When Belinda learned that her newborn baby girl was born with one leg shorter than the other, a condition known as limb length discrepancy, she took her to a specialist in Virginia near where she and her family were living at the time. After the specialist couldn’t offer much support, she found a Facebook group of parents whose children have the same condition. She learned from other parents in the group that Shriners Chidlren’s was the best place for her daughter’s care.

For the first six years of Abriya’s life, Belinda and her husband, who move and travel frequently in their work as ministers, scheduled their travel around Abriya’s appointments at Shriners Children’s. When they learned she would need major surgery that would result in her not being able to walk for weeks while recovering, Belinda knew making the nearly 9-hour drive to and from St. Louis would not be easy. That’s when Shriners Children’s told her about Wings of Hope. Abriya and Belinda made their first Wings of Hope flight in May 2025. On the flight from their home in Louisiana to St. Louis, Abriya and Belinda were joined by Wings of Hope’s volunteer medic, Jeannie Meyer, who made sure Abriya was safe and comfortable on the flight.

“She was an angel straight from heaven,” said Belinda. “She went above and beyond. She wasn’t just on the flight to do her job and make sure we got there safely. She actually became a friend and someone I needed when I was at the end of myself.”

Abriya will return to St. Louis in April 2026 to prepare for a second surgery in May, which will mark the beginning of her leg lengthening process.

To learn more about how your gift will impact patients like Abriya, visit wingsofhope.ngo/givehope