Scottish Rite for Children’s Therapeutic Recreation team partnered with Jasmine’s Beat to host RITE Moves, an inclusive dance camp for patients ages 8 to 16. The camp encouraged children of all abilities to build confidence, express themselves through movement and have fun while learning a variety of dance styles.
When Kelsey was 8 years old, reading felt impossible. The homeschooled Forney, Texas, student struggled to grasp the basics of recognizing letters and forming words. Her mother, Erin, had taught Kelsey’s three older siblings to read, but with Kelsey, nothing was sticking. They would practice the letter A at breakfast, return after lunch, and Kelsey would stare at the page and ask, “What letter is that?”
“She seemed so frustrated,” Erin recalls. “She would tell me she didn’t think she’d be able to read. As her mom, it was heartbreaking because I wasn’t sure how to help her.”
Something clicked for Erin one afternoon when she contacted a friend whose daughter had dyslexia, a learning difference that makes reading, writing and spelling a challenge. After researching options, Erin discovered the Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disorders at Scottish Rite for Children and submitted the paperwork for a diagnostic evaluation. Kelsey was officially diagnosed with dyslexia and a writing-related learning difference called dysgraphia.
“Once we had the label of dyslexia, it was such a relief,” Erin says. “We knew how to move forward.”
The center has served as a path forward for children like Kelsey for six decades. Founded in 1965, the center has built a reputation as a national leader in dyslexia identification, treatment and education. Its signature dyslexia curriculum, Take Flight, is used by schools, therapists and educators in 48 states and internationally, making it one of the most widely implemented evidence-based programs.
“Our expertise in dyslexia and related learning disorders is recognized because we set a high standard for creating effective programs and training educators to provide guidance for children with dyslexia,” says Sheryl Frierson, M.D., M.Ed., medical director of the center.
Dr. Frierson also emphasizes the importance of their research-driven approach. “What sets us apart is that our programs are not just evidence-based but research-validated, which means that we have conducted formal studies that show our programs improve students’ reading and learning capabilities,” she says. “We rigorously test every curriculum to ensure it truly makes a difference in children’s lives.”
In the fall of 2024, Kelsey joined the center’s Dyslexia Laboratory School, a free program offering specialized instruction for qualifying students in small groups at the Dallas campus. She was placed in Take Flight, a two-year, Orton-Gillingham-based curriculum that uses multisensory methods to address phonemic awareness, phonics, spelling, fluency and comprehension.
Kelsey’s teacher, dyslexia therapist Karla Tavarez, B.A., was eager to take on her first group of students while also studying to become a Take Flight therapist. For Tavarez, the experience was as much about helping her students grow as it was about learning from them. She recognized early on that Kelsey’s greatest challenge was not just decoding words. It was believing she could.
“Kelsey was aware she was struggling, and we had to first build that confidence,” Tavarez says. “What I try to maintain in the classroom is working on the emotional side, alongside learning how to read. I want to make them feel comfortable and let them know they are able to do hard things.”
Kelsey and her mother commuted 40 minutes, four days a week, for two years to the Dyslexia Laboratory School where she attended a 90-minute class. She never complained and rarely missed a class.
In Kelsey’s second year, a pilot program called Write Idea was introduced to complement the Take Flight curriculum. Designed specifically for students with dysgraphia, Write Idea is a 15-minute program led by Tammy Klinkerman, M.Ed., L.D.T., CALT-QI. The curriculum focuses on improving handwriting, spelling, orthography and written expression. By addressing these areas, Write Idea works hand-inhand with Take Flight to provide a comprehensive approach to supporting students with both dyslexia and dysgraphia.
Although writing in cursive was daunting at first, Kelsey embraced the challenge. Cursive handwriting, a cornerstone of the Dyslexia Laboratory School’s approach, plays a key role in helping students connect letters and sounds more effectively. “I wanted to give the program everything I had,” Kelsey explains. “I try to do better every day.”
