Looking Back – Reunion Weekend 2019!

With the coronavirus pandemic putting a halt to so many summer fun gatherings this year, we couldn’t resist looking back on last year’s AMAZING reunion!

Last July, nearly 100 current and former patients and their families gathered with Shriners Hospitals for Children staff members, doctors, and Shriners in St. Louis at Kirkwood Park. They gathered to meet each other and share stories and advice from their journeys through limb reconstruction and lengthening. The reunion was organized by the hospital’s rehabilitation department and the team members of the Center for Advanced Limb Reconstruction and Lengthening.

“This is such an important aspect of the care our team at Shriners Hospital provides, because there’s nothing like meeting and sharing stories with people who have been through the same journey,” said J. Eric Gordon, M.D., who was in attendance, along with Mark Miller, M.D. and Perry Schoenecker, M.D. 

Patients and families came from all over Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Nebraska and even Florida. And of course they were joined by our international patients from Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, who are staying locally in St. Louis for their care.

Patients attending ranged from age 1-34. Some were currently receiving active treatment, with additional “alumni” patients in attendance who received care as far back as the 1990s.

Lifelong friendships were made and re-kindled that day over barbecue provided by the Moolah Shriners and fun at the aquatic center.