Dear Readers,
Recently, a man drove five hours to Shriners Children’s Northern California. Carrying a worn stamp-collecting book, he was there to fulfill his father’s dying wish.
His father, David, received treatment for spina bifida at the Shriners Children’s hospital in California when he was 6 to 8 years old. A staff member gave the boy the stamp book and taught him about collecting.
Over the years, David told his sons stories about his time at the hospital. Patient beds were in big open wards, where children bonded and bickered like siblings. Surgeries were understandably scary, but recovery in an isolation ward, apart from friends, was the really hard part.
Patients today have a very different experience, as you’ll read about in our feature on pages 5-7. You’ll learn how our physician-scientists are at the forefront of discovery and clinical advancements for children with spina bifida. You will read about adaptive sports like sledge hockey and therapeutic horseback riding that help kids thrive and about the wrap-around care that is one of the cornerstones of our approach to treatment.
David was 81 when he passed away, having enjoyed a long and remarkable life. Yet his connection to Shriners Children’s was so strong that over 70 years later he asked his son to share his well-loved stamp book and story.
We are still offering the same hope and healing today, and our caregivers treasure the bonds they make with our patients. It is these bonds with the people in our lives that matter most. I hope together you will enjoy the love and light of the holiday season.
Sincerely,
Mel Bower
Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Shriners Children’s
Patient Perspectives
Staff at Shriners Children’s Hawaiʻi were deeply moved to receive this touching note from one of their brave patients, Layla, along with a beautifully crafted tie blanket and an adorable raccoon from Layla and her sister, Joelle. Moments like these remind us why we do what we do.
To Shriners, Hi, my name is Layla, and I’m going to be in 10th grade. I live on the Big Island and when I was 8 years old, I hurt my knee playing soccer. All the doctors here told me I broke a bone, but no one would cast me. So, I came to Shriners Children’s Hawaiʻi. I was told (what I needed would be) taken care of, from the crutches to rehab.
At the end of all this, I got to pick out a blanket from a box. It was a red and black Minnie Mouse tie blanket, like the one in this box. I wanted to thank Shriners for its service and let someone else enjoy a blanket like I was able to.
I also crocheted a plush to match the raccoon on the blanket and was hoping they go together. My sister and I had picked out some fleece and tied all the little knots. I want to repay Shriners Children’s for the kindness that they show. I am currently a cross country runner, and I play softball. I really believe that I wouldn’t be able to do what I can if Shriners Children’s didn’t help me. Again, thank you so much, and I hope another kid will receive my blanket like I did.
Layla and Joelle
