#shrinersspringfield

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It;s Monday and Christmas Eve and time for another installment of Go Beyond the Fence! I decided to write about some Christmas memories while in Shriners Hospital this week. I hope it allows you to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas and those less fortunate. Link in bio #shrinersspringfield #shrinershospital #spinabifida #christmas https://www.instagram.com/p/BryJrN5n6oT/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1kces589lj7l1

[straightpathjewlz]

@Regranned from @lauriehernandez_ - So much fun today with @rootsgymnasticscenter making new friends and raising funds for @shrinersspringfield and @stjude. It was awesome meeting everyone! Thank you @LucasSportsInc for organizing another amazing event!! ❤️ - #regrann

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More Christmas cheer from @shrinersspringfield in 1991. I got it wrong in the last post oops. Check out who made it into the second picture. The cutest kids in the whole hospital again haha. #christmas #shrinersspringfield #memories (at Shriners Hospitals for Children - Springfield) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJKNDsjDZQ2/?igshid=uclheddr5ato

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Chrismas dinner at @shrinersspringfield circa 1992. Who better to carve the turkey than Dr. Roberts chief of staff and a surgeon. Also check out the cute kids making it into yet another photo. They were always in the right place haha. #christmas #christmasdinner #memories #shrinershospital #shrinersspringfield (at Shriners Hospitals for Children - Springfield) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJHsPdQDJqK/?igshid=eos16qrui653

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More Christmas cuteness with Santa from @shrinersspringfield ! These kids were pretty popular for photn ops haha. #cute #cutenessoverload #memories #shrinersspringfield (at Shriners Hospitals for Children - Springfield) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJE2tc9jPDG/?igshid=1qanrzg7a5dk5

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The main character of today's @pinetreecamp post is Addie Bobowicz. I actually met Addie through a nurse I had at @shrinersspringfield . We became life long friend's. He now owns a limo service in massachusetts aptly named addies limos. He has a website if you want to check it out. The girl on the left is my friend @mrackliffe and the girl on the right is my friend @mooshiebean . Her mom worked at camp so her and her sister got to spend the whole summer at camp. #pinetreecamp #memories #summercamp (at Pine Tree Camp) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJeth7jDldl/?igshid=1am9sugmlu3p9

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Today's Christmas post is about the arrival of Santa. He came to @shrinersspringfield in a hughes 500d helicopter. I know that because while he was handing out presents I was talking to the pilot, Leo Vergnani. I noticed these circles on the windows of the helicopter and that was my way in. I asked what they were. Spoiler alert they were just air vents. In the process of talking to the pilot he offered to take me flying. Unfortunately the day I got out of the hospital it was too windy so he said call me next time you are in town and we will go flying. The second picture is us taking off. My mom stayed behind so my dad and brother went with me. Leo asked if we should sneak up on my mom on our way back to land. I of course said yes. So we came in really low behind the hangar and dropped right in front of her. So there aren't any pictures of the landing. She never spotted us until it was too late. #christmas #helicopter #santa #shrinershospital #memories (at Shriners Hospitals for Children - Springfield) https://www.instagram.com/p/CJCfxz_jeJH/?igshid=1lsxt51qbssee

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In February of 1989 I was once again at @shrinersspringfield . On the day I got out my dad came to pick me up on his own. On the way he decided that we should go to Pennsylvania for the weekend to a horse sale. What he didn't do was tell my mom this plan. You can probably see where this is going haha. He showed up, sprung me from the hospital and we drove straight through after stopping at my uncle's house in connecticut to get the rest of the guys who went with us. When we got to the hotel we called my mom to tell her what we had done. I got elected to be the one to tell her. Well I told her and she immediately said where is your father. I said right here. Put him on the phone. She wasn't thrilled lol. This is me in the hotel after we got there. https://www.instagram.com/p/CH8OMS7D44P/?igshid=s42g64ofezvq

[gobeyondthefence]

I have been posting memories of my time as a patient at @shrinersspringfield . I wanted to get into a little more detail and also introduce you to Ewa pronounced Eva I couldn't find a picture of her but her story needs to be told. Check it out at the link in my bio! (at Shriners Hospitals for Children - Springfield) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHs7zOQjkH6/?igshid=5ni8b844bljw

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As a kid I spent a few holidays at @shrinersspringfield . Since Thanksgiving is coming right up I thought I would show you a little bit what it is like at the hospital. I was one of the truly lucky ones. My dad, mom, brother and a lot of relatives were able to be there. Most of the kids don't have that privilege. A lot of the kids are thousands of miles from family. I saw on Facebook yesterday that if you donate to shriners before December 1st your donation will be doubled. I think this is an amazing opportunity to help kids who truly need it. All of the care they receive is free. I am putting the link in my bio so you can find it easily. #memories #thanksgiving (at Shriners Hospitals for Children - Springfield) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHh-BN6jXnz/?igshid=qz7lx5rtwqv

