Zechia’s Story: Ready to Dance Again

Zechia Mickler has a smile that can light up a room, but severe leg pain sidelined the dancing and music-loving 11-year-old. Her parents remembered the advanced care she received as a toddler at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital in Valhalla, NY, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network (WMCHealth). At age 1, doctors surgically repaired a life-threatening diaphragmatic hernia that moved her lower abdominal organs into her chest. A decade later, her parents knew WMCHealth could help, again.

They left their Beacon, NY home to drive to the closest emergency room — Maria Fareri Children’s Healthcare Services at MidHudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie, NY. Zechia was admitted, then evaluated by a pediatric orthopedist who diagnosed her with slipped capital femoral epiphysisa (SCFE). The painful hip disorder occurs when the ball at the head of the femur slips off. Emergency surgery was recommended and Zechia transferred seamlessly to Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital. A pediatric orthopedic surgeon used screws to fix the SCFE on the problematic hip and did the same, as a preventative measure, to the other hip.

Thanks to the continuity of care at WMCHealth, Zechia left the hospital pain-free, sporting her megawatt smile and ready to dance, again.

“Maria Fareri Children’s Healthcare Services at MidHudson Regional Hospital is a big deal! It’s great to know that you don’t have to go far if your child has an emergency and that WMCHealth is always there to help. They treat all the kids like their own. Please donate to help keep this service in the community for future generations,’’ said Zechia’s mother Donnalee Mickler.

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