ADVERTORIAL
MAKING BIG STRIDES Willow Tharp gains mobility, speed and a team of cheerleaders at Snell Prosthetics & Orthotics
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ou're 4 years old, the same age Willow Tharp is now. You like purple, unicorns and riding your tricycle. You're 4 years old, but you’re more familiar with an operating room than most adults will be in their lifetime. Terri Tharp is a mother who is too familiar with the long hours of waiting through her child’s nine operations. Those hours have shifted her priorities in a way nothing else could. Expectant parents know life will throw curveballs at their children. Life does it to everyone. But doctors diagnosed little Willow with a condition called spina bifida while she was still in utero. Terri, a physical therapist, realized their girl would need to be especially tough. Spina bifida occurs during a baby’s development when the spine and spinal cord don’t form properly. This diagnosis comes with a host of potential risk factors, and reaching new developmental milestones becomes a battle hard-fought by children with spina bifida. The Tharp family appreciates the teamwork that goes into turning Willow’s challenges into wins. LeeAnn has been on Willow’s team since
32 APRIL 2020 | SAVVYKIDSAR.COM
