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Shriners Children’s Chicago just celebrated a very special anniversary, 100 years of improving care for children everywhere. The first Shriners Children’s location opened in September 1922. Shriners Children’s Chicago opened its doors in the late spring of 1926. At the time, the hospitals were built alongside railroad tracks so families could easily visit their children who were receiving treatment for polio and orthopedic conditions. On October 4, staff members, patients and over two dozen volunteers from several Chicago area companies came together to plant 15 new trees in one morning. While today’s patients will never miss an opportunity to watch the trains and Metra go by, new trees planted near the railroad tracks were selected to mitigate sound and pollution from the busy railway line. All seven species of trees chosen are drought-resistant, and will thrive in this region, ensuring that Shriners Children's Chicago remains a place of hope, healing and rehabilitation for families for the next 100 years.
Trees and nature are a part of the hospital's approach to care with the Chicago location having four permanent live trees in the Patient Activity Mall and five therapeutic backyard garden areas. The addition of these trees enhances the experience for visitors. Among the special guests was Kourtney Goodall, who is almost 7 years old and started coming to Shriners Children's Chicago when she was just 3 months old. Kourtney needed an amputation to live her best life due to an orthopedic condition. With the help of her care team, she was provided with a prosthetic leg. Kourtney and her mom now share her story to help other kids with a limb difference pursue their dreams. Kourtney’s mom said that “she can do everything now,” including cartwheels and gymnastics.
Over the last century, Shriners Children’s has given hope and healing to Kourtney and her mom, as well as over 1.5 million children all over the world. With the planting of these trees, just as they grow and provide healing, so will Shriners Children’s provide for patients and their families around the world.
