pediatric hospital
Eastern European Outreach Clinic
Shriners Hospitals for Children®-Boston became well known to Ukraine in 2005 when a young girl named Nastya was severely burned in a house fire and traveled to Boston to be treated. Because she had captured the hearts of her country, former President Viktor Yushchenko and his wife, Kateryna Yushchenko-Chumachenko, helped to find her the very best treatment.
Gabby's Story
“You’re beautiful the way you are and if people tease you, it’s only because they are insecure.” This is Gabby Hoeper’s advice for other kids that have port-wine birth marks. Gabby, 11, has received 19 laser treatments at Shriners Hospitals for Children®-Boston, starting in 2002, when she was two years old, after her dad, Russell, learned about Shriners-Boston through a web article.
Doctors initially told Gabby’s parents that the birth mark, extending from her hairline to her jaw, was simply a bruise and nothing to be concerned about. However, Russell and his wife felt differently and began researching port-wine stains, realizing that future health problems down the road made surgery a top priority.
When Gabby arrived at Shriners-Boston only two months after her father read the article, she felt at home. While in the play area, she ran over to her mother and cheerfully exclaimed, “There are kids here just like me!” The Hoepers knew they had made the right choice with Shriners-Boston. Russell said the only word he can use to describe their experience at Shriners-Boston is “phenomenal.”