Pediatric Specialty Care in Canada

Our mission at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada is to really make the lives of patients and families the best that it can be and really lift up patients who need our services to fulfill the most optimal version of themselves.

We take care of all orthopedic problems in pediatrics, but we super specialize in really rare conditions and complex conditions that involve orthopedics and other specialties.

A lot of the patients that will come to the motion lab are surgical candidates. So the surgeon may be able to do a great plan with just medical imaging, with the clinical history of the patient and some observation. Whereas the motion lab will bring real numbers that we can measure that the eye cannot catch necessarily. And so it allows us to be more precise in the diagnostic of the patient, and then it allows us to better plan the treatment.

Rehabilitation is not easy. It's a tough part. So when we do rehabilitation, we did the surgery, now we have the tough part, moving with difficulties. And it's saying, "Okay, now you're going to have to do something that you might not want to do." So how do we make that enticive for a patient to do this? And when I see parents writing back and saying, "Going to physio is the best part of my day," I said, "Oh, we're doing definitely something right."

Without Shriners, I know my leg wouldn't be straight. And Shriners, it's really special because there's only two doctors that can do this type of operation. So I know I couldn't just go to another hospital. It was here or I wouldn't do it. So everything is super for me and the future looks bright ahead.

Shriners is incredibly unique because we take the time for our patients. We take the time to listen, to understand what their needs are. Our team in social services, we try and make it as simple as we can for our families. Families coming from out of province, having a greeter meet them at the airport, drive them to the hotel. We make sure that our families are comfortable in what they do and in their decision of coming to our hospital, knowing that our people are the best that you can have right now.

Yeah. This place is definitely like a family because they treat you very nicely here. They treat you like you're one of them. When you come in for an x-ray, they're like, "Hey there, Michael. How are you?" Yeah, everyone that works here definitely has positive attitude, always smiles on your faces. I know a lot of people here. I love them like a family.

When you're a parent that has a child that's disabled, either a wheelchair or has some disability, it's tough on the parents. And when they come to the Shriners and they see other parents that have the same kind of child as they do, it's almost comforting in a way. And they can exchange ideas. I can't tell you how many patients became friends, from different backgrounds, completely. French or English, it doesn't matter, because they have the same kind of disability. They become friends because they see each other in the clinic together. And so we make sure to invite them at the same time. You know what I mean? We make that effort so that these conditions, that these kids feel good and that parents feel great about that. And I think that that's something that we pride ourselves in.

During the treatment when it's really hard on him because he goes through a lot of emotions, anxiety, we always have one nurse that comes to distract him, to play games with him. They bring their virtual goggles so that he doesn't think of the pain that he's going to go through. All these little details make the Shriners so special.

We cover a wide range from the molecular to the bedside of the patient. And that was the vision from the get-go. And I think that the best example that this vision works is that this facility has developed a standard of care for three pediatric metabolic bone diseases. So those now are the treatments that are used throughout the world that were developed here at Shriners Hospitals for Children Canada. And I think it is unique because it has a very high-performing research center, which not all hospitals have.

We are becoming experts. And in certain cases, we are identified as the leaders in North America in rare and complex bone-related disease. For certain, we have the biggest group of patient for osteogenesis imperfecta in North America. But that being said, we want to be identified as a leader in pediatric orthopedics so that when your kid has a rare disease or complex, it's obvious that you're going to come at Shriners. And we want to be that place in Canada. That's part of our vision.

Shriners is special because they have the family kind of vibe. Here you're really going to have care. You're going to be informed. You're going to have support. That is really important. They are human here, not just nurses, not just physicians, not just doctors. They are human. They have human values and this is what makes them different than others. The Shriners are really the one that has my heart.

[Hopitaux Shriners por enfants®; Shriners Hospitals for Children® Canada]

If your child is coming to Shriners Hospital, know that you are going to get the best care anywhere. We have a dedicated team of professionals who truly care about you and your child, and want to help you as best as they possibly can for your child to achieve their dreams, to achieve their optimal functioning, to achieve everything that they have wanted in life.

I've been in this industry for a long time, but I've been here only for two years at the Shriners. And it's incredible what I see because there's something that we don't necessarily see elsewhere. Everything is geared about the family and about the child, and it's all about their experience and their journey through the hospital.

So whether it's preparing them for the surgery, whether it's at the surgery level, whether it's after surgery level, and if it's just knowing them. They're not a patient, they're part of our family. So I think those are the keys. It's the culture. It's the way of everybody wanting to be around the patient and making that patient feel that experience as easy in a difficult moment that they go through.

It allows these kids to come here and feel special. Because the amount of funding that the Shriners provides us, and everybody else, allows us to give patients that extra special care. It's like a holistic approach. We don't just look at a foot. If we see the child's in trouble, we'll look at something else. We'll ask about their social history. And we can do that because we don't feel pressure. We have that luxury of taking our time, seeing these patients. That's ideal. And who benefits? The patients benefit because they get that special care and that quick care and access.

Here we are eight pediatric orthopedic surgeon. We all do general pediatrics, but each one of us has a focus, a subspecialty. So my special areas are children with osteogenesis imperfecta, which is a metabolic condition of various severity, but they are born with brittle bone disease. So they can develop very severe deformities, multiple fractures all along their life. And many of them, if severe, they are unable to stand or walk. And just seeing a child before the surgery not able to stand and walk. After the surgery, they walk in front of you. And their smile, it's a huge motivation, and the self-satisfaction and the gratitude from these people is just amazing.

We have three different profession involved at the motion lab for the patient and the analysis. So basically when the patient comes in the motion lab, they will be greeted by the engineer who's in the lab, but also the physical therapist. But then physical therapist will take charge of that patient. So asking questions for the history of the patient, and then they will guide the patients throughout the motion analysis. So it takes time to put the markers on the patient because you need to find the exact spot where to put that. They're really the cornerstone of the motion lab, although everyone is very important in the motion lab, but they will do more of the clinical work once a patient is there.

I love what I do here because it targets really the two things that I like to do. Seeing patients, and at the same time, doing research about that. And that combination is very special here. For me personally, I don't just want to sit in the lab. So I do go and see the patients with bone diseases and other conditions here in the hospital. If you can tell people what you found about them and what are the next steps based on your findings, that's very inspiring.

I love what I do because it makes a difference for all these families. And I feel that I can contribute in working with a team that provides excellent care.

I love what I do because I'm making a true difference in our patients' and family life. And that's really what drives me to run the motion lab is how can we better help those patient that comes visit us? And it's a never-ending process, and that's really what motivates me to do my job.

I will never leave this place. I'm very happy where I am, and I'm very grateful for the opportunity and the privilege that I'm working here. So yes, I love my job.

I love what I do because almost all the time my kids do better. Almost all the time I have somewhat, somehow changed their life for a better path.

[Hopitaux Shriners por enfants®; Shriners Hospitals for Children® Canada]