All will benefit from having healthy children

I am disturbed by the recent letters regarding the proposed

opening of a new Children’s Hospital of Orange County clinic in Costa

Mesa.

As a childhood injury prevention coordinator for the hospital, I

am concerned at the lack of health and safety education available to

the children of our community. And what concerns me even more is that

when these resources are available, there are those in our community

who would deny the most basic services to children -- our most

precious resource.

The fact that CHOC has chosen Costa Mesa as a site for this clinic

demonstrates that there are children here who need this service --

children who would otherwise do without medical care or wait until a

problem has become serious before seeking treatment.

Instead of welcoming this program with open arms, a few vocal

individuals insist that the community would suffer. They claim that

charitable organizations are a detriment of the city. What could be

detrimental about providing needed health care services to our

children? Prevention of childhood diseases and injury is critical to

ensuring the health of all children.

The simple fact is this. There are children in our community

without access to health care services.

When these children become sick, all of our children are exposed.

When needy children have access to basic health care services, all of

our children will benefit.

MICHELLE FECZKO

Westside

EDITOR’S NOTE: Michelle Feczko is a childhood injury prevention

coordinator for CHOC.