Our journey with The Paley Institute began almost 10 years ago when we sought a second opinion with Dr. Paley regarding the management of Maddie’s Perthes disease at 4 1/2 years old. Maddie was a young 19 months when her left femur head lost blood supply. We never imagined her disease process would be so complex. Dr. Paley worked tirelessly to salvage her hip but despite two hip distraction and external fixator procedures, femoral head reshaping, and a procedure to slow the growth in her other leg to correct length discrepancy, her hip continued to deteriorate over time.
Maddie underwent a total left hip replacement at 13 years old in November 2018 performed by Dr. Minas. For the first time since Maddie was very young, she has excellent mobility, does not limp, and is pain-free. Six months post-op she is back to pursuing her equestrian dreams and is a happy, confident teenager. The journey was discouraging at times, but our faith never wavered as we knew God had led us to the Institute for a reason. We will be forever grateful to Dr. Paley, Dr. Minas, and the entire Paley Institute team for their compassion, unmatched collaborative multidisciplinary and expert innovative care, and tireless efforts to ensure each patient has an optimal outcome. The journey was discouraging at times, but our faith never wavered as we knew God had led us to the Institute for a reason.
Bartek
Bartek’s journey is a remarkable testament to what can be achieved with innovative limb-reconstruction strategies. Born with a rare congenital condition affecting his legs, Bartek was initially advised that amputation and prosthetics were his only options in his home country. Instead, his family sought care at the Paley Institute, where advanced corrective surgeries, including realignment of his knees and feet