“We instill in the students that they are in a safe environment and can feel comfortable taking risks,” says Klinkerman, who also coordinates the Dyslexia Laboratory School. “We give students a lot of support within the classroom.” Kelsey’s confidence grew steadily as she mastered the techniques taught in both Take Flight and Write Idea, demonstrating just how impactful these programs can be.
Reflecting on the center’s mission to meet the growing needs of children with dyslexia, Dr. Frierson shares, “Our goal is not just to address students’ immediate challenges but to empower them for a lifetime of success. As we continue to expand our programs, we are committed to ensuring that every child, regardless of where they live, has access to the support they need to unlock their full potential.”
Today, Kelsey is a confident, eager reader, and she intends to use her skills to continue her homeschool curriculum. Outside the classroom, she competes in archery and has her sights set on becoming a veterinarian someday — a goal that anyone who knows her would not doubt for a second.
At 1 o’clock in the morning, doctors and nurses scrambled around the hospital room getting everything ready. Bradley was arriving early.
“When Bradley was born,” his father, Ryan, says, “they took him over to the table to clean him up and then pulled me over and said, ‘Hey dad, you know about his leg, right?’ And I was like, ‘What?’ I had no idea what they were talking about.”
Ryan remembers looking down at Bradley’s right leg and seeing that he seemed to have no thigh and that his knee sat near his hip. When everyone finally left the room, he told his wife, Tracey.
“It was one of the darkest points of my life,” Tracey says. “We didn’t know ahead of time. We didn’t know what this meant. We didn’t know what his future would hold, and we didn’t know if anything else was wrong.”
The hospitalist had never seen anything like it. She and the family’s pediatrician referred the family to Scottish Rite for Children.
Pediatric orthopedic surgeon Lane Wimberly, M.D., diagnosed Bradley, at 3 weeks old, with proximal femoral focal deficiency (PFFD). PFFD is a rare congenital limb difference of the femur, or thigh bone. The affected thigh bone is shorter than the other leg and may be crooked. The severity of the leg length difference and deformity varies across a spectrum for each child and can affect the stability of the hip and knee. The cause of PFFD is unknown, and it is often missed during prenatal sonography due to its rarity and the tendency to measure just one femur length.
Dr. Wimberly let me cry through the entire appointment,” Tracey says. “He was very reassuring, and though he didn’t end up being our doctor, he played a critical role in our story because up until then, we just didn’t know what was wrong.”
After Bradley was diagnosed, Dr. Wimberly — who specializes in neurological disorders associated with pediatric orthopedic conditions — referred the family to two different multidisciplinary teams that presented various treatment options to help the family make the best decision possible. They saw Director of the Center for Excellence in Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction David A. Podeszwa, M.D., as well as pediatric orthopedic surgeon Corey S. Gill, M.D., M.A., in the Limb Difference Clinic. The couple learned that Bradley’s right thigh bone is significantly shorter than his left. Essentially, his right foot only came to the length of his left knee. They also discovered that Bradley has no ball-and-socket joint in his hip.
Depending on the severity of PFFD, families may choose between various treatment plans that are customized for each child. If the femoral deficiency is mild, a child’s leg may be lengthened through surgical procedures. If the femur is too short for lengthening, the child may wear a prosthesis. One prosthetic option allows the child to slide their foot into a prosthesis. Another option requires an amputation of the foot so that the child may fit into a prosthesis better and have more mobility.
The family met with Dr. Podeszwa and his team to learn about the care involved in limb lengthening, as well as Dr. Gill and his team to learn about the care involved in a prosthesis, with or without amputation. They also met with the Prosthetics team, Psychology, Physical Therapy, Nursing and, through the Peer Support Program, other families whose children have similar conditions.
“One of my biggest fears was making the wrong choice,” Tracey says. Ryan agrees. “It’s not like picking out a paint color,” he says. “We were making a life-changing, life-altering decision for Bradley on his behalf.”
