Archive for Joanne Barker
Lacrosse, cerebral palsy, and leadership: Luke’s story
When he returned to lacrosse after surgery on his left leg, Luke Kilfoyle wasn’t nervous. In the five and a half months since his surgery, he’d worn a cast, gone to school in a wheelchair, used a walker, then a cane and ankle-foot orthosis (AFO). He’d spent hours in physical therapy and the gym. By ... Read More about Lacrosse, cerebral palsy, and leadership: Luke’s story
A cerebral palsy journey lands in Boston: Ashlyn’s hip surgery
Eleven-year-old Ashlyn’s parents describe her as spicy, strong willed, and determined. Those qualities have served her well through a medical journey that started soon after she was born with cerebral palsy (CP). Ashlyn has had multiple operations to manage the symptoms of CP, but when it came to the question of hip surgery, her parents ... Read More about A cerebral palsy journey lands in Boston: Ashlyn’s hip surgery
One athlete, two hip surgeries, three Ironmans
Trevor Spence grew up playing just about every sport he could. When he was 3, he laced up his first pair of hockey skates. When he was 10, he medaled in the Junior Olympics 1500-meter Track and Field event. Throughout middle and high school, he travelled to tournaments for hockey, lacrosse, and soccer. “I did ... Read More about One athlete, two hip surgeries, three Ironmans
Robotics, spinal fusion, and the quest for 100 percent accuracy
In any spinal fusion surgery, accurate screw placement is a top priority, and for good reason. Incorrectly positioned screws are the number one cause of surgical complications and revision surgeries according to the Scoliosis Research Society. While the vast majority of malpositioned screws — between four and 15 percent of all screws placed — do not ... Read More about Robotics, spinal fusion, and the quest for 100 percent accuracy
Girls and women in sports win the medal of lifelong health
Title IX, the law that prohibits sports discrimination on the basis of sex, has transformed sports for girls and women. Before its passage in 1972, only 295,000 female athletes participated in U.S. high school sports. Today that number is 3.2 million. In that same period, the number of female college athletes swelled from 30,000 to ... Read More about Girls and women in sports win the medal of lifelong health
How I hear you: Isabelle’s cochlear implant story
Isabelle is a thriving AP student, hockey player, and online gamer who listens to music and communicates with the help of cochlear implants. When people ask about the devices behind her ears, she responds, “They’re my ears. That’s how I hear you.” Fourteen years ago, when Vicki and Jason learned one of their newborn twins ... Read More about How I hear you: Isabelle’s cochlear implant story
Hip pain is different in female dancers: New insights from dynamic ultrasound
Dancers put unique demands on their hips, achieving extreme ranges of motion that can strain the joints and damage supporting tissues around them. Not surprisingly, hip injuries account for up to 17 percent of injuries in dancers and 27 percent among professional dancers. Microinstability — no small problem for dancers Conditions such as hip dysplasia ... Read More about Hip pain is different in female dancers: New insights from dynamic ultrasound
Social and emotional health in high school
Sarauna Moore has a unique perspective on students’ emotional and behavioral health. As part of the Boston Children’s Hospital Neighborhood Partnerships team, she is a fixture at Boston Arts Academy (BAA), a public high school for the visual and performing arts. When in-person classes resumed in 2021 after a year of remote learning, she noticed ... Read More about Social and emotional health in high school
A different kind of hearing: Caleb’s cochlear implant
Caleb recently told his mother, “I think I’m going to write my own stories.” This news didn’t surprise his parents, Wendy and Chris. For several years, 8-year-old Caleb has filled notebook after notebook with pictures and stories. His stack of favorite books includes Boxcar Children and The Chronicles of Narnia. But given some of his ... Read More about A different kind of hearing: Caleb’s cochlear implant
Jenna’s comeback from PAO surgery
By the time Jenna was 14, her off-and-on hip pain had become an always-on issue. The accomplished soccer player and runner from Southern California had experienced intermittent pain since she was 12. She tried physical therapy to ease the hip pain, but it only got worse as she competed at higher levels. Over time, her ... Read More about Jenna’s comeback from PAO surgery