WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Months after the fight for her life, a ballet student isn’t just back on her feet, she’s back on point. And she credits ballet for her miraculous recovery.
When 20-year-old Gianna Forte dances, it’s obvious her body moves unlike any other. But medically speaking, her body truly is unique. Gianna was born with an omphalocele, meaning her abdominal organs were on the outside of her body.
Doctors discovered the birth defect when Gianna’s mother, Jodi, was six months pregnant, so they were ready with a team of surgeons as Gianna entered the world.
The procedure was successful, and growing up, the only difference between Gianna and other children was that she had no belly button, something her parents encouraged her to be proud of.
“I wasn’t shy or embarrassed about it and my parents helped me with that. They told me to wear bikinis, be proud of it,” said Gianna. “I never grew up being afraid of showing off my body or working with it.”
And Gianna loved moving her body more than most. As she learned to walk, she began to dance. So Jodi enrolled her daughter in her first dance class when she was just shy of two years old.
Her passion for dance led her to mastering as many styles as she could, from tap to hip-hop. But at age 11, Gianna made a life-altering move. She dropped all other sports and dance styles to focus solely on ballet in hopes of becoming a professional ballerina.
Ten years later, she is even closer to achieving her dream as a member of the Washington Ballet’s highest-level school, the Professional Training Program. But the stress of dancing all day weighed on Gianna’s body, and in March 2018, she tore her labrum in her hip, a common injury seen in professional ballet dancers.
Like many of her peers, Gianna had to get a simple orthoscopic procedure to fix her hip. But as she returned home with her parents to recover, it became obvious something was wrong. Gianna could not stop throwing up.
After days of vomiting, doctors told Gianna to return to the hospital. Wary of the damage surgery could do on a ballet dancer’s body, they attempted to avoid it at all costs, but as she continued to worsen, it became the only option.
The surgery lasted five hours, and when her surgeon came out to her parents, he only had two words: It’s complicated.
“To hear those words was just mind blowing,” said Jodi.
When Gianna's organs were placed back in her as an infant, they were put in different positions. While normal and not dangerous, the hip surgery and anesthesia somehow caused her organs to twist.
“They called it the perfect storm,” said Gianna.
In addition to the malrotation, Gianna began to suffer from sepsis, a dangerous infection to the blood that can be fatal. The combination caused doctors to leave Gianna’s stomach open as she fought for her life.
As her condition worsened, doctors grew concerned.
“The doctor came in and he said to me, ‘She has really got to turn this corner. We’re worried.’ I said, ‘Don’t tell me, you need to tell her what she has to do,’” said Jodi.
Gianna was alert but couldn’t talk. When her doctor told her she needed to fight, it hit home.
“From the very beginning when you’re little in ballet, they tell you to do something and you’re expected to do it. You’re expected to try your best,” said Gianna.
That night, Jodi turned on the Academy Awards in Gianna’s room. Immediately, Gianna became more alert, and the many monitors connected to her changed.
“It really was like the light at the end of the tunnel,” said Gianna. “She just came out of it like a miracle.”
Over the course of nine days, Gianna underwent five surgeries. Gianna and her family credit ballet in keeping her strong and motivating her.
“That’s what got her through it was that drive and determination,” said Jodi. “She wanted to get back on her feet and back dancing and nothing was going to stop her from achieving that goal.”
Even after doctors were able to close her stomach, Gianna had to fight off pneumonia and issues with her white blood cells. Just two months after her initial surgery, Gianna returned to the Washington Ballet. While she wasn’t initially dancing, she gained momentum through her friends and passion.
Today, she is almost fully recovered and preparing for one of the biggest productions in the world of ballet, The Nutcracker. But she continues to appreciate the lessons from the traumatic experience of overcoming such grave illness.
“You don’t really think, ‘Well tomorrow I could never be dancing again,’” said Gianna. “I have more appreciation just for every day.”
