“As long as I can remember, I was interested in medicine and kids,” says Lisa Shaw. Unsure if she wanted to be a doctor or nurse, she settled on pediatric nursing because of the ongoing relationships she could develop with her patients. She spent years doing just that with severe burn and cystic fibrosis patients in the Boston area, including some of the nation’s first lung transplant recipients. She still stays in touch with many of them.
Today Shaw takes her certified therapy dogs, Rhodesian Ridgebacks Blue and Ruby, to the Children’s Hospital clinics at Briargate and to Cedar Springs Hospital for work with patients. “When kids are waiting for their appointments, they can come hang out with us,” she says. The dogs provide comfort and smiles that can ease nervousness and fear.
Shaw’s generous work extends even further as she leads and fundraises for an annual pediatric orthopedic surgical mission trip to Guatemala City through the Shalom Foundation, along with her husband, Dr. Brian Shaw of Children’s Hospital. “We see about 100 kids and do about 45 surgeries in four days,” she says. “It’s a blessing to help other people through volunteer work.”
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