Diagnosing velopharyngeal dysfunction (VPD) takes careful listening, testing, data collection and detective work. VPD is an umbrella term that describes multiple disorders that cause leakage of air into the nasal passages during speech production. Gillette Children's speech-language pathologist, Graham Schenck, PhD, has special training in VPD and is an expert in its detection.

In all the ways that matter, Peter is your typical 8-year-old. He’s a protective older brother to his younger sister Katie, loves cars, sports and Star Wars. He’s easy to smile, quick to laugh and brings joy to all who meet him. When you’re in Peter’s presence, the fact that he has cerebral palsy and can’t speak, quickly becomes an afterthought.

Mpls. St. Paul Magazine recently released its “Top Doctors list,” which includes the names of 24 physicians from Gillette Children's. The magazine determines award recipients based on a survey sent to physicians each year, asking them to nominate one or more doctors (excluding themselves) whom they would visit if they or a loved one needed medical care.

When virtual appointments were first proposed, we were appreciative but admittedly skeptical about how that would work. But having recently made the shift over to virtual appointments, we’ve been pleasantly surprised by how seamless the transition was. Naturally, there were some growing pains in the beginning, but there were many benefits that emerged over time.

Joe Carr is a socially connected doer and thinker so a worldwide COVID-19 pandemic was not about to stop him from launching his 5th annual Lemonade Stand Fundraiser for Gillette Children's. In fact, Joe and his team say in a strange twist COVID-19 might make this year of fund raising even more successful.

Matthew suffered a traumatic brain injury 15 years ago. After the treatment at Gillette that saved his life, he’s had a singular goal: To live every day, better and stronger. As he says, “It’s not about what I lost, it’s about what I’m getting back.”

Gillette Children's is essential to those we serve and we’re ready to help while taking precautions to make sure you, your child and our staff are as safe as possible. Timely and safe medical care is crucial for patients with rare, complex and traumatic conditions.