Jan. 22, 2026 — Norberta Ruiz was told her daughter had a very low chance of survival. She was born with Meckel-Gruber syndrome, a rare genetic disorder marked by an encephalocele—a protrusion of the brain through an opening in the skull, typically at the back—along with extra fingers and toes and enlarged, cystic kidneys.

But Ruiz remained hopeful and pushed forward.

At age six, her daughter learned to walk. This year, thanks to groundbreaking advances in medical technology and dedicated care, her daughter’s life changed.

Lee Health is thrilled to announce that it is the first in Florida to complete a pediatric scoliosis surgery with a robotic guide. A robotic arm, alongside a computer navigation system, provided guidance and security for the placement of her daughter’s bone screws.

Patients like Suri Ruiz would be unable to regain normal movement and quality of life without this integrated orthopedic and neurosurgical approach.

Before the surgery, Ruiz experienced significant pain in her lower back and struggled with frequent falls. Today, she is walking with greater stability and experiencing much less pain.

Ruiz initially saw Dr. Robert Palmer and the Pediatric Orthopedics of SWFL team for her scoliosis.

Dr. Palmer then referred her to Dr. Theodore Spinks, who found that she had a tethering of her spinal cord, in addition to her spine curvature. The next step of Ruiz’s journey would include a two-stage surgical treatment.

The tethered spinal cord was causing back pain, leg weakness and would likely have damaged her spinal cord during any straightening procedure. The first surgery was done to untether Ruiz’ spinal cord, which improved many of her symptoms and made the scoliosis surgery safer.

During the first stage, Dr. Spinks performed an untethering procedure to relieve tension on Ruiz’s spinal cord, which improved her pain and urinary symptoms, improved her walking, and made the scoliosis correction procedure much safer.

The second stage was a 14-hour high-risk spinal fusion and reduction surgery this past summer to help straighten her spine with the utilization of the robotic arm and computer navigation.

Ruiz’s follow-up care was managed by Drs. Spinks and Palmer, as a collaboration of Lee Health, Pediatric Orthopedics of SWFL and Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital.

“This milestone reflects our ongoing commitment to bringing the most advanced surgical technologies and expertise to our community,” said vice president and chief physician executive of children’s services for Lee Health Dr. Emad Salman. “It’s about more than cutting-edge tools—it’s about transforming lives, reducing recovery times, and improving long-term outcomes for children and families who might otherwise have to travel far for this level of care. We’re proud to set a new standard and pave the way for future advancements in pediatric care. This achievement would not have been possible without the collaboration of Dr. Palmer and the team at Pediatric Orthopedics of SWFL.”

 Research shows that access to complex surgical options close to home enhances patient comfort, encourages more consistent follow-up care, and fosters a stronger relationship with the care team. Additionally, multidisciplinary teams achieve better, more consistent outcomes, especially with complex patients like Ruiz. The Lee Health combination of Orthopedic and Neurosurgery teams provided this advantage.

“It is wonderful to see Suri recovering so well,” said Lee Health and Johns Hopkins pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Spinks, who performed the fusion surgery alongside Dr. Palmer. “Through teamwork, we were able to improve her pain, her walking and make her spine straighter. What makes me proud, however, is her improvement in self-esteem. The fact that she feels better about herself makes a bigger difference in her future than any surgery. Our combined spine program brings the highest level of care to the Southwest Florida community. We remain committed to innovative solutions and ensuring that more patients in our region can benefit from state-of-the-art treatments that treat the whole patient and family.”

“My daughter’s pain has significantly decreased,” Norberta Ruiz said. “Her migraines have subsided, bladder control has improved, and she is walking with less discomfort and greater ease. I felt educated, supported and reassured throughout this entire process. I would encourage other families to seek care at Lee Health, even if there is a language barrier. I am so grateful for the outcome.”

Norberta Ruiz is a native Spanish speaker and sometimes she struggled to explain her daughter’s symptoms. She was grateful that Dr. Palmer spoke Spanish and could facilitate information about her daughter’s care in Ruiz’s own language.

Lee Health also has translation services available, including staff interpreters in Spanish and Haitian Creole at all hospitals, phone interpretation service with more than 170 available languages and video remote interpreting (VRI), and on-site interpretation, telephone and VRI in American Sign Language.

As part of its mission to provide compassionate care for all, the health system works to ensure that patients from all backgrounds are educated and informed about all aspects of their care, regardless of language barriers. To learn more, please visit www.leehealth.org.

 About Lee Health

Lee Health has been a cornerstone of health care in Southwest Florida since opening its first hospital in 1916. As a non-profit, integrated health system, Lee Health is dedicated to providing high-quality, compassionate care to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay. With a strong commitment to community health and wellness, Lee Health commits to evolving with the growing and changing needs of the region. The system offers comprehensive services through four acute care hospitals, Golisano Children’s Hospital, three skilled nursing locations, outpatient facilities, urgent care centers, and a wide network of primary care and specialty practices. Lee Health supports every step of the health journey, from preventive care to advanced treatment for every member of our community. Learn more at www.LeeHealth.org.