FINANCE
SCENE
YOUTH
A group dominated by lawyers and bankers peppered county officials with questions about DeKalb’s new foreclosure registry ordinance at a Sept. 14 information meeting. 6
Lithonia videographer Eddy Anderson’s film about the historic Flat Rock Community will be screened at the Cinefest Film Theater in Atlanta. 8
The DeKalb Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity is taking applications for its Young Men of Excellence mentoring program . 9
Questions about foreclosure
Copyright © 2010 CrossRoadsNews, Inc.
Documentary onscreen
September 18, 2010
Raising up men
Volume 16, Number 1
www.crossroadsnews.com
DeKalb receives $2.35 million for fight against obesity DeKalb’s battle with the bulge got a $2.35 million boost this week from the Obama “The DeKalb County Board of Health has a long prevention history working with administration. a variety of community partners, such as the DeKalb County School System, The county’s Board of Health was one of faith-based groups and health advocates, to address health problems such as 10 communities in eight states – and the only obesity, improving physical activity and promoting good nutrition.” Georgia agency – to get some of $31 million Dr. Les Richmond from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to fight obesity. In a statement Wednesday, the Board of physical activity and nutrition and reduce munity Health and Prevention Services Health said it will use the $2.35 million to the risk factors that contribute to childhood Division said DeKalb was chosen because of its history of success using evidence-based fund a 24-month project to create policies, and adult obesity. Dr. Les Richmond of the board’s Com- strategies to eliminate obesity and reduce systems and environments that improve
tobacco use in the county. “The DeKalb County Board of Health has a long prevention history working with a variety of community partners, such as the DeKalb County School System, faith-based groups and health advocates, to address health problems such as obesity, improving physical activity and promoting good nutrition,” he said. The grants, announced Sept. 14, are part Please see GRANT, page 2
Friends Celebrate ‘A Miracle’ Teenager survives bout with deadly flesh-eating illness By Carla Parker
Four months ago, Makaila Wills was a happy-go-lucky teenager celebrating her 19th birthday. The 2009 Columbia High School graduate was working at a downtown Decatur Chick-fil-A where she has had a job since high school. On her May 10 birthday, she and her family had dinner at her favorite restaurant on Panola Road to celebrate. Back at home later that night, Makaila’s back began aching and swelling. “It was real painful,” she recalled this week. “When it started to swell, it felt like dead weight. It got so bad that I had to crawl to the bathroom and hop around.” Four weeks later, doctors gave her a diagnosis – necrotizing fasciitis, a deadly flesh-eating disease. No one knows where, when or how Makaila contracted the disease, which is caused by streptococcus bacteria, better known as strep. Makaila’s doctor at Emory Hospital believes she came in contact with someone who had Group B strep. An infected person can pass along the infection from an open wound, scratch or cut. At first doctors thought she had shingles and muscle spasms. The disease was only diagnosed through a blood test that found a high number of white-blood cells. By then, the bacteria had eaten into her left arm, wrist, right ankle and leg. Makaila said she got lucky. “The infection was heading to my bones,” she said. “If it had gotten to my bones, I wouldn’t have my leg right now.” She lost muscle and tissue from her toes, right shin and left arm and spent a month in the hospital recovering from surgery to repair the damage. Her recovery has been slow, but in August, Makaila resumed her
Carla Parker / CrossRoadsNews
Makaila Wills, 19, is recovering from an attack by a flesh-eating bacteria. Supporters are hosting a fish-fry fundraiser to help pay her medical bills.
chemistry studies at Georgia Perimeter College’s Decatur campus. She moves slowly but is getting to class with the help of friends and kind strangers, who hold doors open for her and watch her take careful steps going up and down stairs. To aid her recovery, Makaila is in need of one-on-one treatment from a physical therapist at a cost of $300 to $400 a day. She also needs special shoes to help her keep her balance. Makaila does not have health insurance, and her mother, Cassandra Harris, said her hospital and other medical bills already have
reached $50,000. To help out, friends, relatives and church members are hosting a “Celebrating a Miracle” fish fry on Sept. 25 to raise money to help the family with her medical bills. Audrey Trottie, the friend who is hosting the event for Makaila at her Decatur home, said fish plates are $5 and benefactors also can bid to pay a portion of the hospital bills in a silent auction. Trottie, who goes to church with the family at Beulah Baptist Church, said she has known Makaila since she was 13 years old and said she deserves the help.
“Makaila and her mom are a wonderful family,” Trottie said. “She is an energetic girl who was stricken by this disease and made a miraculous recovery. We just want to help her out.” It takes place 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. “The theme is love, so everyone should wear red,” Trottie said. John Crays, owner of the Chick-fil-A where Makaila has worked for three years, said he and her co-workers have been supportive. Please see MAKAILA, page 9