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Courage in Motion

Courage in Motion

by | Nov 25, 2024 | Other Conditions

Previously published in Rite Up, 2024 – Issue 3.

Eight-year-old Déborah aspires to be an athlete like her role model Darlene Hunter, a 2016 Paralympic gold medalist for Team USA’s wheelchair basketball team. Déborah actively engages in dance, golf, tennis, softball and swimming with recreational teams in Dallas, like Team IMPACT for softball and the Dallas Wheelchair Tennis Club. “I am Déborah’s No. 1 fan,” says her mother, Michelle. “I know she will be great at any sport. She has always defied the odds since the womb.”

Originally from El Salvador, Déborah was born with no left arm or leg. Her parents searched for care after her birth throughout Central America, and, in 2019, they discovered Scottish Rite for Children.

Déborah’s multidisciplinary care team includes experts from Occupational and Physical Therapy, Scoliosis, Orthotics and Prosthetics, and Therapeutic Recreation. Her passion for sports was fueled by Director of Therapeutic Recreation Dana Dempsey and recreational therapist Karla Palacios-Reagor. “I can’t say enough about the dedication of Dana and Karla,” Michelle says. “They are extremely special and make teaching children how to love a sport easy.”

Therapeutic Recreation services empower children to engage in recreation, leisure and sports in their communities. Déborah’s goals included using community leisure resources, boosting her strength and confidence, and maintaining independence. While Karla designed the exercise plan, Déborah challenged herself to tackle different sports.

Déborah recently accepted the challenge of learning to ride a bike. She trained with an adaptive hand bike, tailored for her limb absence. Building coordination, upper body strength and balance were key to independently ride. “Déborah would come to my sessions and flex her arm or stand up by herself to show me how strong she is,” Karla says. “It is great to see her confidence boost.” After six months, Déborah rode her bike fearlessly with  minimal help, completing her Therapeutic Recreation journey!

The possibilities are endless regarding which sport Déborah will try next, and Michelle is behind her to celebrate every triumph. “Never let a physical condition determine the bright future your child will have,” Michelle says. “We are extremely grateful and blessed to find the best care for our greatest treasure.”

Former Patient-Turned-Genie Makes Wishes Come True on Broadway

Former Patient-Turned-Genie Makes Wishes Come True on Broadway

by | Aug 4, 2017 | Other Conditions

The way Major Attaway describes playing Genie in the Broadway musical “Aladdin” makes you want to burst into a classic Disney song.

“My favorite moment is the song ‘Friend Like Me,’ because from start to finish you have people of all ages mouthing the lyrics. Sometimes I can’t tell if the parents or children are more excited,” says the former Scottish Rite Hospital patient, age 29.

Attaway grew up in Fort Worth and was introduced to theater at Casa Mañana, a performing arts organization in Tarrant County. During his freshman year of high school, he noticed his right leg was starting to bow. His family brought him to Scottish Rite Hospital, where physicians determined he had Blount’s disease. “Just before I went into surgery, I told my mom I was scared,” Attaway recalls. “But I had to have the procedure so I could dance on Broadway.”

His dream turned into a reality 15 years later. Attaway saw his predecessor, actor James Monroe Iglehart, win a Tony for his role as Genie and knew he wanted to audition. He landed a spot on the cast and made his Broadway debut as the Genie standby. He assumed the role full time in February 2017.

“I’ve had to be open to transformation. It’s part of what happened at Scottish Rite Hospital,” says Attaway. “I had to transform my mind and body to take over this condition and the hospital gave me what I needed to keep moving.”
While playing Genie has fulfilled two of Major’s goals – being on Broadway and working for Disney – he also hopes to record music and one day play a Disney villain.

Cody’s Moment – Dyslexia

Cody’s Moment – Dyslexia

by | May 1, 2017 | Other Conditions

When competitive gymnast Cody encountered a learning disorder, dyslexia, his family turned to the hospital’s internationally recognized team of experts. Cody’s schoolwork has improved by leaps and bounds, giving him the confidence to fly both in and out of the gym.

This month, we will be giving you a deeper look at our Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia & Learning Disorders on our Facebook page. Join us for patient stories, flashbacks and interesting facts.

Patient Education: Hand Cast Care Guidelines for Small Children

Patient Education: Hand Cast Care Guidelines for Small Children

by | Apr 20, 2017 | Other Conditions

How to keep the cast dry:

  • The cast must stay dry. No water! No exceptions! This includes:
    • Indoor and outdoor faucets
    • Dog and cat bowls
    • Water toys
    • Lakes and pools
  • ​Do not bathe or clean the child in the sink or tub. Casts get wet with less than one inch of water in the sink or tub.
  • Put towels on the bed and give your child a sponge bath with a tightly wrung-out washcloth.

How to keep the cast clean:

  • Parents play a vital role in the healing process by providing good cast care.
  • After the sponge bath, put a long white tube sock over the cast to help keep it clean and dry.
  • Use sippy cups to prevent juice or milk from spilling on the cast.
  • Do not give sweet or sticky liquids to your child to drink (soda, sugary drinks).
  • Keeping the cast clean can help prevent wound infection. Your child may need to be hospitalized and have additional surgery if there is an infection.

