Tulsa Shriners Helps Teen Burn Victim From Broken Arrow

Tulsa Shriners helped transport a teenager who was badly burned in a house fire while trying to save his family. They said they will stick by his side through his entire recovery.

There are more than 20 Shriners Hospitals for kids across the country -- 18 orthopedic hospitals, three burn hospitals and one hospital that provides orthopedic, burn and spinal cord injury care.

"100 years ago this year, we built our first hospital in Shreveport, Louisiana to treat kids with polio," said Ralph Klumpp with Tulsa Akdar Shrine Center.

The staff at each hospital is specifically trained to help kids recover, fight, get treatment, and find answers for a list of conditions, injuries, and diseases.

"We will stick with them until they are 22-years-old," said Klumpp "There is never any out of pocket expense to the family so that is a relief."

The Tulsa Akdar Shrine Center helps families get their kids to treatments and doctors' appointments as well.

"We go to Chicago, we go to St Louis, we go to Shreveport, and we go to Galveston, Texas- are the hospitals we service in this area," said Klumpp, "We rent a hotel room, put them up for the night. We bring them back home the next day."

"We have one paid employee. Every penny that is donated goes to nothing but taking care of the kids," said Klumpp.

Donations help keep the Tulsa building open and their mission on four wheels or two wings. When a Broken Arrow House fire severely injured a young teenager trying to save his family--- the Tulsa Shriners Chapter stepped in.

"We hired an airplane- the ambulance picked him up at Hillcrest, drove him to the airport, and they put him on the plane and flew him to Galveston," said Klumpp.

The organization said they will be by the boy's side for years--through this stage in his healing journey and the years of continued recovery in front of him.

"When those kids run up and grab you around the leg to give you a big ole hug- that is payment," said Klumpp.

TO DONATE: http://akdarshrine.org/donation-information/