Shriners Hospitals for Children

The start of Shriners Hospitals for Crippled Children began in Shreveport Louisianna with the opening of the first hospital in 1922 by the organization called the Shriners to treat orthopaedic injuries, diseases and birth defects in children. The Shriners are a philanthropic (raise money for free services) organization and do outstanding work in Canada, Mexico and the United States of America.By the end of the 1920's there were 13 more hospitals serving the public. In 1996 the Shriners renamed their hospitals from Shriners Hospital for Crippled Children to the Shriners Hospitals for Children. The Shriners Hospitals for Children as part of their mission is to provide the best medical care to those in need at no cost to families. All of the services at Shriners are free. That means that all of the operations, the room, and care and things that are needed while a child is in one of the Shriners Hospitals for Children are free to the parents and child.Shriners Hospitals for Children have expanded their services to include special hospitals for burns, special hospitals for spinal chord injuries and many bone or orthopaedic problems.There are 22 Shriners Hospital for Children. There are 20 in the United States, one in Mexico and one in Canada. The Hospitals are described by what services they offer at each location throughout the United States, Mexico and Canada.There are requirements for admission to each hospital. A member of the Shriners must make the application and sponsor the patient. Children from the time they are born to their 18 birthday may be eligible for treatment and the treatment is for orthopaedic and burn problems and the head of each department at Shriners feels there is a reasonable chance that treatment will benefit the patient. Each patient is considered on an individual basis.The phone number about applying for care and information to Shriners Hospital for Children in the United States is: PATIENT REFERRAL toll free call 1-800-237-5055
In Canada call toll free 1-800-361-7256, Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00pm Eastern Standard Time.Listed below are the addresses with the city, state, phone number with the kind of treatment available such as BURNS, SPINAL CHORD INJURIES AND MANY DIFFERENT BONE PROBLEMS (ORTHOPAEDIC).

We have been able to put many of our support group members in contact with the Shriners and to get them into the programs at shriners for problems that include spinal problems such as scoliosis, kyphosis, lordosis, cerebral palsy, spinabifida, chest deformities, hip dislocation, polydactyl , syndactyly, pollication, arm and leg anomalies such as radial aplasia and radial dysplasia, leg and feet anomalies and many others.Our families have shared with us the kindness of the Shriners and the doctors and nursing staff as well as just about everyone they came in contact with. There were also times that parents felt that they had little to say about the treatment of their child and this is something that parents have to be made aware of before they apply to Shriners. At Shriners they are in control of the care of your child as they have years of experience with the medical conditions that are presented to them and they are only serving in the best interest of your child and with the utmost thought and experience they offer to the treatment of your child. At Shriners they want your child to be healthy and active and to lead a life that their condition will allow them and that the spirit of the child will seek out within themselves what they can do and want to do. The Shriners are truly a gift to those in need so feel free to make a new friend and see how they can help you.