Hospital Makes Physical Therapy More Fun For Kids

At Akron Children’s Hospital in Ohio, kids can take dance classes instead of physical therapy and they’re loving it. Dance Unlimited is a program started by physical therapist Kellie Lightfoot that gives children dealing with diagnoses like Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, and autism a fun alternative to regular physical therapy.

Lightfoot, a former Cleveland Cavalier cheerleader, has always loved dance and knew her patients would too. She started Dance Unlimited with only 13 dancers, but these days she’s teaching three classes with more than 60 students. They learn different dance styles including ballet, contemporary, jazz, and hip hop.

“This is the one thing in their week where they come in and they fit in perfectly,” Lightfoot explains. And the smiles on these kids’ faces shows they love busing these moves.