Scottish Rite helps local resident

Submitted by Pittsburg1 on
By Cory Smith
 
It’s hard enough for a 9-year-old to grasp the game of golf, but for a 9-year-old with a handicap; it’s an adventure all its own.
 
Parker Jackson, a Pittsburg resident, recently attended a “Learn to Golf” Clinic (LTGC) on May 17 that was held on behalf of Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children (Scottish Rite) in Dallas. Parker was born with a severely clubbed foot and has been a patient at Scottish Rite since he was 12 days old. Scottish Rite is a hospital that is devoted to the treatment of pediatric orthopedic conditions such as: club foot, scoliosis, hand disorders, and hip disorders among others. The hospital is open to children from birth to age 18 and provides healthcare to the patient at no cost to them.
 
Parker attended the Learn to Golf Clinic (LTGC) at Alpine Target Golf Center in Longview. The LTGC was created in 1998 by the Scottish Rite Therapeutic Recreation Department and is an effort to help patients develop golf skills and garner the rehabilitative aspects of the sport. The program has helped over 1,000 patients in cities and metropolitan areas across the state, including: Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Longview, Waco, and Tyler among others.
 
Instructors and allied health professionals undergo extensive training to learn instructional methods for the participants in the program so that both patients and instructors have the best experience possible. The program also provides equipment, adaptive devices, special prosthetics, and scholarships for the participants.
 
Parker got to learn a lot about the game of golf and all of the different things that make it unique such as chipping, putting, and driving.
 
When asked how much Scottish Right has helped her son, Crystal Jackson, Parker’s mom said, “The help has been immeasurable, his foot was really bad and without Scottish Rite’s help he probably wouldn’t even be able to walk; they’ve meant so much to us”.
 
 
 
To continue reading this article purchase the June 5th edition of The Pittsburg Gazette or go to our online e-edition at: http://www.etypeservices.com/Pittsburg%20GazetteID315/default.aspx
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