Efrain's mom had seen our Institute from the highway. Although English is not her first language, she translated "ortho" and "pediatrics" and thought to herself, "maybe they could take care of my little boy."

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Her son, Efrain, was born with a limb deficiency. Doctors in Mexico considered amputation or leg-lengthening procedures, but the family had reservations and little funds to afford either option. When they relocated here recently, they saw a doctor about Efrain's allergies, and a nurse in that office referred them to LuskinOIC.

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Efrain's mom explained to us that she was shocked when they arrived at OIC for the orthopaedic appointment, since she remembered our sign from two years before, and felt it was meant to be. They met OIC staff who compassionately guided them through the process, and then Efrain was examined by Dr. Scaduto. They developed a plan and Efrain was excited about the prospect of shedding his crutch for a state-of-the-art prosthesis.

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In March 2021, to make Efrain feel welcomed, we asked another OIC Patient Ambassador (Arturo) to host a picnic for him on our Every Child Foundation Playground. Dr. Bernthal, who will be assisting Dr. Scaduto in Efrain's surgery, also joined the welcoming party.