Brunswick student selected for Shriners research program in Philadelphia after previously receiving spinal care at hospital

BRUNSWICK — A Brunswick student who previously received treatment for scoliosis at Shriners Children's Philadelphia will be participating in the hospital's medical research program over the summer. Chloe Long is currently a junior at Brunswick High School. In middle school, she was diagnosed with idiopathic scoliosis. Her mom, Beth Long said they later found out about Shriners which treats kids with spinal cord issues along with other medical conditions. "They actually made a brace for Chloe because their goal is to prevent surgery," Beth Long said. "We tried bracing for about six months, and her curve continued to progress. It was aggressive." Chloe Long then underwent a procedure called Vertebral Body Tethering, which consists of putting screws and brackets into the spine's curve and using a tether, Beth Long said. Her spine went from a 48 degree curve to approximately 15 degrees. "You have to be at a certain stage in your life where you still have growth left," she said. "They take an X-ray of your hand to look at your joints, and they take an X-ray of your hip to make sure that the child still has growth left. They use that growth to straighten the spine because as the child grows, the tether straightens." Beth Long said the day before they left to go to Philadelphia, they received a denial letter from their insurance saying they would not cover the procedure. "It was scary because we knew she was going to be in the (Pediatric Intensive Care Unit), and she was going to have a chest tube," she said. "You want to get your child help, and you'll do whatever you can, but when you're dictated by insurance, it's awful. (Shriners) told us to still come, and her bills were probably upwards of $250,000. We never paid a dime for it." Chloe Long became a patient ambassador for Shriners after her treatment, which is how she found out about the Shriners Children's Philadelphia Medical Research Immersion program. To qualify, she had to submit an application detailing her academics, her motivation to participate, her career goals and a reference letter. "Looking back, I really realized the importance of health care and the need to keep innovating," Chloe Long said. "Shriners has given so much to me, and I want to give back to the community." This year's program will take place from June 23-27, and Chloe Long is one of 20 students participating. "The main goal of it is to help generate innovative research ideas," she said. "At the end of the program, I will be presenting and demonstrating an original research idea that will further the future of healthcare. I'll present it to a panel of clinical researchers, and they're going to see if they can use it in the pediatric healthcare spectrum." Chloe Long said she looks forward to seeing how different research ideas can meet a common goal in healthcare. "It feels really special to be able to give back to my community and help kids that are maybe going through the same situation as me," she said. Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.