Page 40 - SHRINERS HOSPITALS FOR CHILDREN OPEN PROGRAM 2017

News | PATIENT AMBASSADORS

Free to Be Me

The Stories of Isabella & Emily

sabella and Emily are the 2017 – 2018 national patient team of professionals assessed Isabella and, within minutes,
ambassadors for Shriners Hospitals for Children. Several gave the family a diagnosis. Isabella had a submucous cleft
Ichildren are considered for this honor; the ambassadors palate, a form of cleft palate that is not easily identifiable as
represent, and become the face of, the thousands of patients the palate is covered by a thin membrane. “It felt like the
who are cared for at the various Shriners Hospitals every whole world came down on us; we finally knew the diagnosis,”
year. Our two vivacious ambassadors are excited about said Roselyne.
sharing their stories with attendees at the Shriners Hospitals
for Children Open. They will attend the various events Isabella was scheduled for surgery to repair the cleft and
surrounding the tournament and will be part of the Hospital subsequently received speech therapy for two years.
Experience on Wednesday evening.
Anderson was glad to be of help. He has said that helping
Isabella Rose Isabella and her family find the help they needed was life- Emily
changing, and that he wished all the Shriners understood the
From birth, Isabella had difficulty feeding and sleeping. Her impact they can have on the health care system’s patients and
parents, Roselyne and Tim, went from doctor to doctor families.
but no one could identify a cause. As she grew, her parents
became convinced that something was seriously wrong. Finding Her Own Voice
Isabella’s speech sounded like she was whistling and she had Isabella, now 14, lives in Florida with her family. She has
ear and sinus infections constantly. gone from struggling to be understood, to becoming a gifted
vocalist, and hopes to perform professionally one day
Adversity at a Young Age

Young Isabella was a talkative and outgoing little girl Isabella volunteers at her local veterinary hospital, pet
even with the speech challenge, but in kindergarten she sits and babysits. She enjoys painting, poetry and outdoor
experienced some bullying from her classmates; they would activities. She also actively seeks ways to give back to Shriners
make fun of her and mimic her speech. This frustrated Hospitals for Children, and has sung the national anthem at
Isabella, who just couldn’t clearly articulate what she wanted hospital events and participated in numerous Shriners temple
to say. “What’s the point of speaking if no one understands fundraisers. She also helped raise more than $5,000 in a single
you,” said Isabella. She became shy, shut down and did not event benefiting the Shriners Hospital in Chicago.
want to interact with other children.
The Rose family believes that Isabella’s ability to overcome

Searching for Answers obstacles can be credited to Shriners Hospitals for Children,
where the staff and volunteer Shriners gave her the
For five years, Roselyne and Tim sought answers for opportunity to be herself and the confidence to thrive in
their little girl but were unable to obtain even a cause or a anything she decides to do.
diagnosis. Some professionals thought she had some kind of
cognitive impairment and others thought she was deaf.
Emily Mellish
One day a family friend in the Chicago area, heard about
the issues Isabella was facing and suggested the family apply Emily’s mother, Joy, did not experience significant issues
for treatment for her at Shriners Hospitals for Children during pregnancy but, moments after Emily was born, it
— Chicago. The family did not know at the time that their became apparent that the newborn was facing numerous
friend, Dick Anderson, was a member of Medinah Shriners complications. Emily was rushed by ambulance to a hospital
and, at the time, Chairman of the Board of Governors of the in a larger city only hours after birth, and spent her first
Shriners Hospital in Chicago. two weeks in the NICU where doctors gave her a complete
assessment.
At their first appointment at the hospital, an interdisciplinary

38 November 2- 5, 2017 | TPC SUMMERLIN | LAS VEGAS, NV