Going the Distance for Life-Changing Care: Lincoln's Story

​​​​Little Lincoln Johnston’s path to Omaha might have been long, but his road to recovery looks to be on track thanks to the doctors and staff at Boys Town National Research Hospital.

Kylee Johnston and her husband started to notice ridges on Lincoln’s head at 1 year old. Lincoln’s pediatrician assured his parents the ridges were normal, and kids can grow out of it. However, when they returned for Lincoln’s 18-month check-up, the pediatrician said it was time to look to a specialist.

Lincoln was diagnosed with sagittal craniosynostosis. This condition causes pressure on the brain and prevents it from growing. Surgery can reduce the pressure and allow for proper brain development.

With the Johnston family being from Collinsville, Oklahoma, they had never heard of Boys Town Hospital, but that all changed.

Kylee turned to her craniosynostosis group on Facebook for recommendations and heard great feedback about Dr. Jason Miller, craniofacial surgeon, and Dr. Linden Fornof​f, pediatric neurosurgeon, at Boys Town Hospital, and the family decided to make the drive to Omaha.

In November of 2019, the Johnstons came to Omaha and decided surgery was Lincoln’s best option. Dr. Miller and Dr. Fornoff removed a small strip of Lincoln’s skull allowing Lincoln’s brain to expand and grow normally.

The Johnstons said they couldn’t have been more pleased with their experience at Boys Town Hospital.

“The whole hospital experience was great,” Kylee said. “Lincoln had been hospitalized before, but we have never seen the doctors as much as we did here. I felt he was a priority. From the first appointment, to the diagnosis, to the surgery, the care here was just phenomenal, and I haven’t seen that care at another hospital.”

For Lincoln and the Johnston family, the journey to Omaha was a life-changer.