Fez Lover

For about three years things went really well for Haley. Nothing came up that needed any extra special attention, medically speaking. Her teeth needed all sorts of work, but that's pretty normal for her. There was nothing that arose that required her to see any specialists at all. We didn't have the answers that we would have liked to and were finally at peace with that. Then she asked me to brush a tangle out of her hair after her shower. Haley has really long hair and usually takes care of it herself, so it was nice for her to ask for me to brush it. She was sitting on my lap (yes, we still encourage that) and as I pulled her hair back, I could see it. Her spine was curved.

One shoulder stuck out more than the other and was higher too. I called the doctor. Haley goes to the pediatrician for the routine stuff, check-ups, sniffles, and such. The doctor diagnosed her scoliosis in the office and sent her for an x-ray to find out to what degree the curve is. Then we waited to find out what the doctor had to say. They decided that her curve was about 25 degrees. Not too bad, but not good either. Here's where a little miracle of sorts happens. My best friend L ( I have two, my husband and L) happens to have a son with Muscular Dystrophy. She and her son inspire me in about a million ways. They are the most fun people and I love them all. He goes to the Shriner's Hospital to be followed because scoliosis can be a complication of his condition. She told me to call them. I was one freaked out individual at that time. Haley needed a doctor to treat her scoliosis that already understood her other issues. After some research we decided that Shriners was the best place for her. Here's the miracle.

They said we should apply then wait to see if she would be accepted for treatment. Check back in a few months. Shriners is pretty much all inclusive when it comes to treating scoliosis. They do the evaluations, testing and bracing on site. It's at no cost to patients or their families no matter what your economic circumstances might be. That factor along with it them having an awesome reputation makes it tough to get accepted for care. We felt that it was the right place for Haley, and prayed as we faxed them her application. We were praying and crying with very heavy hearts. The new issue for our daughter was about more than we could stand to watch her go through. We thought it was just more than one kid should have to deal with. We still do. But we were crying out to God, asking for Him to give her the best care and help her through it all. We called them to confirm that they had received her application. They did, and told us that they would take a month or so to process and that they would be in touch after a while. That was on a Friday.

Shriners Hospital called on Tuesday to welcome Haley as their new patient and schedule her new patient appointment. That was two business days later. That would qualify as a miracle in my book. God had made a way for Haley to get the best care and fast. They are taking really good care of her there. She has a miserable, horrible Providence sleeping brace that is working just enough. It will be a year next month that she first saw them. Her curve hasn't increased much at all. The bracing is working. Her brace is purple with butterflies, by the way.

Oh, and we love the Shriners. They are fez wearing superheros that are helping my daughter and so many other people's kids. Smile extra nice at them the next time you see them in a parade, okay?