Post by Jodi on Jun 16, 2009 12:00:59 GMT -5
A couple of cool articles in our local newspaper today:
Prom provides memories for special needs students
By Tania Chatila Staff Writer
Posted: 06/15/2009 10:00:40 PM PDT
LA PUENTE - Carlos Aguayo never expected his daughter to attend prom.
Cynthia Aguayo, 21, has Down syndrome, and communicates mostly through sign language.
"My daughter, she didn't get to see her quince eara," he said, referring to Cynthia's 15th birthday party. "Chances were she wouldn't get to see her prom. That was really devastating for me."
But thanks to the Best Buddies program at Nogales High School, Cynthia and about two dozen other special needs students were able to participate in a staple of the American high school experience.
"We want them to feel just as important as everybody else," said Michelle Babitz, who runs Best Buddies and teaches handicapped students at Nogales. "They walk around campus. They see things going on. I just want to make sure they feel like they are part of a larger society."
The prom was held June 5 at the high school, and included a live band, a disc jockey and food. The students were picked up in a limousine and their families attended.
They also got special gifts like tickets to Sea World and gift cards to Wal-Mart.
"(Cynthia) had a great time," said Carlos Aguayo, who videotaped the dance. "Actually, she had a hell of a time."
The nationwide Best Buddies program was first founded in 1989 by the family of Governor Arnold Schwarzengger's wife, Maria Shriver, to link people with mental retardation with the greater community.
At Nogales, the program partners special education students with regular education students, providing interaction between two the populations, said Gina Ward, spokeswoman for the Rowland Unified School District.
The experience is valuable for everyone involved, Babitz said.
"(Most teenagers), they've got friends they can go hang out at the mall with, go to the movies with," Babitz said. "Our kids are kind of just stuck at home ... We just want them to feel as close to normal as possible."
The students in Nogales' special education program range between 14 and 22 years old, and have various kinds of developmental disabilities including autism and mental retardation.
Babitz tries to ensure at least three dances for the students every year.
The spring prom - the biggest of the three - is always funded completely through donations.
"Most kids take the prom for granted," Carlos Aguayo said. "But honestly it's a once in lifetime thing. This (prom) belonged to them."
www.sgvtribune.com/rds_search/ci_12597938?IADID=Search-www.sgvtribune.com-www.sgvtribune.com
Article #2 -
COVINA - Dr. John Khalaf grinned as he walked through the empty waiting rooms, the empty surgery rooms and even the empty staff break room of his newly completed dental surgery center.
The only thing missing at the Covina Surgery Center Dental Group: a steady stream of patients.
"We're not treating patients today," Khalaf said Monday. "That's because we don't have enough patients to keep us busy each day."
The center, at 246 W. College St., Suite 200, is directly across from Inter-Community Medical Center. It opened its doors nearly three weeks ago after more than two years of planning, fundraising and designing.
"It was a very good feeling when
I treated our first patient, a 2 1/2-year-old girl," said Khalaf, a dental anesthesiologist who was first inspired to start such a facility nearly 10 years ago. "It was such a long process, so to finally get here, it feels wonderful."
The aim of the center is to provide sedation and dental care to low-income children ages 1 to 12, along with special-needs people 25 or younger. Without the anesthesia, these patients would not cooperate with dentists and wouldn't get the treatment they need.
Khalaf said low-income and disabled patients whose families are on Medicare plans are forced to wait months to get dental surgery, or they must do it without general anesthesia because so few clinics offer such services.
While there are similar facilities across Los Angeles
County, this would be the first in the San Gabriel Valley, said Khalaf.
Mayor Walt Allen said he has been anticipating the opening of the center.
"I was really very impressed with his vision, and I'm very pleased with the work that he is doing," Allen said. "There are a lot of needy kids in our area that would benefit from this center."
The surgery center also provides access to care by accepting Medi- Cal and Denti-Cal for both the dentistry and anesthesia.
The dental group accepts most dental insurance plans, as well as Medi-Cal and Denti-Cal. It is pursuing PPO and HMO plans.
Khalaf funded most of the project himself, but he did receive some financial assistance through grants offered by Covina.
