Minnesota Prairie Roots

Writing and photography by Audrey Kletscher Helbling

A meeting reminder & my Allina Health story July 28, 2026

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 9:41 AM
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I’ve had physical and occupational therapy at Courage Kenny in Faribault multiple times, most recently in 2023. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo 2026)

FOR SIX MONTHS in 2023, once a week, my husband, Randy, drove me across the bridge to therapy at Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute in Faribault for vestibular rehab therapy. Without that intense weekly therapy, I doubt I would have reclaimed my ability to function in daily life.

Early in that year, I developed debilitating neurological symptoms following a virus, likely COVID, although I never tested positive for it. There was no other explanation for my sensory overload issues which kept me unable to handle light, motion, sound, anything really entering my brain.

I stayed inside the house, curtains drawn, shutting out sensory input. I couldn’t tolerate watching TV. I couldn’t read. I could hardly handle a phone call or conversation. I felt anxious, overstimulated by even the smallest external stimuli. I barely ate because of hyper-sensitive taste buds. I lost weight. I couldn’t tolerate toothpaste. I couldn’t sleep. I struggled to maintain. Managing daily living seemed nearly impossible. Basically, I was confined to my house, unable to function outside of it.

And then my family doctor, Dr. Todd Sykora of Allina Health in Faribault, referred me to Allina’s Courage Kenny. Sykora had seen me multiple times, determined to find a way to help me. I’d gone through a battery of tests to rule out causes like a brain tumor. I’ll always feel grateful for my doctor’s genuine care and compassion, for not giving up and for admitting that he didn’t have the answers. He eventually suggested vestibular rehab therapy to treat my long COVID.

That therapy would put me on the road back to good health. I was ready to try anything at that point.

Some of the exercises I did in vestibular rehab therapy. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted file photo)

Enter Courage Kenny therapist Ryan Iverson, who’s trained in vestibular rehab therapy. From the get-go, Iverson assured me he could help. He validated my traumatic brain injury type symptoms. And then we set to work at those weekly sessions with homework exercises assigned each week. I worked hard, experienced some setbacks, but, eventually graduated after six months. I’d reclaimed my life.

Today I am doing well, although minor sensory issues linger. But now I know how to cope, how to manage. I am living my life, doing the things I love, being with people, out and about. And I owe that to my Allina Health primary care doctor and my vestibular rehab therapist. If not for this great local care, I would still be struggling.

This sign on the Allina Health Faribault campus directs patients and visitors to the hospital, pharmacy and clinic. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)

I share all of this again three years later because the Allina Health system, which serves Minnesota and western Wisconsin with 12 hospitals, 60 primary care clinics, 20 urgent care centers and more than 100 specialty care clinics, has signed an agreement with California-based Sutter Health to buy Allina. And that affects me given I get my care through Allina.

From 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, July 29, the Minnesota State Attorney General’s office will host a listening session in Faribault on that proposed acquisition. I’ll be there. You can attend also, but only if you pre-register. And, if you wish to speak, you must complete a form in advance. Only then will you be notified of the community forum location.

This is an important meeting. Important because this is about healthcare. Local healthcare. I’m thankful I could get my vestibular rehab therapy in Faribault. I can’t imagine traveling out of town once a week for six months to access care. It would have been difficult and draining for me, taxing for my brain. Plus, the time and travel expense would have added to an already challenging situation.

I don’t know what will happen if Sutter assumes ownership of Allina Health in Minnesota and western Wisconsin. I expect this acquisition will happen. But I hope safeguards are put in place to continue services, to keep clinics and hospitals open, to protect the jobs of 27,000 employees.

There’s a lot at stake here for any community served by Allina Health.

FYI: Click here for more information about the proposed Allina-Sutter acquisition and the upcoming meeting. That includes links to register to attend and/or to speak.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Community forum set on planned acquisition of Allina Health by Sutter Health July 25, 2026

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 4:58 PM
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Signage directs patients, visitors and others to various sites on the Allina Health Faribault Medical Center campus. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)

ACCESS TO LOCAL HEALTHCARE ranks high on my list of necessities. I expect it does for almost everyone, especially seniors like me.

This building on the Faribault campus houses the clinic and urgent care. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)

I appreciate that I can go across town to see my family doctor, specialists and other medical professionals in our local clinics and hospital.

As someone who grew up in rural southwestern Minnesota with only a few doctors to serve the entire county decades ago, I deeply value living in a city with multiple clinics, a hospital, numerous therapists and more. I value local.

That all said, the future of healthcare in Faribault could change. Why do I say that? Because my healthcare provider, Allina Health, and California-based Sutter Health have signed a “definitive agreement” that would make Allina the Upper Midwest Division of Sutter Health.

