At just 3 months old, Joanna’s life was uncertain before coming to UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital.
“There was no end in sight for the nightmare that had become our lives,” said Joanna’s mother, Britney. “We weren’t getting any answers for what was happening to our baby.”
Joanna had been admitted to her local hospital six times before her rapidly deteriorating condition prompted a four-hour-plus trip in search of answers. That journey finally led her to UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital, where her baby was diagnosed with Dravet syndrome, a rare and severe form of drug‑resistant epilepsy that begins in infancy and can cause developmental delays.
She was moved through the pediatric intensive care unit, the pediatric floor and the epilepsy monitoring unit, where UF Health pediatric neurologist Dr. Steven Parrish Winesett helped change her quality of life forever.
“We didn’t expect her to live past a year,” Britney said. “Now she’s 3 ½ and thriving.”
Thanks to UF Health pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Jason Blatt, Joanna received a vagus nerve stimulation implant. The device, placed in her chest, delivers mild electrical pulses to the brain, reducing seizure frequency and severity.
While Britney has come to terms with knowing her daughter will always need care for her seizures, she’s grateful for the care and compassion Joanna received at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital.
“Everyone has provided such amazing care for Joanna and has always been honest and direct about her care,” she said. “Without them, I don’t think we would be where we are.”
Joanna also receives Precision Ketogenic Therapy, a dietary therapy which helps counteract her drug‑resistant epilepsy and reduce seizures.
With the aid of UF telehealth, Britney can schedule quarterly neurology visits from home, saving on expensive trips to the hospital.
Today, Joanna lives a normal life and has developed a love for all circular things. She enjoys playing with bumpy, textured balls that light up, watching “Trolls” movies, and has begun crawling and exploring as far as she can.
She has also benefited from UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine and Streetlight, and receives small notes of encouragement and distraction items from Child Life during her visits.
Thanks to funding from Children’s Miracle Network partners, programs and donors, UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital can give Joanna and her family something they once feared was slipping away: hope for the future.
“At a time of so much uncertainty, it only takes one person to provide comfort,” Britney said. “UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital was able to give that to us.”