Shriner Hospital

    I started going to Shriners Hospital in Greenville, SC on September 1, 1981. Shriners Children's is a network of non-profit medical facilities across North America. They help children under the age of 18. They provide the highest quality care to children with neuromusculoskeletal conditions, burn injuries and other special healthcare needs within a compassionate, family-centered and collaborative care environment.
    My appointments were every six months. I don’t remember much about my childhood, but I can remember the first appointment we went to. A Shriner’s mason drove us to the hospital. We were in church then, and the pastor went with us. Then my parents took me after the first appointment. We could have done a day trip, but my parents thought it would be better to spend a night in the hotel and go to my appointment the next morning. They wanted me to keep me happy because I always get scared when it was time for my appointment. We ate at Krispy Kreme before we headed for the hospital. I think we went shopping after my appointment because I remembered a toy picnic set that I loved.
    The people were outstanding every time, but it just was too scary to see what the outcome would be for every appointment. I was terrified to see if they would do surgery to help me walk. Once a doctor suggested having an operation and cut my hamstrings in the back of my knees so I could walk, but my parents didn’t want to risk when I could do by crawling.
    Shriner helped my family and me abundance during of going there. The most I’m grateful for was when a doctor told my parents to train me to be independent and to have a normal life. The doctor gave the best advice because my parents made me independent. Every check-up I had was a different doctor. They did x-ray most of the time, evaluated me by trying to straight my legs and bend everything they could. They put me in braces to strengthen my legs and my hips. They were a nightmare, especially when I had to sleep in them. When I see somebody wearing a leg brace now, I feel irritated inside because I know what they are dealing with. My first leg braces were horrible! Writing this, I can still feel the pain I had to put up with until my parents had pity for me. The brace was all metal that started at my hips and went to my shoes. My knees locked down to help strengthen my legs. I was supposed to wear them all the time, but I didn’t. I wore them at night locked down, and it was very painful. Dad or Mom would have to get up in the middle of night and take them off so I could sleep. Years later, the doctor put me in leg braces, which go up to below the knees. I think they wanted to focus  on strengthening my ankles. I still had to sleep in my full braces, but Dad or Mom came in the middle of night so I could sleep. Two years before I left Shriner, they put me in AFO braces. I don’t know why, but I called them UFO. I think AFO and UFO sounded alike, and it took me a while to call them AFO. I can still remember how they made the AFO. They wrapped each of my feet unto to below the knee with plaster. We had to let it dry, and they saw the cast off. In my mind, I said, “Man, don’t cut me!” But he was easy, and everybody kept me calm. I like AFO braces better because I wear normal shoes. When I went to the daycare, my braces came off as soon I got there. When I left Shriner, I didn’t wear braces anymore!

    If you ask me if I would help Shrine? My answer would be of course! They work with kids, and I have been there.