“Bradley has a pretty severe femoral deficiency,” Dr. Gill says. “Our goal is for him to be as functional as possible with the least number of surgeries. To lengthen his leg, he was going to require many surgeries over the course of childhood with a still unpredictable result that would likely not be as functional as an amputation.”
After considering the options, Bradley’s family realized that limb lengthening and even a prosthesis without an amputation were not the best treatment plans for Bradley. “Once we made the decision to do the amputation, we never doubted it for one second,” Ryan says.
Though PFFD is very rare and not completely understood, families from across the country seek expertise at Scottish Rite for Children for this condition. “We have a long history of treating kids with congenital differences of all kinds,” Dr. Gill says. “We see more kids with limb differences and amputations or needing prostheses than probably anywhere else in the country.”
Last August, just after Bradley’s first birthday, Dr. Gill performed the amputation. A month later, prosthetist Eddie Krische, M.S., C.P.O., L.P.O., casted Bradley to create a customized prosthetic leg. In October, Bradley received his prosthetic leg, complete with an animal design featuring lions, giraffes, monkeys and more.
“I wanted a happy design,” Tracey says. “I wanted something that had happy faces that I could point to and also use as a teaching tool.”
Today, Bradley is passionate about airplanes. His parents take him to Founders’ Plaza at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport to watch them take off and land. He also has toy planes that he takes wherever he goes. He even insists on sleeping with them!
In March, at a follow-up appointment with Dr. Gill, Bradley brought a blue plane, a white plane and a red helicopter. While playing with them in the waiting room, he stood on his prosthetic leg without holding onto anything for more than 30 seconds — a record. He also walked in his prosthesis while holding onto tables and chairs.
“He’s taken a few independent steps,” Tracey says. “He’s not walking independently yet, but I know he’s capable. I just don’t know if he knows that he’s capable yet.”
Even so, Tracey and Ryan describe Bradley with one word: tenacious. “When he learned to sit up, crawl, roll over, even when he figured out how to walk on his stump after his amputation, going up and down the stairs, we didn’t teach him any of that,” Ryan says. “He did it all on his own.”
After seeing Bradley’s progress, Dr. Gill says, “He’s smiling, he’s happy, he’s playing, he’s wearing his prosthesis, and he’s getting around doing normal kid stuff, which is the goal and just what we would expect.”
As Bradley grows, Dr. Gill will follow his progress. Regarding Bradley’s future treatment plan, Ryan shares that Dr. Podeszwa may perform a “super hip surgery” when Bradley is between the ages of 3 and 5, depending on his rate of growth and bone development. The goal of surgery will be multifaceted, including strengthening his hip and reconstructing his leg so that his knees line up with no leg length disparity.
“From the beginning, everyone has welcomed our family,” Tracey says. “We feel like we’re part of the team. They think of us as people, not just patients.”
Ryan adds, “They never once made us feel like our feelings were insignificant or that our fears or worries were questionable, and they never rushed us.”
The couple shares that the experience has strengthened their family. “Just when you thought something was hard or that you couldn’t take anymore, you really are stronger than you think,” Ryan says. “We attribute that strength to our faith in God.”
“We didn’t choose this path,” Tracey says. “It was given to us, and Scottish Rite was placed in our lives. We couldn’t be more thankful because without them, Bradley doesn’t walk. With them, he walks, and he can run, play sports and have as much of a normal childhood as anybody else. ‘Thank you’ just isn’t enough. Scottish Rite has given Bradley everything.”
Young physicians from across the country pursue Scottish Rite for Children as a premier destination for advanced orthopedic fellowship training. For Michael Kutschke, M.D., a fellow in the recently accredited Orthopedic Sports Medicine Fellowship, the experience is especially meaningful. His connection to Scottish Rite began years earlier as a patient, a time that left a lasting impression and shaped his path back to the institution.
