A letter from Foundation donor Sandy Robinson

I like to paint landscapes, sail with my husband, Bill, and spend lots of time with our five children, 15 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. Three years ago, constant, severe pain from my scoliosis was keeping me from fully enjoying any of these activities.

I’ve had scoliosis since I was 7 years old. The “S” curve in my spine pushes out my ribs, shoulder blades and back. In my youth, it did not stop me from most activities. However, it has gotten progressively
worse over time. A few years ago, it reached the point that I was in constant pain. I could not stand for more than a few minutes at a time, and I was not sleeping well at night. I decided I could no longer live
this way.

I visited doctors in my hometown of Punta Gorda, Fla., but they only offered ways to manage my pain with therapy and medicine—not eliminate it. I then looked online for doctors who could help beyond
pain management, and came across Lawrence Lenke, MD, Washington University School of Medicine orthopedic surgeon at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

When I met Dr. Lenke in St. Louis, he said he could fix my severe scoliosis through a surgical procedure. After hearing countless doctors tell me that I was too old for this, it was such a relief to hear that something could be done.

Now, two years after surgery, my recovery is complete and life is much better. I am no longer in constant pain. I can stand up, go shopping and do all the other normal things that people do. I am so grateful for the exceptional care I received from everyone at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. I admire Dr. Lenke and was impressed that he always had a group of residents with him, learning from his current practices.

It was most satisfying to know that Dr. Lenke is interested in developing new techniques to help people with scoliosis. I’ve often thought about how different my life would have been if surgery were an
option when I was a child. If it’s possible today, Dr. Lenke is the one who will discover it!

After seeing the wonderful work that Dr. Lenke does, and realizing the potential options scoliosis patients might have in the future because of him, supporting his work felt like the right thing to do. I encourage
you to support Dr. Lenke, or a doctor at Barnes-Jewish Hospital who has touched your life. By giving to The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital today, we’ll have the best possible health care tomorrow when we or our loved ones need it the most.

Sandy Robinson