Introducing 2021 Local Champion, Bailey Abbott!
UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital is excited to announce our CMN Hospitals 2021 Local Champion, Bailey Abbott!
Bailey Abbott was born in Central Florida with Turner syndrome, a rare chromosome disorder that occurs when a female child is missing an X chromosome. Turner syndrome occurs in 1 in every 2,000 live female births, but even more remarkably, only 2% of children conceived with Turner syndrome survive to birth. From the moment Bailey was born, she was already a true miracle!
Turner syndrome can cause conditions that include heart and kidney defects, hearing or eyesight problems, short stature, swollen hands and feet, scoliosis, learning disabilities and even infertility. When Bailey was just 2 weeks old, she received heart surgery to correct a birth defect on her aorta, a common problem for girls born with her condition.
Bailey visits the UF Health Turner Syndrome Clinic every several months, where she is seen by many specialists, including endocrinologists to monitor her growth, cardiologists for an electrocardiogram and other tests and psychologists for education consults and dentists as needed. Because girls with Turner syndrome often have problems with short stature, Bailey started daily injections of growth hormones when she was 2 and will continue to receive them until puberty. Bailey was also born with only one kidney, which is monitored closely by her nephrology team at UF Health.
When Bailey was born, her parents were stunned by the diagnosis, having never heard of Turner syndrome before, and could only find scant information on the internet. The family was referred to UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital because of the breadth of care available from the Turner syndrome specialists. Without the incredible care available at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital, Bailey’s family says they do not know where they would be today.
People quickly learn that Bailey is just an active 11 year old that is not defined by her diagnosis. She has a bright, bubbly personality that touches lives everywhere she goes. Bailey loves American Girl dolls, gymnastics and playing with her pets. Her family is forever grateful to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital for the incredible care Bailey has been able to receive, and we are so excited to spotlight them as our Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Local Champion for 2021!