31 Days to Amaze: Coming together to support Shriners kids

When Arlo was born missing his fibula (the long bone on the outside of his left leg), his parents, Emily and Tyler, were left scared and unsure. Arlo’s left leg was shorter than the right; he also had a clubbed foot and only three toes on the left side.

Emily and Tyler immediately started doing research and looking for resources to help their son live a full and active life. That journey lead them to Shriners Children’s as a resource for children with Arlo’s condition, called fibular hemimelia, and brought them to establish care at Shriners Children’s Lexington, where Arlo underwent an amputation on the left leg below the knee.

“The day of surgery was the most difficult day of our lives,” Emily said, of her now 4-year-old toddler who is full of energy and always wearing a smile. “Having to turn our boy over for a major surgery was incredibly hard. However, we knew he was in good hands.”

‘Allows us to get to the heart of healthcare’

Located in a state-of-the-art medical center just across from the UK HealthCare campus, Shriners Children’s Lexington treats more than 16,000 patients each year. The pediatric outpatient surgical and rehabilitation center is one of 20 Shriners Children’s facilities in the U.S. and provides care for orthopedic conditions ranging from the rare to the routine — from common childhood injuries to complex genetic conditions — all regardless of the families’ ability to pay.

Some of the pediatric specialties include clubfoot and other foot disorders, infantile and adolescent hip disorders, hand and upper-extremity disorders, limb deficiencies and amputations, rheumatology, sports injuries, fractures, scoliosis and other spinal deformities and orthopedic conditions related to cerebral palsy, spina bifida, osteogenesis imperfecta and more.

One of the elements that sets Shriners Children’s apart is that it provides care for children regardless of insurance status.

“At Shriners Children’s Lexington, we put patients first. Family-centered care creates an atmosphere of hope and healing. Our medical teams take the time to listen and help patients reach for their own goals,” said Tony Lewgood, administrator for the medical center. “That allows us to get to the heart of healthcare, which should always be providing exceptional care to those who need it. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we’re able to do just that.”

And the organization has been doing it for a long time.

In 2022, Shriners International and Shriners Children’s marked special anniversaries. The fraternity was founded 150 years ago and, 50 years later, the caring and visionary fraternity members founded their official philanthropy. The first Shriners Hospital for Children opened in Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1922 to care for children recovering from polio. Lexington’s hospital opened four years later in 1926.

What began as one hospital is now a unique healthcare system with a reputation for finding answers and giving families hope worldwide.

“Our founding Shriners were courageous when they opened our first hospital a century ago to care for children with polio,” Lewgood said. “Today that same courageous spirit is transitioning our system of facilities to meet the current needs of children.” Needs like those of Arlo and his family.

‘We received so much love and support’

“We traveled four hours for our appointment with Dr. Vishwas Talwalkar and were overly impressed with his knowledge and bedside manner,” Emily said. “We left that first appointment with a scheduled surgery date because we loved everything about Shriners Children’s Lexington and Dr. Talwalkar!”

It was at Arlo’s first appointment that Dr. Talwalkar recommended he undergo an amputation. He felt confident he would be able to keep Arlo’s calcaneus (heel bone). Keeping as much of the leg as possible was very important to the family.

Many expecting parents do not ever consider that they might find themselves with a child that needs to have a limb amputated. Emily and Tyler certainly counted themselves among that group, but knew Shriners would help them do what’s best for their son.

“The moment we walked into the building here in Lexington we were greeted with smiles, stickers and the sweetest southern accents that make you feel so warm when speaking with the incredible staff here,” Emily said. “We received so much love and support over the next months and it’s felt like our second home ever since.”

That family-centered care is why, for three consecutive years, Shriners Children’s Lexington, in partnership with UK HealthCare’s Kentucky Children’s Hospital, has been named among the Top 50 Best Hospitals for Pediatric Orthopedics by U.S. News and World Report.

Each of the physicians who practice at the Shriners medical center also practice at UK HealthCare, and many are professors at the UK College of Medicine. Consulting physicians from UK HealthCare also serve Shriners patients for things like anesthesia, rheumatology, sports medicine and plastic surgery.

Shriners Children’s Lexington has been serving children and families in the area for nearly 100 years. The first facility opened as a 20-bed wing connected to the children’s ward of Good Samaritan Hospital. Shortly after the hospital opened, it became evident that the 20-bed wing was not large enough to treat the number of children with orthopedic conditions seeking care. A new free-standing hospital with 50 beds opened in 1955 on Richmond Road and a newer hospital was built near that same location in the 1980s. The current medical center opened at 110 Conn Terrace five years ago.

