This fall, Noah Kotlarek started sixth grade at Buckeye Intermediate School in Medina. He’s part of the travel soccer program, a huge Star Wars fan and a dedicated gamer. At just 11 years old, he is also facing his third battle with cancer. A tough journey In July 2022, 8-year-old Noah began experiencing troubling symptoms […]
Patient Stories
Cancer brings three families together
“Your child has cancer.” That’s a sentence no parent expects to hear. But cancer brought the Holm, Courtney and Thomas families together – and they formed lasting friendships. Meet Jack Jack Holm is an athletic 12-year-old at Louisville Middle School who played baseball, basketball and golf. Nagging leg pain and swelling led his mom, Sarah, […]
Adenoid surgery helps Gus breathe and sleep better
When a child has surgery, it’s a nervous time for the whole family. But the team at the Akron Children’s Outpatient Surgery Center in Beachwood delivered a great experience for Gus Pietrocini and his parents. Breathing and sleeping problems Gus turned 10 this month. He never really slept with his mouth closed, even as a […]
Wynn’s inspiring journey from preemie to respiratory therapist
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 […]
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 […]
