Kudos to 'General Hospital' for Partnering With Shriners Hospital

Kudos to General Hospital for Partnering With Shriners Hospital
By Carolyn LeVine Topol

Rebecca Herbst and James Nigbor ABC/Todd Wawrychuk

Bravo to General Hospital for partnering for the second year in a row with Shriners Hospital for their “Love to the Rescue” campaign.

While high drama and tragedy are the hallmarks of soap opera storylines, when these traumatic occurrences happen to children they are far more difficult to view and impact the fans at an elevated level. To bring home the reality that there are places that support children AND their parents and families during times of significant trauma, General Hospital has extended their storylines beyond the borders of fictional Port Charles, New York.

Last year, viewers may remember when young Spencer Cassadine (played by Nicolas J. Bechtel) was severely injured in a fire. Spencer, accompanied by his father, Nikolas Cassadine (played by Tyler Christopher) were sent by General Hospital’s Chief of Staff to Shriners Hospital in Boston. The Boston facility is one of Shriners Hospitals locations with a highly sophisticated Burn Unit. There, the staff treats both the parent and child

This year, General Hospital has bravely taken another new step with a child’s physical trauma. Following a perceived altercation with Sam (played by Kelly Monaco) that led Jake Spencer (played by Jamees Nigbor) to run blindly into the street, he was hit by a car for the second time in his young life.

Due to the need for advanced orthopedic care, Jake will be transferred to Shriners Hospital in Philadelphia where his complex orthopedic medical needs can be met.

On yesterday's episode Jake’s parents (played by Billy Miller and Rebecca Herbst) learned that, like Spencer before him, Jake will need to reap the benefits of medical care from a Shriners Hospital facility.

Bravo to General Hospital for keeping viewership mindful of childhood traumas, and the proper direction to take when these conditions become more than a family or small community hospital can handle. These emotional and realistic storylines are a winning combination for Shriners Hospitals, General Hospital, and the soap’s fans.

Carolyn LeVine Topol regularly contributes television and web series features to Serial Scoop. Having always dreamed of writing her own version of The Great American Novel, it took her many years to discover her most heartfelt stories took their form in the creation of LGBT romances. Carolyn had one lesser-known passion, her dedication to all things "soap opera". Starting as a child with "Dark Shadows" and "Secret Storm", Carolyn has found a way to keep up with nearly every soap, on every network over the past 45 years!