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The man looking back at the camera is Paul. He was also part of the maintenance department at @shrinersspringfield What I remember most about Paul is his gold chain and rings that he wore. He always used to come visit usually with Stuart. Now that I think about it maybe they used their lunch break to visit. Anyway I just always remember him as the super cool guy. The kids name is Jonathan Hernandez. I wish you could hear him introduce himself because I can hear it in my head. He had a very unique accent from the Dominican Republic. His mom was another one of the moms that became the mom to everyone. That is what Shriners really is, one big family. It didn't matter where you were from or anything else. #memories #family (at Shriners Hospitals for Children - Springfield) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHfYg68DDj8/?igshid=ey4co3ibwrj1

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Today we meet some of the awesome @shrinersspringfield staff! Left to right is Stuart Isham head of custodial services, Carmen Baez nurse, and Pam a nurse. Carmen we met in a previous post and Pam I just remember as being incrediibly nice. Stuart was the most charismatic cool guy you could ever meet. He always had a joke of the day to tell. He would visit all the kids quite often and hang out. He is also a member of a marching band. They came and performed for us right in the parking lot. #memories #friends (at Shriners Hospitals for Children - Springfield) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHbUXY6DBsY/?igshid=11egrny0eqm0

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Today I want to introduce you to Barry. I also met him at @shrinersspringfield Barry was a local kid from Chicopee. We became fast friend as you can see from the many pictures. As he was local that meant his mom could visit every day. Hospital has not always been known for being all that appetizing. We would put in our orders with his mom for fast food and she would hook us up when she visited. It was like having an extra mom since my parents lived 400 miles ish away and couldn't visit 100 percent of the time. Don't get me wrongI was truly one of the lucky ones though. My parents did manage to visit very often for weeks at a time. I also had a ton of relatives in connecticut only an hour away. Stay tuned for tomorrow! I think it's time to start introducing the amazing staff! https://www.instagram.com/p/CHXq5cojrg7/?igshid=1ntif7sd2onhs

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Today I want to introduce you to Panayotas I also met him at @shrinersspringfield You can see in the picture that his left arm and most of his upper body is in a cast. Panayotas was the ultimate wild child. If you didn't know where he was you just had to listen for a rattling metal sound. Back in those days the cribs for the youngest kids were a bit cage like. I am sure it was for safety but probably would get frowned upon today. Anyway they had bars on all sides when closed. Somehow Panayotas would manage to climb the outside of the crib and get on top. He would then proceed to yell and shake that crib for all he was worth. It was actually quite an amazing feat. Who knows he may have given Alex Honnold a run for his money haha. Stay tuned for tomorrow's Shriners story. (at Shriners Hospitals for Children - Springfield) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHVT8ksD6hz/?igshid=15gamxhzsh5s1

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Today I want to introduce you to Maria. I also met her at @shrinersspringfield Maria came from Cyprus and really became a part of my family for the.tkme I was at shriners with her. Maria adopted my dad as her dad. Her father also had a beard and I guess that was enough for her. Her dad also had a heart condition and was awaiting a transplant which made it impossible for their family to make the nearly 6000 mile flight. Maria was in the hospital to straighten her bowed legs but she was also deaf. She was only 3 yrs old at the time . She felt.so.strongly about my dad that one day I tried sitting near him and somehow she sensed I was there. Without ever seeing me she spin around and started scratching my knees and pushing me away. It sort of became a game after that to see if I could get close without her knowing it. I never did it haha. She had an amazing ability to sense what was going on around her. My dad became friends with his dad and they wrote letters after we made it home. Tomorrow we meet Panayotas! #memories #fillindad #sharing https://www.instagram.com/p/CHSsOpnjeXc/?igshid=guqnvov4u2gx

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Today's @shrinersspringfield kid is Felipe. He is from the Dominican Republic. On the day he was getting ready to fly home he told my dad "that luis if he bother me on the plane I gonna lick his ass!" Now this is funny because Felipe's condition meant that his legs wouldn't bend when he walked so even if he wanted to kick it wasn't likely.to happen. I should also explain luis. He was a very energetic kid. He liked.to torment Felipe . He also loved to freak peeple out with his prosthetic leg. He would lay in bed with it on top of his knee pointed toward the ceiling as if he was able to bend his knee in the opposite direction haha. Stay turned for tomorrow when I will introduce Maria from Cyprus! #memories #wheelchairlife (at Shriners Hospitals for Children - Springfield) https://www.instagram.com/p/CHP3mv3jl9o/?igshid=13qdr86x955yg