From the first utterances of “mama” and “dada” to poignant questions like, “Why is the sky blue?,” a child’s speech development is one of her most important and exciting milestones. For as many as 5% of toddlers, however, this development may be hindered by the use of repeated words, phrases or drawn out syllables that […]
Patient Stories
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 […]
Magnetic growth rods help stabilize scoliosis for Suffield 3rd grader
Patrick Carr is no stranger to doctors or to Akron Children’s for that matter. Born with neurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder that causes him to develop benign tumors in various areas of his body, he sees specialists in neurology, endocrinology and cardiology, and recently he added orthopedics to the mix. It was in 2018 at an […]
Developing a legacy of giving
Though the communities they serve are different, every Akron Children’s regional health center shares a common goal: bringing care closer to home. But for the health centers in North Canton and Portage County, there’s another special bond. They’ve both been made possible thanks to the generosity of the Altman family – Richard and Bobbi Altman, […]
Creation of the Melina Michelle Edenfield Fund supports efforts to fight pediatric brain tumors
Melina was a vibrant, energetic four-year-old girl who brought joy to the faces of everyone she met. Unfortunately, on May 22, 2020 her life and the lives of her family changed forever when she was diagnosed with a deadly brain tumor called Diffuse Midline Glioma. Her fight with this deadly tumor ended on June 24, 2020 when she passed away. While her […]
Finding a primary care provider through virtual interviews
Technology has offered us new ways to connect with friends and family, and it’s also providing families with another way to get to know a primary care provider. Akron Children’s Pediatrics and the Locust Pediatric Care Group now offer free provider interviews via telehealth. “We know choosing the right primary care provider for a child […]
