There is simply no stopping 11-year-old Shriners Children’s Boston patient Sarah. Horseback riding, basketball, altar serving and book club…these are just a few of the activities she is up to these days.
Ten years ago, it would have been hard to imagine Sarah would be able to embrace these experiences.
Sarah was born in China and suffered severe burns over roughly 60% of her body when she was just 1 year old. As she approached age 2 and her burn scars had contracted to the point that she could no longer stand or walk, her birth family made the difficult decision to bring her to an orphanage. Despite the pain she was in and her inability to walk, Sarah was nicknamed “Mei-Mei” by the American volunteers at the orphanage, because she was always happy and upbeat.
Loving Adoptive Parents Bring Sarah from China to Seek Burn Care in the U.S.
Her joyful spirit caught the eye of Teresa, who was browsing Facebook one day in 2013. She saw a photo of Mei-Mei moving around the orphanage on a scooter with an infectious smile. Teresa and her husband, Michael, felt drawn to Mei-Mei almost immediately and decided to adopt her after consulting with some of the volunteers and nurses who helped treat her in China.
Prior to bringing Sarah home to the U.S., Teresa and Michael met with a plastic surgeon in their hometown of Washington, D.C. It soon became clear that Sarah’s injuries were outside of the specialist’s comfort zone and they would need to seek more specialized care. Teresa called Shriners Children’s to inquire about care options for Sarah and was impressed. “It was obvious that Shriners Children’s had expertise that nobody else had, and we were on the same page with them from that initial contact on,” said Teresa.
Comprehensive Scar Management and Overall Care at Shriners Children’s
With burn injuries like Sarah’s, scars contract as a child grows, causing mobility issues. Over the years, Sarah’s doctor, plastic surgeon Daniel Driscoll, M.D., has performed surgeries to keep up with this growth and is currently focused on Sarah’s legs and feet.
“Sarah has a personality twice her size,” said Dr. Driscoll. “She is one the most driven patients I have treated and is always compliant with her care back at home after each procedure. Sarah, her family and I work together to see where her function needs improvement as her bones grow faster than her skin. We can do these complex procedures for Sarah because of our medical expertise in reconstructive surgery and scar management. It is also due to the great support of the Shriners International philanthropy that we can help patients like Sarah.”
Like all Shriners Children’s patients, Sarah’s care team also includes physical and occupational therapists, nurses, care managers and child life specialists. While the distance between her home in Washington, D.C. and her physicians in Boston may seem far to others, Teresa explains that it is actually more convenient. “It was unexpected to me that all of the specialists Sarah needs are right here under one roof at Shriners [Children's]. Shriners has created an environment where Sarah is happy and comfortable despite the difficult procedures she has to go through,” she said. “We drop everything and go to Shriners Children’s because all of Sarah’s care is in one place.”
