Rita Gorenflo’s adopted son Thomas suffers from progressive scoliosis, a curvature of the spine that threatens to crush his lungs.
She turned to Children’s Medical Services, the state’s Medicaid program responsible for providing treatment for 1.5 million poor and special needs children. But she had trouble finding a surgeon to place a rod in her son’s back after his orthopedic specialist left CMS over payment issues. The mother of seven adopted special needs children thought of turning to the Shriners for free surgery, but the logistics for the family were unrealistic with the charity hospital in Tampa.
