I apologize but the photos of me with the braces are not good quality. They are scans from old Polaroids. I'm also attaching a picture of me and my mom. Her name was P.J. Summitt. Thank you for the opportunity. Stacey Local Shriners help bring quality medical care to young people with burn, orthopedic issues By Stacey Manning The Brunswick Beacon If you haven’t met the nice folks at the South Brunswick Island Shrine Club, you’re missing out. On June 4 members invited me to talk about the way Shrine generosity has impacted my life. Their clean, brightly lit building on Old Shallotte Road gave welcome to big smiles, handshakes, a good meal and lots of hospitality. Before I knew it I was standing in front of an attentive crowd, feeling humbled to share part of my story. I was born with a birth defect that affected my ability to walk. My legs were twisted from the hips down, and I required leg braces as a kid. Before that, as a baby I had to wear corrective shoes attached to a metal bar. So what does that have to do with the Shriners? Through generosity of the Louisville (Ky.) Shrine Temple and their supporters at Kosair Charities they helped provide medical care and devices so I could walk normally. Today, unless I mention it, no one would know I had a problem, and that wouldn’t be the case if it weren’t for the kindness of Shriners and Kosair Charities. Good work like this is something done on a daily basis for the people who dedicate their lives to being Shriners. Through fundraising and charitable giving, Shriners help children through its network of Shriners Children’s Hospitals. Steve Norris, Divan, a lifelong Brunswick County resident and local Sudan Shriner, told me about 28 children in this area are receiving care through Shriners hospital services. Shriners Hospitals for Children provide care for young people with orthopedic or burn issues at no cost. Shriners also provide transportation to Shrine hospitals from here to places like Cincinnati, Ohio, Greenville, S.C., Boston and Philadelphia. As you can imagine, it takes a lot of money to provide high quality medical services and transportation for children. That’s why people like those in the local Shrine club are important. They volunteer for Shrine events and raise money so children can continue to receive quality healthcare, no matter their socioeconomic status. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it weren’t for Shriner generosity. There are thousands of others who can say the same. On June 8, CNN reported six Shriners hospitals might face closure after the endowment fund that supports the facilities dropped from $8.5 billion to $5.2 billion over the last year. The changes may affect the hospital that serves local children in Greenville, S.C. Last week, Norris was cautiously optimistic about the future, hoping Shriners will continue to provide quality, no cost care to children who need it. Decisions about how to deal with the economic situation and the hospitals’ futures are likely to be made at the July 6-8 Imperial Council Session in Texas. Here’s hoping for the best. Are you interested in helping Shriners make sure children with orthopedic and burn issues have access to quality medical services, no matter how much it costs? Get involved with Shriners and help them on their fun, fundraising journeys. You can help them with events and enjoy being a part of their parade unit and take part in dinners, sporting events (like fishing) and other social events throughout the year. From my brief meeting with them, it seems like they have a lot of fun doing the things they do. The South Brunswick Islands Shrine Club meets the first Thursday of every month at the Shrine building on Old Shallotte Road in Shallotte. The evening starts with a social at 6 p.m. followed by dinner and a meeting around 7. If you’d like to know more about the organization and how to get involved, contact Dana Mauldin at 754-9125 or visit www.sudanshriners.com. To learn more about Shriners Children’s Hospitals and the work they do for young people visit www.shrinershq.org online. Reprinted with permission, The Brunswick Beacon.