After neurosurgery, Lauren came back faster

As a little girl, Lauren started training to fulfill her dream of becoming an Olympic figure skater. One morning, those hopes and dreams crashed when a brain hemorrhage threatened the 11-year-old’s life.

The medical team placed Lauren on a ventilator and immediately transferred her to Yale New Haven Children's Hospital (YNHCH). There, physicians inserted a drain to relieve pressure in Lauren’s brain and put her in a medically induced coma. 

Michael DiLuna, MD, chief of pediatric neurosurgery at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, led the team that stopped the bleeding and determined the cause. “We use a team approach to treat every patient,” explained Dr. DiLuna. “In a case like Lauren’s, where so many disciplines are involved, it is more important than ever to coordinate care as a team, with the patient – in this case the parents – at the core of that team.”

Over the next few weeks, Lauren worked with nurses, therapists and Child Life specialists to learn how to walk and talk again. She spent the rest of the summer regaining her strength and coordination.

Miraculously, she was able to ice skate again – just three months later. Over the following year, she began to compete, winning state and regional competitions. Officials named her as the 2016 Nutmeg State Games Female Athlete of the Year.

“We can’t say enough about the medical staff and caregivers at YNHCH. They truly have a calling,” said Michele. “The skilled physicians who did all they could to give Lauren the chance for a full recovery, the kind nurses who went above and beyond at every turn, the talented therapists and Child Life specialists who worked with Lauren to regain her strength – we are forever grateful to them all for giving Lauren the opportunity to pursue her dreams, wherever her path may lead."