Meet Our Patient Ambassadors!
Avery Abshear: Age 10 – Centerville, OH
Avery’s joyful outlook on life has changed her family’s lives for the better. Born prematurely with Down syndrome, with hearing and vision impairment, Avery also had open heart surgery at just 4 months old. With such a dramatic entrance into the world, little Avery has become a “frequent flyer” at Dayton Children’s. Today, Avery is thriving, fearless and loving. She calls her cardiologist her “hero,” but everyone knows the truth – Avery is the real hero!
Fun fact: Avery loves reading and making up silly songs with her brother!
Terrell Davis: Age 6 – Dayton, OH
Terrell began his journey with Dayton Children’s Hospital at 3 weeks old! A prenatal scan showed he would be born with an amputated foot due to Amniotic Band Syndrome. At birth, he was missing his right foot as expected, plus his right fingers were webbed and had a clubfoot on his left foot. A series of surgeries, physical therapy, and a specialized prosthetic leg helped Terrell walk – and run! He says, “I want to be a doctor so I can help people with their legs and so they won’t be sick.
Fun fact: Terrell loves cruising on his skateboard, and he loves photography!
Carah Brown: Age 17 – Springfield, OH
Diagnosed with Child Onset Fluency Disorder, or stuttering, Carah started speech therapy at age 3. Although she endured bullying and felt self-conscious, her mom always told her: “You are perfectly made.” It wasn’t until Carah was in 8th grade that she found the care she needed at Dayton Children’s, and she started to believe her mom’s inspirational words. She even gave a speech in front of her whole school and now educates her classmates on speech disfluency.
Fun fact: Carah loves coffee and enjoys trying new flavors!
Ella Combs: Age 15 – Tipp City, OH
Ella started visiting Dayton Children’s Center for the Female Athlete before she ever got injured. An active athlete and at the recommendation of a teammate, she wanted to monitor her physical and mental health. When she suffered an overuse injury during the cross-country season in 2022, she was glad to have a team in place to help her recover. Now she feels inspired to pursue sports medicine after high school!
Fun Fact: Ella learned to snorkel on a trip to Turks and Caicos and wants to learn to SCUBA dive!