Drew Herman, a fraternal twin born prematurely at 34 weeks, made his surprise appearance with his sister on September 20, 2002 in Atlanta, Georgia. Lonii Herman and her husband, Will Herman, were joyful new parents, excited to meet their children for the first time. Little did they know what obstacles Drew would face in his young life.
At a first glance, Drew seemed to be just like every other baby.
After Drew’s 15 day stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), his doctor noticed a small indention in Drew’s left chest wall and noted in his chart that it was most likely caused by “his twin sister’s foot pressing against his chest in utero.”
As Drew got older, the indention grew larger and his parents noticed that his heart seemed to be beating right under the skin in his chest.
A Poland Syndrome Diagnosis
Worried for their son’s safety, Lonii and Will took Drew to countless doctors across the southeast before receiving a final diagnosis: a rare condition called Poland syndrome. Poland syndrome is a congenital anomaly of the chest wall formation characterized by the absence of chest wall muscles on one side of the body. In addition to this diagnosis, Drew was missing three ribs and would need rib implants. At that time, Drew and his family were told that plastic surgery would be his only option but that they needed to wait until he was fully developed before seeking treatment.
Immediately, Drew’s parents were concerned about having to wait for their active little boy to be fully grown to receive the surgeries he needed to live a normal life. Playgrounds, team sports, activities at school all flashed before their eyes as they had to worry about their son’s safety.
Worried, to say the least, Drew’s parents quickly reached out to a prosthetics department at a local Georgia children’s hospital and had Drew fitted for a “vest” he could wear for protection. With a hole in his chest wall, Drew did not let this stop him from living a normal life.
WakeMed Chest Wall Deformity Center
Drew wore this vest every time he left the house until he was 18 years old and met WakeMed Pediatric Surgeon, Dr. David Hoover, for the very first time.
“When Drew reached his teen years, we began searching for treatment options, always with the goal of having some kind of permanent protection in place for him before he left for college,” said Lonii. “As parents, we were terrified of the idea of him leaving home without adequate chest protection.”
Lonii and Will spent hours researching and interviewing several doctors before finding the WakeMed Chest Wall Deformity Center team online in 2020. The Herman’s immediately booked flights for the family to meet Dr. Hoover and his team in Raleigh. Right off the bat, they knew they had finally found the treatment options they had been hoping for. In addition to needing rib implants, Drew suffered from sternal angulation and abnormal bowing of chest cartilage. Drew would need custom fitting rib implants with chest wall reconstruction.
Over the next year, Dr. Hoover worked with the Herman’s and carefully planned out Drew’s surgery. Dr. Hoover collaborated with Dr. Juan Ortiz (North Raleigh Plastic Surgery) and mapped out the necessary steps for Drew to receive the care he needed.
“From insurance and medical approvals to continuous ‘nervous parent’ calls and questions, Dr. Hoover, Dr. Ortiz and his medical assistant Lauren, and the rest of the WakeMed team worked tirelessly to orchestrate all things necessary to handle Drew’s complex case,” said Lonii.
Iron Man Titanium Ribs
May 24, 2021 was a day that Drew and his family will never forget. On this day, Drew received his new 3D-printed titanium ribs as well as cartilage and sternal corrections.
“After a 10-day stay under the great care of many excellent nurses and staff, we headed back to Georgia,” Lonii said, “later making several post-operation visits to make sure Drew was on the right road to recovery.”
Now, Drew is off to start his freshman year of college and continues to have the best outlook on life as a “real life iron-man” with 3D-titanium rib implants and a brand-new chest wall. He’s ready to live life to the fullest as a happy, healthy, college student.
“Our entire family is eternally grateful for the care, concern, wisdom, time and efforts we were shown by all the doctors and nurses who cared for Drew while at WakeMed. And, of course, firmly believe that Dr. Hoover, Dr. Ortiz and Lauren hung the moon!”
About WakeMed Chest Wall Deformity Center
WakeMed’s Chest Wall Deformity Center brings decades of expertise treating patients with common and complex chest wall conditions. Our expert teams’ partner with our patients (and when appropriate, their families) to make treatment and recovery a smooth and seamless process from your initial consult through treatment, surgery (if indicated), and recovery. Although most chest wall deformities present in childhood, WakeMed’s experienced surgeons are trained to care for both pediatric and adult patients. While the treatment options may vary based on age, the WakeMed Chest Wall Deformity Center offers the most comprehensive range of treatments and procedures available. Learn more about the WakeMed Chest Wall Deformity Center.
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