"There is a lot more good people here": Lisa's Story
I grew up in Colorado, and I moved with my parents to California when I was fourteen. I am a mother of two boys. My two sons and I relocated to Moreno Valley in the mid-90s from the lower desert community of Palm Desert. A motivating factor for our move was the medical industry, specifically Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital. Loma Linda saved my older son’s life when he was just a few weeks old. For four years we commuted back and forth to see his specialists on a monthly basis. Juggling a career and the special needs of a child was very difficult from such a far distance. In late 1994, an opportunity with my employer presented itself for a transfer to the Riverside area. I accepted the Branch Manager position and we packed up and moved. Shortly, after my husband and I were married. He had lived in Moreno Valley area since the late 70s and raised his two children in this community. The Inland Empire is a great location for a family. It is centrally located from many California attractions. A quick one hour road trip from our home we are able to go to places such as San Diego, OC Beaches, Palm Springs, Los Angeles locations, and Big Bear and surrounding areas.
THE INLAND EMPIRE SAVED MY BABY
After giving birth to my eldest son, Andrew, we were transported to Loma Linda Hospital. Once we arrived a team of doctors took him into a “step down ICU”. The room was plain white with six beds that circled a nurse’s station, and it wasn’t private. Then we were moved into regular ICU, which you had to buzz in to enter and it had five semi-private beds. The doctor started testing him; they wanted to figure out what was wrong with him.
The following day my baby boy slipped into what doctors told me was a sugar coma. I remember feeling extremely terrified I was 17 years old and I couldn’t help my baby. The attending physician came in and she explained what would happen next. I remember her being an older lady with short curly hair and she was tall and skinny. She started checking my son and she immediately realized what was wrong, so she began to treat him. My son responded well to the treatment however, the doctors all wanted to be sure that she had solved the problem, so they ran more tests. Once he was cleared and stabilized, I was able to bring my baby home.
No, I wouldn’t have gotten the same treatment outside of the I.E. I don’t believe that I would’ve got the answers I seeked had I gone to a different hospital. At the hospital I gave birth at they were unable to properly care for my baby because they didn't have specialized doctors. Loma Linda is known for their care and medical research. After the amazing care we received at Loma Linda Hospital I decided to stick with our doctor. My son was diagnosed with congenital hypopituitarism, a condition is a pituitary gland deficiency, which meant every eight weeks I had to commute from Palm Desert to Loma Linda Hospital. After many trips back and forth to Loma Linda Hospital, I felt it would be best to move closer (to Moreno Valley).
MY GROWING FAMILY IN THE I. E.
Once I moved to the Moreno Valley I found that I was close to many family friendly attractions. I’m basically an hour away from places like Disneyland, Knott’s Berry Farm, and many beaches. During christmas time you can take your family to the Festival of Lights in Riverside.So I had more to do with my children. Moreno Valley is a lot similar to Colorado in the sense that it’s very family oriented.
There is ghettos everywhere, sure there are bad things that have happened here but there is a lot more good people here. After living in Moreno Valley for a little over twenty years I’ve heard plenty of both good and bad ideals of the Inland Empire. Many people believe it’s unsafe and full of criminals and that it’s no place for a family. Some say it very ghetto in the Inland Empire. People say it’s got a lot of crime. Which is true, but I don’t agree to say it’s no place or a family. There is crime everywhere you go and the I.E. is more than that. It’s more than a cheap place to buy a house. It’s more than the crime and negative stereotypes. It’s home to me and my family. We have good community colleges and universities like University California, Riverside, near us.