Canadian patient Jeremy Gabriel will be among Shriners Hospitals for Children to participate in 2013 Tournament of Roses Parade

Float Presents the Message of Health, Love and Resilience

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 21, 2012 /CNW Telbec/ – Shriners Hospitals for
Children(®) is proud to participate in the 124th Annual Tournament of Roses Parade
on Tuesday, January 1, 2013, in Pasadena, Calif. The Shriners Hospitals
for Children float entitled, “Helping Kids Live their Dreams,” will be
among the many floral floats, marching bands and equestrian shows seen
by millions of spectators around the world. The “Helping Kids Live
their Dreams” theme symbolizes Shriners Hospitals for Children’s
dedication to improving the health and well-being of children so they
can reach their full potential.

Riding on the “Helping Kids Live their Dreams” float will be
representatives from Shriners International as well as four patients
from Shriners Hospitals for Children that exemplify the hospitals
mission and who are living their dreams. Among them is Jérémy Gabriel
who is treated at Shriners Hospitals for Children-Canada.

        --  Jérémy Gabriel. Jérémy, age 16, is one of the two 2012-13
            Shriners Hospitals for Children national Patient Ambassador.
            Jérémy, of Québec City, Canada, was born prematurely and
            diagnosed at six months with Treacher Collins syndrome, a rare
            genetic disorder that causes head, skull and facial deformities
            and absent or malformed ears (he was born deaf). At age six,
            Jérémy was treated at Shriners Hospitals for Children- Canada
            in Montreal, where he received an implantable hearing device
            called a bone-anchored hearing aid, or BAHA. After the surgery,
            Jérémy was fascinated with sound and discovered he could sing
            with perfect pitch. He attends a high school for performing
            arts, where he is preparing for a music career. Jérémy has
            recorded two albums, co-authored a book, and performed for
            Céline Dion and the Pope. He is scheduled for additional facial
            reconstructive surgery next year to improve his breathing and
            chewing.

        --  Hunter Woodhall. Hunter, age 13, is also a 2012-13 Shriners
            Hospitals for Children national Patient Ambassadors. Hunter was
            born with fibular hemimelia, a rare condition that causes a
            shortening or absence of one of the two bones in the calf.
            After exploring options that offered no real hope, Hunter's
            family consulted a team of experts at Shriners Hospitals for
            Children -- Tampa, where specialists amputated both of
            Hunter's legs. Just 11 months old at the time, Hunter was
            fitted with prosthetic legs and was soon walking and running
            around. Years later, his family moved to Utah, where Hunter
            became a patient at Shriners Hospitals for Children - Salt Lake
            City. Hunter, an accomplished athlete, was given several
            orthopaedic options that allowed him more flexibility in
            multiple sports. He was fitted with one of the first Flex-Foot
            Cheetah custom feet that the hospital had ever provided (for
            running), as well as special liners for wrestling. Hunter also
            plays basketball, football and soccer, snow skis, swims and
            roller blades.

        --  Carrie Holmstrom. In April 2006, Carrie's life changed in an
            instant when a single-car accident left her with second-,
            third- and fourth-degree burns covering 70 percent of her body.
            Due to her injuries, both of Carrie's feet and all the fingers
            on her right hand were amputated. She awoke from a medically
            induced coma with her future as a potential goalkeeper on the
            U.S. Olympic soccer team seriously in doubt. Carrie credits
            Shriners Hospitals for Children for her miraculous recovery.
            She took her first steps on prosthetic legs at Shriners
            Hospitals for Children -- Springfield (Mass.) in December
            2006 and recently ran her first 5K. Carrie, age 23, lives in
            Houston and is a public relations specialist. She is passionate
            about Shriners Hospitals for Children and believes
            wholeheartedly in the organization that saved her life.

        --  Stephani Pineda. Stephanie, age 14, survived a house fire three
            years ago that killed her father and two brothers. She
            sustained burns on over 30 percent of her body. The local
            hospital where she was taken after the accident was ready to
            disconnect her from life support when a social worker mentioned
            that Shriners Hospitals for Children could help. Not only, did
            Shriners Hospitals for Children save her life but also gave
            Stephani and her mother the physical and mental support they
            needed to face the new challenges ahead. Stephanie lives in
            Hesperia, Calif. with her mother, Guadalupe.

About Shriners Hospitals for Children Shriners Hospitals for Children(®) is changing lives every day through innovative pediatric specialty
care, world-class research and outstanding medical education. Our 22
facilities, located in the United States, Canada and Mexico provide
advanced care for children with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal
cord injuries, and cleft lip and palate.

About the Tournament of Roses

The festival began in 1890 and features flower-covered floats, marching
bands, equestrians and, since 1902, the Rose Bowl college football
game, produced by the nonprofit Pasadena Tournament of Roses
Association. The Rose Parade will be broadcast live by: ABC, NBC,
Hallmark Channel, HGTV, KTLA-CW and Univision. Don’t forget to tune in
on Tues., Jan. 1, 2013, at 8:00 a.m. PST / 11 a.m. EST. For additional
information on the Rose Parade, visit www.tournamentofroses.com

SOURCE SHRINERS HOSPITAL FOR CHILDREN (CANADA)