“Riley Hospital holds a very special place in our hearts”

By Maureen Gilmer, Riley Children’s Health senior writer, mgilmer1@iuhealth.org

Brittany McCormick laughs when she talks about the energy of her 5-year-old daughter, Clarke.

“This kid has one speed – running. She never stops moving,” the young mom said by phone from her Evansville home. “She is on a competitive dance team, she likes to do acro-ninja, swim, ride bikes, and she loves animals.”

All of that might have been in doubt when Clarke was born in Evansville in 2019, diagnosed with a severe cranial defect (metopic craniosynostosis) and heart issues. On top of that, she had difficulty feeding and couldn’t gain weight.

“I immediately knew something was wrong when she was born,” said Brittany, who, along with her husband, Lucas, advocated for their daughter to be transferred to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis.

There is a reason they wanted Clarke to go to Riley. Both parents were Riley kids themselves, and in fact, their love story took hold at Riley 15 years ago.

At that time, the two were in high school, and Lucas was being treated for severe kidney disease at Riley. He underwent two kidney transplants at Riley, one in 1997 and another in 2013. Long before that, Brittany was treated at Riley as a baby when she had a staph blood infection and digestive issues.

“We owe a lot to your hospital,” she said. “When Lucas ended up getting really sick, I asked my mom to take me up there every single weekend until he came home. She said she got to see us fall in love.”

Brittany remembers how the two explored the hospital hallways, tossed coins in the fountain and frequented the Riley library during Lucas’ lengthy stays.

“We owe our whole lives to this hospital.”

So, it made sense that they sought the comfort and expertise of Riley when their newborn daughter needed care.

Before she turned 1, Clarke underwent cranial vault reconstructive surgery by Riley neurosurgeon Dr. Laurie Ackerman. Cranial vault surgery reshapes the bones of the skull to correct an abnormal shape or size.

Brittany recalled the surgery being more traumatic for her as a mom than for her daughter.

But it went well, as did follow-up visits with cardiology, plastic surgery and ophthalmology.

Last month, Clarke returned to Riley with her mom to follow up with Dr. Ackerman, and the surgeon took a moment to pose for a photo with her young patient.

When Brittany thinks back to the early days when she first met Dr. Ackerman after Clarke was born, she says she was an “emotional mess.”

“My husband was having open-heart surgery, and I had severe postpartum anxiety. I didn’t want anyone to touch my baby.”

Dr. Ackerman, though, had an “amazing bedside manner,” she recalled. “She took great care with my baby.”

She extends the same gratitude to the nursing staff and the other physicians involved with her care.

“They have always been so supportive. Anytime we had concerns, I could call with questions, and they would put to rest any fears.”

As their daughter has healed, so has Lucas, who underwent his third kidney transplant last summer. Brittany captured a photo of her husband walking hand-in-hand with Clarke after his surgery.

“His hands were always horrifically cold from poor circulation,” Brittany explained. “The first thing Clarke said when she took his hand was, ‘Daddy, your hand is warm!’”

With their little girl excited to start kindergarten in the fall, the couple wanted to share their gratitude in a more public way, reaching out to Riley’s social media team.

“You would never guess she had surgery on her skull,” Brittany said of their daughter. “Nobody would believe there was something wrong with this kid for the first two years of her life. The transformation is like night and day,” she said.

“Riley Hospital holds a very special and cherished place in our hearts.”