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Cooper the Trouper: On a Mission to Mobilize

Cooper the Trouper: On a Mission to Mobilize

by | Nov 20, 2024 | Clubfoot & Foot Disorders, Hand Conditions

Previously published in Rite Up, 2024 – Issue 3.

by Kristi Shewmaker

“I can’t wait for you to see the little tricycle up in the ceiling,” BJ said to his wife, Ashley, when they arrived at Scottish Rite for Children in January 2023. Ashley and BJ Burton drove from their home in College Station with their 2-month-old son Cooper to see Scott Oishi, M.D., FACS, hand surgeon and director of the Center for Excellence in Hand.

BJ was referring to the “Flying Machine,” a giant dirigible, or airship, powered by aviators and teddy bears that hangs from the ceiling in the Atrium of Scottish Rite’s Dallas campus. The “Flying Machine” has delighted children and families since 1978. It represents mobility for the patients of Scottish Rite. BJ remembered it fondly from his time at the hospital as a child when he received treatment for a rare form of congenital arthrogryposis, a condition that affects the joints and causes contractures that limit movement. His case affected his hands and feet.

When Ashley was 30 weeks pregnant, a 4D ultrasound revealed that Cooper’s hands were, in BJ’s words, “drifting.” Ulnar drift is a hand deformity that occurs when the joints contract and cause the fingers to bend toward the pinky finger, a symptom of arthrogryposis. “We noticed his hands first, so we started to prepare ourselves,” BJ says. When Cooper was born, BJ saw that his feet were deformed as well. “I knew they weren’t clubfeet because I had clubfeet,” he says. “The people at the hospital didn’t know, and they were spitting out all kinds of disheartening things. Obviously, that’s not what you want to hear less than 24 hours into the birth of your child.”

At Scottish Rite, where BJ had found hope years ago, Dr. Oishi evaluated Cooper and confirmed a diagnosis of arthrogryposis. The Burtons learned that when Dr. Oishi came to Scottish Rite, his mentor was hand surgeon Marybeth Ezaki, M.D., who was BJ’s physician when he was a child. Scottish Rite for Children was the first pediatric orthopedic facility in the United States to employ full-time hand surgeons. “It was really comforting for me,” BJ says. “Knowing that I got great care at Scottish Rite, I knew that care would transition to Cooper as well.”

For Cooper’s hands, Dr. Oishi prescribed splints to wear at night and at nap time to stretch his fingers and keep his thumbs from tucking into his palms. For his feet, Dr. Oishi referred the family to Anthony I. Riccio, M.D., pediatric orthopedic surgeon and director of the Center for Excellence in Foot.

Dr. Riccio diagnosed Cooper with congenital vertical talus, a rare, complex foot deformity that causes the sole of a child’s foot to flex in a convex position, forming a rocker-bottom appearance. A bone in the ankle, the talus, connects the lower leg bone, or tibia, to the foot. “The talus is normally positioned at about a 90 degree angle to the tibia, but in a congenital vertical talus, the talus points straight down,” Dr. Riccio says. “Because the talus is the central and most important bone in the ankle and foot, the bones around it fold up on either side, resulting in a V-shaped foot.” Affecting 1 in 10,000 births, the condition can occur in children with no other conditions, as well as those who have a variety of syndromes, like arthrogryposis. “We had never heard of vertical talus,” BJ says. “I knew that Cooper would face challenges, and I was torn apart because I felt responsible.”

“I was terrified that he wasn’t going to be able to walk,” Ashley says, “but I remember Dr. Riccio saying, ‘He will be able to walk. He will be able to play baseball,’ and that meant a lot to us.” The Burtons are a baseball family. BJ coaches varsity at A&M Consolidated, a local high school.

Cooper would need surgery on both feet, but first, Dr. Riccio prepared him for the operation by gently stretching and realigning his feet through manual manipulation and casting. For two months, the Burtons drove back and forth from College Station every week as Cooper received a series of seven casts. When Cooper was 6 months old, he underwent surgery. Dr. Riccio ensured that his joint was aligned, stabilized it with a pin and then released his Achilles tendon, which brought his foot into the correct position. Cooper came out of surgery with a long cast on each leg. After six weeks, the casts were removed, and he wore a boots and bar brace, which is comprised of special shoes, or boots, that are connected by a metal bar that kept his feet in the corrected position. He wore the brace 23 hours a day until he pulled up to stand when he was 10 months old.

