In 2025, Shriners Children’s also provided orthopedic tendon transfer surgery to improve Elvin's recovery. He underwent successful tendon transfer surgery with orthopedic hand and upper extremity surgeon Felicity Fishman, M.D., in which she moved working muscles around in his arm and hand to allow Elvin to extend his elbow and grip with his hand – which he could not do prior to surgery.
New Strength Unlocks Fresh Possibilities
Umali said that by attaching items to a universal cuff, Elvin can now independently use his laptop for virtual school, operate his phone, and drive his power wheelchair. “He’s worked so hard. He’s always taken therapy seriously. I think you kind of get out of it what you give,” she said. “And he literally gives his all every single day, and I think that is why he has come so far.” Elvin added that he can wash his face, help turn himself in bed and assist with transfers to his chair.
Elvin also discovered that he enjoys meal prep, and during OT appointments, he and Umali made homemade ice cream and even pickles. He also developed an unexpected love of digging in the dirt during horticultural therapy, using a small hand shovel attached to his cuff. “I’m open to new things. That’s stuff I would never try outside of here,” he said.
Lauren Eckerle, SLP, who manages the pediatric rehabilitation therapy program at Shriners Children's Chicago, explained how things like pickling and picking up potato chips over and over are part of medical treatment. “Every therapy session is a carefully crafted mixture of science, creativity and play,” she said. “Pediatric therapists are experts in getting kids to do hard things without them realizing it.”
Shriners Children’s approach to rehabilitation focuses on the child's overall health and well-being, showing how activities like pickling and repeatedly picking up potato chips are part of medical treatment.
Therapy for Elvin also became a way to rediscover his identity. “I remember when I was going through rehab, thinking I might never even play video games again,” he said. “But they were like, ‘Yes, you can.’ Life may look a little different now, but I worked hard in therapy.”
Looking Forward: School, Art and a Future Full of Possibility
As his body strengthened, Elvin’s outlook shifted. He began looking beyond his immediate recovery, imagining a future filled with possibility. A partnership with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) allows inpatients to complete schoolwork while hospitalized. CPS teacher Mary Vokoun worked with Elvin and helped him re-enroll in online high school.
“Even when he is struggling with discomfort and fatigue, as well as juggling an intensive therapy schedule, he rarely misses school. There is no quit in him. On top of that, he is humble, kind and outgoing. To put it simply, I am inspired by him,” Vokoun said.
“I fell in love with art last year when I had a graphic design class,” Elvin said. Now 18, he has been nominated as the student of the month. His artwork is part of an all-city virtual exhibition, and is displayed in the Teen Lounge area at Shriners Children’s Chicago.
Elvin continues to receive outpatient therapy while finishing high school. He plans to attend college after graduation to study computer science, with the goal of one day working with children and passing on the encouragement that carried him through his own journey.
“He is a completely different man now,” said Umali. “We’re so proud of him.”
