There’s a youth mental health crisis sweeping our country – and northern Ohio. Access to high-quality, individualized mental health care is a major obstacle for children and their families. So are long wait times. At Akron Children’s, we are strategically responding to these challenges, taking action to remove barriers to care – and filling the […]
Meet Jeff and Mimi Ryznar: Five questions with our featured donors
Jeff and Mimi Ryznar firmly believe in giving back to others – and supporting the Mahoning Valley community. The business owner and physician both feel that everyone has gifts to use and share. Here, they explain why they share their time, talents and treasures with Akron Children’s. How did you become interested in philanthropy and […]
33 Forever Inc. awards $175,000 to Akron Children’s Behavioral Health, Mansfield
Donna and Jeff Heck and the team at 33 Forever Inc. are on a mission: to provide hope, help and empowerment to those with mental health issues. When Donna and Jeff’s family lost 33-year-old daughter Danielle “Dani” Leedy in 2019 after a long battle with chronic depression, friends, family and the Mansfield, Ohio, community rallied […]
Keri Hunt looks forward to a retirement filled with reading, leading and loving
It was 2008 when Keri Hunt, talent acquisition specialist, was making a daily 75-mile commute to her job in Pittsburgh at UPMC. Despite her ability to move closer, something inside her was telling her to stay in Boardman. Around August of the same year, an HR generalist position opened on Beeghly’s campus. Keri applied, interviewed […]
Working at Akron Children’s aligns with Dr. Kelsey Brocker’s goals and aspirations
Dr. Kelsey Brocker, a pediatric psychologist, considers joining Akron Children’s to be a stroke of good luck. It started with a chance encounter in Georgia. “I was discussing my professional goals and aspirations with my parents,” she said. “We were at a restaurant in Savannah, Georgia, where I was born and raised. Someone approached our […]
A high-fat medical keto diet can be life-changing for children with epilepsy
A diet where generous amounts of oil, butter, mayonnaise and heavy cream are encouraged may sound odd but it’s keeping dozens of Akron Children’s patients seizure free and restoring normalcy to their lives. That makes parents and doctors big advocates of the medical keto diet for children whose seizures do not respond well to […]













