Madison was 13 when she went to a routine doctor appointment and received a surprising diagnosis.
“She had severe scoliosis and rotation of her spine, and we had no idea,” explained her mother, Vicki. “The doctor asked if she was in pain, but she felt fine.”
Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine that occurs most often during the growth spurt just before puberty. In many cases, no treatment is necessary. For some children, a brace can be used to stop the curve from worsening.
“But Madison’s spine had over 50% curvature, so she needed spinal fusion surgery to correct it. That news was hard for both of us to deal with at first.”
Madison was diagnosed in February 2023, and over the next several months, had to undergo multiple rounds of testing, including MRIs and CT scans at Advocate Children’s Hospital – Oak Lawn.
“Through all the testing, she took it like a champ,” said Vicki. “But the closer we got to her surgery in December, the more the stress affected her mentally. She would wonder what her life would be like after surgery. She loves to dance, and she was worried about how surgery would affect dancing and other activities, and whether she’d have to do things differently.”
Spending the night in the hospital also made Madison nervous, but her care team was there every step of the way to support her and Vicki.
“All the doctors and nurses were a true blessing. They didn’t talk at Madison, they talked to her. And when they explained something, they explained it to both of us. They included Madison in the conversation, which made us both a lot more comfortable. We knew we could trust them, and that helped with some of her fear.”
The surgery was four days before Christmas and took about six hours.
“It was scary sending my child into such a major surgery, but I received updates throughout the procedure,” said Vicki. “I felt informed and reassured. And when it was over, I got to sit with her in recovery. The doctor explained how the surgery went and showed me before and after X-rays of her spine. The difference was incredible.”
Madison spent four nights in the hospital.
“She had some pain after surgery, and the nurses were amazing. They would sit with my baby and hold her hand. They sang High School Musical songs to her. It made me cry because they cared about her so much.”
On Christmas Day, Madison got to come home. At first, she needed help with almost everything.
“It was like taking care of a baby again,” recalled Vicki. “She needed help shifting in bed, turning over, getting up and going to the bathroom. She had physical therapy, which helped her mentally by knowing she could move with confidence. Every day, she made progress, and she recovered a lot more quickly than I expected.”
Madison went back to school in February. And recently, she got the go ahead to bend her spine completely. Up until then, she’d had restrictions.
“Looking at her today, you’d never know she’d had major back surgery. She’s dancing again and doing everything she could before her diagnosis.”
And Madison’s future looks bright.
“She won’t have to worry about any spinal issues. The metal will fuse with her bones. She’ll set off metal detectors, but that’s about it,” laughed Vicki. “We’re so grateful to everyone at Advocate Children’s for their compassionate support and care. Her life is completely back to normal.”
How you can help
Advocate Children’s Hospital is part of Advocate Health, a not-for-profit organization that relies on the generosity of donors like you to support its programs and services. To help patients like Madison and their families, please consider making a gift today.