Mending the Children : Shriners’ Program Picks Up Tab for Treatment

It was hard to corral 4-year-old Michael Rodriguez as he darted about the vast Shrine Exhibition Hall on Thursday, laughing and chasing an oddly shaped balloon that a red-faced clown had just handed to him.

To all appearances, Michael is a normal, healthy child--except that when he behaves as a normally active boy he risks shattering bones made fragile by a rare birth defect.

Michael and his mother, Andrea Rodriguez, had arrived the night before from Porterville, Calif., to attend a screening clinic to determine whether Michael is eligible for free treatment at Los Angeles’ Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children.

The free clinic attracted nearly 100 children from throughout California, all suffering from debilitating orthopedic problems or scarring from severe burns.

More than 82,000 patients are being treated at 22 Shriners hospitals nationwide, most of them for conditions such as rickets, clubfeet, scoliosis (curvature of the spine) and other bone and joint-related infirmities.

Once a child is accepted as a patient, treatment is free until the age of 18. Yet, Shriners officials said, thousands of children who need help go untreated because they are not aware of the services the Shriners offer.

“Outreach clinics like this one are just one of the ways we try to publicize our efforts,” said Thomas Boles, a member of the board of directors of the Los Angeles Shriners Hospital. “Our only criteria is that the condition is treatable and that the patient’s family have a financial need.”

For Andrea Rodriguez, 25, a single mother employed at a Porterville bank, acceptance into the Shriners program might ease a few of the burdens of caring for a child who must constantly be watched.

In his short lifetime, Michael, whose condition is known as osteogenesis imperfecta (brittle bone), has broken several bones, including his right foot twice, once by simply stepping into his shoe.

After a brief examination by one of six physicians who had volunteered their services, Andrea Rodriguez was advised to make an appointment to have Michael’s legs X-rayed at the Shriners Hospital. Dr. Sidney Senter said Michael would most likely be kept on as an outpatient.

“At the end of the day, he is in so much pain that he cries himself to sleep because his leg is hurting so much,” his mother said. “He’ll never be able to play sports. We’re just hoping that he can be treated for the pain and that maybe his limp can be healed. . . .”

Dr. Colin Moseley, chief of staff at Shriners Hospital, said most children with orthopedic problems can be treated in some manner at the hospital. One example is 3-month-old Rashad, born with a left leg several inches shorter than the right one.

While little can be done now for the child, he can be fitted with a prosthesis when he is ready to begin walking, and at a later age the leg might also be lengthened through surgery.

“He is an example of the perfect kid for the Shriners Hospital because he has a specialized problem and that’s exactly what we’re here for,” Moseley said.