Thousands of Mexican children are able to obtain free medical care in the state of Texas thanks to the volunteer work of Shriner organizations based in that state.
Details about the noble cause were revealed this week by Gilbert Medina, 2016-2017 Commander of the International Association of Legions of Honor (IALOH), an organization under the wing of Shriners International that are made up of individuals who have a history of serving in the armed forces of member nations.
Medina was visiting at lakeside this week along with four other association officers and their respective ladies. In an informative chat with the Reporter, he and his companions discussed the efforts championed by Texas Shrine temples based in the Rio Grande valley regions to arrange transportation, housing and assistance for youngsters coming from northern Mexico for treatment at Shriner hospitals in Houston and Galveston. The Houston hospital specializes in orthopedics, while the Galveston facility is renowned for it burn center.
International Legion of Honor officers enjoying a visit to lakeside this week were (left to right) Arvid Bergman, Al Gonzalez, Gilbert Medina, Eddie Daffern and Jim Fox. Gonzalez lives in Kansas. The others all hail from the great state of Texas.
Medina is a retired U.S. customs officer who got on board after witnessing the steady stream of ailing youngsters who were crossing over the Reynosa-McAllen border line. He would see the kids and parents arrive at four in the morning and once on the U.S. side, board vans for the six-hour ride to one of the hospitals. “I was already a Mason. Then I joined the Shriners to help out.”
Records for 2014 show that 1,320 Mexican patients, each accompanied by a parent, were assisted in getting medical care for congenital deformities, disabilities caused by rickets, and severe injuries. That involved making 109 road trips from the border to hospital destinations, employing a fleet of 240 vans with volunteer Shriners at the wheel. Those are the mind-boggling stats for just one year.
In addition, Texas Shriners sponsor clinics held four times a year at different locations in Rio Grande Valley region where patients are evaluated and fitted with prosthetics, avoiding longer journeys to Houston as many as 700 youngsters.
Expenses for the above added up to $US87,548, covered through Shrine Club fund-raising activities such as I-Hop pancake breakfasts and Fez bucket drop drives at public places like Walmart.
The IALOH officers and their travel companions were delighted with their experiences in the Chapala area, following a full itinerary that included touring the nearby metro area, shopping and dining out, along with formal meetings and social interaction with local Shriners.