Spina Bifida Patient Stories

Six years after prenatal repair of spina bifida, Will walks, runs and jumps, and continues to amaze his parents with all he can do.

When Alicia and Matthew learned their unborn baby had spina bifida, the prognosis was grim. But the team at CHOP offered them hope through fetal surgery. See how she's doing 3 years later.

A spina bifida diagnosis led Baylee and Louis to make the trip from their home in Florida to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for fetal surgery.

Elliana and her mom, Nicole, traveled from Michigan to Philadelphia to have fetal surgery for myelomeningocele, the most serious form of spina bifida.

After learning her unborn daughter, Avery, had spina bifida, Katie traveled from Maryland to have prenatal surgery at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

The Watkins family traveled from Florida to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia so that their unborn baby girl, Scout, could have fetal surgery for spina bifida.

Luelle underwent fetal surgery to treat myelomeningocele, the most severe form of spina bifida. Her journey was documented in the PBS series TWICE BORN.

After learning their unborn daughter had myelomeningocele, the most severe form of spina bifida, Miah’s parents turned to CHOP for care that would allow her to thrive.

Ciarlo was diagnosed before birth with spina bifida and had surgery at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia the day after he was born. Today, he’s followed by the Spina Bifida Program.

Emma’s family traveled from Toronto to Philadelphia to seek prenatal treatment for their unborn daughter, who was prenatally diagnosed with spina bifida.