The Ericka Wade foundation is proud to announce our support for the Shriners Hospitals for Children!  The Shriners Hospital in St. Louis touched our life in a profund way.  Ericka was born with a club foot and we were fortunate that her case was referred to the Shriners Hospital.  Ericka received treatment and multiple surgeries on her foot for five years. Finally, when Ericka was 5 years old, she had her last surgery.  Ericka’s first five years were a trying time for the family, but they would have been many times worse had it not been for the staff at Shriners.

Please visit the Ericka Wade Memorial Fund for Shriners Hospitals for Children at ,

http://support.shrinershospitals.org/goto/ErickaWade

make a donation, and sign our guest book!

Shriners Hospitals for Children’s treatment areas cover a wide range of pediatric orthopedics, including scoliosis, limb discrepancies, clubfoot, hip dysplasia, andjuvenile idiopathic arthritis, as well as cerebral palsy, spina bifida (myelomeningocele), and other neurological conditions that affect ambulation and movement. Three of the hospitals provide spinal cord injury rehabilitation that is developmentally appropriate for children and adolescents, with adventure and adapted sports programs, activity-based rehabilitation, aquatherapy, animal-assisted therapy, and other innovative programs. Four of the hospitals (Boston, Galveston, Cincinnati, and Sacramento) provide world-famous care for children with burns, as well as treating a variety of skin conditions such as epidermolysis bullosa and toxic epidermal necrolysis. The Boston, Chicago, and Portland hospitals also provide treatment for children with craniofacial conditions, especially facial clefts. The hospital in Sacramento is the only hospital in the Shriners’ system that focuses on all three areas of treatment (burns, orthopedics, and spinal cord injuries), as well as research. The Sacramento hospital also houses its own orthotics and prosthetics lab and development facilities. All care at Shriners Hospitals is provided by interdisciplinary teams who work closely together to integrate the expertise of all the appropriate healthcare disciplines in one building. Transportation to the hospitals is often provided free of charge by Shriner-drivers across the country. Children accepted for treatment become part of the Shriners Hospital system until their 18th or, sometimes, their 21st, birthday, eligible for both inpatient and outpatient treatment for all facets of their disability.