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 […]
Julian’s journey from cleft diagnosis to a confident smile
Pregnant with her first child in 2018, Lindsay George was looking forward to her 20-week ultrasound. But amid the excitement came unexpected news: Her unborn baby had a cleft lip and palate. Unfamiliar with the condition, Lindsay wasted no time learning everything she could. “I wanted to be prepared, so I did a lot of […]
Marty Joe overcomes clubfeet and clefts
Martin Joseph Kurowski – or Marty Joe – has been through a lot. With a team of specialists and determined parents, nothing slows down the toddler who was born with clubfeet, a cleft lip and cleft palate. A shocking diagnosis Marty was diagnosed in-utero with clubfeet and a cleft lip. “You want the best for […]
James Palmer plans a retirement full of weekend family time and fun
James Palmer, technician II in Akron Children’s Environmental Services, was just 13 when he started working at his first job. Employed through a youth program, James did yard work for senior citizens. That job helped him develop a strong work ethic and sense of responsibility, as well as a passion for maintaining a well-groomed yard. […]
More Than a Job: Rachel Hardy has personal connection to patients in her role as craniofacial nurse
By the time she was 18 years old, Rachel Hardy had endured more than 17 surgeries to repair her congenital cleft lip and palate. After being adopted from South Korea, Rachel had her first surgery on her lip at 6 months of age at Akron Children’s. “Many of my surgeries happened when I was young,” […]
Dr. Ananth Murthy, patient Elijah Bell talk advancements in ear reconstruction
Elijah Bell was born without outer ears, but thanks to Dr. Ananth Murthy, director of pediatric plastic and reconstructive surgery and medical director for the Craniofacial Center and Speech Resonance Clinic at Akron Children’s, Elijah has ears crafted from his own rib cage cartilage. Now, 4 years later, Dr. Murthy and his team at The Rebecca D. Considine Research Institute […]
