Wednesday, March 20th was the first day of Spring, but you wouldn't know it from the temperatures. Not counting the wind chill it was in the low 30's high 20's. Add the wind which was gusting and it was freezing!
Didn't deter me or my Mom though as we headed out to Clayton and Newstead in St. Louis's Central West End for the ground breaking ceremony of the new Shriners Hospital. It will replace the one on Lindbergh that I practically lived at during my teen years. I became a patient with Shriners when I was about four and continued until about age twenty.
It has been 26 years since I've been to Shriners, but I was excited to see Dr. Schoenecker's name on the back of a chair in the front row. He was awesome and so supporting to me and my Mom during a lot of tough times. After my amputation he told my Mom they weren't sure I would walk again, something they never told me, but the physical therapists had me up on my new leg and off I went. Never did anyone tell me directly I couldn't do anything. Shriners always was and always will be a positive experience for me and other kids.
The ceremony took place in a tent and the wind still managed to whip under walls making us all grateful for the quilts and blankets that were provided. The Patient Ambassadors hijacked the podium and took over telling their stories and introducing all the dignitaries. This was followed by the ground breaking ceremony and pictures taken by an aerial photographer.
Finally the cold weather did me in so I headed back to the van, which my Mom had running and heating up for me.
The Patient Ambassadors is a new program that I will be joining. Anything I can do for Shriners Hospital I will do because I wouldn't have the quality of life if it wasn't for them.
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