Keith Pahovama has always enjoyed his job working as a program manager for the Hopi Tribe. He takes great pride in working with the Hopi Villages in economic development and assisting with obtaining grants that fund the building of community centers. He also assists with coal mine maintenance and obtaining heavy equipment for village projects. In addition to his professional endeavors, Keith enjoys working on his ranch with his family, tending to the cattle.

It was while tending to cattle with his son that Keith’s health began to unravel. Keith and his son were separating cattle on foot. “The cattle backed up, and I was walking backward,” Keith recalled. “I lost my footing and fell backward, landing on my shoulder. I didn’t think I had hit my head. I finished what I was doing and thought I was okay.” 

Keith’s wife, Laurinda, tearfully remembered the harrowing weeks that followed. “The following week, he had three different bouts of shaking really bad, and just didn’t seem right. He first went to be evaluated at the clinic. They thought he was having a heart attack and sent him to a facility in Phoenix, and he was discharged the next day. He was so weak and could barely walk. I tried to help him the best I could. I just couldn’t understand why they would discharge him like this. It was so hard.” 

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