She's just 17, but Allie (short for Alexandria) Johnson, born in Maui, lives the life most of us only dream about. Beautiful, athletic, smart, talented, charming, witty … she's every parent's dream. Plus, she calls the breathtaking tropical splendor of Maui home. As Mary Poppins said, "Practically perfect in every way."
Alas, there's that "practically" qualifier. Allie's also one of an estimated 20 million Americans afflicted with scoliosis (from the Greek "skolios," meaning "crooked"), a medical condition in which a person's spine is curved from side to side. In Allie's case, non-invasive physiotherapy treatments and bracing devices failed to halt the increasing curvature of her spine, which initially was diagnosed when she was only seven years old.
She hid her uneven shoulder blades underneath long hair and fashionable hoodies; kept up her piano playing; and stuck to a grueling sports schedule that included track, volleyball and canoe paddling.
But eventually, the pain proved too much to bear. Allie's parents, unable to find the right treatment for their daughter, grew despondent. Surely something could be done?
A chance encounter with a Baylor Scoliosis Center diorama ad at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport by Chuck, Allie's dad, proved to be a game-changer. The multi-specialty team at the Baylor Scoliosis Center offers advanced outpatient and inpatient surgical services at Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano. Created in 2005, the spa-like center looks and feels more like a luxury retreat than a medical facility and treats more than 2,000 domestic and international patients annually, with more than 1,000 successful surgeries to date.
"Allie's aggressive curve definitely required corrective surgery," says Michael O'Brien, MD, medical director of research at the Baylor Scoliosis Center. "She and her parents were well-educated on her situation, so all I really did was try to put the situation into perspective and help them make this big decision based on facts, not fear."
Allie's mom, Toni, recalls, "When we walked into Baylor Plano, it was the first time in 8 years that a doctor looked at her and didn't gasp. But Dr. O'Brien was amazing. It was obvious that he cared so much, and he gave us options we'd never had before, as well as the confidence to move ahead."
"Allie was a star patient, really brave," asserts nurse-practitioner Sue Saunders, RN, MSN, CCRN, ACNP-BC who rounded on Allie during her eight day hospital stay. "And her parents were on top of things and extremely supportive, which helped immensely."
Also helpful: Allie's determination to document the entire process for her senior project. "She filmed everything," laughs Saunders, "and I mean everything. She's already got an A-plus-plus in my book."
And what does Allie think of her trans-oceanic adventure? "I can't wait to get to the beach!"
The Baylor Scoliosis Center is a national referral center located on the campuses of Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano and Baylor All Saints Medical Center at Fort Worth and focuses on the care of adolescent and adult scoliosis. It is the first Center of its kind in the Dallas/Fort Worth area devoted to treatment, surgery and care of advanced spinal curvature. The Center provides care to people living with the pain and disfigurement of scoliosis – even those who were previously told their condition was untreatable.
To learn more about the Baylor Scoliosis Center visit www.TheBaylorScoliosisCenter.com or call 972.985.2797.
Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano is a 112-bed acute care hospital committed to serving North Texas residents with personalized care and advanced technology on a beautiful campus with hotel-like amenities and all private rooms. Services at the not-for-profit, fully-accredited facility include treatment for advanced spine deformities at the Baylor Scoliosis Center, neurosciences, orthopaedics, medical and radiation oncology, surgical weight loss, women's services, gynecology, urology, gastroenterology, pulmonary medicine, sleep disorders, pain management, diabetes management and more. Patients have access to digital imaging onsite at Baylor Plano and at the Baylor Diagnostic Imaging Center at Craig Ranch, an outpatient department of Baylor Plano. The hospital is the first in North Dallas and Collin County to offer minimally invasive robotic surgery for procedures through the FDA-approved da Vinci® S Surgical System. Baylor Plano is a 2010 recipient of the Texas Award for Performance Excellence and houses an Accredited Community Hospital Comprehensive Cancer Program by the American College of Surgeons Commissions on Cancer. Baylor Plano is the only hospital in Collin County and one of six in Texas to be accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers.Jerri Garison is president of Baylor Plano. For more information, or a physician referral, call toll free 1-800-4-BAYLOR or log onto www.BaylorHealth.com/Plano.
Physicians are members of the medical staff at one of Baylor Health Care System¹s subsidiary, community or affiliated medical centers and are neither employees nor agents of those medical centers, Baylor Regional Medical Center at Plano or Baylor Health Care System.
CONTACT:
Kayci Prince
469-814-2109
kaycipri@baylorhealth.edu
Janeen Browning
469-814-2107
Janeen.Browning@Baylorhealth.edu
About Baylor Scott & White Health
As the largest not-for-profit health system in the state of Texas, Baylor Scott & White is empowering customers to live well by reimagining traditional healthcare — creating more convenient, personalized and informed experiences. It serves more than three million customers through 53 hospitals, including flagship academic medical centers in Dallas, Fort Worth and Temple; the Baylor Scott & White Research Institute; 1,300+ access points; 59,000+ team members; and its leading digital platform — MyBSWHealth. The system's award-winning employer solutions include Baylor Scott & White Health Plan, Baylor Scott & White Quality Alliance and Levanto — a company offering digitally enabled health products. Founded as a Christian ministry of healing more than a century ago, Baylor Scott & White's mission is to promote the health and well-being of all individuals, families and communities. For more information, visit: BSWHealth.com
