One Hundred Years of Hope Healing and Innovation

Jacob Pacheco: My name is Jacob Pacheco. I am a former Shiners Children's patient. I live in Long Beach, California, Southern California, where the weather and the beaches are nice.

I'm deeply honored to be part of the Patient Alumni Network celebrating Shiners Children's 100 year anniversary.

I was born with a physical disability called spastic cerebral palsy. I was diagnosed at six months of age, and so my family and I basically lived with this condition throughout my entire life. But when I was younger, my condition got pretty severe and my family and I were looking for some answers and we happened to find Shiners Children's, and we came here when I was about six years old, all the way through until I was about 16.

The rehabilitation isn't a straight path. It's really important to take the lessons you learn at a young age and apply them to your later life as an adult. I actually became a professional surfer, a speaker, that I get to travel the world, and kind of promote this message of inclusion, community, and love. I've learned that those lessons never apply moreso than in the ocean as a surfer, because a wave in the ocean is going to come at you one way or another, and you have to learn how to deal with it. You have a lot of different choices to make. You can either let life happen to you, you can go around different obstacles and challenges, or you can ride them out and see how it goes. I prefer to ride them out or move around them because I think that's a little bit more fun, but I think those life lessons are very, very important that we can all apply to our own journeys. It leads to a lot of fulfillment in inner peace.

What makes Shiners Children's so special is the amount of support and care that you get when you walk through those doors, not just from the doctors, but from the support staff, the Shriners that are there to greet you in the waiting room, the nurses who are there to help take care of you, that's what I think differentiates the hospital more than most.

To any patients or families who are inside Shiners Children's right now, I have one thing to say to you. One step at a time, one day at a time. I know it might be hard right now, but it will get better. Just keep a smile on your face and keep moving forward.

Are you a previous Shiners Children's patient? If you are click them link below to join our network.

Julie: I wanted to give back, because Shriners has done so much for me. After going through three leg lengthening surgeries, my legs are finally even and I can't thank them enough for what they've done for me and I really wanted to give back, so I guess this is my way of giving back and helping other kids who are going through the same surgeries as I did.

Julie: I am writing a book about a kid with a leg length discrepancy to prepare kids for surgery. I'm also putting inspirational sayings on some of the clinic walls to help inspire them and I'm hoping to also include advice from former patients in the back of my book, so that these kids that have a little bit of advice from other people.

Julie: This team at this hospital is really amazing and any patient here is lucky to have Shriners there to help them.

Opening screen: Shriners Children's Northern California logo

Bottom third: Barbie, Mother of Andie Sue and Kaysie Li

Barbie: We were first introduced to Shriner's Children's when we knew we were adopting a child from China who needed an amputation of her right limb. Dr. Lerman was the surgeon who performed the amputations for both of my daughters.

Bottom third: Andie Sue, Patient at Shriners Children's

Andie Sue: Dr. Lerman first amputated my leg when I was 15 months old. He seen me figure out what I wanted to do with life. He seen me figure out my love for horses. And it's been really cool to show him all of the new competitions that I've gone to and the awards I've received. Dr. Lerman and Eric have been super supportive for my journey to the Paralympics.

Bottom third: Eric Smith, Certified Prosthetist

Eric Smith: Designing a prosthesis around the equestrian work that Andie Sue's doing has been really fun. We had to go outside the box and see a design of a prosthesis that is going to fit and function right as she's in those stirrups.

Bottom third: Kaysie Li, patient at Shriners Children's

Kaysie Li: My interest in dogs actually didn't really start until I was 14, and I've always loved them, dogs, because they're super cute. They make an impact when you're going through a surgery. Just like having that fluffy dog, cute dog right next to you. I want to do that for other people because that felt really good when it was done for me.

Kaysie Li: This is Rusty. He's a red tri Australian shepherd being trained for service and therapy.

Kaysie Li: Eric has been amazing about making our prosthetics. He always makes sure that they are fit right. He cares about just the tiniest bit of detail.

Eric Smith: It's really fun to match the prosthesis with the legs. And so they really feel like it's part of them and it's part of what makes them special and strong.

Barbie: See, it's really hard to say thank you enough to the staff. They've done so much for our family. And I don't even know how to express that gratitude to them for how comfortable they've made us feel. A lot of people would say it's just impossible and Shriners has said every step of the way it's possible. So thank you.

End screen: Shriners Children's Northern California logo