Dear Friends and Family,
Yes - once again, I've roped myself into another 13.1-mile race. But I have another great cause this year, and I hope you'll consider supporting me at whatever level you can.
Two years ago, I ran with Miracles in Motion on behalf of a girl named Abby, who is doing quite well. This time, I'm running for honor patients Mason and Benjamin Shrader, who also happen to be the sons of a new Phoenix Children's pediatric orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Wade Shrader.
Dr. Shrader has been in the Valley for years and recently joined our Hospital. When I interviewed him for the first time, I heard about his amazing orthopedic work for children with cerebral palsy. I was immediately impressed by his down to earth nature and his passion for helping these kids avoid the pain of hip dislocation, which can be common in children with the diagnosis.
Imagine my surprise, then, when I found out that Dr. Shrader has two sons of his own - 12-year-old triplets - who have cerebral palsy (the third triplet, Claire, does not have CP). Mason and Benjamin immediately became my inspiration for this year's run.
I met Benjamin a few weeks after my interview; he was at Phoenix Children's undergoing a major hip operation. (Doctors can't operate on their own kids, so our chief orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Lee Segal, had the honors.) I saw Benjamin, Dr. Shrader, and Mrs. Shrader a day after surgery, and Benjamin said he was doing great - "As well as you could be doing after surgery, I guess," he said with a smile.
The next day, though, he went into respiratory stress. "It was really scary, and I thought I was going to die," Benjamin says, but, "the staff was really great – they were making jokes trying to calm me down even as they raced me to the ICU. I know God used the staff at Phoenix Children’s to see me through!"
I haven't had the chance to meet Mason yet, but he's a fan of Phoenix Children's - "When my brother Benjamin was there I saw them take great care of him, and that means a lot to me," he says - his favorite sport is football, and his favorite animal is the platypus. So I know we will hit it off when I see him at the finish line!
This economy has got us all watching our dollars like hawks, so I know people are weighing their donation decisions very carefully these days. I would be honored if you choose to support Phoenix Children's Hospital and our fantastic orthopedic program as I run in honor of Mason and Benjamin Shrader. Any amount helps me get to my $1,500 goal - can I count on you to help?
Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to make a contribution to my fundraising efforts.
Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!
Sincerely,
Jessica
P.S. If you'd like to learn more about Dr. Shrader's story - including his start as a NASA engineer - here is a feature from our most recent physician magazine that talks about his inspiration and his work.