As head of Peter’s Pals, 15-year-old Peter Wier has collected more than 700 toys for kids in need. But it’s hard to make deliveries when you can barely move. Diagnosed at age 8 with a rare form of osteoporosis, Peter had endured surgeries at major medical centers across the country, with no relief. He was confined to bed, because health care professionals didn’t know how to move him or administer physical therapy without injuring him or causing more pain. Then his mom, Catherine, brought him to Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital. “In just a few days, he made more progress then ever before,” she says. “The specialists here know how to get kids up and around. My son wants to make a difference in the world. Thanks to Ranken Jordan, he’s going to do it.”
Devon, born with a rare birth defect, was sent to Ranken Jordan when a conventional hospital could no longer help him. “He wasn’t expected to live,” recalls CEO Lauri Tanner. On a cold Thanksgiving night, she held the infant in her arms as he struggled to breathe. “I feared every breath would be his last,” she says. Now Devon is a happy, healthy 9-year-old. “He’s alive today because we didn’t give up on him.”
Since 1941, Ranken Jordan has helped thousands of severely ill or injured kids. “We serve the so-called hopeless cases, kids suffering from catastrophic injuries or complex medical conditions, including congenital defects and complications due to premature birth,” Tanner explains. “When the crisis is over but the patient is still too sick to go home, they come to us. We’re the bridge between acute care and home.”
Ranken Jordan experts design an individualized treatment program to maximize each patient’s potential, offering highly specialized care that includes comprehensive rehabilitation and outpatient programs and ongoing support for patients up to age 21. “We get them out of bed and into life as soon as possible, and stand by them until they’re ready to face the world again,” Tanner says. “We also teach parents how to continue the healing at home.”
Demand for services keeps growing. “Medical advances are saving more kids, so there’s an increased need for transitional care,” Tanner notes. “During the last three years in Missouri alone, there has been a 28 percent increase in the number of youth who need us. But we can’t help them without continued community support.” The annual Crystal Ball, a major fundraiser, takes place Jan. 17 at The Ritz-Carlton. The gala, themed Journey, is chaired by Becky Williamson.
“Technology heals the body, but only love and hope can mend the spirit,” Tanner says. “That’s what every person on our team brings these families. Ask any of us what we do, and we answer with pride, ‘I take care of the kids at Ranken Jordan.’ We get a lot of thank-yous from kids and their families, but we’re the ones who are thankful.”
[Journey, the 2015 Crystal Ball benefiting Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital, takes place Jan. 17 at The Ritz-Carlton. Tickets are $350; $2,500 for a table of 10. For tickets and sponsorships, call Colleen Drazen at 314.872.6512. For more information, visit rankenjordan.org.]
Photo: Mike Favazza
Pictured: Peter Wier and his mother, Catherine