To promote walking, Cooper transitioned to wearing an ankle foot orthosis (AFO) on each foot during the day and the boots and bar at night. “He started walking along the couch and pushing his little push toy,” Ashley says. And then, at 14 months old, Cooper walked on his own. “We thought he was going to be severely behind developmentally, but he’s right on track,” she says.

Today, Cooper is walking all over the place. “Nobody would ever guess he went through bilateral foot surgery,” BJ says. “He’s already hitting a ball off a tee and running to the front door like it’s a base, and then he comes back with a huge smile on his face!”

Dr. Riccio says, “The outcome is exactly what I hoped it would be — it’s a perfectly aligned foot.” Cooper will continue to wear the AFOs as he grows and the boots and bar at night until he is 4. Because the condition can recur, Dr. Riccio will monitor Cooper’s feet as he gets older, and Dr. Oishi will continue to treat his hands. “We definitely found the best of the best at Scottish Rite for everything,” Ashley says. BJ concurs, “The moment we got there, we just knew that this was the place we were supposed to be.”

Emily Claire’s Transformation: A Pain-Free Knee and a New Life Path

Emily Claire’s Transformation: A Pain-Free Knee and a New Life Path

by | Nov 7, 2024 | Sports Medicine, Therapy Services

Cover story previously published in Rite Up, 2024 – Issue 3.

by Kristi Shewmaker

Emily Claire, of Plano, spends most of her time raising two pigs — Dolly and Kenny, named after Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers. Like the country legends, Dolly and Kenny are not related. Every morning and evening, the 17-year-old drives to the barn to take care of them where they show their affection for her in different ways. “Dolly gets the zoomies,” Emily Claire says. “She’ll run laps in her pen, but Kenny just sits there with puppy dog eyes looking at me. He also likes to cuddle. Dolly, not so much, but Kenny will lay across my lap.”

Emily Claire is president of the FFA Plano chapter and secretary of Area V’s District VII for the state of Texas, which is part of the National FFA Organization, historically known as Future Farmers of America. She recently attended the Texas FFA State Convention in Houston. “It’s a lot more than just showing animals or being a farmer,” she says. Through FFA, she has engaged in leadership and career development events that will serve her throughout her senior year of high school and beyond.

Dr. Henry B. Ellis

As a young teen, Emily Claire had her heart set on playing softball. She played for school and select teams and had dreamed of playing at the collegiate level. But, she started experiencing pain in her knee, leading to multiple incidents of partial dislocation. The first time, she was crossing the street. “My kneecap slipped out, and I fell to the ground, literally in the middle of the street,” she says. “It was embarrassing.” The second time, she fell at softball practice, but each time, her kneecap went back into place. Then, in the fall of 2021 during her freshman year of high school, her kneecap fully dislocated at catcher practice. “I was in my squat throwing down to second base, and I popped up to throw, and my kneecap just locked out,” she says. “I couldn’t move it. I didn’t know what was happening, and I was freaking out.”

TREATING KNEECAP INSTABILITY
An established patient at Scottish Rite for Children Orthopedic and Sports Medicine Center in Frisco, Emily Claire was initially treated with a brace and a specific exercise program. Unfortunately, she experienced increasing episodes of instability in her kneecap, or patella. Recurrent episodes of patellar instability often require surgery. Henry B. Ellis, M.D. — pediatric sports medicine surgeon, sports medicine fellowship director and medical director of clinical research — performed medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) reconstruction surgery on Emily Claire’s left knee.

“MPFL reconstruction is common for us in pediatric sports and those that take care of kids because kneecap instability is very common in kids,” Dr. Ellis says. “In our practice at Scottish Rite, it is one of the most common conditions that we treat.”

When Emily Claire’s kneecap dislocated, it tore an important ligament that holds the patella in place. In surgery, Dr. Ellis replaced the torn ligament with a new one to give her kneecap stability. However, patellofemoral instability is complicated. Sometimes, it requires more than simply replacing a ligament. At the end of the femur, or thigh bone, is a groove called the trochlear groove. The patella fits into this groove, and when the knee bends or straightens, the patella slides up and down in the groove. Emily Claire’s kneecap was not aligned in the groove because of the position of her tibial tubercle, the bony bump on the upper part of the shin where the patellar tendon attaches. “Her kneecap was living off to the side,” Dr. Ellis says. To mitigate this problem, he performed a procedure to shift Emily Claire’s tibial tubercle, which aligned her kneecap in the groove and ensured that it would track and glide correctly.

