(Editor’s Word: This story was initially printed on Oct. 13, 2023. However since that is so highly effective, we determined to re-run this story throughout this yr’s version of the Shriners Kids’s Open.)
Inspirational. Uplifting. Unbelievable.
These phrases assist describe the scenes on the PGA Tour this week on the Shriners Kids’s Open at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas.
Additionally they illustrate the work that Shriners Hospitals does for kids throughout North America.
2024 marks the 18th consecutive yr that the PGA Tour has partnered with Shriners Hospitals. The match helps elevate funds for the hospitals and improve consciousness of pediatric accidents, orthopedic circumstances, burns, spinal twine accidents, and extra.
“What makes it actually particular is that it provides us a platform to inform our story to a brand new and numerous viewers annually,” mentioned Mel Bower, the Chief Communications and Advertising Officer for Shriners Hospitals, in an unique interview with Enjoying Via.
“It’s not only a match in title solely. It actually is a Shriners kids’s match, as our sufferers are energetic contributors. We’re supporting the professional golfers proper by their facet. Our sufferers will stroll with them contained in the ropes, and a few will even work as customary bearers.”
Shriners Sufferers Making a Distinction
Twenty-three Shriners sufferers are formally serving as ambassadors at this week’s match. Loads of others are on the grounds to lend help as nicely.
A lot of them are working as customary bearers—carrying the signal down the green displaying the scores all through the match. Others are there to symbolize Shriners and unfold consciousness.
A kind of ambassadors this week is Juan Diego, a 19-year-old man from Tegiculpga, Honduras. He traveled to Las Vegas this week along with his father and uncle, as that is their first time being on the match and visiting Nevada.
“Shriners is likely one of the greatest the reason why I’m Juan Diego at present,” he mentioned.
“I’m an unbiased younger man who can perform a life on a traditional foundation, you already know, with school, private life, and that sort of stuff. [Shriners] is the explanation why I’m right here at present.”
When Juan Diego was 13 years previous, his mom moved into a brand new condominium in Honduras, which was nonetheless below development.
The brand new unit was on the third flooring and had a big window—that had but to have glass put in—going through the road.
That open-air window was uncovered to high-voltage wires that hung from a lightweight put up serving to energy the town.
“Sooner than the blink of an eye fixed, I simply felt like all of the cost, all of the electrical energy actually going by my physique,” Juan Diego defined.
“It was so quick, you don’t have time to react to it. My coronary heart begins dashing actually quick, to the purpose that you just really feel that your coronary heart goes to blow up. And abruptly all of the lights flip off, and also you simply sort of really feel like, on this lonely cave all by your self. As a result of I used to be capable of hear my mom scream, due to her fear.”
The wires electrocuted his palms, severely damaging his palms and fingers, and leaving each palms disfigured.
Confronted with restricted medical choices in his dwelling nation, Juan Diego’s household submitted an utility by a Honduran basis. That basis had a connection to Shriners Hospitals for Kids.
His utility was then accepted, and in 2018, he headed to Shriners Kids Boston, which focuses on pediatric acute burns.
Over the subsequent few years, Juan Diego spent numerous months in New England on and off. He obtained remedy from specialised docs and therapists, whereas additionally assembly new individuals.
He nonetheless retains in contact with many people, together with his occupational therapist (OT).
Juan Diego even despatched his OT numerous footage from his experiences on the Shriners Kids’s Open in Las Vegas.
He additionally linked with a fellow affected person whereas in Boston, a lady named Valentina from Venezuela.
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“She is my greatest pal,” Juan Diego mentioned, grinning ear-to-ear whereas doing so.
His time in Massachusetts additionally led him to observe American soccer. He’s an enormous New England Patriots fan, however humorous sufficient, his favourite participant to observe is Buffalo Payments quarterback Josh Allen.
He additionally enjoys enjoying soccer, with heart defensive again being his favourite place to play.
But, his true ardour lies in diplomacy and worldwide relations—the main he’s at the moment pursuing in school.
“I need to be a diplomat, an envoy from Honduras, possibly even a chancellor,” Juan Diego defined. “That’s my plan proper now. Largely to assist extra individuals round my nation. That’s the massive concept.”
That’s the final objective of Shriners: to assist extra younger individuals, simply as Juan Diego hopes to do sometime.
Merely, Juan Diego defines what it means to be selfless.
He’s the right emissary for Shriners, and his angle is infectious. He overcame the unluckiest of circumstances with great obstacles, and he continues to battle daily.
Shriners’ Customary Bearer & Adaptive Golf Clinic
Annually, kids from areas across the nation are chosen to symbolize Shriners and act as customary bearers all through the match. This yr, 21 such kids held that honor, as they walked alongside the professionals holding their scores.
On Friday afternoon, the nonprofit healthcare system then held an Adaptive Golf Clinic on the driving vary of TPC Summerlin.
The clinic is placed on by the U.S. Adaptive Golf Alliance and supplies Shriners sufferers the chance to both play or enhance their golf recreation alongside professionals. That interplay resonates not solely with the youngsters, however the gamers as nicely.
Lexi Thompson almost grew to become the primary girl in fashionable PGA Tour historical past to make the reduce. Instantly following her spherical, she was requested for her preliminary ideas.
“Assembly among the Shriners youngsters, ambassadors, was in all probability the spotlight… giving golf classes and simply hopefully inspiring them to go after what they need,” she replied.
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Thompson’s selflessness is telling not solely about her but additionally what Shriners and this match means to so many individuals.
“This can be a tremendous distinctive PGA Tour golf match and one that you just don’t see each weekend of the yr,” Bowers mentioned.
“Because the sufferers stroll alongside the professionals contained in the ropes, there are form of two tales being informed. The professional golfers need to play the most effective they’ll. However our sufferers wanna win too.”
Most of the sufferers on website this week are preventing battles which can be fairly international to most people. However by the PGA Tour, these battles stay with the golfers, caddies, followers, and everybody on the occasion. It creates a way of empathy—and appreciation—for all concerned.
That’s what makes this match particular.
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“They’re overcoming medical challenges,” Bower added.
“A few of them have had issues they’ve been preventing since they have been born. And so there’s a symbolic victory. It’s occurring with each step that will get taken as a result of the golfers are on their pathway, however our sufferers are proper alongside them, and so they’re on their very own pathway towards dwelling their greatest life.”
Golf Channel’s stay protection of the 2024 Shriners Kids’s Open begins at 5 p.m. ET on every day of play.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Enjoying Via. You possibly can observe him on Twitter @jack_milko for extra golf protection. You’ll want to try @_PlayingThrough too.
