Grace: Her Back Story

It started last September. I noticed that Grace was sleeping longer and eating more. When I look back at pictures, I can see now that her facial features were changing too. Grace was growing up.

When we took the kids for their annual wellness exam at the beginning of November last year, Grace was growing fast, off the charts for her height and in the 90th percentile on her weight. She was healthy, everything was going good with her appointment...until the end. The doctor had Grace bend over to touch her toes so that she could examine her back. It was then that we realized that Grace's back was curved. Noticeably. Somehow, even after seeing Grace in her swimsuit nearly every day, we had missed that her backbone was crooked. Our doctor recommended having x-rays taken so that she could determine if Grace would need to see an orthopedist. We left straight from the pediatrician and went to the radiology department of the local children's hospital. That was on a Friday afternoon.

It was early on Monday morning that I received the call from our doctor that Grace's x-rays had already been received and reviewed by a radiologist, and they were recommending that she see a pediatric orthopedist. It seems that scoliosis, an abnormal curvature of the spine, often begins in girls that are growing quickly. In order to prevent the curve from getting worse, she needed to be evaluated and a treatment plan established while she was still in the peak of her growth spurt.

One of my good friends suggested that we explore the option of going to Scottish Rite. I had heard about Scottish Rite, but I did not know much about it or if Grace would qualify to be seen there as a patient. Monroe did some research, and we faxed a referral form to Grace's pediatrician. Once the pediatrician had filled out the referral, we obtained copies of Grace's x-rays, and we forwarded all the information to Scottish Rite. Within two days, they had called us and scheduled our first appointment. In the last week of December, we arrived at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas for Grace's first appointment.

We were welcomed by friendly and helpful volunteers who answered our questions and showed us where we needed to go. After we checked in, we were escorted to the waiting area where another group of volunteers advised us of the stages of our appointment. Since Grace had already had x-rays, we would be seen first by a nurse practitioner who would review all the information and examine Grace. The nurse practitioner was highly skilled and reviewed all of Grace's health and family history. She showed us Grace's x-rays and pointed out markers that indicated that Grace was still at the beginning of her growth spurt. She also reassured us that Grace's back was at a 26-degree curve; not serious enough to consider surgical correction, but significant enough that we needed to consider treatment in order to prevent the curve from getting worse as she grew. She advised that Grace needed to be fitted for an orthotic brace for her to wear at night while she slept. The brace would be fitted so that Grace's back would be straight while wearing it so that the growth that happened as she slept would be straight. We were sent down to the orthotics department for Grace to be measured. We looked at a catalog of pictures, and Grace chose a design for her brace. Not surprisingly, Grace choose a colorful brace with butterflies. We were scheduled to return two weeks later to pick up the brace.

Once again, when we returned to Scottish Rite, we were directed to the orthotics department where Grace tried on her brace. They made a couple of adjustments and answered all of our questions. They wanted Grace to start wearing the brace at night immediately. It took about a week for Grace to feel comfortable with wearing the brace, but she had a good attitude, and we did all we could to support her. MeeMaw had come with us to her appointments. My parents had a new mattress that they gave to her. My sister gave her a cute new bag to carry her brace in. Clark was an excellent brother, encouraging his sister. Our friends and family were praying for Grace too.

We went back to Scottish Rite last week for her first set of x-rays with her brace. It was another answered prayer when they told us that not only had she grown nearly an inch since her previous appointment but that her back was growing straight. The brace was doing exactly what they wanted it to do. The doctors and nurses at Scottish Rite had accurately assessed her situation and have enacted a treatment plan that is working!

According to their own website, Scottish Rite Hospital was started in 1921 by Texas Scottish Rite Masons and Dr. W.B. Carrell, the first orthopedic surgeon in Dallas. The hospital was founded to help support the care and treatment of children affected by polio, which was then the leading cause of disability in children. After the polio vaccine was introduced in the mid-1950s and polio was nearly eradicated, the hospital then began to focus on the treatment of other musculoskeletal deformities resulting from birth defects, accidents, and diseases. The hospital's primary objective is to treat children with scoliosis, clubfoot, dislocated hips, Legg-Perthes, congenital and traumatic limb loss, arthritis, spina bifida, and the orthopedic after-effects of cerebral palsy, encephalitis, meningitis, and accidental injury. More recently, the Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disorders also provides evaluation of children with suspected learning disorders. The current patient roster is over 15,000.

The hospital is open to children who are residents of Texas and includes all races, colors, and creeds. The children can be treated until they are 18 years of age for orthopedic related services. Once the child has been referred by a physician, the hospital reviews the patient's history to determine that there is hope of improvement through the services provided by the hospital. There is no consideration of the financial resources of the family in determining if the child will be accepted as a patient of the hospital.

Since Grace became a patient at Scottish Rite, we have witnessed many families whose children have complicated and sometimes severe conditions. Since Scottish Rite evaluates and treats these children regardless of the family's ability to pay, it is important that we are looking for ways that we too can give back. Although you can visit the Scottish Rite website anytime to learn about how to make donations to the hospital, right now there is a campaign sponsored by Cotton Patch Cafe restaurants that makes giving a little more fun. Cotton Patch is currently in the middle of their 10th year challenge called "March to a Million" which benefits Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. Currently, for every $25 (up to $1,000) that you donate to Scottish Rite, Cotton Patch will send you a gift card for $25.* That means that you can donate $100 and receive 4-$25 gift cards to one of your favorite restaurants. (Enjoy a meal out with your family or maybe pass them along to another family that would appreciate these gift cards too.) Cotton Patch will match the total donations up to $250,000! In the 10 years that they have participated in this event, Cotton Patch will have helped to raise $1 million in total donations! All of the money donated goes directly to benefit TSRHC and allows the hospital to provide world-class medical care to children, regardless of their family’s financial status. This challenge will continue until the end of April or sooner if the donation goal is met. Now is the perfect time to make a donation to help these children and families. Please visit either of these websites to learn more about Scottish Rite and how you can help.

One of the most important things we can do is to pray for and encourage each other, especially through the harder seasons of our lives. My family thanks you in advance for your prayers, love, support, and encouragement.

*Please be advised that this donation will not be tax-deductible. Instead you will be able to enjoy knowing that you have made a difference in the lives of children.

#ScottishRite #scoliosis #CottonPatch