REHABILITATING BODY, MIND AND SPIRIT
MPFL surgery stabilized and corrected Emily Claire’s kneecap. What came next would change the direction of her life. Her knee injury and rehabilitation served as a catalyst that led her to discover her dream career. Throughout her care journey, she received treatment from Dr. Ellis and a multidisciplinary team, including physician assistant Ben Johnson, registered nurse Tammy Norris, physical therapist Katie Sloma, child life specialists, psychologists and athletic trainers, among others.

After surgery, Emily Claire met physical therapist Katie Sloma for a physical therapy evaluation. “I remember talking to Katie and asking her questions,” Emily Claire says. “I was really curious about her job.” For weeks, Emily Claire was on crutches, wore a brace and could not bear weight on her leg. “I got a really good tan line at the softball field with stripes going across my leg,” she says. “It was very humbling having two different size quads.”

Katie worked with Emily Claire on quad strengthening, range of motion and mobility through manual therapeutic exercises and aquatic therapy.

“Emily Claire always came in with a smile and ready to work,” Katie says. “She was curious about the process and liked to remain informed, which was cool for us to see.”

For several months, Emily Claire could not play softball. Then, slowly, she was reintroduced to the game part time, but ultimately, her team broke up during her sophomore year. “I was like, ‘OK, I don’t know what I’m supposed to do now,’” she says. She recalls trying out for other teams, but her knee had not fully recovered. “I wasn’t getting called back,” she says. “It was like nobody wanted me, and that was really degrading, and I was like, ‘Am I even supposed to play softball anymore?’”

Things began to change in 2023 when Emily Claire attended the FFA Collin County show. “Everybody there was just so nice and comforting. It felt like a place that I belonged,” she says. “So, I went home and cried about it a lot, and I was like, ‘I just don’t think softball’s for me.’”

OPTIMIZING CARE THROUGH EXPERT TEAMWORK
Emily Claire continued to gain strength and increase athletic conditioning by working with athletic trainers while participating in Scottish Rite’s Bridge Program.
“In our care of any youth athlete, one of the biggest advantages that we have at Scottish Rite is the ability to work together,” Dr. Ellis says. “When someone presents a problem, we offer solutions, but we do it not just as a physician to patient, but as Scottish Rite as a whole.”

Physician assistant Ben Johnson agrees. “The care we provide is a team-based approach with all team members focused on a singular goal of getting patients like Emily Claire back to doing what they love to do without limitations,” he says. The exceptional dynamic of Scottish Rite’s continuum of care results in optimal outcomes for patients. “The key to Emily Claire’s success is the fact that she had an opportunity to work with our team together,” Dr. Ellis says.

Emily Claire liked the team she worked with so much she decided to join it. Over the summer, she interned at the Frisco campus’ Movement Science Lab, processing data for a neurocognitive research study. “I have received so much at Scottish Rite — and not just care,” she says. “Everybody here is so kind and loving, and they want to help you not just get better and achieve your goals, but they’re willing to help you learn.”

Emily Claire’s time at Scottish Rite has inspired her to become a physical therapist. “Instead of something that I had to go to, physical therapy became something that I looked forward to,” she says. “Everyone was there for me.” Katie shares that Emily Claire’s interest in the field of physical therapy was rewarding to her as a provider. “It shows that her time at Scottish Rite made a positive impact on her even when things got hard,” Katie says.

Upon reflection, Emily Claire explains that her care journey also changed her mental health. “It showed me that I was more unhappy than I was happy playing softball, and that softball wasn’t for me,” she says. “I thought I was going to let so many people down
if I didn’t play, but it opened my eyes and showed me that I like doing FFA a lot more.”

Recently, Emily Claire received the news that she was accepted to her college of choice, Tarleton State University, where she will pursue a degree in kinesiology. Upon graduation, she plans to attend physical therapy school. But for now, she is enjoying her senior year, beginning this fall, when she shows her superstars, Dolly and Kenny, at the State Fair of Texas.

