AKRON, Ohio — For many of us, growth spurts are simply part of growing up.
But for one local teen, that spurt nearly kept him from walking.
Logan Elliott, 16, suffers from a spinal condition called kyphosis. Two years ago, puberty caused his back to curve at a sharp angle.
“One of the vertebrae broke in half and it was pinching my spinal cord,” he said. “Feel like someone was hitting me with a baseball bat.”
Dr. Todd Ritzman of Akron Children’s Hospital believed that pain would only lead to more problems, including possible paralysis.
“He may have neurologic problems, he may have weakness or numbness and bowel or bladder problems, incontinence,” Dr. Ritzman said. “We did not want to take that gamble.”
Ritzman operated, using state-of-the-art 3-D technology to remove deformed vertebrae and then fuse Logan’s spine.
The next day, Logan was back on his feet and walking.
“I noticed it the day I woke up and got to stand up I knew I was taller,” he said.
Today the sophomore at Jackson High School is three inches taller. He continues to move, marching in the band and playing the trombone.
He is a fan of Seattle Seahawk Shaquem Griffin, who has amniotic banding syndrome, which he also suffers from.
Together they serve as examples of how you can overcome challenges. On Wednesday, Logan returned to the hospital to thank the team who helped fix his spine.
“It doesn’t hold me back all,” he said, adding he has since been able to travel and even ride roller coasters.