Children's Center

1. 

   New elbow surgery technique developed at Mayo Clinic helps wrestler get back on the mat

   Photo courtesy of David Peterson of Minnesota/USA Wrestling Tommy John surgery is not just for baseball pitchers. Ask Kylie Donat of Bemidji, Minnesota. Kylie is an 18-year-old high school swimmer, track and field athlete, and wrestler. She has been wrestling since 2021, the first year that girls' wrestling was a sanctioned high school sport in Minnesota. By 2023, Kylie was favored to win her weight class at the state championship. Photo courtesy of David Peterson…

2. 

   Unforeseen danger of a child's fall: Livia's remarkable recovery

   Livia Mayberry and her sister were playing basketball with their dad at a neighbor's house in August 2022 when then-4-year-old Livia took a hard fall and hit her head on the pavement. Her family wasn't too concerned because she seemed OK. She was talking, didn't lose consciousness and didn't have a bump. However, a short time later, she threw up. Quick medical attention Her parents decided to get her checked at the Emergency Department at Mayo…

3. 

   A graduation party reunion 15 years in the making

   When Cadence Rohrbaugh sent out invitations to her high school graduation party earlier this year, she tucked personal notes into a few special envelopes. "Dear Dr. Wirrell," Cadence wrote in one. "Thank you so much for helping me and my family through one of the most difficult times ever. Without your care, I would not be alive, healthy and graduating with honors." Fifteen years earlier, Elaine Wirrell, M.D., had been part of a team that cared…

4. 

   Unexpected vacation ending leads to rare tumor discovery

   Kelly and Jered Iverson of Grand Meadow, Minnesota, had planned a perfect Hawaiian vacation for themselves and their daughters, Isabelle (Izzy) and Emmy. In March, they enjoyed seven days on Maui, where they went whale watching, attended a luau, toured the Road to Hana and spent hours on the beach. "Izzy is a great traveler," says Jered of his 11-year-old daughter, who was born with a developmental delay. "She likes to see all the sights…

5. 

   A newborn's twist leads to emergency surgery

   Caring for a newborn is full of twists and turns. Feelings of joy and contentment one moment can turn to fear and worry the next. That's how Nicole and Corbin Burkard of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, felt after their third daughter, Ellie, was born in February. "She was just perfect and looked like her older sister," says Nicole. "She just fit right in." The new family of five was settling into a routine at home when Nicole…