Shriners aid local boy with surgery costs

Posted on March 21, 2018

By SARAH HARDEN

It’s every parent’s worst fear. What to do when your child needs major surgery you cannot afford, and your insurance company is unwilling to pay?

This was the problem Frank Alsip and his wife, Bridgette, faced. Their son, Ethan, has a condition known as pectus excavatum. According to the Mayo Clinic, “Pectus excavatum is a condition in which a person’s breastbone is sunken into his or her chest. In certain cases, pectus excavatum can look as if the center of the chest has been scooped out, leaving a deep dent.” In severe cases of this condition, the sunken breastbone can shift major internal organs and compress the lungs and heart.

PHOTO: Ethan Alsip (center) is shown at the Shriners hospital in Texas with his surgeon, Dr. Picard, and the head nurse who assisted with his care.

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