Verona Wedderdurn’s Story

Verona Wedderdurn was in so much back and neck pain, she couldn’t even sit for long without being in agony. A series of doctors and an astounding 11 epidural injections later, she finally found Dr. Arien Smith of Advanced Neurosurgery Associates (ANA). Dr. Smith is a fellowship trained spine surgeon whose practice includes both adult and pediatric spinal disorders. He has the rare combination of subspecialty training in both orthopedic and neurosurgical spine surgery.

 

After a series of surgeries, Verona sings Dr. Smith’s praises. The 69-year-old Paterson, New Jersey grandmother of ten now cares for her four youngest grandchildren full-time (ages 2-7), including walking them to and from school and cooking their meals. Her busy and gratifying life never could have happened without Dr. Smith.

 

“I’d give him a million dollars or more if I had it to give to him. He saved my life.”

 

Verona needed four various types of spinal surgeries to correct her complex problems. Surgeries such as these require instrumentation—plates and screws. Prior to this treatment, the pressure on her discs was causing such numbness in her right hand that she couldn’t use it. She had her problems since 2002 and her surgeries with Dr. Smith were in 2012 and 2013.

 

Her surgeries were so effective that Verona reports when other doctors saw her, they were equally impressed. “I came through with flying colors,” she reports. In fact, she did so well, she skipped extensive rehabilitation both times at a famous center to which she was prescribed and just did her rehab at home. “I have no more pain, don’t walk with a limp, and I use no cane, no brace.”

 

Of Dr. Smith, Verona concludes, “He’s a master surgeon; a gift from heaven.”

 

Verona Wedderdurn
July 21, 2014