Salle Ann Ruibal
When I scheduled my daughter Sallee Ann's limb-lengthening surgery at the Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics, I knew that it was the best place in the world for this procedure and that our surgeon, Dr. John Herzenberg, was tops in his field. What I didn't know at that time was that the Rubin Institute is much more than a building where orthopedic medicine is practiced: It is also place of hope, compassion and inspiration.
Limb lengthening is a difficult, painful and stressful procedure for everyone involved. It asks the most from the patients, most of whom are children. Families are also challenged to provide comfort and hands-on assistance with the lengthy physical therapy that is required.
The doctors, therapists and support staff at the Rubin Institute went beyond what is usually expected from care providers and became the compass that we depended on to navigate this arduous course.
At every point in the procedure, from the actual surgery to physical therapy to the Hackerman-Patz House family residential facility, we were always treated with the utmost respect. Most of our questions were anticipated and those that were not were answered in a timely manner.
Dr. Herzenberg was a frequent visitor to Hackerman-Patz House, even on weekends. Surgeons are among the busiest people on the planet, but "Dr. H" found time to share pizza with his patients on Movie Night and even played basketball with the kids as they lined up in their wheelchairs to play h-o-r-s-e.
Miracles happen at the Rubin Institute and we have been witnesses to that process. Sallee Ann is now almost finished with her first round of limb lengthening and she has been transformed both physically and spiritually by the process. She will return in the coming years to complete the procedures, knowing that her beloved "Dr. H" will be there to lead the way.
We are fortunate to have access to the wonderful people at the Rubin Institute, but others are not so lucky. It makes me angry to think that there are kids very much like Sallee Ann, both in this country and around the world, who for various reasons, most of them economic, cannot take advantage of the high level of skill and care we found at the Rubin Institute. We enthusiastically support the Save-A-Limb Foundation in its efforts to provide access to the same orthopedic miracles performed every day in Baltimore.
I will never forget the day when Sallee Ann looked at herself in a large mirror at the Rubin Institute and realized what a metamorphosis had occurred. Please join my family in the effort to make those miracle moments available to every child in the world who needs the special help that only the Rubin Institute can provide. Sal Ruibal,
Sports Writer, USA TODAY |
