Sharmba Varner begins her workday at 4:30 a.m. and, for this mom of four, including two children with special needs, life rarely pauses for one minute until her early evening bedtime. That’s fine with Sharmba. Even though having a daughter on the autism spectrum and a son with Down syndrome means days filled with extra […]
Harper, the Warrior Princess
Harper has been on life support – twice – had 4 open heart surgeries, 5 eye surgeries, countless therapy sessions and even more needle pokes, but not once has she let anything get the best of her. She’s overcome every obstacle in her own time. At birth, Harper’s parents were surprised to learn she had Down syndrome, but it was her heart defect, atrioventricular canal defect, that caused them worry. The hole in […]
Down syndrome awareness month reminds us we have more in common than not
Akron Children’s prides itself on inclusion – at the hospital and in our communities – so it should come as no surprise that we love to celebrate and raise awareness for our patients. We first introduced you to Gino Russ in 2018 to celebrate his accomplishments during World Down Syndrome Day. Today, like all of […]