Pulaski County

Finding TRICARE In Rural Communities: 'You Have to Educate Yourself'

Matthew Mertz and Lee Porterfield both live in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, and are both veterans who served in the Army for over two decades.

They spoke about how all of their children were born in different places and about it can be complicated to find TRICARE, or military health benefits, in some civilian environments – especially rural ones.

This piece was reported and produced by Regan Mertz.

'Don't Let Anyone Limit Your Belief in What Your Child Can Achieve.'

Casey and Jennifer Simmons live in Devil’s Elbow, a tiny unincorporated town in Pulaski County. Their son Hunter has severe cerebral palsy and epilepsy and full disclosure – he goes to a school where my Dad was previously a teacher and the principal.

They shared their favorite Hunter stories and spoke about why you should never let others put limits on what your child can accomplish.

'You Have to Balance Being Assertive Without Crossing Over the Line of Being a Jerk Face'

Jennifer and Casey Simmons live in a tiny unincorporated community in Pulaski County called Devils Elbow. When their son Hunter was born with severe cerebral palsy and epilepsy, it was recommended to them that they get a divorce so they could qualify for Medicaid benefits. They didn’t.

They spoke about how insurmountable medical costs can seem and about the importance of advocating for your loved ones with disabilities.

'Public Health is Often Invisible. A lot of People Don't Know What We do.'

Deborah Baker and Patty McClendon have worked together at the Pulaski County Health Department for years. Deborah is the Director of the Health Department, and Patty is the Public Health Program Director.

They spoke about how they have benefited from public health in the past, and how their duties at the health department go beyond simply giving shots.

'Do They Want to See Him When He's 55 Years Old? I Don't Think So'

Kelley Thorson lives in Pulaski County with her husband, Donald, and their three sons. I have known Kelley for years, as my Dad was her son Kyle’s teacher.

Her youngest son Kyle has a very rare, severe disability called Phelan-McDermid Syndrome. According to the Phelan-McDermid Syndrome Foundation, there are at least 1,400 cases worldwide.

Kyle is now a fully-grown, 24-year-old man and is also non-verbal, so Kelley spoke with me about the anxiety she is experiencing now that Kyle has reached adulthood.

'I Knew That I Couldn't Lose Weight Through Salads and Sit-ups'

Charley Joe Kallman is a resident of Pulaski County, Missouri, and he decided years ago that he wanted to make a change – he weighed more than 400 pounds, but was having trouble getting his insurance company to approve gastric bypass surgery.