Shriners Help Patients Make "The Trip of a Lifetime"

Francisco Perez with his mother, Candelaria Torres.

When 9-year-old Francisco Perez stepped across the border from Mexico to Texas, he brought a suitcase, his favorite toy, and hope for the future.

Francisco, who was born missing an arm below the right elbow, was heading for Shriners Hospital for Children in Houston, where doctors and other health care professionals would provide him with a prosthetic arm and hand, and teach him how to use it. Now Francisco would have a chance to be like other children when he returned home to Mexico - to catch a ball, climb a tree, or ride a bicycle.

"For my son, this is the trip of a lifetime," says Francisco's mother, Candelaria Torres.

Francisco is among the 2,200 children from northern Mexico who receive treatment at Shriners Hospital for a host of orthopedic conditions affecting the bones, joints and muscles.

Because Shriners Hospital's area of service includes northern Mexico and the entire state of Texas, the hospital doesn't think in terms of a Texas-Mexico border, explains Linda Jennings, director of care coordination at Shriners Hospital. "We've been doing NAFTA long before NAFTA existed," she said.

While the Houston hospital takes care of children from northern Mexico, Shriners Hospitals in Mexico City, Salt Lake City and Los Angeles service other regions of Mexico.

"The need for pediatric orthopedic care in Mexico is extensive, and too much for the Mexico City hospital to handle alone," Jennings explains.

Care provided to children from Mexico, like care provided to all of the hospital's 6,000 patients, is completely free of charge, thanks to the Shriners, a fraternal organization whose official philanthropy is the network of 22 Shriners Hospitals throughout North America.

Known for their distinctive red hats, miniature race cars, and presence in parades and Shrine circuses, the Shriners also have a serious side when it comes to helping kids in need.

Take, for example, the tireless efforts of a group of Shriners informally dubbed the "valley hospital drivers," who regularly transport children from the Texas-Mexico border to Shriners hospitals in Houston and Galveston. Led by Shriner Brad Bradley, who left his home in Hawaii to live in McAllen, Texas, volunteers from the Rio Grande Valley Shrine Club in La Feria drive patients and their families to the Houston hospital for orthopedic care, while volunteers from the Nomad Shrine Club in Pharr transport patients to Shriners Hospital in Galveston for burn treatment. Both Shrine Clubs fall under the jurisdiction of Al Amin Shrine Temple in Corpus Christi.

"The transportation system has been in place for years, and runs like a well-oiled machine," Bradley says.

To begin, patients are notified of their upcoming appointments by a letter or phone call from the hospital, but many families live in rural areas with limited access to phone or mail service. In this case, the "word of mouth" system kicks into gear. The hospital notifies one of three Mexican citizens who reside at various points across the country's northern border, about upcoming appointments for children in their areas.

"These ordinary citizens set out on foot, by car, or by any other means necessary to notify families of impending appointment dates," Bradley explains.

These key "point people" are good-hearted souls, he says, who operate in an unofficial capacity to help children. Their relationship with Shriners Hospital is longstanding, and their role has expanded to include recruitment of new patients, should they happen to come across a child in need.

Once appointments are set, the valley hospital drivers come into play to provide patients and their families with transportation to appointments.

Typically, a driver will leave his home in the Rio Grande Valley about 3:30 a.m. to reach the Hidalgo-Reynosa International Bridge before daybreak. Upon arriving at the bridge, the driver presents immigration officers with a hospital-prepared list of children who will be crossing the border for medical treatment. The children, who must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, cross the border one by one. Often, they have traveled all night by bus, car or foot from their homes to the border. When the last child has crossed, it's off to Houston or Galveston, with two restroom stops and one break for breakfast along the way.

In all his years of ferrying patients back and forth, Bradley has never heard one complaint.

"The children and their parents are wonderful travelers," he says. "They are very appreciative, and many shed tears of gratitude."

The devotion of parents to their children is apparent during the trip. A mother often will cradle her disabled youngster for the duration of the journey, and despite little sleep, she remains attentive to her child's every need.

"These parents love their children beyond measure, and will do anything to help them," Bradley says.

Upon arrival at Shriners Hospital, patients are whisked away to doctor's appointments or to therapy, then shuttled to a nearby hotel for a good night's rest before the return trip to the border the next day. Patients admitted for surgery remain longer, of course, and will be driven home by Valley drivers when their recovery is complete. All food, lodging and other travel expenses are paid by Al Amin Temple.

All in all, about 2,400 trips spanning 150,000 miles are made each year, not to mention countless hours of donated manpower.

In summer, about 30 drivers volunteer, but during the winter months the number swells to 75. Many drivers are "winter Texans" who escape the icy northern states such as Wisconsin and Michigan for the warmth of the Rio Grande Valley during winter.

"The dedication of the Valley drivers is unparalleled. Without them, we couldn't offer the service we provide to children from Mexico," says Shriners Hospital administrator Steven B. Reiter.

Drivers receive no financial payment for their efforts. Everything is strictly voluntary, says Reiter.

For Brad Bradley and the other Valley drivers, the smiles on the faces of the children and their parents are payment enough.

"We become cheerleaders for these children and their families. We've known many of them since birth. To watch them grow and to see them improve with years of treatment ... well, there's nothing more rewarding," says Bradley.

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©2006 Texas Medical Center

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