A culture of giving back: Sharing a home with an open heart
Posted on December 19, 2016
Our house is a host site for Shriner’s Hospital. When patients come from outside the U.S. for treatment and need to be in the area for an extended time, they often stay with us. It typically is the patient and a parent or guardian, though occasionally another family member may come. We provide a welcoming atmosphere, home cooked meals and lodging. Patients usually stay for four to six weeks though we have had a few who stayed up to six months. The Shriner’s van comes to the house and transports patients back and forth to appointments.
Many children need to return annually for prosthetics and therapy. Our favorite child is a young girl from China who first came when she was 20 months old and will be returning soon for her 10th annual visit for prosthetics. It was a thrill to see her change, to watch her exercise to build up her muscles and to see her walk for the first time. We are excited to see FeiFei and her mother Yen when they return. Yen makes the best Chinese food you’ve ever tasted! Even though they do not speak English and we do not speak Chinese, we get along great and communicate a lot through pantomime and now using the translator on our phones.
We’ve hosted children from Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Columbia, Kurdistan, Sierra Leone, China and many other places. It is exciting to see each child receive the prosthetics they need to function in this busy active world. #GivingBackMatters
-Debbie M.
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