How to keep the cast cool:

  • Remember: moisture + heat = germs.
  • Avoid activities that might cause sweating.
  • Stay inside when it is hot outside to prevent overheating and sweating.
The Gold Standard: Celebrating 50 Years of Pioneering Dyslexia Care

The Gold Standard: Celebrating 50 Years of Pioneering Dyslexia Care

by | Nov 6, 2015 | Other Conditions

Fifty years ago, a man with an unwavering conviction to help children joined Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children’s staff. His name was Lucius “Luke” Waites, Jr., M.D., and his pioneering work changed the world of learning disorders forever.

In 1924, Lucius Waites, Jr. was born in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, during a formative time in the study of learning disorders, such as dyslexia. The condition is characterized by a difficulty connecting letter symbols to sounds. It makes reading challenging and affects roughly 10 percent of all public school children.

For a child with dyslexia, the world can be a daunting place. Feelings of failure or isolation can often accompany the condition. Little did anyone know that one day Waites would not only study dyslexia, but he would also help define it and ultimately change perceptions, treatment approaches, education, legislation and the lives of countless children in the process.

While playing football for Ole Miss, Waites gained a reputation for being a fierce competitor, playing in the era of no protective facemasks. That fearless spirit and drive to succeed would serve him well throughout his career. He graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in 1947 and began his work as a neurologist. He came to Dallas in 1961 to join the faculty at UT Southwestern Medical Center. From 1961-65, he also assisted the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children medical staff in the area of neurology.

During that period, Waites began to investigate the phenomenon of smart children who struggled to read. This condition was initially described as “word blindness” and “twisted symbols” (aka: Strephosymbolia). Research into this condition was considered fringe medicine at the time and often mocked as “quackery,” but the determined football player from Mississippi refused to give up. Then Scottish Rite Hospital Chief of Staff Brandon Carrell, M.D., observed the positive effect Waites’ methods were having on his patients and stood by his efforts. In 1965, Waites moved to Scottish Rite Hospital full time and the Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia & Learning Disorders was born. With the support of Scottish Rite Hospital and the Masonic community, Waites set out to build a program dedicated to diagnosing and treating children with the condition. Along with language therapist Aylett Royall Cox, Waites developed the hospital’s first dyslexia curriculum called Alphabetic Phonics. This new approach, with its dramatic and positive results, made waves in Dallas, across Texas and beyond.

“The support of the hospital, the administration and the board of trustees continues to be strong and crucial to our work,” says Gladys Kolenovsky, the center’s administrative director and a 39-year staff member. “From the beginning, they believed in what this center could do for children.”

In 1968, Waites organized a meeting of the World Federation of Neurology at the hospital, at which the medical term “developmental dyslexia” was defined. For the first time, dyslexia was recognized as a medical condition that called for an educational treatment.

But Waites did not stop there. In 1985, he enlisted the help of two equally tenacious colleagues — Kolenovsky and Geraldine “Tincy” Miller, a former staff member who has gone on to serve more than 26 years on the Texas State Board of Education. Together, they facilitated two major changes in Texas education laws — separating dyslexia from special education programs and requiring dyslexia screening and testing in all public schools. As a result of their efforts, Texas became a leader in public policy for learning disorders.

“Because of this incredible group of individuals who were willing to take a chance, so many people are able to stand on the shoulders of their legacy and their bravery,” says Karen Avrit, the center’s educational director, who recently helped pass House Bill 866. This bill ensures that all undergraduate education majors in Texas learn how to recognize, identify and make basic accommodations for children in their classrooms who may be dyslexic.

In 1990, Jeffrey Black, M.D., joined the Scottish Rite Hospital medical staff and the crusade, alongside Waites. Where Waites drew from clinical knowledge and child-focused intuition, Black revels in the scientific process. He set a high bar for data collection, results-driven experimentation and extensive research.

Black used precise, quantifiable measurements to prove that dyslexia could be remediated. From there, he proceeded to improve and adjust the existing curriculum based on his findings. It was through his unflinching dedication to data analysis that a new curriculum, Take Flight: A Comprehensive Intervention for Students with Dyslexia, was developed.

The curriculum allows children to learn the course material faster, with a higher retention rate. The first edition was printed in 2006. Today, Take Flight is used across America, in Canada and as far away as Dubai. The morning Avrit got a call from the Middle East inquiring about the program, she recalls saying, “Wow, we’ve gone international!”

The future of Take Flight looks bright, as Black and the team embark on the next journey in dyslexia education. Together with The University of Texas at Dallas, they are taking the curriculum into the digital arena. Through interactive technology, they will share the program with the next generation of children as well as increase its reach and scope for teachers.

Black is also pushing dyslexia research into the world of genetics. In collaboration with Jerry Ring, Ph.D., the center’s research scientist, and Scottish Rite Hospital’s remarkable genetics research team, work is being conducted to better understand dyslexia on a genetic level.

In 2013, the strong-willed Waites passed away at the age of 89, leaving behind a legacy that has changed the lives of individuals with dyslexia forever.

“It is wonderful to recognize Luke Waite’s legacy, while also paying tribute to the core values of the dyslexia department and the hospital,” Kolenovsky says. “The child comes first – always.”

**This article appeared on the cover of our Rite Up 2015: Issue 3 magazine. Read more from the magazine online.