El Paso Children’s Hospital Performs Rare Surgery on MoSho Listener’s Kid

This is a rough time for the El Paso Children’s Hospital as it faces bankruptcy and is accruing debt of more than $33,000 every day. Bankruptcy may be a black eye for the medical community but let’s not forget all the feathers in their cap EPCH has earned.

Here’s a new one:

A listener, Carl Pape, e-mailed to tell me about his 4-year-old son, Cael’s, surgery to correct infantile scoliosis. Basically, Cael was implanted with an artificial titanium “rib” to make his breathing more natural. The Children’s Hospital deserves credit because they are one of only 50 hospitals in the entire world that does this kind of procedure. How common is the procedure? Well, Cael is the first person to ever have it done in El Paso. Call it happy coincidence or call it serendipity, the doctors and staff at Children’s Hospital really came through for an awesome kid. They deserve credit for that, no matter what they’re up against.

Carl sent us some pictures of Cael and his sister Silke before and after this rare procedure. Not the Cael-sized Spiderman doll. Spidey is Cael’s favorite superhero, though I think after all he’s been through he might actually have more in common with Wolverine. Enjoy the adamantium rib, Cael!