Anna’s Journey: Soaring Back to Dancing
Patient Stories
min. lectura
Anna was a girl on the go. Whether she was in the dance studio or on the gymnastics mat, nothing could slow her down — until nerve pain shooting down her legs brought her to a grinding halt.
Concerned by the pain and noticing that Anna’s hips seemed out of alignment when she walked, her parents, Shana and Gerard, sought answers. X-rays soon revealed a devastating diagnosis for the young dancer and gymnast: spondyloptosis. Thankfully, the orthopedic surgery experts at Texas Children’s Scoliosis and Spinal Deformity Program were ready to help her get back on her feet.
What is spondyloptosis?
Anna’s diagnosis of spondyloptosis and scoliosis meant that her spine was not only twisted, but also slipping her vertebrae out of place.
When her orthopedic surgeon, Margaret Baldwin, MD, FAAOS, suggested stopping gymnastics a month or two before surgery to prevent overextending her spine more, Anna was gutted. For someone as passionate about expressing herself through movement as she is, this was a heartbreaking adjustment.
I actually had my aerial, my round-off, back handspring. When I figured out I needed surgery, I was like, 'How am I gonna get all these skills back?'
A personalized surgical experience
Anna’s surgery to straighten her spine was going to be a major one, lasting eight hours.
“As a Marine, I’m trained to be mentally prepared to handle fear myself,” Garon said. “But I don’t think I’d ever been prepared to handle that fear. That was one of the scariest times of my life.”
It was a challenging day for her family, but the team at Texas Children’s worked tirelessly to ensure Anna felt safe and supported every step of the way.
Before she went in for her surgery, Child Life specialists helped ease Anna’s anxiety by walking her through the process with pictures and introducing her to Pluto, a golden retriever support dog.
“He’s so awesome!”
Dr. Baldwin even made a special promise to Anna. She wore a Taylor Swift surgical cap on the day of the procedure just for the Swiftie, and the team created a comforting atmosphere with an upbeat soundtrack.
“They played all the Taylor Swift jams — I even fell asleep to Taylor,” Anna said.
Throughout the spinal fusion, Shana and Gerard knew Anna was in good hands.
“As soon as we met Dr. Baldwin, we felt this immediate sense of assurance and confidence,” Shana said. “We knew she's the one to walk us through it.”
When hearing that she had held Anna’s hand until she fell asleep, Gerard admitted he choked up a little bit.
As a Marine, I’m trained to be mentally prepared to handle fear myself. But I don’t think I’d ever been prepared to handle that fear. That was one of the scariest times of my life.
From surgery to cartwheels
Anna’s surgery was a success — straightening her back and improving both her posture and mindset — with a recovery time that surprised her parents.
“Less than 24 hours after surgery, she’s already walking around,” Gerard said. “It was a blessing, and I was amazed.”
Now, Anna is back to doing what she loves most: dancing like everyone’s watching.
“Whenever I figured out that I was gonna be able to do cartwheels, the second I walked in the door from school, I set my backpack down, and I was cartwheeling down the hallway!”
Now that she’s feeling stronger again, she’s excited to do everything she wants to do.
“Texas Children’s turned my life around,” Anna said. “They just made everything so much brighter. And awesomer!”
A place of hope
For Anna and her family, Texas Children’s was more than just a hospital — it was a place of hope and transformation.
“To me, Texas Children’s ensured that my daughter could have the life that she wants, where she doesn’t have nearly the limitations that her dad thought she might have,” Garon said.
“There’s no better team to have on your side when navigating a tough situation like this with your kid,” Shana added.
Thank you, Texas Children’s!
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