Having a hospital in Peñitas, Texas, with a mental rehabilitation center would have many benefits. It will not only benefit the residents of the Peñitas area, but also the residents of the west Mission, Palmview, Palmhurst, Alton, La Joya and Sullivan areas. Last year, a young student from our Palmview High School family was tragically injured in a car-pedestrian accident. It took over thirty minutes for the ambulance to arrive on the scene of the incident. Who is to say that if she received medical attention sooner, she wouldn’t be with us today. Sadly, she did not survive the accident, and it is time to take a stand before we are forced to say goodbye to more loved ones in our community. In addition, having a mental rehabilitation center within the hospital branch would greatly serve the teens and adults who have mental illnesses. In the month of October, we lost one of our former classmates to the battle with mental illness. On average, 32.4% Americans suffer from a diagnosed mental illness or disorder, and there are only two rehab centers in the Rio Grande Valley. The Behavioral Health Center at the Renaissance Hospital only has 88 beds available. In additional, the South Texas Behavioral Health Center only has 134 beds available.We are tired of losing our classmates, family members, and friends to the lack of resources. It is time to take a stand, who will you have to lose before you stand with us in solidarity? Sign our petition, be a part of change, a change to save the lives in our community. #PHbuildachange

If you are a PHS student, please leave your ID number in the comment sections, so we can enter you in the drawing