Health Fair negotiates to save lives

And, oh yes, to bring free shoes to children along with preventive health tests for all ages

To see an all-star cast of many of the most generous community volunteers of the Mountain Communities clustered together in one room, you would need only to have been at the El Tejon Unified School District (ETUSD) board meeting last Thursday, June 15. They were there, in a surprise move, less than two weeks before the annual Frazier Mountain Community Health Fair this weekend, June 24 (from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Frazier Park Elementary School).

The Health Fair’s main sponsor, the South West Health Care District, had just received an unexpected bill for the first time in 28 years from ETUSD. This completely free event could not afford to pay the charge of about $800 for facilities. They came as a group to explain to the school board the free preventive health care for all ages that this annual event brings to the community.

Anne Weber told of a gift from Famous Footwear and Converse Shoes of Outlets at Tejon of hundreds of pairs of children’s shoes that the Family Resource Center helped negotiate.
Others told of mental health services, stroke prevention, family counseling, osteoporosis monitoring, blood tests for diabetes and cholesterol, free annual mammograms and cancer screenings, dental check-ups for children, and a drug take-back program.

Carleen Eckstrom spoke about running a vocational training program in food services for Frazier Mountain High School at the same time she coordinated the Health Fair for over 13 years. Jeannette Tropia told of scheduling the Health Fair’s free mammograms for 14 years, serving people who are unlikely to have them otherwise. Tropia talked of Meals on Wheels for the ailing and the elderly. The Health Fair is a clearinghouse for such services for those in need.

Militsa Brennan was the X-ray technician at Clinica Sierra Vista in Lebec until she had a devastating brain injury last September while preparing a horse for the 9/11 Cuddy Valley ‘Ride to Remember.’

When she woke from the coma she was told she would have to learn how to breathe, remember, walk, talk, write, read, add, subtract and multiply again.

Through multiple operations, rigorous physical and occupational therapy that fills every day with grave challenges, Brennan made a vow that she would not let her own injuries keep the community from having its Health Fair this year.

Just three weeks after she had a titanium plate put into her head this month (to replace the portion of skull that had to be removed to release pressure on her brain last September), Brennan’s focus is to make good this Saturday on her pledge to her community.

The El Tejon Unified School District Board made a wise move. Board President Lisa Duncan told the group to speak with Superintendent Rod Wallace.

Instead of waiting—when the Health Fair is just a few days away—Supt. Wallace and South West Health Care District Board President Toby Brault negotiated in the back of the board room. Brault asked ETUSD to waive the fees for this year.

Wallace said he would do that, to give the two time to negotiate a future arrangement, and to explore other ways they can work together.

You can be a part of the happy ending to this story.

This Saturday, go get your health check-ups. If you are a parent, take the children to the lively demonstrations and activities. We’ll see you there.

Photo captions:

Clockwise, from left: The ETUSD board was surprised to see Mike Parker (long with Search & Rescue) and Relay For Life; Terry Brennan of the Frazier Mountain Health Fai; Carleen Eckstrom, co-founder of Health Fair; Jeannette Tropia of Meals on Wheels and the Health Fair; Militsa Brennan (recovering from brain surgery) coordinator of the Health Fair; Toby Brault of SWHCD negotiating with ETUSD’s Supt. Rod Wallace; Michelle Throckmorton of the P2P Charter School, SWHCD and Aging Task Force; and Kathy Parker of Relay For Life.

ETUSD and the Health Fair came to an agreement

Toby Brault told Wallace the health fair needs ETUSD to waive the fee

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This is part of the June 23, 2017 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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