Shriners Hospitals for Children

Happy #FezFriday! Meet Ed Geoffrion, a long-standing Melha Shriner and our new Chairman of the Board of Governors here in Springfield, MA. Ed became a Shriner in December of 1971, following in the footsteps of his uncle, Ed Bock, who was the Potentate of Melha Shriners in 1977. Over the years, Ed participated in and was the president of the Oriental Band and has also been very active in the Melha Riders, legion of honor (he’s a veteran!) and the vintage autos unit. ... In 2012, Ed joined our local Board of Governors as an associate, and became a voting member in 2013. He said it has been his favorite and most rewarding job ever since! Ed is looking forward to the hospital continuing to grow, thrive and fill an important need in the community for the next 95 years, and he is grateful to be a part of that process. He remembers the first time he stepped foot in the hospital almost 50 years ago and is proud to see how far we have come. Something you may not know about Ed is that he is a 4th degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do an incredible honor he received the same month he turned 70!

When James and Rachel of Plymouth, Connecticut, adopted 19-month-old Jacob from China in 2013, they knew right away that there would be no stopping him. Despite being born without a right hand and right leg, Jacob was on the go! He was so active, crawling and rolling around the house, Rachel recalled. Outside of our home, however, we had to either carry him or put him in a stroller. We wanted him to have the freedom to explore the world more independently. James and Rache...l researched health care facilities that specialized in pediatric limb differences and weren’t surprised to find the Springfield Shriners Hospital. Two of our other children had already received great care there for other conditions. We knew that was where we needed to bring Jacob, said Rachel. One month after his adoption, Jacob and his family visited the hospital’s orthotics and prosthetics department (POPS) where they met with manager and certified prosthetist Brock McConkey, CPO. He explained that POPS staff members could create a custom-fitted prosthetic leg for Jacob. We felt prosthetics would open up Jacob’s entire world, said Rachel.

On this episode of Alec Presents, Alec tries to guess his next celebrity guest! Will he be able to identify this America's Got Talent judge? Find out and watch more videos at https://myshc.tv/ now!

Winter sports are in full swing! But with all that fun, there can be injuries. Watch as physician assistant, Sarah Durgin, shares information to help keep your child safe and what to do if an injury does happen.

Herb and Pat Sawtell have a long-standing relationship with the Springfield Shriners Hospital. To date, the Sawtells have financially supported the campaign that brought EOS to the hospital, the first ultra-low-dose X-ray imaging system in western Massachusetts, and continue to make high-impact donations that bring health and happiness to many children.

Strong girls take on the world

A big smile for your Tuesday!

We love when kids help kids! Tessa and her sister Layla created a stand in their front yard to sell homemade rubber band bracelets and necklaces for a cause. These were a huge hit with their neighbors, friends and family! The girls donated their $200 in proceeds to our facility and we are so grateful!

Running into another beautiful fall weekend like

We love these daily reminders from our Child Life staff.

Thank you to the Springfield Mass Rotary Club for their generous donation of 1,500 masks to our facility! This group recently donated 20,000 masks to various organizations throughout the city including local police and fire departments, Spirit of Springfield, The Gray House, Dakin Humane Society and Square One among others as part of their Rotary Million Masks Challenge Tour.

Our team goes to infinity and beyond when it comes to caring for their patients! Thank you to Nancy Medina for creating a matching hip spica cast for patient Noah's Buzz Lightyear doll!

Be uniquely you. Stand out. Shine. Be colorful!

Attention past Radiothon donors! It's day 2 of our Phone-a-thon! Be on the lookout for a call from our donor development staff about continuing your annual support. Making your gift online is also an option! http://lovetotherescueradiothon.org

Due to COVID-19 and in an effort to keep our patients, families and staff members safe, our Annual Love to the Rescue Radiothon has been canceled. The amazing response we receive during our annual Radiothons has always been critical to our mission and the need is even greater this year. Instead of a call-in Radiothon, our donor development staff and local board members will be conducting a call-out Phone-a-thon tomorrow and Friday! This group will be calling past Radiothon donors directly and asking them to continue their support. There is also an opportunity to make your gift online at www.lovetotherescueradiothon.org!

We received a special outdoor visit today from the 2020 Daughters of the Nile Supreme Queen, Heather Krastins Lambert! Heather is from Apple Valley, MN, and this was her first trip to Springfield, MA. Today, she was warmly welcomed by hospital staff and had the opportunity to learn about orthotics and prosthetics. Until June 2021, Heather’s goal is to visit (both in-person and virtually!) all Shriners Hospitals for Children locations. Thank you for stopping by, Heather!

A fist bump for your Friday! Have a great weekend!

Happy National Physician Assistant Week to this dynamic duo! Thank you Sarah and Adam! #PAweek #PAsAreEssential