One Amazing Hospital!

On Saturday, September 14, 2008, we had the privilege of attending the ground breaking and corner stone laying ceremony presented by the Shriner's of America for the new addition to the Shriner's Children's Hospital in Portland. Dean was inducted into the Shriner's last year and it was a privilege he had been looking forward to for a very long time. The Hospital is an amazing philanthropic enterprise supported solely by the Shriner's of America. Every child who goes through their doors has an opportunity of hope given to them and it doesn't cost them one single penny.




After the ceremony, we were taken on a tour of the Hospital. Everything is "State of the Art!" The Shriner's have spared no expense to see to it that the children are taken care of. At this particular facility, they do Orthopedic (Musculo-skeletal) surgeries and repairs. And they have recently added a Cleft lip and palate section to help children with those problems. I couldn't help thinking how far medicine has come over the past 50 years. If they had had these surgeries available, my grandmother would not have had to go through her life with a cleft lip and palate!

We met a boy named "Walker," who was walking with a contraption connected to his head with a halo. He was so neat! He was about 12 or 13 years old and had had scoliosis since birth. And he was walking straight as a pin! Amazing! Another young girl, maybe 12 or 13, was from Korea and played the piano beautifully. Her mouth was full of wire contraptions while her cleft lip and palate were being repaired. I love that I am a Health Care Provider and can appreciate all of the amazing things that are being done in today's medicine.

All in all, it was a memorable day and I am so glad we were able to go and participate.