Back Pain Centers of America is providing Ethiopia and Costa Rica surgical and administrative expertise through their network member spine care provider, Long Island Spine Specialists, to help children in need.
Here are five takeaways:
1. Back Pain Center of America is supporting Long Island Spine through a financial donation.
2. Long Island Spine Specialists is able to provide care to Ethiopia and Costa Rica through Spine Hope, a nonprofit aimed at bringing underprivileged children advanced spinal treatments.
3. Mae Caime, Long Island Spine Specialists' executive director, will return to Ethiopia in mid-May to help hospitals assess when they can perform scoliosis surgeries for a greater number of children. Ms. Caime aims to create a hospital that will provide more children quality healthcare.
4. So far, Long Island Spine Specialists has supported three medical mission trips providing medical care to Ethiopian children. Laurence E. Mermelstein, MD, and Kristopher Stillwell, PA-C, traveled to Costa Rica to perform scoliosis surgeries for children lacking advanced medical care access in February.
5. Since 2009, Back Pain Centers of American has aided patients in finding safe, reliable treatment for chronic pain.
"When a child is diagnosed with scoliosis in the United States, they are immediately treated with a brace, doctor visits and physical therapy," said Ms. Caime. "In Ethiopia, this treatment is not readily available, and children's spines slowly deteriorate into a debilitating S-shape that threatens the health and performance of their heart and lungs. We are excited to head back to a country that desperately needs our expertise so we can help alleviate the pain causing too many children to suffer."
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