Northside Elementary School has 261 students, which include Life Skills learners. On Tuesday, May 11, 2021, between 1:00 and 2:00 p.m., a majority of them had the opportunity to meet a giant, hairy-toed, masked, talking foot. You can imagine the looks on their faces!
As a Board Certified Foot/Reconstructive Foot and Ankle Doctor, David A. Yeager is on staff at Morrison Community Hospital, 303 N. Jackson Street, Morrison, IL. On this afternoon, he wanted to entertain little ones with foot care information and facts.
He followed Principal Andy Harridge, at left, into classrooms and allowed the children to take in his presence, before asking questions. “What makes your feet stink?” “How do our feet help us?” “How many bones are in each foot?” “Did you thank your teacher today?”
About 15 years ago, he initiated free, foot inspections run by the Elks, stated Morrison Community Hospital Marketing Director Mick Welding. “They come two or three times a year [to hold] clinics here.
“About two or three months ago,” Dr. Yeager had an idea to give free socks to local children and adults. He enlisted donations from area Podiatrists during a Professional Conference.
Then MCH staff donated $431 towards shoes and socks for 11 Northside children. Quality Director Lisa Hatten collected the donations and purchased most of the shoes. Some were two-for-one, and that doubled the gift. Welding noted all together $500 worth of shoes and socks were purchased. Some of the larger packs of socks were sent to Morrison Junior High. Some socks were kept at Northside for future “wet feet emergencies.”
Mrs. Karen Mayberry’s 2nd grade classroom included surprised remote learners.
These boy and girls are some of 11 youngsters who received a bag full of gift wrapped shoes and socks, sized for their feet. They found two-to-three pairs of shoes inside: summer, tennis, and/or dress.
David A. Yeager is a Podiatric Surgeon serving Morrison Community Hospital. Visits for nail clippings, at local care facilities, are one of his outreach endeavors. He has remarkable professional credentials. His last year of Residency was conducted at Cambridge Hospital in Boston, MA, which is affiliated with Harvard Medical School. He earned his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine and is certified for Surgery.
When asked why he chose Podiatry as a specialty, he remarked, “It enables me to see kids-to-adults, pediatrics to geriatrics, and to do surgery. With this lifestyle, I don’t have to deal with lots of depressing diseases.”
Dr. David Yeager, partially out of costume, paused for a photograph at the end of his visit. He has volunteered to portray Santa Claus, too, at Morrison Community Hospital, welcoming local children. Contact him at 815-772-5511.
