Lack or Denial of Necessary Medical Care
In their Notice of Parental Responsibility, Mountain Park Says:
| “Philosophy concerning Medical Care: Mountain Park Baptist Boarding Academy is not a medical treatment facility. Parents retain the responsibility for the medical care of their student. Mountain Park Baptist Boarding Academy does, however, intend to work with the parents and local health care providers in order to meet the medical needs of each student. Prior to enrollment, it should be determined, the best the parent knows, that the prospective student is in overall good physical health. The enrollment of a prospective student with specific medical problems will be determined by the administration of MPBBA (the appropriate staff officials) on a case-by-case basis. Under no conditions will MPBBA assume the liability expected of a medical treatment facility.” |
We understand that Mountain Park is not a hospital or clinic. It is not a rehab facility. It is not a mental health facility. They have no trained medical personnel on staff to help the students. They are a school. This is completely understandable. What we do NOT understand is why students are often denied needed medical appointments and care for serious medical issues.
On an online forum, Caroline Lee, a former student, had this to say about her experience at Mountain Park:
| “Greetings everyone, this is Caroline Lee. I was a student there from 5/96-8/99. …Now I agree that the "program" is not the best and can be very stressful and unhealthy. While I was there I complained of my menstrual cycle being very uncomfortable, and very irregular (as I was on it 3 weeks out of every month.), so they finally let me go to the great 90 year old doctor out in Piedmont after about 6 months of complaints. Their doctor found me ok, and said that my exam had come back regular and just gave me some hormones. About 2 months later I graduated, and went to LA for a visit. While out I went to the hospital out there and got another exam, as the pills didn't help. They found a 16 cm tumor on my right ovary, which they had to remove, and cysts on my other ovary, which could permanently damage my only other ovary, meaning my ability to reproduce and have a child may not be in my future. That is what I endured while I was there, not to mention, I was called a "hypochondriac" and made fun of because I would tell Mrs. Gerhardt. It is amazing that all my other exams have always proved to be ok and normal until after I left your school. What a great program!!!” |
On the same forum, Teri Tricky, another former student, had this to say:
Hi my name is Teri Trickey. I went to Mountain Park for a year. I’m epileptic; I’ve been epileptic for 5 years now. Well, I had a seizure (her first seizure onset) at Mountain Park. Mrs. Gerhardt got in my face and called me an actress, a faker, a liar, and much more. She kept poking me with her finger in my chest.The next night she made me get on stage and say I was sorry in front of the whole boarding school for something I couldn't help. Now, because of her not getting me any kind of medical attention, I will probably be epileptic for the rest of my life, and be on medication for the rest of my life.” (Her physician has confirmed this after years of medicating her condition.) |
And yet another former student had this to say:
“...I
lost a lot of weight and started to throw up blood because I was so
stressed out. I started bleeding from other orifices of my body and
when my mom called she told me to show someone else. I told (and showed)
it to one of the workers and she told me that it was "all in my
head" and I needed to "knock it off"...” |
I did not see a physician, other than an optometrist, during my entire enrollment at Mountain Park. Yet, after I was released I was diagnosed with asthma and have been on medication since that time. Yet, I was forced to do laps and other strenuous physical activity along with the entire female student body. Students whose parents had already known about their asthma were allowed to walk at the end of the line, but I was told I was faking and to keep up. My mother had been looking into having me see an allergist before I was sent to Mountain Park, but had never made the appointment before enrolling me, so she had never known how bad the problem was.
Why should a teenager have to CONVINCE the staff of Mountain Park that they are truly in need of medical care? If they are NOT a medical facility, what gives them the power to make a judgment as to whether a child is truly ill?
And yet, we see that Mountain Park does not hesitate to bring their own staff, or family, to the doctor for minor ailments. In the May/June 2001 Mountain Park Messenger, Bob Wills himself wrote in his front page column: "Just this week Mrs. Wills received doctor recommended shoe inserts. Unimpressive to say the least. Just one grade above my tennis shoe inserts. Impressive was the bill. $4350.00 plus $15.00 extra for rush order. Delivery date took 60 days.” As you can see from his statement, he was not impressed with the shoe inserts, but they were even willing to pay an extra $15 for rush delivery for them. One question, if Mrs. Wills did not wear high heels to every church service and force the girls to do the same would she still need these inserts? What do they think this is doing to the young women’s feet?
How can Mountain Park, a self-professed non-medical facility, make a medical judgment without the proper skills needed to evaluate the condition of the children? Why do parents take their word that a child is simply “faking” something when they have not been seen by a physician to ensure their health and safety?