Gracie, 7, is an active first grader who uses braces to help her walk and loves to sing along with Jimmy Buffett.

Cindy, Gracie’s mother, had an ultrasound when she was 8 months pregnant to determine if her baby was in the correct position.  “It was a Friday afternoon, and I remember thinking that the ultrasound was taking longer than I thought it would,” recalls Gracie’s father, David.  “Then the technician said, ‘Let’s find the radiologist.’” 

Cindy and David learned that their unborn child would have spina bifida.  The condition occurs during the earliest stages of pregnancy, causing abnormal development of the spine.  Depending on where the spinal cord is affected, the condition can cause paralysis and complex health issues.

A Beautiful Baby
The next morning, Cindy and David met with Michael Partington, M.D., a pediatric neurosurgeon at Gillette Children’s Specialty Healthcare.  “He said we really wouldn’t know the impact of her condition until Gracie began to develop and function,” says David.

“Dr. Partington was patient and credible and answered all of our questions,” says Cindy.  A few days later, Gracie was born.  “We looked at our darling little red-headed girl, and our journey began,” she adds.

Gracie has undergone gait analysis twice at Gillette’s Center for Gait and Motion Analysis.  The analysis showed that Gracie’s joints were breaking down because of the way she walked.  This summer, she had major surgery on her hips, lower legs, ankles and feet to improve her gait.  Doctors will continue to monitor her growth and development. 

An Independent Child
“We have raised Gracie to be tough and independent,” says David.  To illustrate, he relates a story about Gracie at age 3.  “She was leaving the house and tripped on a porch step,” he says.  “She walked back into the house, telling me, ‘I’m going to do it again.’  She came out without falling and said, ‘Now, I’m ready.’”

Listen to Gracie's Story Here

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