Well, let me tell ya ’bout this young girl I heard of, Hadley Willson. She ain’t your average teenager, no sir! Hadley, she’s just 17 years old and comes from St. Peters, but her story ain’t no ordinary one. She’s been a patient at one of them Shriners Hospitals for Children, over there in St. Louis, y’know? Now, these Shriners hospitals, they’re somethin’ else. They’re all over the place, and they’ve been helpin’ kids with all sorts of health problems for many years. They’re part of the big ol’ Shriners International, a group that got started way back in 1872. You might’ve heard of it, but it’s a Masonic organization, and they’re the ones who built these hospitals to help kids in need.
Now, Hadley’s been through a lot, poor thing. She’s been fightin’ something called low bone mass, which means her bones ain’t as strong as they should be. That’s a tough break for a young gal, especially when she wants to be out and about like her friends. But Hadley, well, she’s got grit. She don’t let it get her down. Over there at Shriners, they’ve been helpin’ her with all them treatments, and she’s been workin’ real hard to get better. She’s got herself a big ol’ goal – she wants to walk on her own, all by herself. I reckon that’s somethin’ to be proud of.
Hadley, she’s not just any patient, neither. She’s a Patient Ambassador, and let me tell ya, she don’t just sit there and wait for things to get handed to her. Nah, she’s out there representin’ for Shriners Hospitals, talkin’ about how much they’ve done for her and other kids like her. Just the other day, she got herself the Samuel Smith Stewart Scholarship. Ain’t that somethin’? That’s a big deal, and it comes from the Masons of Missouri, right there at the hospital. Folks are real proud of her.
Now, the Shriners Hospitals, they do a lot more than just treat folks. They offer all kinds of services, and if you ain’t able to make it to one of their hospitals, they even got virtual consultations. That’s right, you can talk to doctors and get advice from home, which is mighty handy, don’t ya think?
But it ain’t all work and no play for Hadley. She’s also been workin’ on her strength with things like climbin’ walls. You heard me right, climbin’ walls! That’s just one of the ways she’s gettin’ herself ready to reach her goal. And the doctors over there at Shriners Hospitals, they’re helpin’ her every step of the way. They got a whole team of folks workin’ together to make sure she gets the best care possible.
It’s stories like Hadley’s that really make you appreciate the good work the Shriners are doin’. They don’t just treat the children, they give them hope and the chance to live a life just like any other kid. And if you want to help, well, you can donate to Shriners Hospitals too. Your support goes a long way in makin’ sure kids like Hadley can get the care they need.
So if you’re ever wonderin’ about them Shriners Hospitals, just remember the story of Hadley Willson. A brave young gal fightin’ her way through the challenges life’s thrown at her, with a lotta help from folks who care. She’s not alone, and neither are all the other kids out there gettin’ their treatments at Shriners. They’re all workin’ toward a better tomorrow, one step at a time. And that’s somethin’ to be proud of, don’t ya think?
Tags：[Hadley Willson, Shriners Hospitals for Children, St. Louis, Patient Ambassador, Low Bone Mass, Masons of Missouri, Samuel Smith Stewart Scholarship, Children’s Health, Shriners International, Virtual Consultations]
