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Shriners Hospitals for Children stories: Meet Madison

Posted at 3:58 PM, Jul 15, 2019
and last updated 2019-07-15 18:13:12-04

GREAT FALLS – This week MTN News is sharing the stories of kids that have been helped by the Shriners Hospitals for Children.

The first in our series features Madison, who is from Great Falls.

“I’m Madison and I’m from Great Falls, Montana. I was born with a cleft palate. I got to the Shriners Hospital for treatment.

“Our Shrine Hospital is in Chicago. So we go out on a yearly basis at the moment currently. When she was born with her palate we were there, and at eight months old they had us come out again and that’s when they did the surgery,” Madison’s dad Mike Wedekind said. “And ever since then, on a yearly basis we come back out.”

“So tell them what it’s like to go there for the day?” Mike asked Madison.

Madison Shriners
The first in our series of kids helped by Shriners Hospitals for Children is Madison, who is from Great Falls. (MTN News photo)

“Um, It’s really fun and there’s like a little play area for them — for the kids to just hang out,” Madison said. “Outside there is a playground and there’s a basketball court. I really like the hospital and the people who work there.”

“So…sorry it’s not easy for me. It’s easy for me to say thank you, but it’s super tough,” Mike said tearing up. “The folks at the Shriners and the whole organization has just been wonderful for wanting to step in to help my daughter and my family.

“And they’re nothing but just a blessing. We’re so happy to have known them and happy to if we can help a little bit in any way we’re happy to do so,” he added.

All this week we’ll be sharing the stories of kids that have been helped by the Shriners Hospitals for Children.

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Don’t forget to join MTN Sports on Saturday at 6 p.m. for the 73rd annual East-West Shrine Game.