A pink surgical cap stitched with “Dr. Madelyn Trachsel” was pulled snugly into place as a blue surgical gown and a stethoscope signaled the start of a delicate procedure.
She glanced at her patient as it rested on a table in front of her — a teddy bear named Taylor Swift.
Despite recovering from a recent brain shunt procedure — involving an implanted device that helps manage her condition — Madelyn, who is from Munroe Falls, insisted on taking part in the experience. After all, she wants to become a doctor so she can help other children feel “good,” just as her own doctor made her feel.
“She was excited,” said her mother, Olivia Trachsel, “maybe a little overwhelmed, but she really wanted to do it.”
The experience was arranged through the Workshop of Wishes and Akron Children’s hospital to give the 9-year-old a chance to explore her medical dreams.
Living with spina bifida, a condition in which the spine does not fully close during early development, Madelyn stepped into the hospital to shadow the same surgeon whose operations on her date back to three hours after her birth.
“She’s so resilient,” said Dr. Tsulee Chen, the chair of the Department of Surgery at Akron Children’s Hospital. “When kids express an interest in wanting to see this side of things — not just be [a] patient — it’s really exciting to be part of that.”
Madelyn has undergone 18 surgeries since birth, including four during her 35-day stay in Akron Children’s Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care unit. She sees specialists in neurosurgery, orthopedics and developmental pediatrics every six months for regular checkups.
While spina bifida can affect physical abilities, Madelyn remains determined. Her mother said she sometimes struggles to run like other children her age, but she continues to push herself and enjoys horseback riding.
Workshop of Wishes helps children turn dreams into reality
Workshop of Wishes helps youth — from infancy through age 20 — living with life-threatening or chronic medical conditions to experience large, one-time wishes such as trips, backyard playsets or shopping sprees. The nonprofit, based in Brecksville, also runs ongoing programs, including hospital visits several times a week and private experiences for families at local venues to reduce exposure to germs.
Families are referred through hospital social workers or apply directly, with a child’s physician confirming eligibility. The organization granted more than 50 wishes last year and continues to work with hospitals across Northeast Ohio, including the Cleveland Clinic and UH Rainbow Babies & Children‘s, said Sara Mihalik, director of Wish Granting.
“We turn our wish kids into what they want to be when they grow up,” Mihalik said of the organization’s When I Grow Up program. “So when we heard Madelyn wanted to be a doctor for a day, we worked with Akron Children’s Hospital to help make that happen.”
Stepping into the operating room
Under the guidance of Chen, Madelyn moved carefully through each step of the exercise. Before approaching the table, she was reminded to scrub her hands thoroughly, just as any surgeon would before entering an operating room.
At the instrument table, she selected the tools she would need, pausing briefly before marking a spot on the teddy bear’s neck with a surgical marker. With steady focus, she made a small incision, following instructions as Chen guided her through each movement.
As “Love Story” played softly in the background — a nod to the bear’s name — Madelyn learned how to close an incision, carefully stitching it with a needle and thread before trimming the excess.
Once the procedure was finished, Madelyn placed a neck cast around the teddy bear before gently “waking” her patient.
Moments later, the young doctor curled into her mother’s arms.
“I’m exhausted,” she said with a smirk. “I think I need some coffee.”
