In the past year, Elizabeth Hanson, a 19-year-old college freshman at Southwestern Oregon Community College, changed her major from journalism to nursing.

She chose a nursing profession after being a patient at the Shriners Hospital for Children herself. She also is this year’s West Queen for the Oregon East-West Shrine Game.

Elizabeth was admitted to the Portland hospital at age 16 after she being diagnosed with scoliosis. Surgeons operated on Hansen on Aug. 6, 2005.

Hanson said she had been feeling some pain, but it was her grandfather, Frank Alander, who first noticed the curvature of her spine.

“I must have had it a long time,” Hanson said, “but it wasn’t until I was bending down and one of my shoulders was higher than the other that he noticed. Prior to surgery, I did have some pain. When they actually did the surgery, they found that my ribs were turning into my organs, and we didn’t know that beforehand.”

She had been between her sophomore and junior years at Coquille High School at the time of her surgery.

“I have metal rods in my back,” Hanson said, while sitting in the Student Services room at the Southwestern Oregon Community College bookstore. “I was in the hospital for a week. I was told to not do too much up until a year after, but I was back in school in September.”

Hanson could not have become Shrine Queen without having been a patient at a Shriners Hospital. As Shrine Queen, Elizabeth is featured in parades, she visits different Shrine clubs and gives a lot of speeches.

And it was her grandfather who nominated her for the honor.

“The Coos County Shrine Club voted and decided to sponsor me,” Elizabeth said.

She and her brother, Patrick Hanson, now 23, have lived with their grandparents for nine years. Alander was a Mason for more than 20 years and has been a member of the Coos County Shrine Club since 2003 and volunteers in the Shrine Club clown unit. The clowns visit children in the hospital and perform at Shrine events. Elizabeth’s grandmother, Eleanor Alander, is a Lady Shriner with the Ladies Oriental Shrine of North America.

There are 22 Shriners Hospitals in all — 20 in the U.S., one in Mexico and one in Canada. The hospitals treat children up to age 18 who have orthopedic problems, burns, spinal cord injuries, cleft lip and palate and certain other health conditions that can be helped by treatment at one of the hospitals. Acceptance is based solely on a child’s medical needs. Family income or insurance status is not criteria for acceptance as a patient, and all treatment is provided free of cost.

Despite the somewhat serious health conditions treated there, Elizabeth said she found the hospital to be nothing like she expected. Everyone was friendly to her and answered her questions.

“If there’s an answer, they’ll answer it,” she said. “Even though kids are normally scared of hospitals, I looked forward to going back, every time.”

“Shriners Hospital really does a lot,” Elizabeth said. “If the family cannot afford medical treatment, the transportation, it’s all taken care of. The family can stay with them at the hospital. There are rooms available. They just try and help you any way they can.”

She thought they probably would not have been able to afford the surgery without the help of Shriners Hospital, but she wouldn’t have wanted to go anywhere else anyway.

“They have that feeling about them, that you can just trust them,” she said.

Elizabeth is one of two Shrine Queens in the state of Oregon. She represents the western region, whereas the other queen represents the east. In other states, roles vary, and they may have a king and queen, two kings or another combination.

“One of my major challenges as queen has been public speaking, because I’m a very shy person naturally,” the seemingly poised young woman said. “That part’s been difficult, but it’s been fun. It’s been definitely fun.”

Helping raise money for the hospital is part of Elizabeth’s job, and the Shrine East-West Football Game, now in its 56th year, is one of the biggest fundraisers. Elizabeth will make an appearance at the game that will start at 3 p.m. Aug. 2 at Baker High School in Baker City. The players come from Class 1A, 2A, 3A, and 4A graduated seniors. All proceeds will go to Shriners Hospitals for Children. (see sidebar)

But despite all her fundraising efforts, she still has one aim in mind.

“My biggest job is supporting and representing the hospital — making sure people know about it. Getting the word out,” she said. “My ultimate goal is getting kids in the hospital.”

Elizabeth is enrolled in the nursing program at the college, taking her prerequisite classes, and eventually wants to work at the Shriners Hospital in Portland, as a nurse.

“Just helping people at Shriners Hospital ... to be able to be a part of that is an amazing thing,” she said.