Wyatt's Story

Wyatt
Age 4
Spina Bifida

Gundersen Lutheran Health System

In many ways Wyatt is a typical boy. He loves wrestling with his big brother, going to school, listening to music and going swimming. However, there is one difference from other 4-year-olds—Wyatt has spina bifida.

When Wyatt was just 7 hours old, he had his first spinal cord surgery. Two days later he had a shunt placed in his brain. Six months after that he had a hydrocele repair and a hernia operation. To say the least, Wyatt and his family have become intimately connected with Gundersen Lutheran Health System and the medical experts who have cared for Wyatt. Several surgeries later, it’s no surprise that when you ask Wyatt what he wants to be when he grows up he confidently tells you “doctor-teacher.”

Wyatt knows he needs to do things a little differently than other kids, but he never let’s that get him down. He maintains a charm and happiness that touches every person he encounters.