Typically when you think of OrthoCarolina, you think broken bones, sports injuries and hip replacement. A few weeks ago I saw this Instagram post of a sweet little hand on a wall in one of the OrthoCarolina clinics. The hand belongs to a little girl who was born with a congenital birth defect that impacted her hand. When she had her hand fixed at OrthoCarolina’s Congenital Hand Clinic, she said to the doctors, “Now I can paint you a picture with this hand”. The staff at OrthoCarolina was so moved by this that they have created a hand wall for children who have congenital hand birth defects to show off their hands. I was so moved by the story and this special clinic I wanted to share it with you.
Children are born with congenital abnormalities for a variety of reasons. Some are due to genetics and others are of unknown origin. The abnormalities can range from mild to severe; OrthoCarolina offers a variety of methods to treat the problems. Because some of these children can have associated syndromes or orthopedic issues, the Congenital Hand Clinic at OrthoCarolina offers a multi-disciplinary approach and work with the child’s other providers.
Monthly, OrthoCarolina holds a Congenital Hand & Upper Extremity Clinic, all children can be seen at this clinic on a first come first served basis. Insurance is accepted but if a patient does not have specialty care insurance they can still be seen. These clinics are staffed by three fellowship-trained hand surgeons that have expertise in congenital hand problems. Patients are examined by the doctors and provided with a care plan.
The goal of the hand wall is to provide children treated at the Congenital Hand Clinic a place to express themselves, to have pride in who they are, the wall can also offer hope and comfort to new patients as they start their journey at the clinic.
Showing off handiwork isn’t limited to just pediatric hand patients; if you visit the OrthoCarolina Hand Center you’ll find images, artwork, crafts, sculpture…all done by the great hands of OrthoCarolina patients. You can also check them out online at http://myhandcan.com/. For more information about the Congenital Hand & Upper Extremity Clinic, contact the clinic directly at 704-323-3570.
