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 […]
Patient Stories
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 […]
First-time mom benefits from breastfeeding medicine
As Hannah Varela eagerly awaited the birth of her first child – a daughter named Sofia – she didn’t think too much about breastfeeding. When feeding her baby didn’t go as Hannah hoped, she got help from Akron Children’s Breastfeeding Medicine. Latching and oversupply issues lead Hannah to seek help Sofia had trouble latching onto […]
Ashland baby is Akron Children’s first NICU 22-week preemie to survive in 14 years
Megan Wolbert works at Wooster Community Hospital as a sonographer. When she started having contractions in March at 22 weeks of her pregnancy, she was glad to be at work surrounded by medical caregivers and resources. When an initial exam showed she was already in active labor, she knew enough to assume she and her […]
