Keauna's Decade-Long Journey to Pain Relief

When she was 11, Keauna loved playing sports.

You could often find her in the gym, practicing for her next basketball game or volleyball match. At first glance, she was an active little girl. You would have never known that behind the scenes, Keauna was experiencing debilitating pain.

Born with a leg difference, Keauna’s shins twisted inward. As she stood, her knees would overlap and any sort of movement caused excruciating pain. As that pain continued to worsen, her family looked for answers.

News from several Kansas physicians proved disheartening. The medical teams who examined Keauna were unfamiliar with her symptoms and did not know how to help. “I’ll be honest, for a while, I felt like I was a parent who couldn’t provide for their child like she needed. I felt like we weren’t doing our part,” her father, Cory, said.

However, Cory held out hope that Keauna’s quality of life would improve; a hope that ultimately led them to Shriners Children’s St. Louis. “All of a sudden, the stars aligned,” said Cory. When Keauna arrived at the St. Louis hospital, she was met with kindness and compassion.