Wynn Stoller gives Akron Children’s families hope just by walking in the door. Why? Because he’s gone from a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) patient to a Respiratory Therapist – training he received through the Career Launch program. Early arrival Wynn entered the world Dec. 14, 2002. Born at 24 weeks, he weighed just 1 […]
Patient Stories
Finding hope and healing after a cleft lip and palate diagnosis
Pregnant with her second child in 2021, Sarah Meyer of Strongsville went into her 20-week ultrasound expecting a routine checkup. Instead, she and her husband, Nick, learned their baby girl would be born with a cleft lip and palate – a condition they knew very little about. “At first, we were terrified,” Sarah recalled. “We […]
Tips to stop medical misinformation
False health information can spread fast. When this happens, it can be hard to find science-based facts. This can cause parents to make unsafe choices for their children, like skipping vaccines that are known to work or trying a treatment or therapy that isn’t proven by science. Five tips to manage medical misinformation Akron Children’s […]
Twin boys are thriving 1 year after their emergency birth
When Alison Speelman learned she was pregnant in the fall 2023, it was a total surprise. But a bigger surprise was yet to come. “I had my first ultrasound at 7 weeks, and that’s when we found out we were having twins,” she said. “My husband, Josh, and I didn’t speak on the ride home […]
Garrett bursts with energy after two open-heart surgeries
Liz Balizet of Navarre, Ohio didn’t realize the great pediatric care that’s available in northeast Ohio until her first child was diagnosed with a complex heart condition. Liz’s 20-week ultrasound showed problems with her baby boy’s heart. She and her husband, Jake, received a referral to the Akron Children’s Heart Center. “We went out to […]
Devika Walia, only surviving sibling of micropreemie triplets, gives back to NICU families
It may seem surprising to some that Devika Walia, the only surviving sibling of triplets, has such strong feelings of gratitude and connection to Akron Children’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). She has taken something sad, the loss of her brother and sister, and has chosen to focus on the positive – that she herself […]
