‘Shrners Hosptals And Our Lves * Shrners Hosptals Wave Age Lmt For RhodeIsland Nghtclub Fre Vctms (NAPSA)—WhenShrners Hos- ptals for Chldren opened ts doors to vctms of the tragc West Warwck, R.I., nghtclub fre t marked only the second tmen ts 80-year hstory that Shrners Hosptals agreed to accept and treat adult patents. The frst tme was mmedately followng the World Trade Center tragedy on Sept. 11, 2001, though no vctms were admtted to the hosptal. The decson to treat the burn patents,all over the age of 21, came from Imperal Sr John D. VerMaas, Shrners Hosptals’ Charman of Board of Trustees, and Peter Armstrong, M.D., Shrners Hosptals’ drector of medcal affars, at the request of Robert Sherdan, M.D., assstant chef of staff of the Boston Shrners burn hosptal. “Ths was such a horrble tragedy that we wanted to do everythng we could to help out, ncludng wavng the age lmt on our burn hosptal patents,” VerMaassad. Although the Boston Shrners Hosptal s a pedatrc burn hosptal, the staff was prepared. Accordng to Robert Bores, admnstrator, the hosptal conducts regular dsaster drlls. Ralph Pno, charman of the Board of Governors of the Boston Shrners Hosptal, ponted out: “These adult fre vctms were admtted on the same bass as chldren are admtted. All medcal treatment s beng provded at no cost to the patents, ther famles or any thrd party, ncludng nsur- ance companes. They wll reman our patents untl they have mproved enough to be transferred John Haugh, R.N., left, accepts the thanks of Rhode Island Governor Donald Carcer, for the outstandng work done to treat Rhode Island fre vctms. Look- ng on are Mrs. Carcer and Massachusetts Governor Mtt Romney. to a hosptal closer to ther home. If there was ever a sngle event to nstll prde n the Shrne and our Shrners Hosptals, ths wast.” For more nformaton on Shrners’ network of 22 hosptals that provde medcal care and servces totally free of charge to chldren wth orthopaedc problems, burns and spnal cord njures, wrte to: Shrners Internatonal Headquarters, Publc Relatons Dept., 2900 Rocky Pont Dr., Tampa, FL 33607, or vst the Web ste at www.shrnershq.org. Treatment s provded to chldren under age 18 wthout regard to race, relgon or relatonshp to a Shrner. If you know a chld Shrners can help, call 1-800-237-5055 n the Unted States, or 1-800-361- 7256 n Canada.