This sign directs patients to some of the services provided on the Allina Health Faribault Medical Center campus. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)

The proposed acquisition will be the focus of a community forum from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, July 29, in Faribault, location to be determined. Allina Health has hospitals and clinics throughout Minnesota so this planned acquisition affects people across the state.

The Minnesota State Attorney General’s office is hosting the meeting to lay out details about the proposal and to get public input. It’s a process required by state law.

I care enough about local healthcare to attend. I need to learn more, to begin to understand what this could mean for me, my family and others in my community and area. Locally, Allina owns the hospital, a general clinic, specialty clinics and a sports rehab/therapy center. I’ve been a patient at these clinics, gone to therapy, used the emergency room and been hospitalized many times locally. Likewise family members have accessed Allina health services.

This shows the entrance to the hospital, left, and the space linking the clinic to the hospital. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)

I don’t know much about the proposed acquisition, only that I grow concerned when ownership is assumed by an out-of-state nonprofit that is massive in size. My local hospital was once community-owned, until it became part of the Allina system in 2015.

Much-needed improvements were made to the surgical and emergency departments by Allina Health. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)

Allina invested in the former District One Hospital with improvements to the emergency and surgical departments and more. But recently we lost our birthing center and hospital pediatric care. That’s a loss to parents and families who must now travel out of town to have their babies and get hospital care for their kids.

Talk of change always sparks questions. And it should. I encourage anyone who cares about the future of healthcare in Faribault to attend Wednesday’s public forum. This offers an opportunity to listen and to be heard.

More specialty care on the Allina Health Faribault Medical Center campus. This is located across the street from the main clinic and hospital. (Minnesota Prairie Roots copyrighted photo July 2026)

However, there are some guidelines. To even attend, and that includes media, you must register in advance online. It’s not difficult to do. But requiring online registration could easily discourage people, especially those without computer access or skills, from attending. Then, the location of the hearing in Faribault will not be disclosed until 48 hours before the meeting.

If you wish to speak at the forum, you must also register in advance. That requirement seems more reasonable. Still, it’s another obstacle.

No matter, please, if you live in the Faribault area, make attending the community forum on the proposed acquisition of Allina Health by Sutter Health a priority on Wednesday evening. Come. Listen. Learn. Become informed. Be seen. And let your voice be heard if you choose to speak.

FYI: Click here to read the media release from the Minnesota state attorney general’s office on this community forum. The release includes links to register to attend and also a form to complete if you wish to speak.

Click here to read a media release from Allina Health about the “definitive agreement” with Sutter Health.

UPDATE, Sunday, July 26: Please click here to complete a survey by Sam Temple, a Faribault resident, documentary filmmaker, local historian, candidate for Rice County commissioner and more. Temple plans to share concerns and stories at the July 29 forum. You can complete his survey, “Share Your Allina Story,” anonymously if you wish.

© Copyright 2026 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Raising awareness about long COVID March 15, 2025

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 4:11 PM
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(Initial COVID-19; image from the CDC)

UNTIL MY ELDEST ALERTED me around noon today, I was unaware that March 15 marks a notable day. At least for me and the millions of others worldwide who suffer from long COVID. Today is International Long COVID Awareness Day.

I’ve been living with long COVID for more than two years now. And in that time-frame, I’ve attempted to raise awareness about this debilitating chronic condition. I will continue to do so, because it’s important for others to understand. With understanding comes compassion and support.

My lengthy list of symptoms began after I contracted COVID in January 2023. I never self-tested positive for the virus. But that is not necessary to get a long COVID diagnosis. My primary care doctor and specialists ruled out any other medical reason for my varied symptoms. The connection to COVID was clear even to me, someone not particularly medically-inclined.

Today I am mostly fine, although I still struggle with residual issues, especially in the sensory area. It took six months of vestibular rehab therapy and lots of hard work to get me to a better place. During much of 2023, I thought I would never reclaim my life. I have.

IT TOOK A TEAM

But I didn’t do it alone. First, I credit Dr. Todd Sykora at Allina Health, Faribault, for not giving up on me, for showing great compassion and care, admitting that he didn’t have the answers. His concern for my health ran, still runs, deep. His decision to refer me to physical therapy saved my life.

At Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute in Faribault, I met physical therapist Ryan Iverson who, among other areas, specializes in vestibular issues. He was the perfect fit for me and the symptoms I was experiencing. To hear him say that my symptoms were like those of someone suffering a traumatic brain injury was validating. And then the hard work began, week after week for six months. Like my primary care doctor, Ryan showed great compassion and care.

SHOW COMPASSION & CARE BECAUSE LONG COVID IS REAL

If I want to make any point here, it’s that individuals living with long COVID need the compassion, care and understanding of family and friends. What we face is real. Difficult and debilitating. Without the support of my husband and eldest daughter, I could not have managed those first nine months of living with long COVID. They did a lot for me and always supported and encouraged. If my other two adult children lived in Minnesota, I know they would have offered the same.

