SASKATOON – As families across the province wait for the Children’s Hospital of Saskatchewan to open its doors, local Shriners have been busy spreading the word about options currently available to sick children in need of treatment.
Fourteen-year-old Elly Bains has already undergone 12 surgeries to her lower body and her spinal cord has been surgically untethered twice.
She was born with a condition called Vater Syndrome and visits the Shriners Hospital for Children in Montreal two to three times a year.
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“It’s a collection of anomalies that affect her spinal cord or her pelvis, her feet, her legs – a lot of her lower body. The biggest concern was her spinal cord,” said her mother, Lisa.
With virtually no savings, the family was unable to afford the cost of treatment for Elly’s condition on their own.
They received help from the local Shriners, who have access to 22 hospitals for children across North America.
More than 5,000 children from across Saskatchewan have been helped by Shriners facilities and more than a million across North America, including children from Mexico and other parts of the world.
The hospitals treat 16 health conditions, including orthopedic conditions and spinal cord injuries.
Parents can fill out an application if their child has one a listed condition.
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