Shaping Lives Through Everyday Victories
By Samer Elbabaa, MD, Board-Certified Neurosurgeon at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children
When we think of life-shaping experiences, we often recall childhood. We remember our first bicycle ride without training wheels, discovering our favorite foods or that first A on a school assignment — the everyday victories that helped shape our lives. For children and families who face neurologic conditions such as brain, spine and nerve injuries or disorders, life-shaping experiences take on different meanings where every word, step or smile can represent victories. Advances in pediatric neuroscience make these victories possible for children, even those who have not yet been born.
Often, when people talk about neuroscience, they think of surgery. But neuroscience is a broad field of medical specialties that studies, treats and supports many pediatric neurological conditions. Conditions include traumatic brain, spine and nerve injuries; diseases and disorders such as tumors, hydrocephalus (excessive accumulation of fluid in the brain) and epilepsy; and congenital issues like spina bifida. When children need treatment for these conditions, advanced neuroscience provides a spectrum of medical and surgical treatment, and ongoing physical, emotional and psychiatric support during recovery.
At Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, it’s part of our mission to make every possible neuroscience benefit accessible to Central Florida children and their families. We’re placing the advances of neuroscience close to home by assembling a world-class, collaborative team that specializes in pediatric neurology; neurosurgery, with a focus on minimally invasive surgeries for tumors and hydrocephalus; neuropsychology; neuro-oncology, with an expanded brain tumor program; neuro-radiology; physical medicine and rehabilitation — all under one roof.
By offering these neuroscience services in one place, we can improve outcomes by making the treatment, therapy and recovery processes a little easier for our pediatric patients and their families. Each improved patient outcome — whether it’s recovery from a tumor, management of epilepsy symptoms or spina bifida repair before birth — may bring another life-shaping experience. Another word, step or smile. An everyday victory made possible by neuroscience.
To learn more about our pediatric neuroscience services, visit Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children's site, here.
