Parents throughout the KC area often choose Children’s Mercy Hospital when their children are in need of medical care. As the recipient of honors such as “Best Children’s Hospital in Orthopedic Care” by U.S. News and World Report in 2015 and “Best Orthopedic Care” by Parents Magazine in 2013, CMH has certainly earned its spot as top choice for KC area parents.
Inside Pediatrics, a four-part, Emmy Award-winning television series, highlights some of the reasons for CMH’s excellent reputation. A major component of the program is the stories of patients at Children’s Mercy; one such patient is Aveon. Aveon has had several surgeries and procedures done throughout her 14-year life span, all at Children’s Mercy.
Born with one foot pointed straight down, Aveon began having surgeries to repair her malformed foot as a very young child. Her most recent procedure lengthened her leg so that now she can walk comfortably on equal footing. This treatment was done with the use of cutting edge magnet technology, one of the many modern medical practices that have made Children’s Mercy so well known.
LaShanda, Aveon’s mother, has had to put all of her trust and confidence in Dr. Bradford Olney and the orthopedic team at Children’s Mercy as she and Aveon embarked upon their journey to fix Aveon’s foot and leg. LaShanda has been able to do so, saying, “My fears for my daughter’s future began to immediately subside after Aveon’s first surgery.” She truly believes Dr. Olney and his team know how to heal her daughter and are 100 percent committed to making her well. She has been impressed with their compassion, as well as knowledge and modern medical techniques, that all combine to create a successful plan for Aveon.
One of LaShanda’s great concerns for Aveon was that “she would be comfortable in her own skin and be able to interact with her peers without being bullied” for a deformity. And now, thanks to the team of doctors at CMH, her daughter is a happy and confident 14-year old girl. In fact, this last procedure was Aveon’s own choice, and she went into it willingly, knowing she was in good hands with Dr. Olney.
When asked why he believes Children’s Mercy Hospital has earned such prestigious honors and high rankings, Dr. Olney attributes much of the hospital’s success to its “advanced technology in all areas, including radiology, spine surgery and pediatric anesthesia.” He also says parents should understand the incredible value in taking their children to a pediatric orthopedic team, specifically. “Pediatric orthopedics differs from a generalized orthopedic center, as pediatric orthopedic specialists are trained differently and are far more qualified to treat pediatric fractures than general orthopedic doctors,” Dr. Olney says.
Check out Inside Pediatrics, premiering its second season on Wednesday, Dec. 16, on KMBC, to see more of what goes on within the walls of Children’s Mercy Hospital. Narrator actor and Kansas City native Paul Rudd will lead viewers along the journeys of patients like Aveon and learn about their experiences at Kansas City’s very own top-ranked, award-winning children’s hospital.
Olathe mom Karen Johnson has three children, ages 6, 4 and 2. She writes at The21stCenturySAHM.com.