Having any kind of surgery can be nerve-wracking, and former CHOC patient Avery knows the feeling well.
19-year-old Avery received pectus excavatum (“sunken chest”) surgery at CHOC when she was 15.
Today, she’s a healthy, active college student who participates in virtual CHOC Hospital tours and connects with other pectus excavatum (PE) patients from her dorm room in Seattle, Washington.
Avery is a teen mentor participating in CHOC’s P.S. You’re Not Alone Mentorship Program, a program designed to support the mental and emotional health of patients undergoing pectus excavatum and scoliosis surgeries at CHOC.
The mentorship program represents a fruitful collaboration between CHOC’s surgery, orthopaedic, Child Life and nursing teams.
As part of the program, a formally-trained tmentor who has also experienced PE surgery is paired with a patient to attend a pre-operative tour of CHOC Hospital in Orange, answer questions, offer encouragement and provide tips.
In honor of March’s Child Life Month, Avery shares how this program helped her through her surgery at CHOC and inspired her to help others — both personally and professionally.
Avery’s experience with pectus excavatum, or “sunken chest” syndrome
Avery has always had a slight indentation in her chest, but she assumed it was just a unique part of her.
An avid swimmer, Avery was first diagnosed with pectus excavatum after having to take frequent breaks to catch her breath during practice.
She and her parents sought care from several healthcare institutions and were told she’d need to undergo painful surgery, spend two to four weeks at the hospital and months of recovering at home. Avery was overwhelmed; she feared she’d never be able to swim competitively again.
Avery’s parents took her to CHOC to meet with Dr. Troy Reyna, pediatric general and thoracic surgeon.
“After talking with Dr. Reyna for five minutes, I immediately felt at ease,” says Avery. “He always made sure that we left his office without any fears or worries by addressing any questions and concerns that my family had.”
Dr. Reyna discussed the Nuss Procedure with Avery and her parents, a minimally invasive surgery option for pectus excavatum that enables patients to return home and get back to their daily activities sooner than ever before.
Avery was scheduled to for the Nuss Procedure just a few months later. She’d receive the surgery in the morning and stay for one night at CHOC Hospital for optional monitoring.
Because this was her first-ever surgery, Avery was anxious about the process and recovery was going to look like for her.
That’s when her P.S. You’re Not Alone mentor stepped in.
Mentor offers support and tips for pectus excavatum surgery recovery
“I learned so much from my mentor, as well as Amanda Sanchez, Child Life specialist. They took us through the hospital and mimicked what my actual surgery day was going to look like,” says Avery. “I learned so many tips and tricks that helped me during my time at CHOC, as well as at home.”
“My mentor even told me to bring a pillow to protect my chest from my seat belt on the car ride home and some fuzzy socks to keep my feet warm at the hospital,” she says.
Because of the support that Avery received from her CHOC Child Life and surgical care teams, she describes her CHOC experience as the best she could have in a hospital setting.
A few months after her surgery, Amanda asked Avery if she was interested in becoming a mentor herself. She responded with a resounding, “Yes!”
Inspired to help others with pectus excavatum
Now, even while living out of state, Avery mentors patients virtually.
She joins Shaylin Schultz, child life specialist, on virtual hospital tours and sends encouraging messages before and after her mentee’s surgeries. Avery even created her own pectus surgery “cheat sheet” with tips and tricks to share with her mentees – including the tips she received from her mentor about bringing a pillow and fuzzy socks to the hospital.
“My favorite part about being a mentor is making new friends and being able to make a future surgical patient’s surgery as smooth as possible,” says Avery. “One mentor sharing advice to the next is like a domino effect, and I find an immense amount of gratification in knowing that through every tour, I am setting up another domino who may use their experience to help someone else.”
To other patients going through PE surgery, Avery says that while the surgery can feel daunting, they have a whole team at CHOC that has their back.
“I like telling patients that no matter how lonely or scared they are feeling, they are not going to be alone throughout this process,” says Avery. “You got this! Plus, with a titanium bar in your chest, you basically become Iron Man.”
Avery’s CHOC surgery experience even played a role in inspiring her future career. Avery is studying public health and intends to become a physician’s assistant.
“A spark has been set off within me as I now constantly seek ways to help others through hardship,” she says.
Because of CHOC’s compassionate care, Avery not only has a positive CHOC surgery experience to remember, but she also has new friends and a new passion for helping others.
Learn more about CHOC’s pediatric surgery services
At CHOC, we have specialized in pediatric surgery since we welcomed our first patients in 1964. Our nationally recognized surgeons perform the latest procedures, using equipment that is customized to pediatric patients all the way from newborns to young adults.
