11/12/2025
Jeren's smile lights up every room he enters. At 17 years old, he is nonverbal, autistic and lives with epilepsy. After a fall that resulted in a knee fracture, he visited the pediatric orthopedic team affiliated with Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital where an X-ray of Jeren’s spine revealed neuromuscular scoliosis. The team explained that the scoliosis could eventually affect Jeren’s ability to walk and get up on his own.
“Even though he’s nonverbal, he’s very active. When I heard it might stop him from doing those things, I knew we had to get ahead of it,” his mother, Tracey, said.