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IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI)– Idaho Falls has a new clinic to help children 12 to 17 with their mental health.

It’s a residential facility called Headwater Behavioral Health Treatment Center.  A Thursday ribbon-cutting ceremony introduced the clinic to the community.

The CEO for the facility says this was greatly needed in our area. Reports show the suicide rate for the state of Idaho is 46% higher than the national average and 50 percent of all Idaho youth who have a depression diagnosis don’t receive treatment.

“Up until now, many, many youth have been sent out of state in order to receive these services. And for a family member who’s going through that, who has an adolescent who has a mental health diagnosis and not having access within their own community, it’s a you know, something that really needs to be there,” said Bruce Figuered, CEO of BH Social Rehab Holdings.

 The new clinic will offer individual psychiatry, individual therapy, group therapy, family therapy, and around-the-clock nursing care.

POCATELLO, Idaho (KIFI) – Oral Surgery Specialists of Idaho and Sage Dental come together each year to provide a smile makeover through the Second Chance program. This year’s winner was Pocatello father Matthew Rymer, who enjoyed his new smile at the reveal party today.

For years, Rymer has covered his mouth in conversations and skipped out on job opportunities and relationships because of his teeth. When he came across the Second Chance program online, he knew he couldn’t pass up the opportunity for a fully funded dental procedure.

The process has taken about a year, and today Rymer’s dentists, oral surgeons and family and friends showed up to support the culmination of his journey.

“We went through two different sets of temporaries, and then we got my permanent finally put in and here we are now, I think I got these in July,” said Rymer. “And this is probably the best I felt in ten years. So that’s been super cool.”

Rymer’s new teeth are fully functional using new technology. They’re made of titanium and zirconium, which Dr. Mark Baker tells us is what makes them durable and sustainable for years to come.

The doctors said they were all honored to be part of Rymer’s journey and to help the community in such a meaningful way. Making over someone’s smile doesn’t just change the way they look, it changes how they feel.

“You get to know them, you get to know their families, you see them a lot, and you get to see the biggest thing as their personalities change,” said Dr. Kyle Siemen of Sage Dental. “It’s great to be part of it, great for us to give back to the community and be part of the program and be able to do that for people.” 

Rymer’s mother Janice was in attendance today and told us it means the world to have her son back to the outgoing, positive person he’s always been.

During this Thanksgiving season, Rymer has a lot to be grateful for. He can’t stop smiling these days, and feels like he can be a positive light for his three children.

“I’m beyond grateful. I can’t even start to explain it. The level of love and family you feel with these guys and the things that they’re able to do and the way they’re able to help people, it’s unbelievable,” he said. “I just want to thank all of them for everything they did for me.” 

The doctors look forward to collaborating for another Second Chance program recipient next year. If you or someone you know could benefit from the opportunity, visit the Oral Surgery Specialists of Idaho website for more information.

REXBURG, Idaho (KIFI) — On December 9, a little boy in Eastern Idaho will celebrate something his parents were once told might never happen: his first birthday. Baylor Bybee came into the world on December 9, 2024, at just 27 weeks gestation, weighing a fragile 1 pound, 11 ounces, and measuring only 13 inches long.

His mother, Saige Bybee, remembers the moment doctors delivered the terrifying news that Baylor had stopped growing in the womb and that she had developed severe preeclampsia. “I didn’t know babies could be that small,” Saige said. “It was pretty much a miracle in my mind that this tiny thing was here and living.”
, Baylor’s condition took a dramatic turn. He was diagnosed with necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a life-threatening intestinal disease that is one of the leading causes of death in premature infants.

What followed were three emergency surgeries, the removal of much of his small intestine, sepsis, and days when his little body swelled to nearly double its weight from fluid.

At one point, doctors called Saige and Slayden Bybee to the NICU in the early morning hours.

“We watched his oxygen numbers for two and a half hours… up one, drop two,” Saige recalled, her voice breaking. “The doctor started asking us personal questions just to distract us. That’s when I knew how close we were to losing him.” But Baylor refused to give up.

Even swollen head-to-toe and on maximum support, he wiggled his toes and pulled out IVs. Slowly,, he stabilized.

After 191 days, more than six months in the neonatal intensive care unit, Baylor went home on June 18, still on oxygen and IV nutrition because of short-gut syndrome.

Today, at almost 20 pounds, he’s learning to sit on his own, tasting his first bites of real food, and flashing triple dimples every time he smiles.

“He chatters, he bounces, he loves Bluey,” Saige laughs. “A few days ago we took the oxygen off for three whole hours and just carried him around the house with nothing attached. It was amazing.”

As Prematurity Awareness Month draws to a close, Saige has a message for every parent sitting bedside in a NICU right now:

“It’s okay to feel how you’re feeling. Your feelings are valid. You’re a good mom — a good parent — just for being there. And miracles can still happen.”

On December 9, the Bybee family will celebrate the day their 1-pound miracle officially turns one.