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I would like to take a moment and thank the Shriners. Last week my son had his final visit at the Shriner’s Hospital in St. Louis. I was so happy that this would be our last trip but didn’t realize how emotional it would be until we were walking out telling all the occupational and physical therapists, nurses, doctors and most important Dr. Stricker, Caleb’s surgeon for the past 13 plus years, goodbye and thank you.
Our relationship with the Shriner’s began one day when Caleb wanted to wear his cowboy boots to Kroger instead of his “special” shoes he had to wear after being diagnosed with cerebral palsy two years earlier. His CP affected Caleb’s right arm and leg. Walking around Kroger in his cowboy boots showed how bad his left leg was affected. A couple (who I wish I could remember their names) came up to us and in the kindest way asked us if we have ever been to Shriner's to have them look at our son. This couple set us up to go to the Shriner’s mini-clinic and before I knew it we were on our way to Shriner’s Hospital in St. Louis.
For the first few years we would be taken by a Shriner’s driver using their van and gas. Each time we went, on the way back we would stop and eat lunch, again on their dime. I won’t forget Mr. Jewell, he told me he liked when Caleb was in the van, he would always ask him where he wanted to stop. Caleb would say Wendy’s, which was something a little different than McDonald’s, which most kids picked.
Caleb had his first surgery at the age of 5 and his fourth and last surgery just five months ago. Dr. Stricker performed all four surgeries. Caleb has done so well, he doesn't use any braces, and gets around campus like any other college freshman.
During every surgery and visits twice a year, not once was there a charge. At each visit, his occupational and physical therapists would remember us. They were so caring. The hospital in St. Louis was one of the nicest and cleanest hospitals I have ever visited. When we were leaving for the last time it brought tears to my eyes when my now grown son shook Dr. Stricker’s hand and thanked him for all he had done for him.
So again thank you, Shriners, and to everyone else if you can donate to the Shriner’s please do so, they do change the lives of children.
— Krista Fleschner-Toney
West Terre Haute
Candidates have filed for local offices and are awaiting the voters’ choices. Vigo county has been a Democrat stronghold for the last 30 years. If you wonder why, look at the 2006 primary elections. Only 25 percent of the voters cast ballots and that represented 19,847 Democrats and 2,569 Republicans.
It appears Vigo County is primarily Democrat voters, but then so was Massachusetts.
With the tea party movement making voters aware of the dire condition this county is in, maybe if enough Democrats get mad enough, they may switch votes and we may see upsets all the way down to the local level. That will happen if we can get Republicans to feel they have a chance and vote and get a lot of people who don’t normally vote to get mad enough to vote. They need to see what is happening to the county and put people in office who are more conservative with people’s money and more concerned with what the people want.
Any person running for local office should be nailed down as to how they feel on the economy, waste in government, county roads and highways, animal control, and the list could go on. Few, if any, incumbents should be voted back into office.
President Obama was right, it is time for a change.
— Fred Roberts
Terre Haute
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