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A Fab Collab With By Way of Dallas – Building Connection by Changing the Conversation

A Fab Collab With By Way of Dallas – Building Connection by Changing the Conversation

by | Aug 29, 2024 | Prosthetics & Orthotics

Cover story previously published in Rite Up, 2024 – Issue 2.
 
by Kristi Shewmaker
 
Hance Taplin is a connector. In 2011, he founded By Way of Dallas to connect both sides of U.S. Highway 75 through conversation sparked by streetwear that he creates. “I use the apparel as a vehicle,” Hance says. “When we do popups, my goal is to see a Highland Park mom converse with a South Dallas high school football player while waiting in line for the same product — two different people, celebrating Dallas.” His mission is to bring people together, despite their differences, by giving them something to talk about. And now, he is doing it at Scottish Rite for Children.

Last fall, By Way of Dallas and Scottish Rite joined forces to launch a movement about movement, where fashion meets function. For decades, Scottish Rite has created custom, state-of-the-art prostheses for children of all ages, and now, they bear artwork designed by By Way of Dallas artists, athletes and influencers. The list includes Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and photographer Jeremiah Jhass, Dwight Powell of the Dallas Mavericks, artist Temi Coker, and sports and comedy group Dude Perfect to name a few.

“Instead of the narrative being, ‘That’s Johnny who has a prosthetic leg.’ I want it to be, ‘Yo! Did you see Johnny’s leg? It’s so cool!’” Hance says. “Now, the conversation is changing.” Instead of differences separating people, whether that be through age, race or disability, Hance and his crew are creating art that builds connection and community.

“We all have our own prostheses within us,” Hance says, “but through art, we can connect and understand that we’re just like each other. Through this collaboration, we can show people how art and community and culture and innovative design can converge and really make a difference.”
 
Now, patients at Scottish Rite for Children who need a prosthesis can choose a By Way of Dallas design that speaks to them. Owen, Elena and Miles are a few of the first to sport their designs and start their own conversations.

Owen

“Owen has always been a social butterfly,” Amanda says about her 17-month-old son. “He is very active and loves crawling around and climbing up onto everything. We have fun seeing how he adapts and does things his own way.”

Amanda learned about Scottish Rite’s collaboration with By Way of Dallas through a post on Instagram. The collaboration launched shortly before Owen underwent amputation surgery on his right leg.
 
“At my 20-week prenatal anatomy scan, my doctor said that they couldn’t find Owen’s foot,” Amanda says. Later, a maternal fetal medicine doctor saw it but noticed that it was severely curved upward. It was not until Owen was born and referred to Scottish Rite for Children that he was diagnosed with tibial hemimelia, a condition in which a child is born with no tibia or one that is too short. Owen’s tibia was short, and he did not have a functioning ankle joint. In his case, the choice was to amputate or undergo many reconstructive surgeries throughout his life that may not have led to mobility.

“We wanted Owen to have every opportunity to run, jump, play, try different sports, dance — whatever interest he may develop,” Amanda says.
 
“It was difficult to get the diagnosis but a relief to have a clear path forward. Knowing that we were in one of the best places in the country to have to go through this, immensely added to our relief.”

A few months after surgery, Owen received a prosthetic leg with Hance Taplin’s design. Amanda was drawn to the pattern and bold colors. “I chose it because my husband was born and raised in Dallas,” she says. “It was a beautiful way to memorialize the landmarks, and it’s a cool testament to being in Dallas.”

She explained that she used to work for a British fabric company where they collaborated with brands who used their fabrics. “When I saw what By Way of Dallas was doing for these kids — taking the device and turning it into a conversation piece, but not about their disability, but about the artwork — I thought it was amazing,” she says. “I was excited that Owen’s first prosthesis would have this cool story behind it.”

Today, Owen is learning how to use his prosthesis. He stood up on his own for the first time. “We love showing off his tiny prosthetic leg,” Amanda says. “Rather than, ‘Oh my God, what happened to you?’ I want him to feel seen. The collaboration with By Way of Dallas is meaningful to us because Owen will be seen for something other than his limb difference.”

Elena

P-R-O-S-T-H-E-S-I-S. Prosthesis is a big word to spell on the board of an elementary school classroom, but that is exactly what Elena and her mother, Brittany, did the first week of school each year. “We talked about Elena’s prosthetic leg and gave the children an opportunity to ask questions,” Brittany says. “After answering their questions, the kids moved on. Then, she was just Elena.”
 
 A 12-year-old sixth grader from Temple, Elena loves to play brain games, like sudoku, and basketball in the backyard. Recently, she tried out and made the seventh grade cheerleading squad. “We’ve already started practicing after school,” she says.

