FAIRBANKS, Alaska – Born and raised in Fairbanks, Matthew Kuhns headed to the Lower 48 for college. After getting his degree in Pennsylvania, he wound up in Oregon, married to a local. He talked her into giving his hometown a try.
Their family is in Year 9 of what was supposed to be a five-year stay. Mike Plotnick grew up in Juneau but sought something different – really different – for college. Hawaii was great, but he returned to the Juneau area for most of his adult life.
Then there are folks such as nurse Amber Simonetti, Dr. Lucy He and Dr. Brian Trimble.
Work brought them to Alaska. Everything about the place has kept them there. Everyone in this random collection shares a belief that's typical among residents of the 49th state: Living here is challenging, but it's absolutely worth it.
"I think one of the true things about Alaska and Alaskans is that they are here because they want to be here," He said. Plotnick is a heart attack survivor. The rest are or were caregivers.
American Heart Association News spent time with each of them while reporting a series on health in rural America. The following vignettes offer a glimpse into who each is, some of their personal or professional challenges and why they're proud to call Alaska home. (VIDEO: In Alaska, the challenges of health care are at their most extreme) The survivor Mike Plotnick began skiing at such a young age that he sometimes skied the quarter mile to and from elementary school.
To this day, his fondest mem.
