It was a day to celebrate a new beginning.
Shriners put on their famous "fez" hats and were surrounded by a community thankful their hospital will stay open here.
Dozens of patients, families, hospital workers and volunteers gathered to recognize Shriners Children's Hospital of Greenville staying open. It was on the list of give possible facilities a slumping economy and stock market could have closed.
Thousands of children from all over the Southeast have been treated at the facility specialilzing in orthopaedics since 1927. Those patients include 14-year-old Orlandous Brown, whose mother was told he would never walk because of his cerebral palsy.
"Had they not been here, my son wouldn't have had the chances that he now has," Johnnie Mae Mattison said Thursday at the celebration. "I'm greatful. I really thank the Lord that they've got to continue on because they've done such great work here."
Today Orlandous walks with the help of a walker and goes to high school.
The Shriners voted at their national meeting this week to keep all of their hospitals open, with some changes.
Currently, all children are treated free of charge despite their ability to pay. Shriners will now start accepting private insurance and medicaid, and only pick up the tab for what the plans don't cover. It's estimated that will help close the millions of dollar gap currently in the budget.
www.shrinershq.org
www.cerebralpalsy.org
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