2024 Champion Child – London
At 18 weeks gestation, London’s parents went to the doctor for the anatomy scan. They were excited to find out the gender of their first child, but things took a turn the new parents never expected. In addition to revealing they were having a girl, the ultrasound technician saw a “lemon sign,” which refers to the shape of the head on an ultrasound and can be indicators of spina bifida, a congenital disorder that occurs when the spine and spinal cord don’t form properly. A high-level ultrasound soon confirmed one of their biggest fears —their baby girl would be born with spina bifida.
Terrified by this diagnosis, London’s parents, Crystal and Ryan, did everything they could to learn about the disease and prepare themselves for her arrival. This included meeting with Hasbro Children’s Hospital neurosurgeon Petra Klinge, MD. Dr. Klinge, whom the family describes now as a part of their family, not only reassured and informed the nervous first-time parents, but she gave them hope. “Dr. Klinge told us there was a chance that our baby may be able to walk one day, but that there was also a chance she could be in a wheelchair or use a walker,” recalls London’s mother Crystal. “But above all, she gave us hope!”
The day after London was born, Dr. Klinge performed an intricate 8-hour surgery to close the skin and spinal cord on the tiny newborn’s spine. “We were so relieved when Dr. Klinge came out of surgery and told us she was successful,” says Crystal.
After surgery, London defied odds and instead of spending months in the NICU as her parents had prepared for, she was able to leave after only a few weeks.
When at 18 months London was still not walking, early intervention specialists advised her parents to consider leg braces and a walker, but instead they turned to Hasbro’s Pediatric Rehabilitation team.
And once again, London defied the odds. On Thanksgiving, just after turning 2 years old, she got up and showed off all the work she had been doing and walked on her own across the room. She has been on the move ever since!
Even after spinal repair surgery at age of five, Crystal says, “We came around the corner and found her dancing in the living room to her favorite band. Dancing… a week after spinal surgery!”
Now nine years old, London continues to amaze everyone she meets not only with her dancing, soccer, and Black Belt training, and her vibrant smile and sweet personality.