Hometown: Columbus, OH
Age on Race Day: 13
Diagnosis: Animal Attack Injuries
While playing at a friend’s house, Avery was attacked by two dogs. She was rushed to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, where she underwent a nine-hour surgery.
After her initial surgery, Avery was placed into a medically induced coma and intubated to help her body heal. The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) became her family’s temporary home, and Drew, Avery’s mother, was included in her care at every step. The care team invited her to their morning meetings, and when Avery moved to another unit, the nurses taught Drew all the skills she needed to be her daughter’s full-time caregiver.
During her month-long inpatient stay, Avery had two more surgeries and began physical, occupational, speech and music therapies. She had to relearn how to walk and feed herself. She also had to begin healing from the trauma of the event, with the support of Child Life specialists and psychologists who helped her understand what had happened and put it into words.
Since being discharged, Avery has had several more surgeries and has continued her therapy.
When Avery isn’t busy playing basketball, and learning to write code, she is advocating for other dog bite victims and is fighting for “Avery’s Law,” a bipartisan Ohio bill that would impose stronger penalties for the owners of dangerous dogs.
“None of this would have been possible without the extraordinary team at Nationwide Children’s Hospital,” Drew says. “Their skill saved her life, but their heart gave us the hope to rebuild it.”
