Wearing new casts, Dot balances on a planter outside Shriners Children's Portland after an appointment.
Therapy aide Matt Leman gently removes Dot's weekly cast.
Michelle and DeeDee place Dot's weekly casts on her feet to help correct her toe-walking.
DeeDee lets Dot help remove her cast at her weekly appointment.
Dot sits on a large toy airplane. She is headed for great things; watch out as she spreads her wings and flies!
Dot is now walking with her heels on the ground and hiking mountains like a boss!
By Ivy, Dot's mother
My name is Ivy. My daughter Dot completed a round of serial casting to fix her toe-walking with Shriners Children’s Portland, and I need to tell you how truly exceptional they all were.
Let me give you just a bit of back story. My daughter and I traveled into the hospital from Boise, Idaho, for serial casting and physical therapy sessions. We exhausted every resource locally before finding Shriners Children’s, and my family and I all believe they were heaven-sent.
Our main physical therapist was Michelle Foss, PT, D.P.T., and I genuinely cannot say enough nice things about her. I found out through the grapevine that there was hesitance from other employees to take on my daughter's case because we would be traveling so far (which is a reasonable concern!). Michelle advocated for us, believing in us to make the appointments. She was working on our behalf after only one phone call!
Once we met Michelle in person she made even more of an impact. My daughter is 5 years old and was very shy and nervous about the whole process. When we met Michelle, she noticed my daughter's hesitance and immediately sat on the ground to talk to her and make her feel welcome and safe. Even going as far as to peek around my legs to talk to her while she 'hid'. Michelle never once lost her patience or made us feel rushed, and explained everything, slowly coaxing my daughter out of her shell and turning what could have been a stressful first appointment into a very positive experience.
Every appointment was like this with Michelle. Her genuine care and compassion was unending, and she made sure every appointment was a positive one where we started and ended smiling and laughing. She was incredibly thoughtful of us, and any opportunity she had to make it easier for us she took with enthusiasm. I even received a call from her on her day off, because she had noticed a conflict in our scheduling and called me from home to make sure we had a resolution before the following week's casting.
Not only was she an absolute delight as a person, but her skills were obviously top-notch. My daughter made more improvements in the few months in her care than in the year we spent previously with multiple other therapists. She had every answer to every question, was always thoughtful in her responses but honest, and left us with a full understanding of where we were in the process and where we were going. We traveled literally thousands of miles during this time, and Michelle made every trip worth it. And please note, I have never met a more humble woman than Michelle. If you ask her about this I am sure she will try to deflect and tell you it was everyone else's hard work that was the key to our success. She is only partially correct. I cannot thank her enough. She truly made a difference in Dot and our family’s lives.
Rehab aide Matt Leman assisted Michelle in the casting process. He was also absolutely wonderful to work with. He has a kind patience that fills the room, and my daughter was always delighted to work with him. He went the extra mile for us as well. One morning he came in very early and well before his shift started to ensure my daughter's casts were removed to measure her splints. We found out he rode his bike to work in the dark to be on time, so we were ready for her appointment. Even when we didn't have an appointment with him, he always found a reason to seek us out when we were in the building and said hello. When my husband joined us for the final removal of her casts, Matt took the time to chat with my husband, making sure to answer every question and engage with him personally and professionally. This meant the world to us as it made my husband feel engaged in the process.
Finally, we also had the delight of working with Deedee Dolp, LPTA. She was a ball of sunshine on a long tiring day! Deedee was always so kind and uplifting, she left us smiling when we left. She was positive, uplifting and ever-encouraging to my daughter. She ensured my daughter was never uncomfortable, and always explained what she was doing to not just me but to my daughter too.
Both she and Matt were kind personally, but also, just as with Michelle, their skill and proficiency made the trip worth it. My daughter truly thrived with the care the team provided.
In short (or not so short), the team at Shriners Children’s Portland is truly remarkable and I hope this makes its way into the hearts of any who will read... the 2025 version of shouting it from the rooftops. I have traveled through a lot of medical establishments in my lifetime and never once have I walked away so impressed in every capacity. I just wish they were closer to me!
I’m so grateful to be a part of the Shriners Children’s community, their team has made more difference in our family than I can articulate. My daughter now is able to walk flat-footed, and stand still while working on a project, neither of which she was able to do before. She is healthy and thriving with her healthy feet!
