CELEBRATING LANCASTER COUNTY'S PEOPLE, SCENERY,

HERITAGE, STYLE & POINT OF VIEW SINCE 1987.

The Clinic for Special Children Celebrates a New Milestone

On June 20, the Clinic for Special Children, a nonprofit comprehensive medical practice for children and adults with rare genetic disorders, officially opened its new 28,062-square-foot medical clinic in Gordonville, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Originally located in Strasburg, the Clinic for Special Children (CSC) is a nonprofit organization that provides comprehensive care and advanced laboratory services to children and adults who live with genetic or other complex medical disorders. Founded in 1989, the organization provides services to over 1,700 individuals and is recognized as a world leader in translational and precision medicine. The organization is primarily supported through community fundraising events and donations.

“We are very grateful to many community members who made this years-long project a reality for the Clinic for Special Children,” noted Adam D. Heaps, executive director at the Clinic. “The new Clinic represents a welcoming place for vulnerable families to turn to when they need specialized care for generations to come.” The new building features 12 exam rooms, several patient discussion rooms and family rooms, an integrated and state-of-the-art genetics laboratory, a dedicated space for visiting specialists from local healthcare systems, a fully accessible playground, and many more thoughtfully designed features.

The ceremony featured remarks from Adam Heaps, as well as Herman Bontrager, chair of the Board of Directors and chair of the Keeping the Promise: Building Hope capital campaign. In addition, Walter Rodriguez shared how the Clinic has cared for a family member who has Glutaric Acidemia Type 1 (GA1), a severe inherited metabolic disorder in which the body cannot process certain amino acids. Thanks to the implementation of newborn screening, dietary formula and emergency IV infusions, more than 90% of brain injury is now prevented and normal growth and development are supported. If left untreated, GA1 usually causes a harmful build-up of amino acids in the body, which can cause catastrophic brain injury. GA1 affects approximately 1 per 90,000 births worldwide. That statistic climbs to 1 per 400 births in the Old Order Amish.

For more information: ClinicforSpecialChildren.org.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *