When Allison and Kyle Caja moved to northeast Ohio from Cincinnati, their 8-month-old daughter Guinevere was already struggling with painful ear infections. Guinevere had been dealing with chronic ear infections since she was 4 months old. As a result, the infections caused high fevers, sleepless nights and many trips to the emergency room. “The ear […]
Patient Stories
Cohen’s clubfoot care is worth the drive
Rachel Lumley and her fiancé, Sean Bisbal, got quite a shock at the 20-week ultrasound for their second child. Their baby boy, Cohen, had bilateral clubfoot – meaning both feet were affected. “I had never heard of clubfoot before,” Rachel said. “Sean and I don’t have a family history of clubfoot. The odds of having […]
Specialized heart care gives David a chance to live
To look at David Campbell of Brimfield, Ohio, you’d see a 6-month-old with expressive eyes and a big smile. You’d never know he needed multiple heart interventions – the first within hours of being born – to save his life. More than a decade ago, Akron Children’s and Cincinnati Children’s joined forces to provide specialized […]
Shared decisions ensure Lexi’s bright future after heart surgery
Lexi Kormanec is a 15-year-old sophomore at Nordonia High School. She loves roller coasters, singing and talking with her friends. To see her, you wouldn’t know she had a heart defect that required major surgery when she was 13 years old. Early detection of a heart issue Recommendations from family members led Lexi’s parents, Elizabeth […]
Zy’Aire rebounds from surgery to repair a rare heart defect
Zy’Aire Taylor of Orrville loves sports, whether he’s throwing a football with his younger brother or playing on his school’s basketball team. After episodes of chest pains and passing out while playing basketball at his after-school program in early 2022, he wondered if he’d ever be able to play sports again. Thanks to the Akron […]
Mackenzie Roach inspires others, making a positive impact after a life-changing diagnosis
The day after her eighth birthday, Mackenzie Roach was diagnosed with a brain tumor. A week later, she underwent surgery to remove it. After the surgery, she began the long journey to relearn basic skills such as walking and talking. While doing so, she continued to positively impact her community, choosing to use her experiences […]
