“Need help? Try the Shrine ClinicIf you have a child who can benefit from orthopedic and burn/scar care, just bring him or her to a free Shriners Hospital screening clinic coming up Saturday, March 18 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at United General Hospital, 1971 Highway 20, Sedro-Woolley.Shriners Hospitals charge absolutely nothing for treating such conditions as problems with bones, joints or muscles; cerebral palsy; spina bifida; scoliosis; hip disorders; hand or feed disorders; club foot; skeletal growth abnormalities; cleft lip/palate; and burn scars.Children from birth through 17 years of age are welcome. For information call 221-4519 on South Whidbey, or 360-679-2750 elsewhere on Whidbey Island.A Langley Middle School girl has found help for her painful back condition through the South Whidbey Shrine Club.This week, Sierra Currie will turn 12, and she will be taken by Shrine van to Portland Shriners Hospital where doctors will examine her condition, called scoliosis (curvature of the spine), and determine the best course of treatment.Treatment could well be expensive, but Sierra’s mother, Sylvia Nelson, has no monetary concerns at all — treatment through a Shriners Hospital is absolutely free to the patient and her family.Like many people, Nelson was unaware of the free medical help available through the local Shrine Club, which is a branch of Masonry.You can’t pay a bill in a Shrine hospital, said Howie Johnson, president of the South Whidbey Shrine Club. There’s not a billing department — it’s hard to make people believe it’s on the level.Nelson describes her daughter as an average, energetic youth who tries to keep up with her peers in school despite frequent back pain. Sierra is also an advanced piano student who will, undoubtedly, be one of our many shining stars from Whidbey Island.But recently, Sierra started feeling the strain from here every day activities, including the simple task of sitting at her piano, and often went to sleep in extreme pain. Sometimes the pain is unbearable, bringing her to tears, her mother said.The Shriners connection started at The Clyde Theatre in Langley. Sierra was watching a movie with her friend when her back pain become so severe she started to cry. Her friend reported the incident to her mother, Kathy Dorn, who happened to know Howie Johnson.It’s a small island, Nelson said, obviously thankful that the network of concerned island residents found help for her daughter.Johnson said the primary purpose of Shrinedom is maintaining Shriners Hospitals for Children. Shrine members keep a high profile locally in their colorful costumes and hats, and are a fixture in the Island County Fair Parade and other events. The Shrine sponsors a circus every year at the fairgrounds.The hospital program is threefold, according to Shriners literature: first, treatment for children; second, research into orthopedic and burn treatments; and, third, education and training for doctors and other medical professionals to use the most modern and effective treatment for orthopedic problems and burn injuries.Shrine Clubs nationwide raise many millions of dollars annually to support their hospitals. The first Shriners Hospital for Children opened in 1922 in Shreveport, La. They now have 19 hospitals and three burn centers in North America.The South Whidbey Shrine Club has helped a number of children through the years, with Sierra Currie being the latest. But they’re always looking for others who need help for a child with orthopedic or burn problems. For information call Howie Johnson, 221-4519.”