patient story

patient name: Lexie Dobmeyer

age: 14

seen in: gastroenterology, endocrinology, Healthy ME

providers: Dr. Susan Almazan, MD

Though Lexie Dobmeyer may be small in stature, she is fierce! An outgoing, active and smart high school freshman, Lexie has not let Turner syndrome slow her down.  

In December of 2022, Lexie took a trip to her pediatrician for yearly lab work. This time, her results raised concerns among her primary care team. 

“The bloodwork showed very high liver labs that led us to further testing,” said Becky Dobmeyer, Lexie’s mom. 

Next, Lexie underwent a liver biopsy, more lab work and visited multiple specialties at Dayton Children’s Hospital. Eventually, after an appointment with the medical genetics department, Lexie was diagnosed with Turner syndrome. What the Dobmeyer family had expected to be a routine appointment for blood work had led to a life-changing diagnosis. 

learning about her new diagnosis 

Turner syndrome is a genetic condition that appears in females when one of the two X chromosomes is partially or completely missing. While not every person with Turner syndrome has the same symptoms, it can cause short height, fertility issues, heart defects and other specific physical characteristics.

The first days after Lexie’s diagnosis were filled with ruling out certain complications, learning about Turner syndrome and helping Lexie manage her new diagnosis, Becky said. Susan Almazan, MD, was Lexie’s endocrinologist, and she worked with other Dayton Children’s providers to manage all of Lexie’s symptoms. 

“We were just trying to absorb the information and learn what exactly Turner syndrome is,” she said. “I had heard of it before but never thought of it as a possibility for my kids.”  

While her diagnosis came as a surprise, Lexie faced the challenge head-on and was willing to make lifestyle changes to help her stay healthy. In Lexie’s case, Turner syndrome has the most impact on her liver. This required her to make many changes in her daily life, such as adjusting her eating habits.  

Though there were many new questions raised with Lexie’s diagnosis, it also answered some questions for the Dobmeyer family. 

“The diagnosis of Turner syndrome did answer the question as to why Lexie wasn’t as tall as her siblings,” Becky said. “She is actually on the tall end for Turner syndrome. Most adults only reach 4 feet, 8 inches, but Lexie was already 4 feet, 11 inches when she was diagnosed!” 

above and beyond care 

After her diagnosis, Lexie had many appointments, lab draws and concerns about possible side effects from Turner syndrome. At only 12 years old, these experiences sometimes became overwhelming for Lexie, Becky said. Understanding Lexie’s worries and needs, her Dayton Children’s care team went above and beyond to help her stay comfortable and happy throughout every step of the process. 

Becky said that Peppermint, one of Dayton Children’s canine co-pilots, was especially helpful to Lexie when she had her liver biopsy. This is a minor surgery to take a tissue sample from her liver to help diagnose any possible liver conditions. 

“She was scared of the process and Peppermint definitely calmed her nerves and made her feel better,” Becky said. “Peppermint was able to ride with her to the operating room!” 

Along with her four-legged support system, Lexie said she could tell that the doctors and nurses cared about her and wanted her to succeed in every stage of testing and treatment. When frequent testing became overwhelming for Lexie, her team coordinated across departments to reduce the number of times she had to have lab work done.   

Additionally, the team at Dayton Children’s works with Lexie’s hepatologist at another hospital to help manage her care. 

“The doctors at Dayton Children’s and the other hospital do a great job of working together and having open communication to stay on the same page with one another regarding Lexie’s care,” Becky said. 

looking to the future 

More than one year after receiving her diagnosis, Lexie is living life full speed ahead. She is playing softball this year, enjoys several types of board and card games, and has an extremely outgoing personality. 

She continues to visit her care teams in the Dayton Children’s endocrinology, gastroenterology and Healthy Me clinics on a regular basis, uses an estrogen patch to help with her pubertal development and takes nightly hormone injections to help her continue growing. So far, this “game plan” created by her doctors has helped her grow 2 inches! 

“Even though she is smaller than most of her classmates, she can still do everything as well, if not better than her peers,” Becky said. “We are very grateful for all the care and detail that goes into Lexie’s care with each visit. They take the time to make the best care plan for Lexie as her own individual.”