Politicians and local business persons are gathering Thursday morning in an effort to convince the Shiners to keep their Spokane hospital open.

It will be bipartisan, with Sen. Maria Cantwell, a Democrat, and Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Republican, in front of the hospital building on the lower South Hill. They’ll be joined by members of Greater Spokane Inc., which put out a “Save Shriners” announcement Wednesday.

Press conference is 4:30 p.m. Thursday, 5th and Lincoln.

Just got a news alert from the S-R saying that Shriner’s Hospital may close.  (http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/mar/30/shriners-hospital-may-close/)

I was born with curvature of the spine and not really bothered by it until I was in fourth grade.  Add to that being pigeon-toed, so much that I had to wear orthopedic shoes.  They were profoundly ugly shoes, too, for a nine-year-old.  I was afraid I would be ruined for life with those ugly shoes.  (I write about them at http://jeaniespokane.blogspot.com/2008/04/ugly-brown-shoes-and-belly-dancer.html.)

Before the shoes, I spent a few days at the Shriner’s Hospital.  No surgeries – just tests.  Checking my back.  Checking my feet.  Checking my legs.  There were dozens of kids there my age – many paralyzed with polio.  Shriner’s has been an indelible part of Spokane.  I can’t imagine where these children will go without Shriner’s.  This “recession” is like a bad cancer, metastasizing into the bone

I am worried!  Hospitals are laying off because of unpaid patient bills.  Shriner’s may close.  The Post Office is laying off several hundred people.  Where is this let-us-call-it-what-it-really-is depression taking us?