Petition of Support for Bethany McClean, B.S. MPH

A request for your help right now! Please read and sign. Also if you have the time or inclination, please pass along (via phone, texts, email or posts) to any person you know who could help support her efforts. 

*Why should you take the time to sign this petition? Please read on to see why so many others are willing to do so or watch the VIDEO at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ia8zqBU5qJw

"Several years ago I was working nights as an EMT/ Emergency Room Tech at a local hospital, when Bethany called me at work. There was an air of urgency in her voice I had not heard before, a tone that did not portray her usual healthy, cheerful, and full of life self; I was immediately concerned and all ears. As Bethany described her symptoms...I recognized the seriousness of possible implications. 

Her current symptoms had been masked by chronic pain associated with underlying medical issues. In my frustration I asked "What the hell have you been waiting for; to drop dead from a broken tooth?" Her response was simply "I have been so busy trying to get into med school I haven't had time to get it fixed; and placing applications to medical schools has dried up most of my finances.  I couldn't even pay for the student health care from the university. I don't have money for health insurance and have been fearful of the cost of treatment."  After a considerable amount of coercion I was able to convince Bethany to have someone bring her.  

After a short time in triage we rushed her to a room where an EKG could evaluate the irregular heart rate, and treatment could continue.  The EKG showed no eschemic damage but revealed a non-fatal but still concerning sinus arrhythmia.  IV fluid, cardiac monitor, and supplemental oxygen were initiated.  

I look back at that night as an instance where I became familiar with the real Bethany McClean. The events I described above are a direct reflection of her dedication. THE DELAY OF HER URGENTLY NEEDED CARE WAS THE RESULT OF BEING FORCED TO CHOOSE BETWEEN BASIC MEDICAL TREATMENT AND REALIZING HER DREAM OF ENTERING MEDICAL SCHOOL.  Bethany is the kind of person that does for others, and gives so much of herself. Until that night (nor since) have I ever seen her ask for anything in return.  In the rare instance where she does call upon others, the situation tends to be dire. 

This was not only a personal challenge I witnessed, but a New Mexican and National Public Health disparity issue that afflicts so many of my fellow citizens. Given her unique experience within the New Mexican medical and public health realm, I am honored to encourage anyone to support the completion of her medical degree within New Mexico and any access to funding that would allow her to do so."   Timothy Johnson, Student RN

 *Two other accounts of not only her sacrifices and determination to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor in spite of any obstacle placed in her path, but also of her impact on individuals, communities, countries and globally...

"When my daughters and I moved to Albuquerque's North Valley in 1990, both became active in the student body community of Valley High School.  In her capacity as the manager for the Valley Viking football team, Beth took on the responsibility of monitoring players' grades and organized tutoring programs for players who were experiencing academic difficulties.

She also designed and implemented a weight training program for a local alternative high school, with an emphasis on anger management, at a gym located near the high school.  During those same years, Bethany implemented an educational program aimed at increasing awareness of sexually transmitted diseases and safe sex practices among her high school peers.
 

Over the years, I have heard accounts of Bethany's courage and expertise as she provided aid spontaneously when confronted with emergency situations.  On one occasion, I observed Bethany's compassionate and professional handling of a traumatic accident scene firsthand.  While driving with my daughters between Hatch and Deming on New Mexico State Road 26, we witnessed the head-on collision between a semi-truck and a small pick-up truck.  I was truly amazed as I watched my daughter quickly take charge of the situation.  She demonstrated her skill and aptitude for dealing with trauma scenes as she spoke calmly to the woman who was pinned beneath the wreckage of the pick-up. 

The woman was conscious and clearly going into shock.  After assessing the severity of the woman's injuries, Bethany dissuaded others at the accident scene from attempting to move the wreckage which would have further endangered the woman.  During the long wait for an ambulance to arrive, Bethany continued to assure and calm the victim, while stabilizing her, in a professional manner.  She also calmed the woman's husband who was becoming increasingly panicked and distraught, and kept him informed of his wife's condition."  Dr. Kiara Hughes, Ph.D.

