A Life Full Circle: How Shriners Shaped Rick's Journey From Patient to Leader
Some connections last a lifetime.
For Rick, that connection with Shriners Hospitals for Children — Canada began just days after he was born and has shaped every chapter of his life since.
Today, Rick is a leader in orthotics and prosthetics, a dedicated Shriner and a former patient whose relationship with the hospital spans more than five decades.
Born in 1969 with severe metatarsus adductus, a condition that caused his feet to curve sharply inward, Rick became a patient at the hospital almost immediately. At the time, surgery was often the recommended course of action. But Rick’s father, who worked in orthotics and prosthetics and partnered with Shriners, believed there was another path.
Instead of surgery, Rick underwent years of serial casting, corrective bracing and specialized orthopedic shoes. It was a long and often uncomfortable process, especially during his early childhood.
“I learned to walk with casts on,” Rick said. “Then came the corrective shoes. They were big, brown and pretty ugly.”
Like many children who look different from their peers, Rick remembers being teased for the shoes he wore. Yet those challenges never defined him. Despite his condition, he was remarkably athletic. He excelled in sports, won track and field competitions, and was often faster than the other children around him. Years later, he learned that studies suggest that people with metatarsus adductus may have certain athletic advantages. As a child, however, Rick simply saw it as another obstacle to overcome.
“It hurt, especially when I was skating,” he said. “But it never stopped me from wanting to play. My attitude was always that if it hurts when you stop, then keep moving.”
By the time he was 12, the correction had progressed enough that he could wear regular shoes. Looking back, Rick realizes how much those early interventions changed his life.
“I don’t know what kind of life I would have had without those treatments,” he said. “The casting, the bracing, the shoes, all of it was part of getting me where I am today.”
While his journey as a patient eventually came to an end, his relationship with Shriners Hospitals for Children — Canada was only beginning.
Discovering a Calling in Orthotics and Prosthetics
Rick grew up in a family immersed in orthotics and prosthetics. After his father founded an orthotics and prosthetics practice in 1975, Rick spent his summers as a teenager working in the family business. Like many teenagers, he initially saw it as just a job. But one experience changed everything.
As a teenager, Rick worked alongside experienced orthotists, learning the craft and assisting patients. One day, he helped fit a young patient with a reciprocating gait orthosis, a device designed to help children with little or no lower-body mobility stand and walk.
Surrounded by therapists, doctors, family members, and healthcare providers, Rick watched as the child stood up and began moving independently.
“Once he figured it out, he started trying to run,” Rick remembered. “I swear it brought a tear to my eye. I was only about 16 years old, and that’s when I realized you could truly change someone’s life for the better.”
That moment gave Rick a sense of direction and purpose. He was motivated by the idea that he could help people while making a living, so he returned to school to formally study orthotics and prosthetics and eventually joined the family business full-time. Over the years, he progressed from apprentice to practitioner and finally to business leader, carrying forward the work his father had started decades earlier.
Rick has spent his entire career helping patients receive the devices and support they need to thrive.
One aspect of Shriners Children's mission has always resonated deeply with him: ensuring that families are not burdened by the cost of a child’s care.
“Not all the costs of orthotics are covered by Medicare,” Rick said. “That’s where Shriners comes in. The philosophy has always been about making sure children get what they need without creating a financial burden for families.”
“As I think about the next generation of leadership in both his business and the profession, I can’t help but reflect on what has changed since my childhood. Advancements in materials, treatment techniques and emerging technologies such as 3D printing are opening new possibilities for orthotics and prosthetics,” Rick said.
Yet despite all the innovation, one thing remains unchanged: the impact of helping a child reach their full potential.
"My journey with the Shriners helped me build confidence, mobility and independence, and created opportunities that lasted a lifetime.
For Rick, the story has come full circle. From a patient at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Canada receiving treatment for metatarsus adductus to a leader in orthotics and prosthetics, a recipient of care turned healthcare provider and a grateful child turned dedicated community leader, his life reflects the lasting impact of pediatric specialty care.
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