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Reaching Milestones with Physical Therapy: Onyx Gettel’s Success Story

May 23, 2022 | Patient Success Stories
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By, Allison R. Weder

“It’s difficult when your child is behind, and you see a bunch of kids her age do things she should be doing. But then you see her accomplishments and the new things she’s able to do and it’s really great.” Stephanie, Onyx’s Mother

Onyx Gettel was born with tricuspid atresia and frontonasal dysplasia. Tricuspid atresia happens when the right ventricle of the heart is underdeveloped, and frontonasal dysplasia is a condition that can cause brain development issues. Stephanie, Onyx’s mom, explains how these conditions affected the first year of Onyx’s life. “She’s had 3 strokes. There is a cleft going up the middle of her nose, she doesn’t have a nasal bone, and she is missing her olfactory bulb. She spent the first 10 months of her life in the hospital. She was really delayed in every area. She wasn’t walking, talking, or eating. We eventually got to the point where she was 18 months old, but she was still functioning at a 6-month-old level.”

Onyx’s parents were advised physical therapy could help her reach some of the developmental milestones she was missing. “We started looking for physical therapy locally and no one was willing to see her because she needed a lot of work, and they weren’t comfortable working with her. Thankfully Lily gave her a chance. She was excited to work with her, and we live very close to the clinic.” Lily is Lily McDowell, PT, DPT, a Physical Therapist at the Phoenix Physical Therapy clinic in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Stephanie scheduled an initial evaluation. “We got our evaluation done with Lily and she was amazing, so patient and very helpful. She recognized that Onyx was not able to pull to stand, not walking, not crawling. She was at a six-to-eight-month level. She was literally just sitting.”

Lily created a long-term plan for Onyx. Stephanie knew she chose the right facility for her daughter, even though the work did not look like typical physical therapy. “They used play therapy. Kids learn best through play. So, we had a bunch of toys.” The exercises included placing rings on cones, grasping brightly colored toys, and climbing stairs. “Lily was always willing to try new things. She even looked to her co-workers for help with new ideas. She focused on Onyx’s core strength. She made sure she listened and checked Onyx’s hips to make sure they were working correctly. She paid attention to the details that most parents wouldn’t even think of. She made sure I knew what questions to ask her doctor, like whether she needed orthotics, for example.”

Stephanie noticed a change in Onyx after only two weeks of therapy. “It was so exciting. It gave us motivation. Being told exactly what do with her and how to support her really helped us to work more with her at home. Every little milestone is a huge win for us.” The progress continued over seven months of treatment, pushing Onyx to a developmental stage close to where she should be. “She’s up to the 15 to 17 months level. She just turned two and she is literally doing almost everything. She can stand up super quick and easy. She can crawl and she loves to climb the stairs, which scares me, but it’s awesome. Lily tried sensory things with her, which improved her play skills too. She wants to interact with people, she grabs things better and she wants to interact with her siblings now. She used to just throw toys. Now she plays with them.”

As Lily made an impact on Onyx’s life, Onyx also touched Lily. “I had an amazing experience getting to work with Onyx and her family. Not only did Onyx present with delays in development but also significant medical complexity impacting her progress but through it all Onyx and her parents demonstrated determination and dedication to her care and gross motor development. I am honored to have had the opportunity to be a part of her journey and amazed at the growth in her gross motor skill and enjoyed getting to watch her personality blossom over the last 7 months.”

Stephanie is grateful for Lily and the entire Chambersburg team. “Everyone was so nice. When she walked in everyone knew who she was and greeted her. They were patient with me too! They would call if I missed an appointment. I have five kids, so they understood when I’d forget an appointment. I really appreciated knowing they cared about Onyx as much as I do. It was a great experience and I’m really excited knowing I have a place to go if anything else arises.”

Onyx will need speech therapy and occupational therapy now. Her parents will continue to work with her at home, building on the foundation Lily created for her. “We are still working on standing from a bear crawl because she doesn’t quite stand up by herself. We will keep encouraging her to walk and get stronger. She has already gotten a lot stronger and that makes her super excited. When she does something she looks at you with bright eyes like she’s saying, ‘I did it mom, I did it! I took a bunch of steps.’ She sees us get so excited for her and that gets her excited.”

The entire Phoenix Physical Therapy Team is committed to providing our patients with quality physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy in a safe and healthy clinic environment. We continue to follow the guidance provided by the CDC, WHO and public health officials to update you as new information becomes available. Let’s work together to keep each other safe and healthy.

The safety of our patients, communities and team members remains our top priority. We know you have a choice in your care providers and appreciate your commitment to Phoenix and our qualified clinicians.

Here are the actions we have taken to keep our patients, communities and team healthy & safe:

  • Flexible scheduling allows for social distancing
  • Regular cleaning and sanitation of all clinic surfaces
  • Facemasks must be worn by all Phoenix staff and are recommended for all patients
  • Screening questionnaire and temperature checks prior to entering clinics
  • 6 feet of social distancing throughout the clinics

Keeping Our Clinics Safe

Here are some tips on how we can keep each other safe:

  • Handwashing is your best self-defense against the spread of germs. When soap and water are not available and hands are not visibly dirty, use at least a 60% alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  • Please stay home if you are not feeling well, especially if you have a fever, are coughing or sneezing, or are experiencing shortness of breath. If a patient shows up with symptoms, the clinic team will work with them to reschedule.
  • Be vigilant. If you have traveled to any of the countries where there are outbreaks of the virus, please follow guidance from the CDC website and our Travel Guidelines.

Here are actions we are taking to keep our clinics clean and safe:

  • Equipment will be wiped down after EVERY use with antibacterial wipes/sprays
  • All surfaces that patients or staff may touch including door handles, countertops, seating, pens at sign-in, bathroom and all other common areas will be disinfected regularly
  • Treatment tables will be 6 feet apart
  • Team members will wash their hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, particularly after going to the bathroom, before eating, and after blowing their nose, coughing or sneezin
  • Clinics will have hand sanitizer available at the front desk and in the treatment areas
  • Any Phoenix team members who are ill will be asked to stay home
  • We will maintain social distancing between patients in the clinic
  • Caregivers that are bringing a patient to the clinic should wait in their car or come back when the appointment has ended unless necessary (i.e. minor requiring a guardian or for assistance needs)
  • When possible, we will treat patients in private rooms to increase social distancing
  • Any patients that have underlying health issues (i.e. diabetes, respiratory problems, etc.) will be given the option to be seen during special clinic hours or can opt to be treated in a private room away from other clinicians and patients
  • All patients should be self-screening before entering the clinic. Our PCCs will perform a secondary screening during the check-in process and before patients enter the clinic including a screening questionnaire and temperature check.
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