Since age 3, Elena has had more than a dozen prosthetic legs as she has grown. “When we adopted her, her leg was locked at a 90 degree angle,” Brittany says. “We assumed we’d get her home and straighten it out, but you can’t just straighten out a leg that’s been locked in place for two and a half years.” Through a friend, the family discovered Scottish Rite for Children. “Elena had five major surgeries and got her leg within the first year,” Brittany says. After healing from surgery, Elena underwent physical therapy to learn how to walk with her prosthesis. “All of a sudden, she was upright, off and running,” Brittany says. “It was miraculous to watch.”
 
Now, Elena has two prostheses — an everyday walking leg and a sport leg that she uses for cheer. Shortly after the By Way of Dallas collaboration had begun, she had outgrown her prostheses and needed new ones. After reviewing the patterns, Elena chose artist Temi Coker’s design for her everyday leg, and she let Brittany select the design for her sport leg. Brittany chose Hance Taplin’s art, and Elena approved wholeheartedly.

On delivery day, Temi came to Elena’s appointment to meet her personally. “It was cool to see the person who designed my leg,” Elena says. “I told him, ‘The design is basically me in a leg.’ It’s very colorful, with this color here, that color there and all over the place.”
 
Elena kept the rest of her family in suspense until she got home to make the big reveal. “I like a surprise, and my sisters were like, ‘Show me, show me, show me!’” she says. Brittany added that her friends at school were also excited to see the By Way of Dallas designs.
 
Like her elementary school days, Elena still gets questions about her limb difference, but Brittany says that she has grown into the ability to answer them. They agree, it is better to ask than to stare. “I don’t remember having a real leg,” Elena says. “This is how it’s been for nine years of my life, so it’s kind of normal for me. Most of the time, it’s just me — Elena.”

Miles 

“Miles doesn’t know the words, ‘I can’t,’” says his mother, Angela. “He has always used the phrase, ‘I haven’t been able to yet.’”

An 11-year-old from College Station, Miles was born with symbrachydactyly, a condition that occurs when a child’s arm or hand does not fully develop. Miles is missing his left hand and forearm. His pediatrician referred the family to Scottish Rite for Children where he was diagnosed. “He was born exactly how he was supposed to be born because he has been able to teach so many people how to love other people better,” Angela says.
 
Miles grew up without a prosthesis, adapting in his own way to a life full of activities. He likes to draw and solve the Rubik’s cube. He finished his first season of basketball, and he loves swinging from the monkey bars at a ninja warrior gym. But, he wanted to achieve a move called the lache, where you swing from one bar, which is further than the length of your body, to reach the next bar. “He didn’t have the extra wingspan to hook his arm on the bar,” Angela says. “After trying for years, he was like, ‘I need something to help me reach that bar.’”

Cue prosthetist Dwight Putnam, who was delighted to not only build Miles’ first prosthetic arm but also to fit him with a customized hand attachment that could grasp the bar, making the lache a reality. When it came time to select a pattern, Dwight noticed that Miles was wearing a Dude Perfect hat and showed him their By Way of Dallas design. “The only YouTube video group Miles watches and is obsessed with is Dude Perfect,” Angela says. “The pattern was meant for him.”

 

At Miles’ next appointment, Dude Perfect walked into the room and presented the arm. “I was very surprised and extremely happy,” he says. Angela said that he was so proud, he wore it to school the next day, walking with a little extra swagger. In response to his new arm, Miles says, “A lot of people ask where I got it, say it’s really cool and try to figure out a way to try it on.”

Recently, Miles competed on FOX’s MasterChef Junior, which gave him the opportunity to combine two more passions — cooking and advocating for children with limb differences. “It means so much that I get to represent kids with limb differences, that they get to see someone like them,” Miles says. “But, I think it’s actually more important for people not like us, because we know what we can do. It’s everyone else that doubts us and tells us we can’t. I hope I’m able to show kids and everyone watching that their limb difference doesn’t have to limit them from doing really big and amazing things!”


Learn more about the By Way of Dallas Collaboration.

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Mastering Daily Tasks To Help Others Feel Their Best

Mastering Daily Tasks To Help Others Feel Their Best

by | Jul 12, 2024 | Neurology

Previously published in Rite Up, 2024 – Issue 2.

Fifteen-year-old Zion, of Glenn Heights, is preparing to become an esthetician when she graduates from high school. Her mother, Tiffany, bought her a mannequin that she uses to practice giving facials and applying makeup. “I want to make people feel good about themselves,” Zion says. “Being an esthetician will help people relax.” Recently, Zion brought her mannequin to Scottish Rite where she works with occupational therapist Lucy Ericson on mastering a host of daily activities.

