Pink Matters Because Breast Cancer Still Kills

“No more pinkness” was heard from someone working with me on a breast cancer event.  Even with 1 out of 8 women getting a diagnosis, some people still see breast cancer as getting too

St.Senator Simpson, CEO/Pres. Amanda Maggard FL Hospital, FHZ Foundation Chair Linda Hauz

much attention. Even with 13% of these women dying and some men also.  Within 2 weeks of this comment, a woman recovering from surgery in our community fell. She is now in a rehab facility, unable to travel while learning that her dearly loved daughter, living out of state, was diagnosed with breast cancer. I received the news, at the same time, that a friend with Stage 4 has tumor markers that have suddenly gone back up. My girlfriend has had a re-occurrence of breast cancer and is in the 87% survival rate, for now.

I reflect back to when breast cancer didn’t matter to me. I have a twofold case of guilt forever. First, I use to think this issue wasn’t worthy of my time or money.  Now I realize and reflect on how I survived and some dear friends have long gone from the disease. So I work, for the cause, in many ways. And find, now, hearing disenfranchised comments only makes my passion stronger. I fight for them, the not interested parties, for they were me, long ago, before I was diagnosed and fighting for my life.

This year, I am coordinating a breast cancer walk at the Active 55+ Community where I live, Southport Springs Golf & Country Club in Zephyrhills, Florida. All of the money raised will be going to such an exciting piece of equipment locally.  Florida Hospital in Zephyrhills is purchasing the GE Senographe Pristina 3D Mammography System and will be one of only 3 hospitals in the state of Florida to have this finely tuned newest mammography technology.

This equipment has 3D capabilities and the system has the patient’s comfort issues at the forefront. Truly this is revolutionary. Perhaps that is why the name of Florida Hospital’s funding drive is Vision for the Future. This campaign’s goal is $500,000 but the cost of this equipment far exceeds this amount thus, the hospital will pay the balance. They are willing to because early detection saves lives and they feel this is a priceless endeavor for the community.

As a survivor, I have to applaud Simpson Breast Health Center at FL Hospital for being proactive in finding ways to not only improve the quality of the experience of getting a mammogram (soft LED lights, heated surfaces) but make results more reliable. Linda Hauff, Chairman of the Board, Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Foundation has been a fountain of information about this evolving development. This equipment would have prevented many late diagnoses not caught by traditional mammograms, such as mine. 

I was unsure who to work with at Southport Springs. There is a great deal of planning involved to pull off something this large with a lot of pieces to coordinate and my style is different than others around here. They had something for cancer several years ago by a member well known who fits right in. I march to my own drum,  too old to change honestly, though I am sure criticism will come my way, possibly even by the previous staff. Conformity is not in my nature.😂 I have to take from some of my experiences of what worked and try to tweak it to this environment and my new forming friendships. We all have different strengths and gifts. I believe some in this community will value mine and like, any place, some won't. 

The best place to start was investigating to find out who were some folks that were known for great follow-through and working hard. It was a gamble because I really didn't know them well as far as working on a project together.  Life is a gamble, hell cancer certainly is! Oh and the first one I asked was a woman that suggested the main event, the walk, someone I barely knew!  I included a few friends but actually not all I have made here.  I wanted diversity. 

Subcommittees were further formed.  All in all, 35-45 people are entrenched in the effort in some capacity.  I hope they register as team members and raise sponsorship monies.  Otherwise, not much money will be raised but again, that, this year, is not the primary goal! This community needs everyone that can walk to walk or cheer.  Our Head Committee is outstanding! It's became close and is excited to not only increase awareness but raise donations to help offset the costs for a life-saving purchase locally. To get folks excited about activities around cancer before the events happen makes it a win for me already. 

Working at the American Cancer Society, I knew the sentiment was always going to be positive, encouraging and the majority of the public was going to embrace the event. We all were hellbent on the wish to eradicate cancer and in the process,  promoting catching it early, developing better treatments and better drugs.  Here, I sit on the edge of my seat, there are so many other worthy causes competing for attention. And when you hear feedback like "too much pinkness already" and "I am sick of hearing about breast cancer, " or "why isn't she doing it like the lady did it in the past" and even criticism of my style. I remind myself of Julie Naberhaus! 👼 Julie was originally diagnosed the same time as me. When it came back a year later, she fought breast cancer hard,  in tremendous pain and I realize, no matter what adversity I face,  my battle is nothing compared to hers. She pushes me forward, as always. 