(Post Hurricane Ivan- a category 4 Hurricane that devastated Grenada in 2004)
"Some panicked immediately. Some students stayed to help the clean up and give back to their adopted home. Bethany was one of those people. After the initial wave of students left the island, many were left without a means of getting home, not knowing where to start or who to call. Phone service was spotty at best. Bethany, with her amazing ability to get things done, became the travel agent for the entire school.

While most of us went to work in ripped T-shirts and jeans lifting debris, Bethany, ever-ingenious and always professional dressed in her business attire best, somehow located land-lines, established contacts at the airports across the Caribbean and at airlines in the United States, and set up a true travel office. Students lined up outside, tired and desperate to go home, and Bethany got them there.

We were living in very close quarters, surrounded by destruction and chaos, and Bethany truly gave us a sense of calm. For a person with such a gifted creative mind, she can be all business when necessary and she is exactly the person that we would want with us in an emergency." - Raffaella Kalishman MD., M.P.H. and Francisco Silva MD., M.P.H., Morristown Memorial Hospital, Morristown, NJ

 *Below is a sample of personal accounts and portions of letters of recommendation sent from people across the globe, who have personally witnessed her devotion, capabilities, and ability to overcome any obstacle in her path to becoming a physician.  

"The first time I saw Bethany, I was a passenger on a bus traveling on a small road on the island.  As the bus approached an accident up ahead on the road, I saw a woman who was running back and forth helping casualties. My bus kept traveling past the scene behind a steady stream of other cars. Later that day, that same woman walked into my classroom and sat down next to me.  I introduced myself to Bethany and told her I saw her earlier on the road helping people in a car accident. She modestly nodded as if to suggest it was the least she could do. Yet she was the only person to stop that day to offer any help.  As other cars passed by, many of them filled with medical students, Bethany was the only person who actually stopped to help. From the moment I met Bethany I have been continually impressed by her compassion and dedication to helping others."-Paulette Saleh MPH, MD

 "My son was in the final 9 week training period as an Airborne Ranger and had contracted a virus in the swamps in Florida. He had been left in a wheelchair in a hall and had placed a call to me. He was completely delirious and confused. To make a long story short, after contacting my closest family members, Bethany being one, I was distraught and not getting anywhere with the medical staff. Within less than an hour, Bethany had contacted the emergency room team who had admitted him several days prior, demanded the test results, found out that many had not yet been conducted, proceeded to insist on specific treatment and answers to specific questions. It turned out that the CDC was called in to investigate the situation as well. I believe that my son would not have survived had it not been for Bethany's tenacity in the situation."-Brigid Hughes

"Even when personal tragedy came with the passing of her father after a long battle with cancer, her compassion for people around her never wavered.  Whether she was helping out in the underserved communities of Grenada during our studies for a Masters in Public Health, or just helping some medical students relieve their stress by baking 300 choco-peanut butter balls for the class to share at breaks, she was always the same Bethany we grew to love and call family." -Ravi Valluripalli, MPH, BA in Political Science 3rd year Medical Student, International American University

"After meeting Bethany on the set of a film I was involved with, I can fully recommend her for any endeavor she attempts. She worked as a Set Medic and when I was injured on the set, knew instinctually how to take care of me.  In addition, she followed up with me for several days and weeks after the shoot was over to make sure I was doing well.  That kind of commitment is unusual and I heartily commend and recommend her for it." -MICHAEL L MILLER, Producer/Director 9  Point Productions, LLC/New Mexico Film Partners, LLC

"There are so many examples I could present to you but there is one specific that sticks out in my mind. One day a group of us were snowboarding at Wolf Creek ski area. About half way through that run we noticed that we had lost track of Bethany. All day no sign of Bethany? Later that day we had finally tracked her down, come to find out that during our second run that day Bethany had heard a faint cry for help from a woman who had fallen into one of the waterfalls under the snow. Bethany quickly came to the aid of the woman, single handedly removed the woman from the freezing water beneath the snow, and then tracked down ski patrol who then removed her from the mountain. Bethany stayed with that woman all day regardless her condition."-Mclain Prawitz 

"As she is training me, we are always talking about what is going on in our personal lives.  As she tells me all the things that she is doing, i.e. working on a movie, volunteering, assisting a birth, helping a friend out, let alone taking time out of her day to listen to me complain about the 15 pounds I need to loose, all I can ever think about is "Bethany, when do you sleep?"-Glenda Forsberg

"In the aftermath of hurricane Ivan, Bethany was one of the first to organize groups of students to help those in need. She was an integral member of the Grenada Relief Efforts and helped to conduct studies on the spread of vector born diseases in the villages of Grenada. In addition, she was always involved in the various health fairs held in different parts of the island."-Wazim R. Buksh M.D./MPH

"Bethany was specifically assigned to me not only because she suffers from the same condition, but because she is very knowledgeable of the condition.  Through the years I have seen several doctors and not until I met Bethany did I truly understood how (our conditions) affected my body and overall health.  With her help I am becoming stronger physically, emotionally, and I have a much better understanding of this condition"-Dolores D. Garcia

"Her passion for health and healing is a part of who she is and is evident in her daily life she doesn't leave things at the office, so to speak. When on a vacation together when I was (very) pregnant she was advising me on exercises and activities I could do to prepare for and ease my labor, sharing her knowledge to promote optimal health for me and my baby, while everyone else sipped drinks around the pool. Her passion drives her to promote health and healing anytime she has an opportunity."-Keeley J. Spargur, RN, BSN

"Bethany was privileged to have lived in many different cultures. Her world view is informed not just by sound bites from the news, but also by her own experiences. She does not just send a check in hopes of helping out some how, some way. She researches scenarios, prepares, and then executes her plans. And, shes smiling while shes doing it all. "-Maggie Giacomazzi

"Throughout her life, Bethany has consistently demonstrated a strong commitment to combining healthcare with social equity.  It was a natural progression as she directed her studies toward the medical field.  Bethany has volunteered her time and expertise to numerous health care initiatives here in New Mexico as well as to community rural health programs in Grenada. In spite of physical and financial challenges which caused her to interrupt her medical studies, Bethany has remained focused on her goal of becoming a physician.  Her personal experience as a patient and as a medical student has afforded Bethany a unique perspective of patient/doctor relationship.  Her capacity for empathy undoubtedly will contribute to her future effectiveness as a health care provider and public health advocate.  I believe she has the potential to be an excellent physician.  Any assistance that you are willing and able to provide toward assisting Bethany in realizing her desire to continue her medical studies and become a physician will be greatly appreciated."   - K.Hughes 

"When our father was in the last stages of cancer, I decided to fly out and surprise him with a visit. Upon walking into his hospital room, he became visibly upset. The first words out of his mouth were, "Your sister better not be behind you!" He was adamant about her staying in school to stay on her path to becoming a doctor. I reassured him that he had indeed convinced her to stay at school instead of returning to be with him in his final days.  He then sat back closed his eyes and smiled ear to ear and whispered, "Good." You see we have always had to share Bethany with everyone else, even when it has cost us and her much. Our whole family, including my father has known she has a larger purpose than just touching our lives. She belongs to others and she belongs in your program." -Amity Johnson, Certified Doula, Childbirth Educator, and Co-Owner Inspired Birth & Families

"Bethany now stands at a crossroad, and for the first time since I have known her she is asking for something for herself" -Justin Woolf

"Bethany needs to be working in the Public Health field as a doctor and we all need to help her in any way possible."-Dennis L. Good, Ph.D.

"Whatever we New Mexicans can do to further her career will only help hundreds and thousands of people in the years to come. I fully support anything that our state, its institutions, its foundations, or any individuals can do to assist Bethany in meeting the challenge of paying for the last two years of med school. "-Alan Marks