Net proceeds from the sale of Hero Allograft are donated to charities benefiting children with life-threatening medical conditions.
San Diego’s Own Make-A-Wish Kid Had Wish Unveiled in Surprise Super-Hero Themed Ceremony!
Local Company Spinal Elements Granted Wish in First-Ever San Diego Hero Event
Carlsbad, CA – January 30, 2014 – Spinal Elements®, Inc., a San Diegobased spine technology company, unveiled and granted a very special wish to a local Make-A-Wish Kid in a Super-Hero themed ceremony on Wednesday, January 29th at the company’s Carlsbad headquarters. The celebration included a BatAdventure complete with a real live Batman and his Batmobile. The entire Spinal Elements staff planned this special adventure that included a Bat Trail with a Bat Cave, a Damsel in Distress and a Joker’s Hideout. Spinal Elements also granted the first-ever “Hero Cape” at the ceremony, beginning a Hero Event tradition for years to come. See print coverage here: https://www.utsandiego.com/news/2014/jan/30/tp-batkid-rides-again-in-carlsbad
The Spinal Elements team did this all for Aidden James Whitsett, age 9, of Carlsbad, who had his official wish — to swim with the dolphins at the Atlantis resort – unveiled that day. Jason Blain, president, Spinal Elements, and local MAW representative Alex Cano of the Make-A-Wish San Diego chapter, presented the wish to Aidden and his family. Aidden has hereditary progressive muscular dystrophy. Wish Kid Jackson, 17, of Solana Beach, whose wish was adopted and granted last year by Spinal Elements and the Hero Allograft program, was also in attendance and his granted wish, to train with the Navy Seals, was also revisited. He received a Hero Cape as well.
Spinal Elements donated over $50,000 to the San Diego Make-A-Wish Chapter in 2013 (that’s over 6 Wishes!) and raised over $330K nationally for charities benefiting children with life-threatening medical conditions. It is estimated that Spinal Elements will be able to double the amount of money donated to San Diego Make-A-Wish in 2014 (that’s 100K and over 12 Wishes!). These donations are made possible by Spinal Elements’ Hero Allograft product and the surgeons and hospitals that have pledged to use it. The company sees Allograft as a gift, and Hero Allograft honors that gift and pays it forward to children that need it the most.
MORE ABOUT AIDDEN:
Aidden has 5 brothers and one sister. Aidden loves to swim, loves arts and crafts and playing video games. His favorite foods are ribs, chicken wings, twice cooked baked potatoes, and pizza. His favorite dessert is frozen yogurt and cookies. He loves soda but does not get it often. His favorite color is blue. He loves the game Mindcraft and he also loves nature and animals. Dogs are his favorite. When he goes to Atlantis he wants to go on slides and swim with Dolphins, paraglide, swim in warm water and fish and of course play in the arcade. His favorite place is Disneyland and his favorite Super Hero is Batman which he has on his night braces. He’s a good student, has many friends and is in the 3rd grade.
ABOUT SPINAL ELEMENTS’ HERO ALLOGRAFT:
Spinal Elements offers surgeons and hospitals across the country the opportunity to pledge to use only allograft tissue from companies that do not profit from the transfer of that tissue whenever clinically feasible. Allograft is human tissue that is obtained by way of an authorized gift of a donor and/or their family, and can then be turned into scores of medical products. Every year, 1.5 million of these products are given to American patients.
Spinal Elements chose to name its first allograft tissue product “Hero®” to honor those whose donation made the tissue donation possible. Although many companies earn significant profits from the sale of allograft, Spinal Elements has chosen to donate all profits from the sale of its Hero allograft to charities benefiting children with life-threatening medical conditions, such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation® and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Hero was launched in October, 2012 at the North American Spine Society (NASS) convention. Spinal Elements generated over $334,000 from net proceeds of Hero in 2013.
BACKGROUND: The following link details why Spinal Elements created the “Hero” program and is donating 100% of their profits from this product to children, noting to date that Hero has helped raise over $330,000 nationally for children’s charities. https://www.orthospinenews.com/one-for-the-good-guys
Media Contact:
Laura Charlton (formerly Johnson) for Spinal Elements
laurajohnsonpr@yahoo.com
(760) 450-7749 cell
