2022 Gala: Good Shepherd Raises $155,000 for Pediatric Unit and Child Takes 1 Millionth Step in Robotic Gait Training Technology

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — Hundreds of guests gathered on a picturesque Saturday night to help raise $155,000 for the Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital Emily Howatt Pliskatt Pediatric Unit and to mark a milestone with robotic technology that helps children walk.

Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network hosted the 2022 Gala in the Garden – Drive-In Edition on June 4, raising funds that benefit children and families served by our Pediatric Unit in Bethlehem.

Guests dined on gourmet boxed dinners and an assortment of food-truck desserts and played lawn games, all on the campus of Olympus Corporation of the Americas in Center Valley — just down the road from Good Shepherd’s under-construction rehabilitation hospital, which is slated to open in 2023.

With a smile and an encouraging countdown from the outdoor crowd, 4-year-old Nephtali “Nephy” Andujar took the 1 millionth step in the Trexo Plus, a robotic gait training device that empowers children to walk, maybe even for the first time. Good Shepherd is the only health-care provider in the country to provide all three sizes of the device, and, thanks to Nephy’s momentous steps, is the first provider in the world to reach the 1 million steps milestone.

“Good Shepherd’s clinical experts continue to conduct research with the Trexo to help make a meaningful difference in the lives of patients with pediatric stroke, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury and other gait disorders,” Amanda Kleckner, administrative director of pediatrics, told the assembled Gala crowd. “We appreciate you all being here tonight and for helping us provide hope to children facing complex medical challenges.”

Thank you to presenting sponsors, Lutron Electronics and Orlando Diefenderfer Electrical Contractors, and all of our sponsors, supporters, guests and volunteers for making this a wonderful evening.

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