Re: Shriner's Application

[Guest guest]

You're the rare case of a person who is already being casted and want to go to

Shriner's. Most people start there, so I'm not sure you should even mention

that to them as they may already feel you're getting treatment elsewhere.

Perhaps another parent can chime in on this? I just don't want to see you

turned away because your daughter is in a cast already, although it's the wrong

type. What you do have going for you is a severe curve that should get the

attention of the doctor and care coordinator at the Shriner's you apply to.

My advice is determine which hospital you want to go to and call that hospital

and ask to speak to the care coordinator. Most likely you will leave a voice

mail and they will call you back. Explain your daughter's curve, etc...and that

you've done your research about Mehta casting and feel that this is course you

want to take for your child. They may even have someone take your application

over the phone (this happened to us).

DO HAVE YOUR X-rays and MRI's ready to Fed Ex to them with a passionate letter

about your child's condition and a photo of your child's curve and their face to

humanize them. Send this to the care coordinator who will show it to the

doctor. Most likely, if they think you're a candidate, they will accept you.

Again, the fact that your child is in a cast is tricky. I'm not sure how this

could affect the situation. Perhaps they won't care and realize you haven't

gotten the right care.

I'm sure someone else will weigh in on this aspect.

Nick

>

> Subject: Shriner's Application

> To: infantile_scoliosis

> Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2009, 7:04 AM

> I was trying to look through old post's to see if my

> question has already been answered in your group, I am SURE

> it has but there are so many messages I couldn't find

> it...

>

> What usually qualify's kids to be accepted to

> Shriner's?

>

> The list on the ISOP website shows which hospital's in

> the country use the Mehta casting tables/techniques...all of

> the one's that I would be able to go to are

> Shriner's...I just did an application and will mail out

> today. But I am afraid my daughter won't be accepted.

>

> She is currently in a cast, a Risser Cast from

> Children's Hospital. I don't believe they use the

> Mehta table and the cast looks VERY different from what I am

> seeing on your website. She was casted at a 74 degree curve,

> then corrected to a 55 degree curve with her first

> cast....then with the second cast she fell back to 66

> degrees...that cast was removed and a third one placed on

> her. I just need to get her to a hospital that uses the

> Mehta technique and that has a proven track record. I think

> my doctor was on the right path, but I found out she is

> really the only infantile scoliosis case he is currently

> treating. He treats hundreds of teenagers a year...but only

> a few infants. And none, with such a large curve.

>

> I just want to make sure she is accepted into Shriner's

> and I can get her the proper treatment before any more time

> is wasted.

>

> Thanks again for helping! I am so happy to have found

> somewhere to direct my questions and concerns to!!! My

> husband and I were left to our own research on Infantile

> Scoliosis and still have many unanswered questions. We

> really really are thankful to find other people out there!

>

> Sincerely,

>

[Guest guest]

Hi,

Here is a letter I would have sent with my application if I talked to

first. However, since I got a appt. I sent the letter any way. Include copies of

her X-rays, and medical records. Oh and a photo of her and her back. This will

help them idenfie with your baby. And no worries I do not think you will be

denied.

Example:

Dear Dr. D'Astous,

I am writing this letter preemptive of andria's visit to Shriner's Hospital

on December 24, 2008. I have heard so many good things about your level of

service; both from at ISOP, and my local orthopedic doctor, Dr. Bosch at

Cary Tingly Hospital. They both said you would be able to help my daughter. Dr.

Bosch said with her RVAD number she would be a prime candidate. I have also

heard great things from another parent, Janet Cramer, whose daughter had Casting

done by you.

I had not heard of " Casting " until I did a little research on the Internet. In

doing so I found information that I found very exciting. With casting this would

be a chance for my daughter to avoid surgery and other invasive treatments. I

have also read about the Methas Method and your own article on casting and

watched a Methas Method video, as well as Dr. ph Khoury short UAB video on

casting. I see how beneficial that this treatment can be, and understand the

importance of it.

I want to give you a little background about my daughter andria. She was

born on October 6th, 2007. She is now 14 months old and is very motivated and

strong. She had a case of mild jaundice after she was born but it cleared up

after about a week. She also had a heart VSD and PFO. In September at her last

visit Dr. Raisher said that she still had an insignificant cardiac abnormality.

After birth there were no known problems until her nine-month check up when her

primary care provider, Dr. Bebe Han, noted that she had a gross motor delay. We

were referred to physical therapy at Explorablities, with a physical therapist

. recognized that andria was delayed; she was mostly doing

extensions with her back, not rolling or crawling around. So from early July

until now, has worked with her once every week. In October, did not

think she was advancing to the level where she should be, so she recommended for

us to seek out services from a program called Early Intervention. In late in

November a team from Alta Mira came out and evaluated her. They said she had a

delay in gross motor skills, but commented how far along she had come. The

Occupational Therapist that came out this week said that she has even come

further along in since the time of her last evaluation.

