“It's A Bargain” Thrift Shop - Orthopaedic Hospital

from falls and is wheelchair-friendly.
The park features brightly colored slides,
tubes, bridges, swings, interactive puzzles, a quiet
area, a misting dragon and lush landscaping for
children ages 2 to 12. Through a joint-use agreement
with the City of Los Angeles Department of
Recreation and Parks, the playground is open to
the public seven days a week.
“With the opening of this delightful and
unique playground, we are expanding our mission
of care for children with musculoskeletal
conditions regardless of the family’s ability to
pay,” said James V. Luck Jr., MD, president, CEO
and medical director. “The playground provides a
safe and stimulating outdoor haven for children
in the community — regardless of their physical
limitations — to come together, play and learn
from each other.”
In addition to benefiting pediatric patients,
their siblings and children from the entire community
for years to come, the playground will
serve as a model for similar projects across
Los Angeles and other communities around the
world, some as far away as Cambodia.
When we imagine the lack
of access in a community,
we’re likely to think about
the lack of access to healthcare
or affordable housing or
access to the classroom,” said Mary Schmitz, PhD,
president, Orthopædic Hospital Foundation. “But
rarely do we think about lack of access to playgrounds.
But if you really think about it, a child
in a wheelchair can’t get across the sand and the
wood chips to even get to play equipment in most
playgrounds. These are children set aside unless
someone knows how to literally level the playing
field and design an area where all children can
play together.
“Before we began constructing this playground,
Orthopædic Hospital worked with
Shane’s Inspiration to find out what children and
adults wanted in their playground. We held focus
groups to get input from community members,
doctors, nurses, patients, parents and therapists.
The doctors suggested a sand area. The patients
said ‘No, it gets in our braces.’ The children wanted
a play area, but the doctors didn’t want the
charity care
“Dr. Charles LeRoy Lowman had a vision to
provide care for children regardless of their
ability to pay when he started his clinic a few
blocks from here in 1911. His vision was to take
care of the whole child, not just a crippled foot, a
curved spine or a dysplastic hip. This playground
is the realization of his vision. He would be
indeed happy and proud to see this.”
— James V. Luck Jr., MD, president, CEO
and medical director, Orthopædic Hospital
“These days we often think of play as what
children do when their time isn’t spent learning
something valuable. But while a child can survive
beautifully without ballet, soccer or gymnastics,
no child can survive and thrive without play. I
am so proud of what has been created here for
our community — a beautiful, magical place
devoted to play; a place where the obstacles that
keep children with disabilities from participating
in traditional playground activities have been
brilliantly overcome; a place for children to form
friendships, to learn new skills and to realize
that there really are no limits to what they can
accomplish and become.”
— Mary Schmitz, PhD, president,
Los Angeles Orthopædic Hospital Foundation
“I am happy for the kids because kids who have
different kinds of challenges often experience a
bias. This will enable them to experience the
joy and the learning that comes from just being
able to have access to the same things other kids
have. Somebody in a wheelchair will finally have
access to play equipment that is designed so
they can feel the pleasure of moving their bodies
in motion, rolling around, moving freely from
one piece of equipment to another. This is why
accessible playgrounds are so transformative.
This park means that thousands of more kids
will be able to play.”
— Jan Perry, Los Angeles City Council
member, Ninth Council District
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