Reagan Jones, 24, has a lot to celebrate. The lovely young woman from Brownwood, Texas, got married this summer. Her wedding was a cause for celebration not only for her family, but for a special team of medical professionals at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children's Hospital.
14 years ago, Reagan had a life-saving procedure in San Antonio. She was born with a condition called an "infantile fibromatosis tumor." She had to have a series of surgeries in which portions of seven ribs were removed and replaced. She was helped with a unique device known as the titanium rib. It uses telescoping rods that allow the rib to expand while a child grows.
"While the ribs are something that rarely cross my mind now, my life would not be what it is today without them," Jones said. "Other doctors often tell me I'm a part of history, and i don't know if I will ever fully grasp that. But I do know that God had his hand over me and my family when he sent me to CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Children's Hospital."
The Spinal & Thoracic Treatment and Research Center (STTAR) at San Rosa is a premier treatment center for children like Reagan from all over the world. While the staff has celebrated many high school and college graduations, even the birth of a child, this is the first time one of their former patients has gotten married.
Reagan is a high school business teacher and a coach in Brownwood. She enjoys a wonderful quality of life thanks, in part, to the caring professionals who treated her in San Antonio.
More than 400 patients have been part of the titanium rib program.
