Vibe Spring2025 - Flipbook - Page 11
White Mountain Community Health Center photo
Life Support to 5K
Ann Norcross, a
patient of the Health
Center, met her
goal of walking the
Whitaker Wander
5k in 2024 after a
difficult health year.
Norcross was very active, regularly
kayaking and hiking, until her COPD
diagnosis, which sent her to life support with a collapsed lung on Christmas of 2023.
In an interview leading up to last
year’s race, she said, “Most people think
of a 5k as a run, but I’m going to walk
it. You can do it, too! Nobody said you
had to do the whole thing, nobody said
you had to run, it’s what you can do. It
doesn’t have to be a lot, it doesn’t have
to be the same as someone else; you do
what you can do to feel a bit better.”
She further explained, “I have COPD
[a lung disease that makes breathing
difficult]. I was a very active person
before. In December, my right lung
collapsed and I was on life support for
three days. When I came out of there, I
just made a decision: This is not how it’s
gonna go. It’s got to be better than this.”
Norcross reflected, “I have a lot of
support, between my previous coworkers, my family, the medical staff.
So many people have helped me out
through my tough time, this is my way of
giving back. I’m all about spreading love.”
running a 5k for the first time are also
recognized. Medical director and resident
hula hooping expert, Josie Lamb, APRN,
will teach hula hooping, and there will be
a raffle, seed starting, and more.
White Mountain Community Health
Center is open to everyone in the community and is accepting new patients. Most
private insurance is accepted, in addition
to Medicaid and Medicare. The sliding-fee
scale can be combined with health insurance to reduce out-of-pocket payments.
People interested in learning more about
the Health Center can visit the website
at www.whitemountainhealth.org.
Spring 2025
Registration is $15 per 5k walker or runner and $5 for the kids’ Fun Run. Participants can register ahead of time online
at www.runreg.com/wander2025, or at
the race from 8 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. Patients
of the Health Center can get a coupon for
free or discounted registration, if the cost
is a difficulty, by calling the front
desk at (603) 447-8900.
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