We have seen two specialists for her motor skills delay, Dr. Barrett, for a

Neurological evaluation, and Dr. Bosch with Orthopedic. Dr. Barrett said that

she had a mild levoscoliosis in the thoracic region; he also noted that she uses

the left arm and left leg less, with a slightly diminished tone on the left by

comparison to the right. He recommended that we have an MRI of the head and an

X-ray of the back. The MRI came back clean, but the x-ray showed idiopathic

scoliosis with a thirty-degree cobb angle curve to the left. He referred us to

see Dr. Bosch at Cray Tingly Hospital, we saw him this past Thursday. We talked

with him about the curve in her spine. Dr. Bosch informed me that he knew of the

Metha method and knew of you. He said you were the most experienced in the

nation with casting, and suggested that is what he would do if he were in our

situation. He said her RVAD angle is about 20 degrees, he had never used the

software on her X-ray CD, and did not know fully how to measure it. He was

surprised when they did an MRI of the head that they did not also do an MRI of

the back. He thinks this would also be important to rule out other neurologic

problems. Although Dr. Bosch is open to the Metha Method, he would prefer to

just wait and see what happens, taking another X-ray in four months. I strongly

feel that going forward with andria's treatment is the best thing to do. I

would rather us be proactive. If we wait four months andria would be almost

18 months old, right now is the best opportunity to fix her Scoliosis while her

back is still flexible and can still be manipulated.

Dr. D'Astous I want to thank you for seeing my baby so soon. I know that you can

help, and I know how important it is that she receives your help. Talking to

and a chiropractor in town they all state how important that the back is

in helping with body working with both sides. I think this is the first step in

helping her crawl and walk. Enclosed I have included photo of andria's back,

a photo of her, her x-rays, and medical records. I hope this information helps

you to come up with a treatment plan. If there is any other information needed

please feel free to give us a call at or by email

poulsenjosh@....

Thank you for your time,

Sincerely,

Poulsen

andria's Father

>

> I was trying to look through old post's to see if my question has already been

answered in your group, I am SURE it has but there are so many messages I

couldn't find it...

>

> What usually qualify's kids to be accepted to Shriner's?

>

> The list on the ISOP website shows which hospital's in the country use the

Mehta casting tables/techniques...all of the one's that I would be able to go to

are Shriner's...I just did an application and will mail out today. But I am

afraid my daughter won't be accepted.

>

> She is currently in a cast, a Risser Cast from Children's Hospital. I don't

believe they use the Mehta table and the cast looks VERY different from what I

am seeing on your website. She was casted at a 74 degree curve, then corrected

to a 55 degree curve with her first cast....then with the second cast she fell

back to 66 degrees...that cast was removed and a third one placed on her. I just

need to get her to a hospital that uses the Mehta technique and that has a

proven track record. I think my doctor was on the right path, but I found out

she is really the only infantile scoliosis case he is currently treating. He

treats hundreds of teenagers a year...but only a few infants. And none, with

such a large curve.

>

> I just want to make sure she is accepted into Shriner's and I can get her the

proper treatment before any more time is wasted.

>

> Thanks again for helping! I am so happy to have found somewhere to direct my

questions and concerns to!!! My husband and I were left to our own research on

Infantile Scoliosis and still have many unanswered questions. We really really

are thankful to find other people out there!

>

> Sincerely,

>

>

[Guest guest]

I am sure that she will be accepted..... I never physically filled out an application..... It was done over the phone for me by the care coordinator at Erie Shriners. If you have questions, I would seriously call the care coordinator at the hospital you are looking into and I'm sure that they will be able to assist you. I am so glad that you found our group! Steph

Subject: Shriner's ApplicationTo: infantile_scoliosis Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2009, 2:04 PM

I was trying to look through old post's to see if my question has already been answered in your group, I am SURE it has but there are so many messages I couldn't find it...What usually qualify's kids to be accepted to Shriner's? The list on the ISOP website shows which hospital's in the country use the Mehta casting tables/techniques. ..all of the one's that I would be able to go to are Shriner's... I just did an application and will mail out today. But I am afraid my daughter won't be accepted.She is currently in a cast, a Risser Cast from Children's Hospital. I don't believe they use the Mehta table and the cast looks VERY different from what I am seeing on your website. She was casted at a 74 degree curve, then corrected to a 55 degree curve with her first cast....then with the second cast she fell back to 66 degrees...that cast was removed and a third one placed on her. I just need to get her to a hospital that uses the

Mehta technique and that has a proven track record. I think my doctor was on the right path, but I found out she is really the only infantile scoliosis case he is currently treating. He treats hundreds of teenagers a year...but only a few infants. And none, with such a large curve. I just want to make sure she is accepted into Shriner's and I can get her the proper treatment before any more time is wasted.Thanks again for helping! I am so happy to have found somewhere to direct my questions and concerns to!!! My husband and I were left to our own research on Infantile Scoliosis and still have many unanswered questions. We really really are thankful to find other people out there!Sincerely,