Meet Michael

Before their son was born, Mike and Paty learned that there might be a problem with their baby. But they knew no more than that.

Their son, Michael was born with fused fingers and toes and a high, peaked head. “Despite 30 years in practice, our local family doctor had never seen anyone with Michael’s condition before,” Mike says. “I remember watching him go through a big medical book to identify Michael’s condition. Then we came across Apert syndrome.”

Apert syndrome is a rare genetic disorder characterized by malformations of the head, face, hands and feet. The joints between certain bones in the skull close prematurely, causing the head to appear pointed.

Michael was immediately referred to a team of specialists at Gillette including craniofacial surgeon Robert Wood, M.D., orthopaedic surgeon Ann Van Heest, M.D., who has performed surgeries to separate Michael’s fingers, and neurosurgeon Joseph Petronio, M.D.

“Our goal was to give Michael fingers in time for his first birthday,” Mike says. “We wanted him to be able to eat his own birthday cake, and we achieved that. By his second birthday, we wanted to see him walk. Now, as a three-year-old, he is not only walking, but also running and dancing as well. Even though Michael is likely to have many more surgeries in the years to come, he remains a happy and healthy little boy.”

At Gillette, children with complex conditions can receive care from multiple specialists under one roof.