After 50 years of providing reliable healthcare to the Altadena community, the beloved family clinic was lost to the flames of Etonfire, robbing history based on love, trust and healing. Once a cornerstone of health care for local residents, the clinic was founded by the parents of Dr. Michelle Tyson and Amber Tyson.
“My father came from the south and my mother came from Jamaica. When they arrived in Southern California, they purchased this facility as our home, and next to it was my father’s medical practice. “Amber recalls their roots. The family’s bond to land not only served as a home for childhood, but all four siblings eventually joined the medical community, opening up their own practices within the same space.
For many residents, clinics have been an important part of their lives. “A lot of people of a certain age will say, ‘Oh, your father gave birth to all of my children,'” Amber said.
The clinic was recently operated under a lease from Altamed, a federally qualified health center. It has become a place where new doctors hone their skills and the rise in Altadena has brought patients to quality care. “All of these doctors came here after medical school through the clinic, worked here and established the growing population of Altadena as patients,” explained Michel.
However, the legacy was shattered in the wake of a catastrophic fire from Eton. Tragically, the fire claimed their decades of history.
Their brothers on the scene amidst the flames recounted his tragic experience. “He said the fireball came straight to him, and he said it was heading behind the clinic and he said, “I have to get out of here. I’ll never again I don’t think I’m going to meet the clinic,” Amber shared.
Despite the destruction, the family spirit remains unbroken. Still under the name Crown City, Amber’s rehabilitation centre is in its commitment to care, but still cannot serve patients. “We’ve always had a clinic, and no matter where we moved or where we came back, this was always our address,” Amber said.
The patient is now being cared elsewhere, but Tyson maintains hope. They dream of returning to the original address where the clinic once was a health center and reuniting with the local businesses, homes and restaurants that make Altadena special.
“We need to emphasize that our community can come back together and see how to move forward,” Michelle said in search of mass healing after the fire.
This is not the first time the Tyson family has had to rebuild. In 1993, their mother set a tone of resilience after a previous fire destroyed some of their practice. “She looked back, ‘I think we have to build it again,'” Michelle recalls, the emotion that still drives family today.
In the meantime, Tyson continues to give back. Amber is currently providing housing for local teachers and elderly family friends, who, too, lost in the fire, shows an unwavering commitment to helping their neighbors.
“We’re lucky enough to help,” Michelle said. “It’s probably in our DNA.”
Its DNA is rooted in the Tyson family and entangled with the Altadena community, but is as strong as ever. Even after the fire, we continue to move forward with the spirit of service, resilience, and the love of those it supports.
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