Kora Sands - Summer 2017

KORA SANDS SPRING 2017
make sure that your child’s visit is more like a day at the park.
Taylor received her first “Armie” when she was 4 months
old and it was love at first sight. We look forward to her upper
extremity clinic visits. They give Taylor a chance to be around
other kids like her and all of them are perfect just as she is.
Taylor is currently 8 years old. She participates in a wide
variety of sports: soccer, cheerleading, gymnastics and her
favorite sport baseball! She loves art, and has won a handful
of awards for her pieces. She also enjoys snowboarding and
snowshoeing, driving her snowmobile and ATV, swimming,
snorkeling, fishing, water tubing, riding her bike and hiking. If
it’s outdoors, chances are she does it and loves it. She never lets
anything hold her back.
As time progressed, all the fears I once had for her were
completely replaced with joy.
Worth the trip
By Sarah Durgin, M.H.S., PA-C
How far would you
travel to obtain the best
care for your child?
Since December 2010,
Jason and his parents
have traveled more than
13,500 miles over the
course of 61 trips from
their home in the capital
region of New York to
Shriners Hospitals for
Children —Springfield
all to receive care for
Jason’s club feet.
Finding a New
Approach – Clubfoot is
a congenital condition,
present at birth, in which
the foot is twisted out of
shape or position. Jason
– currently 7 years old – was born with bilateral club feet that
were initially treated by a local orthopaedist. By the time Jason
was 5 months old, however, the physician realized he had no
further options to care for this complex condition – Jason
needed specialized pediatric care. At his parents’ request, Jason
was referred to the Springfield Shriners Hospital.
When first seen there, Jason’s feet were very irritated from
prior casting. The expert staff at the Springfield Shriners
Hospital recommended a period out of casts to allow the skin
and feet to recover.
After the break, David Drvaric, M.D., and Physician
Assistant Sarah Durgin, M.H.S., P.A.-C., began casting again,
using the Ponseti method. In this nonsurgical approach,
gentle manipulation is used to stretch contracted ligaments,
repositioning the foot in stages through a series of casts that
are changed weekly. This method gradually straightens the foot
into the correct position.
Jason’s left foot responded well, without the need for a
tenotomy, or surgery to lengthen the heel cord. The procedure
was necessary for the right foot, however, to allow Jason’s foot
to be flat on the ground when he walked. Jason’s feet were
also placed in special shoes
connected by a bar; these were
worn every night to maintain
the corrected position of the
feet.
Further Treatment
Three years later, Jason’s
feet had a recurrence and two
additional episodes of casting
were required to stretch out his
heel cords. Jason was also given
custom braces to wear. These
were made on-site in the Pediatric
Orthotic and Prosthetic Service
department at the Springfield
Shriners Hospital.
In the past several years,
Jason has received additional
treatment at the hospital.
Most recently, in April 2016,
Jason had surgery on his right
foot to adjust the muscles and
tendons. He is now doing
quite well, but his care team
will continue to monitor Jason
as he grows to make sure his
feet are aligned and pain-free.
When asked whether all the
travel was worth it to receive
this care for Jason, his mother
answered, “Every mile.”
SUMMER CEREMONIAL REGISTRATION DEADLINE JUNE 2ND
Register online at www.korashriners.org or by contacting the Kora Office
at 207-782-6831 or email at khansen@korashriners.org. See pages 21-25.
www.korashriners.org 13