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Urbana boy’s life-saving appointment shows importance of wellness checks during COVID-19

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URBANA — The medical team at Mercy-Health Family Medicine and Pediatrics in Urbana said they’ve seen fewer people coming in for their regular check-ups during COVID.

14-year-old Conner Arnett came in for his with his mom earlier this year -- not knowing how much was at stake when they walked in the office doors.

Sherry Dillon, a certified medical assistant, checked Conner’s oxygen levels.

She said the levels were low and she brought it to attention of Dr. Jene Bramel, who recommended that Conner and his mom head to the emergency room.

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“It’s not something I’ve seen in my career,” Dr. Bramel told News Center 7′s Jenna Lawson. “I don’t think it’s something the emergency physician had seen either.”

A chest x-ray at the emergency room showed three masses of blood vessels in Conner’s lungs -- called an arteriovenous malformation (AVM).

The tangle of blood vessels is more commonly present in the brain but very rare in the lungs.

An AVM is usually hereditary. It had most likely been in Conner’s lungs since birth, but it wasn’t noticed on previous scans because Conner had always been very physically active.

Because of COVID, his swim team was canceled and he had put on a little weight -- which helped to identify the masses.

“Someone telling you that there’s a big mass in your son’s lung, it really took a scare," said Conner’s mom, Felicia Arnett.

Conner went from the Urbana emergency room to Dayton Children’s Hospital and then to Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus where he had surgery.

At a check up in September, Conner had a clean bill of health. He’ll have to get a CT scan at the end of October and another check up in six months.

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“Luckily enough I survived and luckily got the blood vessels out,” Conner said.

Physicians said if Conner had waited any longer to go to the doctor, he could’ve had a stroke or his lung could’ve exploded in his sleep.

The teen’s story highlights the importance of getting regular check ups, even in the age of COVID-19 when some may be afraid to go to the doctor out of fear of increased exposure to the virus.

Mercy-Health’s family medicine office in Urbana has implemented increased sanitization protocols in every patient room and has one door dedicated to entry and another dedicated to exiting.

“Even though you may feel fine, look fine -- it’s still important to get in at least once a year to have your routine well visit,” Dillon said.

The Arnett family also encourages regular check ups -- in Felicia’s words, “Go. Because you never know.”






Jenna Lawson

Jenna Lawson

I grew up in Springfield and I'm a big fan of all things Springfield, including Schuler's & the Clark County Fair. A career in journalism never really was a serious thought until the end of high school. You just have epiphanies sometimes, and that's the only way I can explain why I got into this line of work – but I'm happier for it!

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