Vim & Vigor - Summer 2020 - UVA - 2

Opening Thoughts

Standing Ready

TAKE COMFORT IN THE UVA MEDICAL EXPERTS
WHO ARE THERE WHEN YOU NEED THEM
As we were finishing this magazine, COVID-19
was just beginning to spread across the country.
The pandemic has been a reminder of the importance of health and community and having access to expert
care when you need it. We are honored to be here for you and
your family during this unprecedented time. For the latest on
our response to COVID-19, visit us at uvahealth.com.
Kelly Casey,
While this novel virus has taken center stage among our
regional editor
concerns, UVA Health stands ready for any health issue that
may arise. As a mother of two teenagers, I find it reassuring
that if anyone in my family ever faces a complex medical
issue, I can turn to my UVA Health colleagues. These medical experts stand ready
24/7 with a high level of training that can mean lifesaving and life-enhancing care.
Inside this issue, you'll meet parents who've experienced this expertise firsthand:
It was after midnight on March 17, 2019, when Chris and Brian Fear, of
Broadway, Virginia, got a call from the police: Their 19-year-old son, Alex, had
fallen from a second-story window, fracturing his skull on the concrete below.
His condition was so severe that paramedics quickly transferred Alex from a
nearby Harrisonburg hospital to the UVA Nerancy Neuroscience Intensive Care
Unit. "The percentage of people who make a full recovery from an injury like that
is small, probably 1 to 2 percent. Considerable deficits or death were real possibilities at that point," recalls UVA neurosurgeon Mark Shaffrey, MD. Over the next
critical weeks, Alex's parents would learn how fortunate they were to have a creative and skilled team caring for their son. (Don't miss their story on page 54.)
For the first years of her life, Alana Sanderson hit the expected developmental
milestones on time. But when she started walking at 18 months, her parents
noticed her feet turned inward. Over the next few years, they consulted several
doctors near their hometown of Christiansburg, Virginia. But Alana's condition
only got worse, and by age 6 she needed a walker or wheelchair to get around.
They finally found answers-and an effective treatment-once they were referred
to Amal Abu Libdeh, MD, a UVA pediatric neurologist who specializes in childhood movement disorders. Amazingly, Alana's parents plan to cheer for her from
the soccer field sidelines come fall. See how that's possible on page 6.
As a parent, I, too, will always have my share of joy and worry. But I'll also have
the reassurance of knowing that my UVA Health colleagues will always be there-
whether during a health crisis affecting one family or the entire world.
Yours in health,

Vim &

A FAMILY HEALTH MAGAZINE
FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
HEALTH SYSTEM
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a friend or access the magazine online, go to
uvahealth.com/vigor or call 888-882-9892.

INTERIM CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER,
UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA MEDICAL CENTER
Chris A. Ghaemmaghami, MD
MARKETING DIRECTOR
Susanna Brent
REGIONAL EDITOR
Kelly Casey
REGIONAL ART DIRECTOR
Diane Butler
PRODUCTION
EDITORIAL
ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Matt Morgan
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Meredith Heagney
COPY EDITORS: Jenna Murphy, Erin West
DESIGN
ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Tami Rodgers
CHIEF ART DIRECTOR: Andrea Heser
PRODUCTION
VP, PRINT PRODUCTION: Laura Marlowe
DIRECTOR, PREMEDIA: Mary Winters
CIRCULATION
DIRECTOR OF LOGISTICS: Kalifa Konate
CLIENT SERVICES
SVP, CLIENT SERVICES: Laura Yoars
GROUP OPERATIONS DIRECTOR: Amy Rachels
ADMINISTRATION
PRESIDENT: Eric Goodstadt
EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN: David Brown
SVP, CREATIVE - EDITORIAL: Vanessa Roberts
VP, CREATIVE - DESIGN: John Hobbs

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Vim & Vigor™, Summer 2020, Volume 36, Number 2, is published quarterly by MANIFEST LLC, 2425 E. Camelback Road,
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Kelly Casey
Regional Editor
SUMMER 2020 VIM & VIGOR

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Vim & Vigor - Summer 2020 - UVA

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