Share Your Story: Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

Share Your Story: Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

by | Jul 19, 2022 | Scoliosis & Spine

Meet Beau, a patient who is seen by our team of multidisciplinary experts. Learn more about his journey below.

Blogs written by Beau and his mom, Courtney.

When Beau was 6 months old, he was placed in the Chinese orphanage system, and our family adopted him in 2017, when he was 4 years old. We did not know much about his history, as he lived in a very large orphanage and information was not passed along. We did know he would be somewhat of a medical mystery and booked his appointment with our pediatrician before we even left China.

Beau is a complex patient, and after a variety of appointments and tests, he was eventually diagnosed with a form of dwarfism called spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita (SEDc) and a monoallelic mutation of COL2A1 gene. This is a rare genetic disorder that impacts different parts and systems of his body, including his eyes, hearing, spine and more.

In May 2021, Beau’s spinal curve rapidly started to increase, and that is when our orthopedic surgeon in Houston referred us to Scottish Rite for Children. We really love and trust our doctor in Houston, so it was very comforting to hear him say, ‘If my kid needed this done, where I’m sending you is where I would go. They are my number one choice.’ My anxiety as a mom went away, and I immediately started to research everything I could. We took the first available appointment and met Dr. Johnson for the first time at the end of June. She gave us a game plan for surgery, and we left with a sense of peace about the journey we were about to take with Beau at Scottish Rite.

In January 2022, Beau had spinal surgery and was in halo decompression for the next five weeks. Halo-gravity traction is the process of using a metal ring, or halo, attached to a child’s skull that applies traction to the spine, gently stretching and straightening out the spine to correct curvatures. – Courtney

I had so much fun in my halo, and my mom decorated my equipment, which made it even more fun! My walker was Mardi Gras-themed the entire time. I always had beads to hand out, and sometimes I even had a speaker playing Mardi Gras music!

My wheelchair was first decorated as the emperor’s throne, because of Chinese New Year, and I handed out handmade fortune cookies. I created all the sayings, and my mom made paper cookies. I even painted my face like a tiger, because we are in The Year of the Tiger.

For Valentine’s Day, my decorations were full of hearts, lights and sparkles. I had a cool shirt that said, ‘Just call me Cupid’ and wore an awesome red top hat with heart glasses. My mom and I made over 350 valentines, and we handed them out around the hospital. I know that there are a lot of people that are needed to make hospitals run smoothly, and I tried to meet all of them. I wanted to remind them that they are important, and I was thankful for all they did during my stay.

After surgery, I went home in a wheelchair. My farewell theme decorations were Oh, the Places You’ll Go! My mom said that this was a perfect theme to represent moving from China to the United States. Not only did I have to learn and adapt to a new world, but because of my spine surgery at Scottish Rite, I also have a new level of life, and nothing is going to hold me back!

I feel like I will be able to do anything I set my sights on, thanks to different people at Scottish Rite. The Therapeutic Recreation department allowed me to participate in sports and games that I never thought I would be able to do. My size can make sports hard, but they showed me how I could fully participate with just minor modifications.

When I was an inpatient, Ms. Dana gave me my very own Learn to Golf set of golf clubs, and we had a special visitor during therapeutic recreation – Mr. Carlos. He taught me how to play golf, plus he had a huge smile, was super nice, and has a special leg. We live near a golf course, and I have always wanted to learn how to play, but because of my size and my back, I never thought I would be able to participate. Mr. Carlos worked with me, and I learned how to make adjustments and was able to swing a golf club and hit the ball. After my big surgery, he even came to check on me. Learn to Golf will allow me to keep playing the sport and has connected me with special coaches, just like Mr. Carlos.

I am now back home in Houston and feeling good. I will always remember Scottish Rite for Children, and I look forward to my checkups because I can visit my friends all around the hospital, and they always remember my name!! – Beau

DO YOU HAVE A STORY? WE WANT TO HEAR IT! SHARE YOUR STORY WITH US.

Get to Know our Staff: David Calles, Inpatient Unit

Get to Know our Staff: David Calles, Inpatient Unit

by | Jul 18, 2022 | Spotlight

What is your job title/your role at Scottish Rite for Children? 
I am a Patient Care Technician, and I assist the nursing staff with patient care.
 
What do you do on a daily basis or what sort of duties do you have at work? 
I take vital signs, prepare the surgery beds, run labs, occasionally answer the phones, assist patients with their activities of daily living and support my nursing staff with taking patients to and from procedures.

What was your first job? What path did you take to get here or what led you to Scottish Rite? How long have you worked here?
I worked at a place called James Coney Island in Houston serving food and dressing up like a big hotdog! I have worked at Scottish Rite for 10 years as of July 31. It’s been a true blessing to have Scottish Rite in my life.
 
What do you enjoy most about Scottish Rite?
The feeling of family and that I am making a difference. I love to make special connections with the patients and family members.
 
Tell us something about your job that others might not already know.
My favorite part about my job is that I get to connect with the patients and make them smile and feel normal. I like to take their minds off of what they are going through and make their stay/day brighter.
 
Where is the most interesting place you’ve been?
The Aztec ruins in Mexico — it’s amazing to think that they initiated a game similar to basketball and how advanced they were for what is considered a primitive time.
 
