Shriners of Colorado Springs

A healing hand for the little ones who need it

By JENNIFER WILSON
THE GAZETTE

Nine-month-old Dulce Maria looked healthy and content on a recent day at the Colorado Springs Shriners club, dressed head-to-toe in pink and clutching a turquoise balloon.

But Dulce's family fears that the inward tilt of her tiny toes signals the beginning of chronic hip problems that plague her sisters, 12-year-old Sofia and 14-year-old Mayola.

The genetic condition brought Mayola to the Shriners hospital in Mexico City as a baby for surgery to repair her dislocated hip. Shriners doctors also stabilized Sofia's hips with a metal brace.

"They've done a lot for me and my sister," Mayola said.

Now in Colorado Springs, the family has returned to the Shriners for help.

Few people know it, but one Saturday each month the Colorado Springs chapter of the Al Kaly Temple of the Shrine opens its doors in Old Colorado City to babies, children and teens needing medical help.

The Shriners can't treat all of them, but for many issues - including severe burns, cleft palates and orthopedic problems - the organization can send children to one of its 22 hospitals for expert care.

No insurance? No problem. It's free.

"We're into it for the little ones," said Shriners hospital representative Bob Kula.

For 85 years the Shriners organization has provided free medical care for 835,000 children worldwide, according to its Web site. It gets its money through donations, membership dues and fundraisers.

It's not clear how many they've helped in the Pikes Peak region, but local Shriners have dealt with some serious cases. Two of the five children set on fire, allegedly by their mother, in late January were sent to the Shriners burn hospital in Galveston, Texas.

Children without such traumatic injuries go through the screening process first.

Kula said Colorado Springs used to hold just two screenings per year, but they got crowded.

"We had 37 at one of them," Kula said.

By the mid-1990s they started holding monthly clinics, which could draw 10 children or no children, officials said.

The process begins on screening day with a lot of paperwork. Dr. Ralph, a Shriner and former Air Force surgeon, examines the children and documents issues with photos.

Everything gets sent to Al Kaly headquarters in Pueblo for approval, then on to the Shriners hospital that treats the specific problem. Orthopedic issues often get sent to Salt Lake City; children with cleft palates often head to Chicago. It takes about two months from the screening for a child to be approved for treatment.

On April 12, seven children came to the Colorado Springs screening, including the family of Skyler.

While his mom, Rachel, talked to a Shriner, Skyler munched on a cookie while his brother, 4-yearold Bradley, enjoyed a chocolate-covered doughnut with sprinkles.

His mom explained that Skyler has cerebral palsy that affects his left side. He drags his left leg when he walks, and when he runs, he holds his left arm against his body.

They've been through plenty of doctors with no luck, so they hope the Shriners hospitals can help.

So does the family of 8-year-old Victoria, whose heel ligaments are too tight, causing her to have problems walking.

Her parents, Kevin and Danielle, heard about the Shriners screening through a friend.

"You do what you need to do for your children," Kevin said.

Shriner Ron knows firsthand how the organization's hospitals can help children. Last year, Ron and his wife, Krista, adopted Emily, a 3-yearold from China who is missing the lower portion of her right arm.

Through the Shriners, Emily has received a prosthetic arm, which her family calls "Mr. Handy."

"She rides her tricycle all around the house. She's a beast," Ron said.

Knowing Shriners could help with Emily's medical problems made adopting a special-needs child no big deal, he said.

But most people still have trouble accepting the "no insurance" issue.

"You heard it from me. I'll write it down,"Ron said, laughing.

CONTACT
For more information about local screenings, e-mail Dr. Ralph at amdochat@falconbroadband.net.

Online
www.alkalyshrine.org