The 110,000-square-foot medical center features two surgical suites, six pre- and post-surgery rooms and a post-anesthesia care unit, a motion analysis laboratory, 20 patient exam rooms in an outpatient clinic, four infusion rooms, a radiology department that provides traditional and low-dose imaging, a rehabilitation gym and treatment rooms for physical and occupational therapy, an observation playground, a research department and a custom prosthetics and orthotics department.

“A significant benefit of our care model is we guide families through the entire journey right here in our facility,” Lewgood said. “This streamlines the patient’s care and allows providers at every level -- from the surgeon to the physical therapist to the radiology tech and more -- to collaborate to ensure the best possible outcome for our kids and our families.”

‘Collaboration with our amazing community partners’

As a nonprofit, Shriners Children’s Lexington relies on the generosity of donors to make these successes possible. Unlike other nonprofit health systems, SCL still receives more than 70% of its operating budget from ongoing philanthropic support. This October, new opportunities are available with the launch of 31 Days to Amaze.

Now in its second year, the philanthropy campaign unites businesses and the community in support of the mission of Shriners Children’s. No matter if a business is big or small, online or at a physical location, Shriners Children’s will help coordinate a participation plan specifically for them.

“This is a phenomenal partnership that allows one of the most trusted brands in pediatric care to impact the lives of children through collaboration with our amazing community partners,” said Wesley Scott, director of philanthropy at Shriners Children’s Lexington. “The whole concept is you have 31 days to give back to our patients in whatever way that fits best for you and your business or organization. It could be a monthlong campaign or a single day. It could be as easy as setting out a donation box all the way up to a portion of all sales in a timeframe being donated back. And everything in between.”

Anyone can participate by shopping at, dining with or supporting the events of the community partners participating in the campaign. For more information, visit 31daystoamaze.org or contact Wesley Scott at 859-268-5768.

All funds donated by the supporting business partners will help ensure that Shriners Children’s Lexington continues to provide children from Lexington and around the globe with world-class, wraparound care like Arlo received.

‘Arlo hasn’t looked back’

Almost from that first visit as a baby, Arlo has also been working with the medical center’s pediatric orthotics and prosthetics services to build custom prosthetic legs to help him remain as active as he would like, which is important for kids as curious and busy as Arlo. He took his first steps when he was less than a year old, and just two weeks after receiving his first prosthetic leg.

“Arlo hasn’t looked back,” Emily said. “He is all over the place and loves wearing his ‘leggy.’”

While Arlo’s tenacity plays a big role in his success, so does Shriners Children’s Lexington and the staff there, Emily said.

“The love for the staff here is unending in our hearts,” Emily said. “Not only is our son thriving but he has been given such amazing opportunities through this organization. Because of the support of Shriners Children’s Lexington and the incredible community of supporters, my family will forever be indebted and thankful.” •

ShrinersLexington.org

To make a gift or learn more about 31 Days to Amaze: 859-268-5768

For general information: 859-266-2101

For appointments/referrals: 859-268-5675

Shriners Children’s is changing lives every day through innovative pediatric specialty care, world-class research and outstanding medical education. Our multiple locations in the United States, Canada and Mexico provide advanced care for children with orthopedic conditions, burns, spinal cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate, regardless of the families’ ability to pay.

Over the last 100 years, Shriners Children’s has treated more than 1.5 million children from more than 170 countries, seeing more than 16,000 kids each year right here in Lexington.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, the healthcare system depends on the generosity of donors to continue improving the lives of children and families. Here are just some of the ways you can help during 31 Days to Amaze:

• Make a direct donation to Shriners Children’s

• Donate a portion of proceeds on sales of a product(s) or services

• Provide wall tags for donations in a location

• Run a register fundraising campaign

• Allow customers to donate at your business website

• Host an event/fundraiser

• Employee giving with a company match

• Email giving campaign to clients/ vendors

• Invite your customers to take a survey of your service and donate money for every completed survey

• Host a speaker panel event or virtual webinar and donate the entrance fee to Shriners

• Host a virtual auction benefitting Shriners Children’s

• Host a golf tournament

• Donate your vehicle to Shriners Children’s

For more information, visit 31daystoamaze.org