Growing up, Dr. Vanisha Patel dreamed of following the career path of either doctor or astronaut. Both professions would push her limits physically and mentally, and each new day on the job would be a wild ride, but caring for sick children ultimately won her heart. She discovered her true calling in medicine early in […]
Narrative medicine lets Cerriana share her story
After a year of managing a brain cancer diagnosis, dozens of surgeries and relentless medical treatments, Cerriana (14) of Alliance was hopeful the worst was behind her. When she learned her cancer was back, she didn’t know if she had the strength to do it all again, but she knew she had something to say […]
10 out of 10: Siblings are a perfect match for bone marrow transplant
A typical day for Wyatt Brown is spent ‘doing jobs’ around his house like picking up frogs, digging in dirt and learning how to fix things. But last year, just a day after his 4th birthday, Wyatt’s days were anything but typical as he started testing and treatment at the Showers Family Center for Childhood […]
Sickle cell disease almost cost this boy his life. ‘It’s nothing to play with,’ mom says
One of the dreaded complications of sickle cell disease happens when sickle-shaped red blood cells cause large amounts of blood to pool in the spleen. It happened to Karson George of Canton in August 2019, when he was 9 months old. Normal red blood cells are round and flexible, allowing them to flow easily through […]
How one brain tumor survivor measures success
For a pediatric brain tumor patient, one of the most celebrated measures of success is becoming a survivor. Amelia Hartong of Massillon became a survivor at just 1-year-old and now, age 5, she reminds us all that the best measure of success is happiness. “Amelia is thriving, and we celebrate it, but her success and […]
Perseverance keeps Pano achieving goals after cancer treatment
Like a story out of Greek mythology, Pano Tsarouhas’s cancer journey started in Greece, but his battle with Ewing’s sarcoma was defeated in Ohio. While on vacation in Greece, Pano came down with a fever. After returning home, he had an appointment at Pediatrics of Akron expecting an antibiotic would help him feel better. “Dr. […]