Kutschke was referred to Scottish Rite for corrective elbow surgery and later returned as a high school athlete, this time requiring the orthopedic sports medicine expertise of pediatric orthopedic surgeon Philip L. Wilson, M.D. The care he received at Scottish Rite was formative in his decision to pursue a career in orthopedic surgery. As a UT Southwestern medical student, Kutschke gained valuable research experiences under the mentorship of Scottish Rite Director of the Center for Excellence in Hip Harry Kim, M.D., M.S. During one late night in the lab, Kutschke was introduced to Brittani Boukather, an evening volunteer. The brief encounter ultimately led to their marriage and the start of their young family.
After completing orthopedic residency at Brown University, Kutschke reconnected with Scottish Rite to further his training in the Orthopedic Sports Medicine Fellowship, led by Program Director Henry B. Ellis, M.D. This distinctive program is among only a few accredited subspecialty fellowships dedicated primarily to the orthopedic care of young athletes.
“This is a full circle moment,” Wilson says, describing his reaction to Kutschke returning as a fellow. “If you are fortunate to spark interest in others and then have the opportunity to help educate them to become better than you are, that is the ultimate achievement.”
“One forefront reason I was drawn to the fellowship is the leadership of Drs. Ellis and Wilson,” Kutschke says. “They are excellent surgeons, clinicians, researchers and mentors. Beyond that, they are invested in my life outside of work and even know my kids’ names — something that cannot be found in other programs.”
Much of Kutschke’s research efforts align with his athletic background, which has influenced his collaboration with researchers in the Movement Science Lab in Frisco. His work developing a predictive model for adolescent anterior cruciate ligament injuries will be presented at the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America Annual Meeting this summer.
“We are not just treating pediatric sports injuries, we are studying how they happen and how to prevent them,” Wilson says. “That is where the field is going, and Michael is right at the center of that effort in North Texas.”
From the time he first encountered the scent of freshly popped popcorn as a patient, to the research projects that inadvertently led to the start of his family, and now returning to advance his career in orthopedic sports medicine, Scottish Rite has been a place of enduring connection for Kutschke. “This place has been a part of my life for a really long time,” Kutschke says. “To come back in this role as a fellow is more than special. At Scottish Rite, I am constantly inspired by the greatness around me.”
Researchers at Scottish Rite for Children Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Center’s Movement Science Lab and UT Southwestern Medical Center found that post-exercise gait and cognitive testing may provide a more accurate measure of concussion recovery in young athletes. Published in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, the study found that physical exertion revealed subtle changes in walking patterns and cognitive function that may not be detected during standard concussion evaluations.
Between 1 million and 2 million children younger than 18 experience sports-related concussions each year in the United States. Those who return to physical activity too soon are at risk for prolonged recovery and increased musculoskeletal injuries due to lingering neurological deficits.
Led by Section Director of Medical Sports Medicine and sports medicine physician Shane Miller, M.D., FAAP, and lead author Ashley Erdman, the pilot study examined whether gait analysis, combined with cognitive testing after exercise, could identify lingering neurological deficits in adolescents who had already been cleared to return to sports. Researchers found participants walked more slowly and took shorter steps following exertion, suggesting physical activity may reveal signs of incomplete recovery that symptom-based assessments alone can miss.
“Our key finding is that even in adolescents who have been cleared after a concussion, physical exertion still reveals meaningful changes in cognition and function,” says Miller. “We may need to evaluate the brain in different ways when determining whether somebody has recovered and is ready to return to sports.”
Additional Scottish Rite contributors included Senior Biomechanist and Movement Science Lab Manager Ashley Erdman, B.S., M.B.A.; Division Director of Movement Science Laboratory Sophia Ulman, Ph.D.; Bioengineer Alex Loewen, M.S.; sports medicine physicians Jacob Jones, M.D., and Jane S. Chung, M.D.; and Director of Clinical Research and Assistant Chief of Staff Henry Ellis, M.D.