Leah's Thankfulness Tree: for those who give a more positive outlook to overcome scoliosis....

It was a beautiful sunny fall afternoon in our Hey Clinic Great Room today when I bumped into Andrea, one of my scoliosis moms.  She had to show me something her daughter Leah made this week in school for Thanksgiving.  She showed me the "Tbankfulness Tree" Leah made, and a long list of things she is thankful for.  Take a look -- I'm the brown leaf toward the middle of the tree!  How cool!  I asked if it would be OK to share these thankgivings with all of you, and Andrea replied:

"Absolutely you can share it! Leah thinks the world of you and your talks with her have helped her immensely! Thank you for educating us and for your wonderful encouragement! We will see you on December 5th!  Happy Thanksgiving "

Andrea pointed out that "Dr. Hey" actually made it onto the Thankfulness Tree, and in her list of thanksgivings explained why:




"... because he has helped me to have a more positive outlook on my scoliosis and to not give up on my ability to overcome scoliosis."

Leah also shared that she was thankful for scoliosis:
"because though it has hindered me greatly, it has taught me a dedication to physical therapy and helps me appreciate things I wouldn't normally appreciate." 

Wow.  I can look back to my own teenage experiences as a patient and say "Amen", although it took me longer to figure that out than Leah!

Having a thankful spirit has been shown to be the key to resilience, which is why Remembering "Three Good Things" every day is one of the best suggested cures for burnout.  There are definitely things that my physician assistants, physical therapists, orthotists, MA's and other staff do to really help patients and families through this difficult journey, and actually grow and thrive.  There is much more going on here than a cobb angle or trunk shift changing -- there is a little precious person becoming a big person, with a growing foundation of compassion, strength and hope and confidence!

Strong work Leah for facing your scoliosis with courage, and thriving through it!  I am thankful for you and your family, and the many other patients and families who bring life and light to our lives at Hey Clinic every day.

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Care.
--- Lloyd A. Hey, MD MS

Precious Layla's twelve year scoliosis and life journey from AIS surgery... to Physician Assistant Student ... and beautiful bride!

Last Friday, I had an incredible reunion with one of my former scoliosis patients - Layla - who is now a physician assistant student at Campbell!  I went there last Friday to do a lecture on the importance of compassion as the driving force for resilience through medical training and years of care for others, and also how compassion is the driving force for quality and safety and lean improvement.  Several of my medical student mentorees from this past summer's Better Samaritan Institute summer program were there as well as I shared personal stories from my own journey from being a patient, to becoming a surgeon and an influencer for driving change to improve safety, and effectiveness of care.  I also got a chance to help them launch our first CareGuard.org "Outpost" at Campbell, which med student Gabriel is leading.

Below is a quick summary of Layla's history that she emailed me after we met up again.... what a great joy to hear about her recent wedding, and how our paths got to cross again.  So proud of you Layla!!  Hope to see you again for a lecture gathering again soon.... Dr. Lloyd Hey - Hey Clinic for Scoliosis and Spine Care

LAYLA'S JOURNEY:  

You performed by scoliosis fusion on Monday, December 17, 2007.  I remember being so brave for my parents and siblings, but I began to cry when they wheeled me back to the OR. You and Jacklyn, one of your PAs at the time, bent down next to me and prayed with me before the procedure.  It is something I will never forget.

It was my sophomore year (2013) at NCSU when I started shadowing in your clinic and in the OR, and serving as a surgery mentor for adolescent patients needing instrumentation.

My junior year (2014) was when I completed my undergraduate research project with you. It was studying 1000 cases of idiopathic scoliosis in 4 distinct age groups, comparing the patients that needed instrumentation, and comparing their pre-op X-rays and their 6-week post-op X-rays.  We determined what age group exhibited the best curvature corrections and concluded that it is best to receive surgery at a younger age for better/optimal surgical results.

In 2017, I reached out and you submitted a letter of recommendation for my first year applying to PA programs.

In 2018 I was accepted to Campbell and committed to start with the 2019 school year.

Our paths crossed again this past Friday, and I have to say it was a breath of fresh air. 

Your outlook on medicine and patient care inspired all of my classmates.  We will be spreading the news about CareGuard and the shadowing/internship opportunities you offer.  

Thank you for helping in shaping me into the woman, person, and provider I am today.  Thank you for the reminder to continue to love all of God's children unconditionally and show them compassion.

With love and admiration,

-Layla