Dallas

Scottish Rite for Children Has Urgent Need for Aluminum Crutches, Asks for Donations

Donations of crutches accepted at Dallas, Frisco hospitals 24 hours per day

scottish rite hospital
NBC 5 News

The Scottish Rite for Children is the latest children's hospital in North Texas asking for donations of gently used aluminum crutches.

The children's hospital said Friday that their supply is low and that without donations from the community they expect to run out of crutches for recovering children within days.

The hospital told NBC 5 they have outstanding orders for crutches dating back to early October but that the delivery dates keep getting pushed back.

The hospital said they issue about 20 pairs of crutches each week to children and will accept any new or gently used crutches of any size (youth or adult) at their Dallas or Frisco campuses.

“We are feeling the impact of the nation-wide shortage of aluminum crutches, especially in the most commonly issued pediatric size of 5 foot 2 to 5 foot 10,” said Scottish Rite for Children therapy services manager Mickey Hensley, O.T.R., in a statement. “Similar to other hospitals, our need is on the rise. With unfilled backorders and no delivery dates in sight, we are reaching out to our community for support.”

Last week, Cook Children's Hospital in Fort Worth made a similar plea for help, citing the international shortage of raw materials needed for manufacturers to make crutches.

Scottish Rite will accept donations of new or gently used crutches in any size (youth and adult) at the main entrances of their Dallas and Frisco campuses, 24 hours per day.

  • Dallas Campus -- 2222 Welborn Street
  • Frisco Campus -- 5700 Dallas Parkway

"Donated crutches will go through the same safety inspection and sanitization process like all other medical equipment. Each pair will be cleaned, sanitized, operational and safe for patients to use," the hospital said in a statement.

Those interested in making a donation can contact crutches@tsrh.org for additional information.

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