Meet Sofia
Sofia’s first Wings of Hope flight from her home in western Kansas was her second time traveling to Shriners Children’s St. Louis. The first trip took 12 hours one way by car.
“We’re so grateful they (Shriners) suggested Wings of Hope,” said her mom, Stacy.
The 15-year-old and her family had been searching for the right orthopedic surgeon to take on her case and provide her a hip replacement for years.
“We are praying this does the trick,” said Stacy. “We’re pretty excited.”
It may seem unusual for a teenager to be excited about a hip replacement, but Sofia has plans.
First, she’s looking forward to riding horses again: “That’s what I was born to do,” she said.
Second, she’s been eyeing her brother Ricky’s Trexo — a wearable robotic gait training device that helps children with disabilities walk — and she can’t wait to get her own.
Sofia’s recovery will require several post-op visits to Shriners, and we’ll be with her every step of the way.
Meet Jayana
Sometimes, as the saying goes, it takes a village to provide a child the care she needs.
Jayana requires complex pediatric care that is not available in her home country of Jamaica. At only three years old, Jayana traveled to the U.S., with the support of World Pediatrics and Ronald McDonald House Charities, for the second time this past summer. She and her mom, Shaneka, flew from Jamaica to Shriners Children’s Ohio in Dayton for follow-up treatment for her craniofacial needs. Then, Wings of Hope flew the duo to Shriners Children’s St. Louis for ongoing prosthetic eye care and orthopedic treatment for her clubfoot.