Nuss Center patient "felt like family" at CHKD
Rebekah Schrader was just 8 years old when her mom first noticed a dip in her chest. It never caused any issues until many years later. At 18, Rebekah began having chest pain and trouble breathing. Concerned it may be due to the dip in her chest, Rebekah’s mom Jessica brought her to a local urgent care center.
A visit with her primary care doctor later revealed Rebekah had a serious case of pectus excavatum, sometimes called “sunken chest,” that was causing her symptoms. Pectus excavatum is a depression in the chest wall that can squeeze and overcrowd the heart and lungs. Without surgery, her condition would worsen, further affecting her ability to breathe and participate in daily activities like exercise.
After several diagnostic tests, Rebekah was referred to CHKD’s Nuss Center, the nation’s leading center for the treatment and study of chest wall deformities.
“It became quite scary for me,” Rebekah says. “I had never broken a bone, sprained anything, or had any kind of interaction with hospitals, and so many different doctor visits and tests.”
All her fears eased after she and her parents first met with Dr. Franklin Margaron, a pediatric surgeon with the Nuss Center at CHKD.
“He went into great detail and made sure that all of our questions and concerns were addressed and answered before we left that day,” Rebekah says. “He also spoke of his family and children and told us about what he would do if it was one of his children having the surgery. That made my parents and me very comfortable because he was not only speaking from the perspective and experience of a surgeon, but as a parent himself.”
"Dr. Margaron is the most caring, kind, compassionate doctor that I have ever met. He is very, very thorough with explaining things and spends as much time as families need to make sure all of their questions and concerns are answered," continued Jessica, Rebekah's mom.
To correct Rebekah’s acute pectus excavatum, Dr. Margaron placed two titanium bars in her chest, creating space for her lungs and heart, immediately relieving the pressure she had been experiencing.
“The surgery staff kept my parents well-informed with what was happening from the time I was taken back to be prepped for surgery until the time my parents could come back into the recovery room with me, which was a great comfort for them,” Rebekah says.
During her short stay at the hospital, Rebekah’s nurses lifted her spirits every day with their jokes and conversations about animals and pets.
“I can't thank them enough for their genuine kindness,” Rebekah says. “I wish that I could have thanked them all and given them a hug. We really felt like family.”
Rebekah’s bars will be removed in three years, when she turns 21. Until then, the Gloucester teen will meet with the Nuss care team for regular follow-ups. She says she’s never felt better and is back to enjoying her passion for painting, which she now uses to raise awareness about her condition.
“I feel great,” Rebekah says. “I feel more confident in my body and about myself in general because of this experience. The Nuss Center and staff at CHKD will always have a special place in my heart.”