What is your favorite game or sport to watch and play?
UFC mixed martial arts to watch and hunting as a hobby.
 
What’s one fun fact about yourself?
I love to dance.

NBC DFW: Scottish Rite, UTSW Awarded $6.6 Million for Scoliosis Research

NBC DFW: Scottish Rite, UTSW Awarded $6.6 Million for Scoliosis Research

by | Jul 18, 2022 | Press Coverage, Research & Innovation

Researchers at Scottish Rite for Children and UT Southwestern were awarded $6.6 million over five years by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue research into the underlying causes of idiopathic scoliosis.

The grant which was announced by Scottish Rite Tuesday will fund a multisite program titled “Developmental Mechanisms of Idiopathic Scoliosis.” The goal of the program is to understand the biological causes of idiopathic scoliosis to develop future treatments.

Read the entire article.

Share Your Story: A Lifetime of Golf

Share Your Story: A Lifetime of Golf

by | Jul 6, 2022 | Neurology

Meet Ford, a patient who was treated by our multidisciplinary team of experts.

Blog written by Ford.

My name is Ford. I am 26 years old and also have cerebral palsy. When I was 10 years old, I had surgery on my legs at Scottish Rite for Children. The year before, I started participating in Learn to Golf and attended my first Learn to Golf clinic at a course in Lubbock, TX.

Learn to Golf introduced me to the sport and has since allowed me to play a game that changed my life!

When I would attend a Learn to Golf clinic, I would receive access to this wonderful game, as well as receive personalized instruction and equipment.

Golf is a sport that I plan on playing my entire life and to this day, I have many friends that I have made through the game. Golf keeps me motivated to care for myself and stay in shape throughout the ups and downs of life.

Words cannot express the level of gratitude that I have for Scottish Rite and Dana Dempsey. Dana not only works to serve children who have medical issues, but she also makes sure patients find joy in their lives! I am forever grateful for Scottish Rite, and if you have even the slightest interest in golf, you should participate in a Learn to Golf clinic.

The older I get, the more I understand how special Scottish Rite is. I don’t think anyone really wants to be in the hospital, but when you are at Scottish Rite, everyone there makes an effort for you to feel comfortable and welcome. I haven’t had an operation at Scottish Rite since 2007, but every time I pick up a golf club, I am reminded of the impact the hospital had on my life.

DO YOU HAVE A STORY? WE WANT TO HEAR IT! SHARE YOUR STORY WITH US.

Caring for the Communities They Serve

Caring for the Communities They Serve

by | Jul 2, 2022 | Spotlight

Article previously published in Rite Up, 2022 – Issue 1.

Scottish Rite for Children is not the only organization celebrating a major milestone. Twenty years ago, H-E-B opened its first Central Market in Dallas at Lovers Lane and Greenville Avenue. Another connection between the two — sharing an unwavering commitment to help strengthen the communities they serve. H-E-B/Central Market and its president, Stephen Butt and his wife, Susan, have worked with Scottish Rite for Children for many years

“The quality of the team and the clarity of its mission have made it very easy to build the strong partnership with Scottish Rite that we have now enjoyed for the past 20 years,” Stephen says. “Our relationship began to grow as we saw firsthand the strong care and compassion they showed for these children and families — a long-standing trait of Scottish Rite.

The Butts and H-E-B/Central Market have been steadfast community partners to cities around Texas. Donating 5% of pre-tax annual earnings to charitable organizations, the company has given more than $10 million to the surrounding areas

”The amazing depth and breadth of Stephen and Susan’s unyielding commitment is remarkable,” Vice President of Development Stephanie Brigger says. “They’ve provided strong leadership for our special events and introduced countless friends to Scottish Rite.

In 2012, the Butts and their good friends Betsy and Richard Eiseman, Jr. were co-chairs of Scottish Rite’s signature event, Treasure Street. Behind the scenes, the couple has hosted fun-filled patient activities as well as provided tremendous support to our staff. “They have gone the extra mile over and over again,” Brigger says. “They have catered and served delicious meals to our teams and given overflowing bags of groceries to brighten the holidays for our staff and their families.

For more than a decade, Central Market has hosted The Foodie Classic Golf Tournament, which provides H-E-B/Central Market suppliers an opportunity to support Scottish Rite as well. The tournament has raised more than $1.2 million directly benefiting patient care

“Susan and Stephen Butt have been wonderful friends of Scottish Rite,” Assistant Chief of Staff and Foundation President Karl E. Rathjen, M.D., says. “They have always been ready to ‘answer the call’ for our patients and their families. Their loving, inclusive leadership is reflected every time you step into Central Market. I am always amazed at the similarities of our two organizations’ team members — great people who love what they do and go out of the way to serve others!

“Scottish Rite for Children holds a special place in the hearts of its many supporters,” Stephen says. “We are proud of the relationship we are building with Scottish Rite, through H-E-B/Central Market as well as personally, and we look forward to our partnership with Scottish Rite continuing to grow into the future.

Congratulations to H-E-B/Central Market as it has broken ground on four new H-E-B locations in Plano, Frisco, McKinney and Forney. We are grateful for the support of Stephen and Susan Butt and H-E-B/Central Market and can’t wait for the next 100 years of serving the community united together.

Read the full issue.