Today I use my experiences to encourage a young man in my community who has been dealing with long COVID for 1.5 years. He’s had to drop out of college. He’s had to, on occasion, use a wheelchair. He struggles with fatigue and brain fog and much more. I referred him to my therapist, Ryan, and he’s making progress. I also stay connected with this young man’s mom. I recognize that she needs support, too.

Thank you for reading this post. That shows you care and want to learn more about long COVID. Please support those who suffer from this chronic condition by, first, acknowledging their challenges and then encouraging them.

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IF YOU DEAL with long COVID (what are your symptoms?) or know someone who has this chronic condition, please share your thoughts. How are you managing or supporting? What do you want people to know? Let’s, together, raise awareness.

© Copyright 2025 Audrey Kletscher Helbling

 

Giving bikes to kids November 13, 2013

Filed under: Uncategorized — Audrey Kletscher Helbling @ 6:00 AM
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Me, riding Sky Blue at age 10 on the farm where I grew up in southwestern Minnesota.

Me, riding Sky Blue at age 10 on the Redwood County farm where I grew up in southwestern Minnesota. Photo taken in 1966.

LOOKING BACK ON MY CHILDHOOD, I cannot imagine life without a bicycle. My bike was my imaginary horse, my daredevil stunt car launched off makeshift ramps, my mode of transportation down county and township roads.

If not for my maternal grandfather, though, I never would have owned a bike. My parents could not afford bikes for their kids. So Grandpa would scavenge the local dump for bikes he could repair, repaint and deliver to me and my five siblings.

It mattered not that my bike, which I named Sky Blue, wasn’t new. I owned a bike. I was a happy kid.

That childhood memory bubbled to the surface Monday morning when Dee Bjork at The Crafty Maven in downtown Faribault handed me a flier about the Free Bikes 4 Kidz program. I wanted, no, needed, to learn more about this partnered local give-away by So How Are the Children and Allina Health (presenting sponsor for the non-profit Free Bikes 4 Kidz). So I phoned SHAC Director Carolyn Treadway.

The give-away “targets kids whose families couldn’t otherwise afford bikes,” says Treadway. Kids just like me and my siblings decades ago.

As Treadway and I concur, a child’s desire to own a bike is universal, transcending time.

On December 7, Treadway expects SHAC and Allina to give away 65 – 75 bikes to pre-registered Faribault youth. She’s actively searched for kids—handing out fliers to teachers, drawing on her connections through SHAC and dropping in at places like St. Vincent de Paul, a childcare center and a laundromat to find families needing bikes. She’s currently placing names on a waiting list.

Kids from Northfield and Steele County will also get new or gently-used and refurbished bikes at the Faribault Middle School pick-up site. All told, Treadway anticipates 150-175 bicycles to be distributed along with new bike helmets, compliments of Allina Health.

Among those expected to show up are an east-side Faribault woman who will claim seven bikes, Treadway says. The bicycles are for her neighbor children whose father, in a state of inebriation, destroyed their bikes. The woman will store the bikes in her garage until spring.

Treadway enthuses about such a neighborly caring spirit and about the volunteers who repair the used bikes and assist with the give-away. She’s also grateful for those who donate bikes, some of which were collected at the Faribault Bike Rodeo in October. Allina Health coordinates numerous collections of bikes to be distributed in Minnesota and western Wisconsin.

Another local recipient is a Faribault father who signed his 12-year-old and 14-year-old up for Free Bikes 4 Kidz. When the dad asked if he could also get a bike for his 18-year-old, Treadway assured him he could. The older teen attends the Faribault Area Learning Center and a bike will enable him to stay in school because he will now have a way to get there.

Stories like that truly show the humanity of this program aimed at getting bikes to kids so they will have, as Treadway says, “access to safe and healthy physical activity.” Or, in the case of the 18-year-old, access to education.

The program also builds connections and a sense of community care.

Yet, the bare bones basics benefit of Free Bikes 4 Kidz is to get bikes into the hands of children who otherwise would not have a bike of their own. The program has grown significantly in Faribault, where only a dozen free bikes were distributed two years ago.

“Owning a bike,” Treadway says, “is very near and dear to a child’s heart.”

It is the universal childhood desire which transcends time. Just ask me. I’ve never forgotten Sky Blue or the grandpa who scavenged the dump so I could have a bike.

A bike pulled from my garage.

A bike pulled from my garage and photographed. I then edited the image to illustrate this story.

FYI: To learn more about the non-profit Free Bikes for Kidz, click here.

For more information on Allina Health’s partnership in the program, click here.

To learn more about So How Are the Children, click here.

© Copyright 2013 Audrey Kletscher Helbling