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A Busy Life, Uninterrupted

Aubrey Parks was born with spina bifida, which caused a curvature in her spine (scoliosis). Aubrey, who uses a wheelchair to get around, is a feisty eight-year old who loves pink, her wheelchair basketball team, and her pet guinea pig, Megatron. She leads a busy life, and her family didn’t want her to be slowed down by the many invasive surgeries that are frequently required in scoliosis cases.

Aubrey came to Duke Children’s, where physicians implanted in her back a MAGEC (MAGnetic Expansion Control) rod that can be lengthened to accommodate growth by remote control, without surgery. Aubrey comes to Duke Children’s every three months for a quick, painless, 15-minute lengthening appointment. Then, she sneaks back to school, her friends, and her busy life, avoiding the many complications of surgery and the interruptions of long hospital stays.

Aubrey is only one of countless patients who have received cutting-edge treatment and world-class care thanks to the physicians and staff of Duke Children’s, all made possible, in part,through the generosity of many supporters and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals partners.