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Mattie Carol Giavanna

Shriners Children’s Shreveport Shriners Hospitals for Children — Mexico Shriners Children’s New England

Mattie, 16, is a junior at Loyola College Carol, 16, is from Tlanepantla, Mexico. Giavanna, 13, lives in New Hampshire
Prep in Shreveport, Louisiana. She She is a fiercely competitive athlete with her parents, Michelle and Patrick,
loves basketball and is a member of in track and field who has received and younger brother, Christopher.
her school’s varsity team. She began many national gold medals in discus, She loves sports and plays soccer
taking dance classes in a variety of javelin and shot put. She is a senior and softball, and she also swims
styles when she was 3. In middle in high school, and enjoys school and downhill skis. She also enjoys
school, Mattie was part of a nationally and her training. She wants to go to drawing, reading, baking and writing.
competitive cheerleading team college and continue competing in
and was named an All-American sports. Carol has a giving heart and Giavanna has received care at
cheerleader. She loves cooking and spends her free time volunteering at Shriners Children’s New England
baking, in particular cakes, pasta, an addiction rehabilitation center for since she was 6 months old, but her
chicken and HelloFresh recipes. She young people. parents knew she would be a patient
travels often and loves spending time before she was even born. The couple
with her family. Carol has been a patient at Shriners learned she would be born without
Hospitals for Children — Mexico a right hand and were comforted
Mattie was born with several toes since she was an infant. She was to know Shriners Children’s was
on her left foot that were fused or born with postaxial hypoplasia, a there to help their daughter live her
connected at the bone. When she was condition characterized by lower limb best life. Over the years, Giavanna
6, she underwent surgery to separate deficiencies, including missing or has received occupational therapy
her toes, which included both pin shortened lower leg bones. She has and multiple prostheses to help her
placement to help secure the bones had 9 surgeries, including having her participate in archery, ride a bike and
in her toes as well as skin grafts to leg amputated when she was 2. She play the violin. Last year, she was
assist with healing. Mattie also began has had six customized prostheses, outfitted with a 3D-printed myoelectric
participating in Shriners Children’s receiving new ones as she grows. device called a Hero Arm. The bionic
commercials when she was 6. arm allows her to have the movement
and dexterity of a traditional hand,
which she says has enhanced her life
tremendously.

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