Diego was born prematurely, at just 29 weeks.  Although his family lives in Mexico, they were visiting Louisiana when he was born.  As a result, Diego is a dual citizen of Mexico and the United States.

The family returned to Mexico, where Diego’s parents, Maria and Carlos, noticed that he was having difficulty crawling.  They took him to a pediatrician, where he was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 6 months of age.  As he grew, Diego began walking, but it was always difficult for him.

About a year ago, Diego’s doctor recommended that he visit the Center for Gait and Motion Analysis at Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare.  “Being told to come to Minnesota for gait analysis was a bit scary,” Maria recalls. 

Maria made the difficult decision to move with Diego and his brother, Santiago, to Minnesota so that Diego could receive care.  Carlos remained in Mexico, working to support the family.  Maria rented an apartment and enrolled the boys in school.

After Diego’s initial gait analysis, James Gage, M.D. — a Gillette orthopaedic surgeon and one of the pioneers of motion analysis — recommended a dramatic procedure called single-event multilevel surgery.  Surgeons performed multiple procedures on Diego’s legs in an attempt to improve his walking ability.  Afterward, he underwent extensive rehabilitation therapy at Gillette.

“The results have been terrific, just wonderful,” says Maria.  “He walks with much greater ease and is able to get up and around with his friends.  Diego loved Minnesota and Gillette.”  He became involved in theater and was an active volunteer at Gillette.  Last fall, he grew strong enough that the family could return home to Mexico.


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