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STANDARD BEARERS | News

Skylar Hunt Daisy Dickenson Christina Juris
Shreveport, Louisiana Spokane, Washington Springfield, Massachusetts

Skylar Hunt has been defying the odds since Daisy, now 11, was adopted at age six from Christina was born left arm limb deficient and is an
the day she was born. Shortly after birth, Skylar China by Jim and Terri Dickenson. She was active eleven-year-old girl who knows no limits or
was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma, born with an underdeveloped left hand and no boundaries. Can’t is considered a bad word in
Christina’s vocabulary. Christina has been a patient
a rare form of cancer that over the course of no left foot. Her family contacted the Spokane at Shriners Springfield, Massachusetts since the
a few months had spread from Skylar’s hips Hospital prior to bringing Daisy home, knowing age of six months old working with her one and only
to encircle her spine and invade her bone she would need expert pediatric orthopaedic prosthetist Matthew “Brock” McConkey.
marrow, eyes, and base of her skull. With
the help of cancer specialists, Skylar fought care. She has been a patient at the Spokane Christina, and her older sister, Katerina live with their
through years of surgery, chemotherapy, Shriners Hospital for five years, having had parents in New Hampshire. She keeps busy with
her extracurricular sports and academics. Christina
radiation treatments and physical therapy. surgeries on her hand and reconstruction loves being a part of her school drama club where
While the intensive treatment regimen surgery on her leg. she recently played Pumbaa in the Lion King Junior
allowed Skylar to overcome the dire threat school production. When she is not running, golfing
posed by the cancer, the cumulative effects Daisy thinks Shriners Hospital is spectacular. or alpine downhill skiing with her family, she loves to
of the treatments resulted in acute damage “They treat me and my family with such care read books.
to her hips, stunted leg growth, and nerve and respect.” Christina is a National Junior Olympic Cross Country
damage dramatically affecting her ability to runner. She has qualified to run at the U.S. Junior
walk. Before getting a prosthetic leg, Daisy walked Olympic Nationals for the last three years competing
nationally in South Carolina, New Mexico and
During adaptive physical education courses with an extreme limp and at an odd angle, Alabama. She enjoys going out for a run with her
at her school, faculty encouraged Skylar and putting strain on her spine. Now she walks mom and sometimes her older sister. Christina
hopes to run a long distance race in the future.
her family to seek out Shriners Hospitals for straight and confident. Her Mom Terri says,
Children – Shreveport. There, physicians “Thanks to the Spokane Shriners Hospital, Christina has recently taken up golf. She works with
assessed Skylar’s hip and initially performed she is flourishing!” a coach and a professional golf instructor that guide
a partial hip replacement to stabilize the joint. her in learning the skills and rules of the game. She
Last summer, having passed necessary Daisy’s interests vary from showing her pig at absolutely loves playing golf with her new prosthetic
growth milestones, Skylar underwent a full the fair to baseball. Her personality is bright arm from Shriners Hospital for Children. She recently
played in a school charity golf event and hopes to
hip replacement, a surgery that has also and fun – for instance, so that she was not join the golf team.
served to address a leg length discrepancy found in a game of hide-and-seek, she put her
caused by her hip condition. Physicians at Christina has gone out on numerous occasions
the Shreveport Shriners Hospital will continue prosthetic under a blanket and hid somewhere teaching adults and children about being limb
to monitor Skylar for associated scoliosis as else! Sharing about her prosthetic and some deficient, wearing a prosthetic and Shriners
well as a ‘dropping’ of the foot as a result of of the procedures she has gone through is Hospitals for Children. She encourages others to
collect aluminum can tabs. Christina paired up with
previous nerve damage. important to Daisy. “Teaching other kids about a local school in an aluminum can tab competition.
what it is like living with limb differences has The students and teachers of the school collected
A native of Gonzalez, LA, Skylar is active in given her confidence,” her Mom shared. can tabs and presented them to Christina. The
her church’s after care program and enjoys entire student body collected over 200,000 can
dance, shopping, and visiting her area movie Because of her love for science and great tabs. Proudly, Christina thanked the student body
and told them how much they are making a positive
theatre. Now age 17, Skylar is currently experiences at Shriners Hospital, she dreams difference in the lives of others at Shriners Hospital.
taking college classes through an early of becoming an orthopedic surgeon. With her She encouraged them to collect 300,000 next year.
college option at River Parish Community
College, and ultimately plans to become an determination and her super personality, we Christina loves to offer one piece of advice …. Please
NICU nurse. Shriners Hospitals for Children – know she will make her dreams a reality! don’t stare! She encourages others to ask about her
Shreveport is thrilled to have Skylar represent arm. She loves to talk and teach others about her
limb deficiency and feels saddened when people
our hospital at the 2017 Shriners Hospitals stare at her. Christina loves being limb deficient
for Children Open. she feels being truly unique has helped her to teach
others about being single-handed and it has made
her stronger in so many ways. Never say, CAN’T!

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