Bright and early on December 4, 2000, my wife and I, along with our grandson, Jacob, started our drive to Dallas, Texas. We live in Many, Louisiana, six miles from the Texas border, but Texas is a BIG state, and we logged quite a few miles. But it was worth it to visit Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas (TSRHC).

Jacob, a quiet but healthy eight year old, was pleased to be taken out of school for a few days, and didn't seem to be the least bit worried over the prospect of a visit to a hospital for "testing." Jacob had been having learning difficulties, and school was becoming a struggle. His teacher had suggested Jacob may be dyslexic, a condition of unknown origin that causes the brain to confuse and/or reverse the letters of the alphabet, making reading and learning all but impossible.

I am a member of the Scottish Rite, so I enlisted the help of some of my Brothers in an effort to help Jacob. Earlier, when living in Texas, I had affiliated with the Waco Scottish Rite Bodies, and these Brethren recommended we try Texas Scottish Rite Hospital. There is a RiteCare Program clinic in Waco, but it had a full client load at that time, and TSRHC in Dallas was actually about as close as any Louisiana Scottish Rite children's clinic or center. Plus the hospital has a great dyslexia program and diagnostic facility.

The idea of going to the Dallas hospital firmed up one night in November at a meeting at Littleton Fowler Lodge No. 305 in Hemphill, Texas. Some Brothers asked about Jacob and what progress had been made in his testing. When it was learned that he had not yet been tested, Brothers Madison S. Moore, 32°, and Ommer. D. Hamilton, Jr., 32°, K.C.C.H., contacted TSRHC, and Jacob was accepted as a teaching case. Thus, this early morning trip to Dallas came to be. Everything was perfectly arranged by these good Brothers. Their references for hotel accommodations near the hospital and general travel directions were so clear that we arrived at our destination as though we had been making this trip for years.

Upon arriving at TSRHC the next morning, we were directed to the 4th floor Child Development Department. Our appointment was confirmed and, upon moving into the large, open waiting area, we observed several other parents and children who were engrossed in computer learning games and various other child-oriented entertainments. Jacob was soon operating a game with another child and having a great time. Too shortly for Jacob, we were called into the testing area.

It almost seems a misnomer to call it "testing" since it is done with such casual ease and care. In all, five doctors observed Jacob in various planned situations and "games." From these, the doctors then pooled their observations and discussed their various impressions. The next day, Dr. Jeffery Black, M.D., 32°, took ample time, as if Jacob were his only patient, to explain simply and with diagrams the areas in which Jacob was having trouble. He then recommended some teaching aids, told us where they were available, and stated that a complete report would be sent to Jacob's school and to his parents along with recommendations that would help him to overcome his difficulties.

We were then able to take a tour of the hospital and were enthralled by the many different mini museums and collections set up virtually within feet of each other. Everywhere you turned there were flying replicas in bright primary colors, small model towns, and amusing animations—all child oriented but also of great interest to adults. Jacob could hardly be pulled away from a giant kaleidoscope nearly as large as a train engine.

I was especially impressed by the young students, either volunteers or those with a work/learn program, as they interacted with surgical patients on a one-to-one basis. They took the patients in wheelchairs or on gurneys throughout the hospital to enjoy the wonderful entertainments not only of sight but also of sound and taste. There were bands and choirs having sessions and popcorn stands and food spots free to the patients and very inexpensive to the visitors. On leaving the hospital, we encountered "Buffy, the Balloon Blowing Clown." Though hurrying to the hospital to entertain the children, he paused to make Jacob a Knight's Sword, and nothing could have pleased Jacob more!

There is no way we can ever thank the Scottish Rite Brethren enough for the wonderful gift of Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. It was an experience we will treasure and remember each day that Jacob progresses. He is already making an A in spelling! We are no longer in doubt as to the areas where he has difficulties, such as math, and the ways in which we may help him to reach his potential. I would urge anyone to take the time to visit this wonderful hospital dedicated to the care of children.

James R. Brown is a retired truck driver. He lived and worked in southern California for 28 years and was raised in Montebello Lodge No. 451 in 1975, affiliating with Littleton Fowler Lodge No. 305 in Hemphill, Texas, in 1999. That same year, he changed his Scottish Rite affiliation from Santa Ana, California, to Waco, Texas. Following a forced retirement due to injury, Brother Brown and his wife moved to Many, Louisiana, to be near their children and grandchildren.