Thankful? Quite!

About twelve years ago, my son was in the third grade. He was a very typical, crazy eight year old busy with school, friends, and after school activities. He liked taekwondo and basketball and swimming and football and budweiser commercials! For Christmas he received a basketball hoop for the driveway. We had to literally drag him inside for dinner. Day two . . . the shots were not very active and he seemed rather lethargic. Day three . . . we couldn't even get him to go outside. Day four . . . after laying on the floor to watch cartoons, he could not get back on his feet without pulling himself up on the coffee table. My 'Miles-a-minute' was miles from well.

Enter All Children's Hospital. After two months of misdiagnoses by our pediatrician, we were sent to All Children's Hospital. They knew immediately what was wrong with him and suggested a very aggressive treatment plan. He was diagnosed with dermatomyositis, an auto-immune disease where the body attacks its own muscles thinking them to be a virus. This is life-threatening and just a tad scary. All Children's Hospital to the rescue!

Treatment was frightening. Infusions. Shots. Poking. Prodding. And all of it FREQUENTLY! The hospital, however, made everything understandable to the entire family. They took great effort to ensure that all of us, including big sister, were included in treatment, decisions, and activities. We made life-long friends in that facility: Norma, Rosemary, Dr. Jones, Dr. Nickeson, Ann, Bill, Joel, Gary, Avril, Stephanie, Leslie, Michelle, DiDi, and many others. We would not have survived without them. And we continue to thrive because of the them.

Fast-forward nearly four years, Miles is much healthier. We planned a family cruise to celebrate. It was on that cruise that we notice Deanna, my daughter, was a tad bit crooked. Oy! Off the boat and back to All Children's Hospital. She was diagnosed with moderate, nearing ugly, scoliosis. This was a little scary as we all knew my niece had had two steel rods placed in her back to correct her scoliosis. Through All Children's guidance and tenacity, Deanna was spared surgery. She did have to wear a full-torso, hard plastic brace for nearly a year, but we were able to fend off excessive measures. No one would know, today, that she's crooked just by looking at her. She's absolutely stunning! And that is owed, in no small part, to All Children's Hospital.

I realize I'm a little gung ho about the facility. I'm certain that there are other fabulous children's hospitals out there, but . . . I can only speak to All Children's abilities to treat, not only the patient, but the entire family. We are better folks for having endured nearly seven years of interacting with them medically and we are exponentially blessed to continue to include them in our circle of friends!

I am MORE than thankful for All Children's Hospital. I hope you never need them, but know that if you end up there . . . you're in incredible hands! Thank you!