The American Samoa Shriners Club likes nothing better than to see a child smile, with the exception of seeing a child’s orthopedic condition corrected so that they can live the life a young person deserves.

That’s why the American Samoa Shriners Club sponsors a golf tournament every year — to send Pacific children to the Shriners Hospital in Honolulu where doctors are the best in the profession.

The Honolulu facility is only one of  20 Shriners Hospitals spread across the U.S. as well as one each in Canada and Mexico. Each year hundreds of children are treated not only for orthopedic conditions but Shriners Hospitals for Children also specialize in severe burn treatments and spinal cord injuries, as well as cleft lip and palate conditions.

Yearly, Shriners Hospitals for Children selects two national patient ambassadors to represent the more than one million children who have received care since the health care system opened its doors in 1922.

The ambassadors share their stories to inspire others and raise awareness of Shriners Hospitals for Children and this year Olivia Stamps of Batesburg, S.C. and Brendon Wiseley of Tulsa, Okla., have been selected as Shriners Hospitals for Children national patient ambassadors.

Olivia has cerebral palsy, which affects her mobility. She was originally diagnosed at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Chicago, but since moving to South Carolina, she has been cared for by the Shriners Hospital in Greenville, S.C.

Olivia has benefited from Shriners Hospitals’ expertise in treating the orthopedic effects of cerebral palsy and in movement analysis. After surgery at age six and rehabilitative therapy, Olivia, now ten, has a perfect walking gait and can run, dance, jump on a trampoline, ride a bicycle and keep up with her peers.

Brendon loves to race. In fact, he was on the track in a micro junior car when he was five, and is a track favorite in his hometown of Tulsa, Okla.

His ability to participate in the sport he loves nearly came to a quick end when he was seven years old, and was injured in an accident involving a lawn mower. Although he lost a leg, the expertise of the prosthetics staff at Shriners Hospitals for Children — Shreveport and the health care system’s commitment to personalized attention and care combined to get Brendon back on track. Brendon is able to race again – the only difference – now he passes his helmet to collect donations for Shriners Hospitals.

The stories of Olivia and Brendon are representative of the successes that can be found throughout the 22-facility Shriners Hospitals for Children health care system, including our children from the Pacific region.

Last month’s 22nd Annual Shriner’s Golf Tournament netted $22,000 to defray the costs of travel for South Pacific kids selected by Shriners doctors for treatment in Honolulu. A total of 22 teams joined with the Shriners and the business community to make this local fundraiser a success. 

The Shriners are grateful to all who contributed their time and money making it possible for them to provide travel costs for the young patients. Over $84,000 in travel costs was provided in 2013 to send 68 young patients for treatment.

This year Shrine doctors have already seen 128 patients from American Samoa, 65 from Apia and 11 from Savaii. Thank you, American Samoa for helping Shriners Hospitals for Children change lives every day through innovative pediatric specialty care, world-class research and outstanding medical education.