Kid Captain undergoes multiple procedures at Stead Family Children’s Hospital

Roger and Ashley Gaul were planning an afternoon of fun following a doctor's appointment and ultrasound. But their joy quickly turned to heartache: Prenatal tests indicated their baby, Eliana, would be born with spina bifida, a condition in which the spinal column and membranes around the spinal cord don't close completely during the first month of pregnancy.

"We went in for a typical 20-week ultrasound and we had a gender reveal party scheduled for right after that," Roger says, noting their future plans changed when they were told the prenatal test showed multiple abnormalities.

"They give you this worst-case scenario," he says. "We were so looking forward to being parents, and now it looked like we were going to lose our child. Our world just got shaken."

Roger and Ashley were referred to University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children's Hospital, where they say Andrea Reasoner, MD, a pediatrician at the Center for Disabilities and Development, gave them hope for Eliana's future.

"Your child is going to be happy," Reasoner told them. "Your child is going to live a good life."

"I owe her everything," Roger says. "It was like a whole bunch of weight was lifted off our shoulders. She was sent straight from heaven."

When their daughter was 16 weeks old, the couple brought Eliana home to Iowa, transferring her care to Stead Family Children's Hospital.

Just six days after arriving, Eliana underwent laser eye surgery to treat her retinopathy of prematurity, a disease in which the retinal blood vessels of a premature infant do not develop normally. Left untreated, severe cases can cause permanent vision loss or blindness.

"We knew the care down here would be second to none," Roger says. "I fully credit the team for saving Eliana from going blind."

Eliana spent one month in the hospital before going home on oxygen. In the years that followed, she underwent casting to correct clubfeet, had kidney stones removed, and received a shunt to relieve fluid buildup in her brain.

Eliana was later diagnosed with epilepsy and underwent tests and medication changes before having a brain stimulator placed to help control drug-resistant seizures. Last year she underwent surgery to correct hip dysplasia, in which the hip joint bones do not fit together correctly. She wore a cast around her waist and one leg for six weeks, with the surgery considered a success.

This summer, she underwent spinal fusion surgery to treat scoliosis - an abnormal curvature of the spine. She is recovering well, Roger says, citing Eliana's strength and resilience.

Now 10, the Peosta girl is a fourth grader who loves school and all animals. She enjoys piggyback rides, giving hugs, and making new friends.

Each football season, we welcome 12 unforgettable patients into our Kid Captain Hall of Fame. Explore our four most recent stories.