Child with Scoliosis Accesses Life-Changing Surgery
Struggling with Scoliosis
Logan was born with infantile progressive scoliosis. In other words, his spine was curved to the side. The curvature would only get worse as he got older. For the first five years of Logan's life, he was in and out of body casts in an attempt to correct his spine. The body casts didn't work.
"When Logan was six," said Logan's mother Leslie, "we found out that he would need surgery."
From Difficult Heights...
Leslie dove into extensive research on scoliosis surgery. During that time, Logan's condition began to deteriorate further. His spine curvature was at an extreme 75 degrees. This caused one shoulder to be much higher than the other, and stunted his growth. His heart and lungs were put under pressure as his ribcage shifted.
After the research was complete, Leslie ran into another obstacle. The best surgeon for Logan's case was an eight-hour drive away from home. "We live in Richmond," said Leslie, "and the only surgeon who could do this procedure was at NYU Langone." Even once the surgery was done, Logan would still need checkups every three months for years.
"We were trying to figure out transportation costs on top of medical bills," said Leslie. "It was a nightmare."
...To Hope-Filled Flights
Logan had recently turned seven when Leslie found out about Mercy Medical Angels' volunteer pilot program. The volunteer pilots made it possible for Logan to fly up to NYU Langone for the surgery and follow-up appointments.
Leslie noted that they don't have to worry about distance, time, and cost. They can go up to NYU Langone for Logan's checkup and come back to Richmond the same day. She added that being able to get to the surgeon at NYU Langone made the difference between needing one surgery and needing multiple surgeries. "You have saved my son a lot of pain and fear," said Leslie.
"The volunteer pilots are always so kind to us," said Leslie. "Mercy Medical Angels has been a true blessing."
"He Stands Tall and Proud"
Logan recently celebrated his tenth birthday. Even though he's young, he has gone through a considerable amount of hardship. But counteracting that, he has also experienced great hope and healing. "I love flying," said Logan, "and like my mom said, it was a really big struggle to get the surgery. Mercy Medical Angels saved my life."
Leslie has noticed growth in her son, in all areas. Not only can he keep up with his peers, he's reaching milestones that seemed impossible just a few years ago. "He stands tall and proud," said Leslie. Logan adds his own point. "When I'm flying, and I go over the clouds, that's my favorite part. I get to see how free the world really is."
And by extension, he gets a glimpse of a brighter future - one that Mercy Medical Angels made possible.
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