A local Erie girl is getting back to her favorite activities after Shriners Children’s Erie helped her get back on her feet.

Faith and Hope Versetti were diagnosed in utero with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome where one twin gets too many nutrients and the other twin does not get enough.

Brian Versetti, Faith and Hope’s father, said Faith ended up being the twin not getting enough nutrients leading to right hemiplegic cerebral palsy. He added that they approached numerous avenues of treatment but to no avail.

“We had approached at-home care, which we didn’t have any luck with. Then we went to the Children’s Institute of Pittsburgh, they specialize in a lot of this stuff, and they looked at Faith and decided she was an enigma,” Brian Versetti, father of Faith Versetti.

That’s when her father said he discovered what Shriners Children’s Erie does and decided to seek their medical help.

“After examining and discussing with the parents, we decided to go with utilizing some Botox injection to help with the brace wear or to help her walk better, basically, and we we’re able to discontinue bracing at that time,” said Dr. Ozgur Dede, medical director, Shriners Children’s Erie.

Versetti said this treatment is what helped his daughter get back on her feet.

“When we did that, we brought Faith in, he did the injections, cast her with her toe up and we brought her back two weeks later. At that point, he cut the cast off and I went to set Faith on the floor and he says, ‘Don’t expect immediate results,’ so I sat her down and for the first time in three and a half years, our daughter stood flat-footed,” said Versetti.

With help from Shriners Children’s Erie, Faith said she is able to participate in her favorite activities like swimming, dancing and playing on the trampoline.

“I feel happy and it makes my day that I get to play with my BFF and my sister and all my friends, and it just makes me happy that I get to do things with my friends and my family,” Faith Versetti, Shriners Children’s Erie patient.

She added that she would tell any child that walks through the doors of the children’s hospital that it is one big family.

“You definitely should come because they will treat you awesome and they will love you so much like they love me — just come here, it’s fun,” Faith Versetti added.

Her doctor also said seeing progression in Faith and how she improves every day is what makes it all worth it.

“Seeing children develop and be able to use their full potential is the most rewarding part of what we do here,” Dr. Dede said.