To schedule an appointment, call (626) 966-2222.
www.sgvtribune.com/rds_search/ci_12598181?IADID=Search-www.sgvtribune.com-www.sgvtribune.com
Prom provides memories for special needs students
By Tania Chatila Staff Writer
Posted: 06/15/2009 10:00:40 PM PDT
LA PUENTE - Carlos Aguayo never expected his daughter to attend prom.
Cynthia Aguayo, 21, has Down syndrome, and communicates mostly through sign language.
"My daughter, she didn't get to see her quince eara," he said, referring to Cynthia's 15th birthday party. "Chances were she wouldn't get to see her prom. That was really devastating for me."
But thanks to the Best Buddies program at Nogales High School, Cynthia and about two dozen other special needs students were able to participate in a staple of the American high school experience.
"We want them to feel just as important as everybody else," said Michelle Babitz, who runs Best Buddies and teaches handicapped students at Nogales. "They walk around campus. They see things going on. I just want to make sure they feel like they are part of a larger society."
The prom was held June 5 at the high school, and included a live band, a disc jockey and food. The students were picked up in a limousine and their families attended.
They also got special gifts like tickets to Sea World and gift cards to Wal-Mart.
"(Cynthia) had a great time," said Carlos Aguayo, who videotaped the dance. "Actually, she had a hell of a time."
The nationwide Best Buddies program was first founded in 1989 by the family of Governor Arnold Schwarzengger's wife, Maria Shriver, to link people with mental retardation with the greater community.
At Nogales, the program partners special education students with regular education students, providing interaction between two the populations, said Gina Ward, spokeswoman for the Rowland Unified School District.
The experience is valuable for everyone involved, Babitz said.
"(Most teenagers), they've got friends they can go hang out at the mall with, go to the movies with," Babitz said. "Our kids are kind of just stuck at home ... We just want them to feel as close to normal as possible."
The students in Nogales' special education program range between 14 and 22 years old, and have various kinds of developmental disabilities including autism and mental retardation.
Babitz tries to ensure at least three dances for the students every year.
The spring prom - the biggest of the three - is always funded completely through donations.
"Most kids take the prom for granted," Carlos Aguayo said. "But honestly it's a once in lifetime thing. This (prom) belonged to them."
www.sgvtribune.com/rds_search/ci_12597938?IADID=Search-www.sgvtribune.com-www.sgvtribune.com
Article #2 -
COVINA - Dr. John Khalaf grinned as he walked through the empty waiting rooms, the empty surgery rooms and even the empty staff break room of his newly completed dental surgery center.
The only thing missing at the Covina Surgery Center Dental Group: a steady stream of patients.
"We're not treating patients today," Khalaf said Monday. "That's because we don't have enough patients to keep us busy each day."
The center, at 246 W. College St., Suite 200, is directly across from Inter-Community Medical Center. It opened its doors nearly three weeks ago after more than two years of planning, fundraising and designing.
"It was a very good feeling when
I treated our first patient, a 2 1/2-year-old girl," said Khalaf, a dental anesthesiologist who was first inspired to start such a facility nearly 10 years ago. "It was such a long process, so to finally get here, it feels wonderful."
The aim of the center is to provide sedation and dental care to low-income children ages 1 to 12, along with special-needs people 25 or younger. Without the anesthesia, these patients would not cooperate with dentists and wouldn't get the treatment they need.
Khalaf said low-income and disabled patients whose families are on Medicare plans are forced to wait months to get dental surgery, or they must do it without general anesthesia because so few clinics offer such services.
While there are similar facilities across Los Angeles
County, this would be the first in the San Gabriel Valley, said Khalaf.
Mayor Walt Allen said he has been anticipating the opening of the center.
"I was really very impressed with his vision, and I'm very pleased with the work that he is doing," Allen said. "There are a lot of needy kids in our area that would benefit from this center."
The surgery center also provides access to care by accepting Medi- Cal and Denti-Cal for both the dentistry and anesthesia.
The dental group accepts most dental insurance plans, as well as Medi-Cal and Denti-Cal. It is pursuing PPO and HMO plans.
Khalaf funded most of the project himself, but he did receive some financial assistance through grants offered by Covina.
To schedule an appointment, call (626) 966-2222.
www.sgvtribune.com/rds_search/ci_12598181?IADID=Search-www.sgvtribune.com-www.sgvtribune.com