Zion has cerebral palsy (CP) and has received care at Scottish Rite for Children since she was 10, after her family moved to Texas from Arizona. CP is the most common childhood disorder that affects muscles and movement. Zion’s symptoms impact her mobility, muscle coordination, flexibility and posture.

“It’s hard to walk around the mall, our neighborhood or around school because classes aren’t close together,” Zion says. She uses a wheelchair for long distances. “Sometimes, I force myself to walk, but I get very tired.” She also finds it challenging to do things with her right hand, like twisting open a jar, pouring juice or writing essays. “It’s hard keeping my hand straight,” she says, “but that’s why we go to Lucy.”

In occupational therapy, Zion works through a list of tasks that she conquers one by one. Lucy has helped her find creative ways to brush her teeth, wash her skin, cook food, open a pill bottle, roll her wheelchair by herself, get binders in and out of her backpack, put on earrings and apply makeup, like eye shadow and lip gloss. “It makes me feel really good,” Zion says. “I never thought I was going to be able to do all that stuff by myself.”

As tasks get easier for Zion to achieve, she prepares for her future as an esthetician. “Zion wants to be ready when she graduates so there aren’t any barriers,” Tiffany says. In a session with Lucy, Zion massages the mannequin’s face with shaving cream. “We’re not using the high-end stuff on a mannequin,” Tiffany says, laughing, but then, her tone turns bittersweet as she considers the years they have spent at Scottish Rite. “They make us feel like we are part of one big family,” she says. Zion underscores how much it means to her. “I really love, gosh, all the people,” she says. “I couldn’t imagine myself being able to do what I can do without Scottish Rite’s help.”

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Standing Tall After Spinal Fusion Surgery

Standing Tall After Spinal Fusion Surgery

by | Jun 27, 2024 | Scoliosis & Spine

Previously published in Rite Up, 2024 – Issue 2.

In January of 2023, Delilah, a 12-year-old from San Antonio, was helping her mother, Angie, clean the house. As Delilah bent over to pick up something off the floor, Angie noticed that her backbone protruded from her back at an abnormal angle. “It caught me off guard,” Angie says. She called her husband into the room and asked Delilah to repeat the movement. He looked at Angie with wide eyes and said, “What was that?”

Delilah’s pediatrician suspected scoliosis and referred the family to an orthopedic physician.

“After taking an X-ray, he gave us the news that her spine was at an 84 degree angle,” Angie says. “Delilah and I had tears in our eyes.” Angie explained that because of the curves magnitude, the physician said that he would feel more comfortable recommending them to Scottish Rite for Children. “We had never heard of Scottish Rite, but it was the best advice and decision we ever made,” Angie says.

At Scottish Rite, pediatric orthopedic surgeon Megan E Johnson, M.D., diagnosed Delilah with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, of which there is no known cause. Because her curve had surpassed the surgical magnitude of 50 degrees, Dr. Johnson recommended posterior spinal fusion, a surgery in which a rod is secured to the vertebrae to straighten the spine and hold the correction of the curve in place.

“Scoliosis progresses more rapidly when kids are undergoing their big growth spurt,” Dr. Johnson says.

“Delilah still had a lot of growth left, so she was at a greater risk of progression.”

Before surgery, Delilah asked thoughtful questions and expressed some worries. “I had a fear of like, what if I wake up during surgery?” she says. “And, what if it doesn’t turn out right, or what if they miss something?” Dr. Johnson marveled at Delilah’s maturity. “For being 11 at the time, Delilah asked great questions, advocated for herself and did her own research,” she says.

In October, the family traveled to Dallas for Delilah’s surgery and stayed at the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas, Scottish Rite’s community partner. “They took such good care of my family,” Angie says. “I’m very grateful for that.” After a successful surgery, Delilah’s curve was corrected from 95 to 20 degrees. She also got two inches taller. “Delilah exceeded our expectations,” Dr. Johnson says. “She has been a champ through it all.” Six months later, Angie cannot believe that Delilah had spinal surgery. “It boggles the mind because she’s back to being herself,” she says. “For us, Scottish Rite means hope, that everything is going to be OK.” Delilah agrees. “You can trust Scottish Rite,” she says, “and know that you are in great hands.”

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