Kiwanis Club of Jacksonville has donated $3,000 toward the development of a fetal surgery training model meant to treat spina bifida, one of the most common birth defects affecting the spine and spinal cord.
The $100,000 project will help train future fetal surgeons in a minimally invasive technique that can repair spina bifida, a birth defect in which the spinal cord doesn’t properly close during formation, before birth.
Drs. Robin Bowman and Aimen Shaaban of The Chicago Institute of Fetal Health at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago developed an “innovative three-port fetoscopic technique” that allows surgeons to close the spinal opening while better protecting the baby’s spinal cord, according to Kiwanis, noting the procedure has shown “improved outcomes for babies while reducing complications for mothers.”
The training model is intended to help more surgeons learn the specialized skills needed to perform the technique.
The donation was presented during the Illinois-Eastern Iowa Kiwanis District Convention in Springfield.
“Kiwanis is all about helping kids,” said Phil Langdon, president of the Jacksonville club. “We’re proud to support a project that gives future surgeons the training they need and gives families more hope for healthier futures.”