Douglas faces surgery with strength, determination

6:57 p.m. Oct. 26, 2025

KENZIE HOWARD
MCHS Student Journalist

On Monday, Moore County Middle School cheerleader Jana Douglas will face her 20th surgery – another significant step in a lifelong battle with scoliosis. Doctors recently discovered two broken rods in her spine, and they’ll be replaced in what she hopes will finally be her last procedure.

For Jana, 12, this is nothing new. She’s been fighting uphill since birth.

Jana was born with Cleidocranial Dysplasia (CCD) and Early Onset Severe Scoliosis. This rare combination has shaped nearly every part of her young life. Her spine curved into an “S” shape with a 90-degree bend, and her family spent months searching for answers before finally getting a diagnosis.

Her mother, Beth Heflin, recalls how frightening those early days were.

“We didn’t find out until she was 14 months old, after a week in the NICU,” Heflin said. “No one ever discovered it until we changed doctors, and he knew immediately what it was.

“She is our miracle for sure. She was told she would never walk or run – and she’s our proof that God has big plans for her.”

Cleidocranial dysplasia is a rare genetic condition that affects the formation of bones and teeth. It’s caused by a mutation in the RUNX2 gene, which is essential for bone and cartilage development. People with CCD may have underdeveloped or missing collarbones, delayed bone growth, and skull or facial abnormalities – but with proper care, they can live full and active lives.

That’s precisely what Jana is doing.

Despite countless procedures and extended hospital stays, Jana has never lost her spirit. She underwent her first spinal surgery when she was only 2 years old, and she’s been persevering ever since.

“Some things can be hard when it comes to my rods,” Jana said. “Sometimes it makes it difficult to cheer.”

But cheerleading is more than a pastime for her – it’s her passion and her escape. She’s been part of the Moore County cheer program since she was 4, finding joy, confidence, and community in the sport.

“It’s really the only sport I can do,” she explained. “But I love it.”

Just a year ago, Jana underwent one of her most extensive surgeries yet – a spinal fusion doctors believed would be her last. Learning that she’d need another procedure so soon was challenging to accept.

“I’m very anxious,” she admitted. “My last one was a really big surgery, and they told me it would be my last.”

Still, Jana’s courage never wavers. She continues to show the same determination that’s carried her through every challenge so far – one cheer, one step, one surgery at a time.

As she prepares for Monday’s operation, her teammates, classmates, and the entire Moore County community are rallying around her, hoping this time, her recovery marks a well-earned new beginning.