianna and her 10-year-old brother, Roman, were upstairs getting ready to go to their friends’ houses,” their mom, Shanequa, recalled. “I was downstairs on the phone with a friend. Gianna started screaming, ‘Mom, my shirt!’”

Shanequa saw a sea of orange flames as she reached the top of the stairs. Gianna had a candle burning in her bedroom, got too close after spraying perfume on her hoodie – and the sweatshirt went up in flames. “I tried to get her to lie down, remembering the ‘stop, drop and roll’ fire safety message,” Shanequa said. “I couldn’t get her to understand, so I grabbed a nearby towel to smother the fire.”

Racing to Akron Children’s

The fire burned through the whole front of the hoodie. Gianna had burns on her stomach, right arm, upper chest above her bra and small areas of her face.

While Gianna changed shirts, Shanequa checked to see if Roman was OK after seeing such a scary scene. The three of them rushed to the Akron Children’s Emergency Room (ER). Shanequa called her husband, William, on the way.

Gianna had deep second-degree burns on areas including her upper chest, chin and right arm.

Meeting Dr. Khandelwal

After arrival at the ER, Gianna immediately went to the Akron Children’s Adult and Pediatric Burn Institute, supported by The Paul and Carol David Foundation. The burn specialists evaluated her and admitted her to the hospital for treatment. “When we got to the burn unit, they were wonderful,” Shanequa said. “They gave us cold compresses to put on her. They gave her morphine, so she could relax and not feel the burns.”

Gianna had mostly deep second-degree burns. “These are the types of burns in a gray zone,” said Dr. Anjay Khandelwal, Burn Institute director. “The treatment decision can truly change a child’s long-term outcome and is often misjudged.”

Any caregiver who entered Gianna’s room got the same questions. “When Dr. Khandelwal came into the room for the first time, he knew what to expect,” Shanequa chuckled. “Gianna wanted to know if she’d be home for Christmas and when she could cheer again.”

Advanced burn treatment

Gianna was an ideal candidate for a combination approach. “The first step is to use a special tool to excise or debride the burn. Then we used the RECELL® spray-on skin system, followed by a protective artificial skin,” Dr. Khandelwal explained. “Our team has helped to pioneer this approach. We’re the only facility in a multistate area that offers this treatment combination and approach routinely.”

Without this advanced care, Gianna would’ve needed skin grafting that would have involved harvesting a large section of healthy skin and essentially transplanting it. “With spray-on skin technology, we take a very small skin sample – about the size of two postage stamps – and expand it to treat a much larger burn area,” Dr. Khandelwal said. “This technique allows for faster wound closure, less pain, shorter hospital stays and improved cosmetic outcomes.”

Physical and occupational therapists worked with Gianna to keep her moving. “They told her if she moved a little each day, it would be easier for her,” Shanequa said. “Gianna made it a point to get up, use the bathroom by herself and see how high she could raise her arm to ensure she still had mobility. She’s a tough cookie, and she wanted to get back to cheering, so she put in the work.”

Dr. Khandelwal praises Gianna’s positive attitude, focus and determination. “That mindset plays a powerful role in recovery, especially in children, and Gianna embodied that throughout her journey,” he said. “She never let the injury define her, and she kept her eyes on getting back to what she loved.”

Gianna rejoins her family and team

She met her first goal, getting home Dec. 22 in time to celebrate Christmas with her family. She received get-well cards, gift baskets and other treats from family, friends and cheer teams.

“Gianna attended cheer practices while she recovered. She started slowly – such as a light jog while the other girls ran. Then she started doing walkovers, then tumbling,” Shanequa recalled. “She didn’t do things until she got cleared at each follow-up appointment.”

Gianna returned to competition in mid-March. “She wore compression shirts to protect her skin. She tumbled and did everything she was supposed to do,” Shanequa said, beaming with pride. “Gianna loves performing on stage.”

Gianna’s parents, Shanequa and William, and brother, Roman, celebrated her return to cheer competition.

An amazing recovery

Gianna learned to check her skin and manage the daily routine to help her heal. Most of her burns now look like scratches, and she’s not the least bit self-conscious.

Dr. Khandelwal says Gianna is a great example of how modern burn care is evolving. “Her recovery timeline simply wouldn’t have been possible with a more traditional approach,” he offered. “We are truly world pioneers. Our goal isn’t just healing the burn: It’s getting kids back to being kids as quickly and completely as possible.”