Shriners Patient, 3 yr old, Ella Wilkins, is a die-hard Boise State fan. She even has their logo plastered all over her body-cast! Ella was born with a disease called Hip Dysplasia, which causes a child's hips and legs to grow incorrectly. Ella has undergone 6 hip and leg straightening surgeries, 7 full body casts, and 1 partial cast. This partial cast is hopefully her last and will ideally prevent a hip replacement in Ella's mid-twenties.
But Hip Dysplasia is not the only physical ailment that Ella has dealt with. Ella was born at 30 weeks gestation after the doctors told me(Jen Wilkins) that my baby would never be born alive and that we needed to abort her because my water broke at only 18 weeks gestation. Ella was placed on life-support for her first two weeks and she required two blood transfusions just to keep her body going. She has an eye disease that caused her retinas to detach, but after three eye surgeries Ella has some vision with the use of glasses. Ella also had a clot in her heart and other various ailments that required daily treatments, but we are so happy to revel in the fact that Ella is alive and well today and ready to cheer on the Boise State Broncos tonight! Praise Jesus for all He has done in her little life.
