As a parent, Julie Esteban worries about how roughly some children play at school. That’s because her eight-year-old daughter, Madison Carino, is a retinoblastoma survivor.
Madison, a Grade 4 student, lost her left eye to the retinoblastoma and is constantly reminded to wear her protective glasses.
But now, East York students and their families, will have full access to health care services within their neighbourhood at Chester Elementary School.
“It is a huge relief to know that there will be an in-school clinic for the children,” Esteban says.
Esteban is glad there will be a professional that can assess the health of children within the school.
Chester Elementary School, near Pape and Cosburn avenues, opened its new pediatric clinic Sept. 11.
The clinic is a joint program of the South Riverdale Community Health Centre and the Toronto District School Board. The clinic will be open to 11 local East York schools.
The Chester clinic will be staffed by two part-time pediatricians and a part-time psychologist.
Like most family doctor’s offices, it features a waiting room, a counsellor’s office and a private exam room. The one thing that differentiates it from other doctors’ offices is the number of posters on the walls made by students at the school.
Chester principal Sean Hume is excited families in East York will be able to take advantage of the services offered at the clinic.
“It’s an opportunity for families to have more access to medical facilities on the Danforth,” he said.
According to the South Riverdale health centre, the East York area is often overlooked when it comes to medical services.
The clinic at Chester Elementary is currently open one day a week.