Medical dreams come alive through scholarship program: Desert Valley Foundation gives grants to 39 students.

Byline: Erik Derr

Nov. 18--VICTORVIILE -- By the time she was a year old, Kristina Chassie had suffered through the first of four operations she'd need through her life.

She was born with spinal bifida, a degenerative disorder caused when a fetus' spine doesn't properly close during the first month of pregnancy. Kristina needed surgery to correct her back and feet. The condition often leads to degrees of paralysis, physical and mobility difficulties, learning disabilities and numerous organ problems.

But the care of a "really good" neurosurgeon saved Kristina from what could have been a life of constant misery.

" O t h e r d o c t o r s s …