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Two 6-year-old girls met last November at Boys Town hospital — not on a playground or at school, but in a hospital hallway, each riding in a wagon just after undergoing the same rare skull surgery. Layne Saunders and Clara Rager were five-and-a-half years old when their mothers crossed paths near a coffee stand inside Boys Town.
“I had Clara in a wagon here at Boys Town right after her surgery, and Kendra had Layne in her wagon, and we met at a coffee stand,” Clara’s mother, Kristen Rager, said. “They just started talking like they were at the park.”
A Rare Condition, Shared
Both girls were born with craniosynostosis, a condition in which the spaces between skull bones — which are meant to remain separated — fill in with additional bone. The buildup can place pressure on the brain.
“They both suffer from craniosynostosis,” said Dr. Jason Miller, a plastic and craniofacial surgeon at Boys Town.
For Clara, the surgery last November was her third cranium reconstruction. For Layne, it was her second.
“It’s a big suture, obviously from ear to ear, and then their face comes down, their head comes back, their head is rebuilt, and then for the next day, they can’t see,” said Aaron Rager, Clara’s father. “To be five and a half and to have done this three times where her head is rebuilt — it takes an incredibly strong little person to do that.”
An Instant bond
Within 24 hours of their surgeries, the girls were already asking to visit each other’s rooms.
“The girls said, ‘Can I come play with you in your room? Can I come to your room?’ Back and forth, it was just so sweet,” Kristen Rager said.
The girls exchanged stuffed animals and have remained close ever since.
“I gave her a stuffed unicorn,” Layne said. “And I gave her a stuffed animal too,” Clara added.
Clara’s family lives in Sioux City. Layne’s family lives in Eagle, about two hours away. Their parents now coordinate with Boys Town to schedule all follow-up appointments on the same day so the girls can see each other regularly.
“I don’t think we have a choice now, right?” said Chris Saunders, Layne’s father. “They’re stuck together for life.”
Dr. Miller said both girls will return for ongoing appointments to monitor skull growth, but that the rest of their lives should otherwise be normal. Boys Town will continue helping the families schedule those appointments together.
