A 7-year-old Broward girl received a wonderful Christmas gift, amidst adversity. Veronica Avila of Coconut Creek has osteosarcoma, the most common cancerous bone tumor found in children. Her surgeons including Dr. Sheila Conway, recognized that removal of the cancerous tissue would result in disruption of her leg’s growth plate. This means Veronica would have required multiple surgeries to lengthen the affected limb over the course of her growing years. But thanks to generous donations to the Miami Children’s Hospital Foundation that support emerging technology, Veronica will be spared the additional surgeries. She is the recipient of a device newly available in South Florida – the Stanmore JTS non-invasive extendible implant that is implanted surgically and will enable her leg to grow over the years with periodic noninvasive adjustments, involving an external magnet.
When asked what she wanted for Christmas, Veronica responded “to be cured.”
About Miami Children’s Hospital
Founded in 1950 by Variety Clubs International, Miami Children's Hospital® is South Florida’s only licensed specialty hospital exclusively for children, with more than 650 attending physicians and over 130 pediatric sub-specialists. The 289-bed hospital is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine with several specialty programs ranked among the best in the nation in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 by U.S. News & World Report. The hospital is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States and has been designated an American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession’s most prestigious institutional honor.
About Stanmore Implants
Stanmore Implants can trace its roots back 68 years to its foundation within The Institute of Orthopedics at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore just north of London, England. To this day, Stanmore Implants continues to endeavour its pioneering work in the field of orthopaedics by delivering innovative solutions to orthopedic surgeons worldwide. For more information on Stanmore Implants, please visit the company's website, www.stanmoreimplants.com. For additional information about the JTS non-invasive extendible implant, visit: www.implantsforchildren.com. or contact Stanmore Implants directly at the web address above.
About Nicklaus Children's Hospital, Where Your Child Matters Most ™ (2025)
Nicklaus Children's Hospital is South Florida's #1 nonprofit, freestanding specialty licensed hospital exclusively for children. With more than 850 physicians, including over 500 pediatric subspecialists, the hospital and its network of outpatient centers and offices serve close to 70 percent of children in the Miami market. The only "where your child matters most™,” Nicklaus Children's is home to the region's most advanced Kenneth C. Griffin Surgical Tower, and its centers of excellence Helen & Jacob Shaham Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute, the Nicklaus Children’s Orthopedics, Sports Health and Spine Institute, Nicklaus Children’s Brain Institute and Nicklaus Children’s Heart Institute. The Nicklaus Children's Hospital's Transfer Center, Nick4Kids, and LifeFlight are responsible for transporting and saving close to 5,000 lives a year. Our 325-bed hospital, which is renowned for excellence in all aspects of pediatric medicine, has many specialty programs routinely ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report since 2008. Nicklaus Children's is also home to the largest pediatric teaching program in the southeastern United States and since 2003 has been designated an American Nursing Credentialing Center (ANCC) Magnet facility, the nursing profession's most prestigious institutional honor. For more information, please visit www.nicklauschildrens.org.