SHC-Portland Donor Development Annual Report

Delivering life-changing care to our patients Caring for Clubfoot

Savannah was 15-years-old when she was referred to Shriners Hospitals for Children — Portland for scoliosis treatment. Daniel Bouton, M.D. recommended immediate surgery to straighten the curve of her spine and also prevent the curve and twist of her spine from further altering her rib cage and restricting her lungs and heart, which was causing the difficulty in her breathing. “My surgery wasn’t scary at all, I was super excited,” said Savannah, now 19-years-old. “I even brought in my panda pillow pet. All of the nurses were so kind when I was recovering and always had a smile on their face or a joke to tell – even when it was 3 a.m.! I felt so welcomed, and they helped me with everything I had to do, and they even let my best friend come visit me while I was recovering, which made me feel infinitely better.”

Sixteen-year-old Kelly is a picture of strength and positivity, and not just because of the Wonder Woman casts on her legs. After her most recent foot surgery, her sixth lower extremity surgery at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Portland, Kelly’s optimism lights up the room.

Lincoln , now 11-years-old, became a patient at the Portland Shriners Hospital when he was 5 years old. This past year, he received two new running legs from Pediatric Orthotics & Prosthetics Services - Northwest located within the hospital. One of the design patterns happened to match his mask! “Throughout all of Lincoln’s visits to the Portland Shriners Hospital, I have been so relieved to see the level of care from the providers for patients like Lincoln,” said Mara, Lincoln’s mother. “Never for a minute have I worried about him when his providers were taking care of him. We’ve been coming and going from Shriners for more than half of Lincoln’s life, and I have always known that he was safe and happy at his visits.”

Born with severe clubfoot on both feet and bilateral dislocated knees, Kelly’s parents didn’t know where to turn. “Nobody was willing to take her on because her case was so severe,” said Kimberly, Kelly’s mom. “Our pediatrician contacted Shriners [Hospitals], and we made our first visit when she was 4 days old.” At the time, Michael Sussman, M.D., provided treatment to Kelly for both of these conditions, completely correcting her bilateral dislocated knees. Kelly’s most recent surgery was conducted by Katie Fuchs, M.D., with a goal of correcting the inward alignment of her feet which was causing pain and making it difficult to wear shoes, an issue that stemmed from clubfoot. Dr. Fuchs had asked Kelly if she had any requests for her

The Adaptive Ski & Snowboard Program through the Portland Shriners Hospital’s recreational therapy department invites patients to enjoy skiing and snowboarding who may otherwise not have been able to participate. Lucy, a patient at the hospital, utilizes a wheelchair in her daily life, and the program supplied her with the adaptive equipment and instructors needed to make her participation possible. “Skiing is a transformative experience, and I’ve met too many kids and parents who are completely shocked that skiing is something that their child can do,” said Caroline Scott, CTRS, recreational therapist at the Portland Shriners Hospital. “I’ve seen it transform a person’s idea of what they are capable of, and transform a parent’s idea of what their child is capable of.”

casts after surgery was complete, and Kelly knew exactly what she wanted: Wonder Woman! “Wonder Woman is strong and she’s brave,” said Kelly. “I was just inspired, so that’s what I wanted to do.” “Kelly is an absolute joy to take care of – she brightens my day with her gentle strength and incredibly kind and calm attitude in the face of such difficult problems,” said Dr. Fuchs. “Kelly is healing well from her last surgery, resulting in a nice straight pair of feet that I hope get her where she’s going without discomfort for many years to come.”

Shriners Hospitals for Children — Portland

2020 Development Report

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