My work in the field of cancer is God driven and survivor driven.  I am hoping to show you can bring laughter in the name of yes, cancer to my new neighbors. Celebrating  survivorship and medical advances is good stuff.  Raising awareness and reflecting on the high value of life and living in the moment is what life is about!  I hope our committees can make our aging population here completely comfortable saying "I've had my mammogram and got it done at Florida Hospital Zephyrhills." This piece of equipment will significantly reduce false negatives, especially on the 20-25% that have been receiving them.  How wonderful to know that all the money raised is going specifically to funding equipment in the state of Florida that will guarantee saving lives? 

This blog today matters to me as  much as all of you,  regular followers. So many of you have stayed with me from the days post-treatment.   Some of you have written me, some as far away as outside of the US.  If you get cancer, know you are in my prayers, daily. Which is why I fight, care and give. I hate the disease with as much passion as I fight it.  It doesn't matter what the event is, I try to give it my all. 

Please pray that the residents here are open enough to a newcomer with her ideas and quirks to  support the cause. So many committee members are working tirelessly to make this happen, to bring this to fruition.  These excellent leaders deserve this.  Florida Medical Hospital Board talked to me at their Kick Off and is forming teams to attend the Walk. May this community realize this is for them and for the greater good.  I have been a part of successes at huge events, with 15,000 walkers, over million dollars. Now I live here, in  Zephyrhills at  Southport Springs and want another great accomplishment for them, a wonderful turn-out, response and support for the local hospital.  At the end of the day, this is God's work though and in God's hands. . 

If you would like to donate to breast cancer in October, or prior, to help increase the total donation from our Walk, The Ta Ta Trot & the other activities we have planned,  the information is below. Please do donate to something in Oct. if not Southport Springs.  All our proceeds will be going to Florida Hospital Zephyrhills Foundation for this equipment so that many others in the surrounding areas can utilize this mammography technology.  See below for how to make out checks. We welcome gifts of all sizes and everyone in our community thanks you for your support! 😉

What I wish for is a world free of the need to say pinkness. 

Mail donations to:

Ta Ta Trot 

c/o Jim Bronold

4009 Russian Olive Lane

Zephyrhills, FL  33541 

See check below please:

      I made this video a few years ago during my tenure with the American Cancer Society after attending various St. Thomas Camp Bluebird Camps for Survivors of Cancer, ACS events & Susan G Komen Walks. Most images are either breast cancer survivors, deceased of the disease or those currently in treatment.  Some pictures have other forms of cancer. NOTE: A few images, people have since deceased.  😢 Cick Here

Gratitude Letter to Dan

When you give, you shall receive. When you lose something, give something back to see it multiple.

I have always believed this to be true but thought heart ache and pain sometimes struggle believing it. Today, amidst the tears streaming down my face, am reminded just how true this is.

My blog shall be simple and to the point.  I am not in much of a position to write more.

Many know that after my step-son, my husband Jim’s only son, Dan 

Bronold died we set up a memorial scholarship in his name, The Daniel 

Bronold Memorial Scholarship Fund. This money was donated to an organization to help offset costs needed for young men to attend Midcourse Correction Challenge Camp in Brighton, Michigan. So many your teens are turned away each year because they can’t afford the fees.  The fee is set at a minimal amount to cover simply the costs as this organization is a nonprofit. Many of  the employees were past graduates of the program who have gone on with their lives, gotten degrees and returned later on in life to work there.

This is a no nonsense camp full of a weekend of tough love, team building, and goal setting.  For many troubled teens, this is the last stop to try to get them on the right path. Most are on a collision course with self-destruction and many don’t care or know how to turn it around.  Sometimes the parents don’t either and need the help also.

The program is Christian based, which is something we liked and knew Dan would approve of also.  We wanted to pick something we felt Dan would be proud of and enjoy having his name associated with and this seemed perfect.  This fund would give some guys a chance before it was too late that might not  be able to attend otherwise.    And since the years of Dan’s death, the Executive Director, Richard Woods, lets us know each year the donors, amounts and the number of folks that benefit from the funding.  We are privileged to hear some of the stories without giving enough information to breach anyone’s privacy.  He also shares Dan’s story as an example of why it is best to turn your life around before it is too late.

Today, we were blessed beyond belief. A single mother asked for our name and wanted to write us directly.  I don’t feel comfortable sharing her letter as it was intimate.  It was forwarded to use through the Executive Director as he  is not giving out our contact information to anyone either but the essence of the letter was to thank us.  She wanted to let us know that without our money her son wouldn’t have attended camp. With his attendance, his life has completely changed.  Their relationship has turned in ways she never thought possible.  She feels like God has touched him in a very special place and turned the light on in her son.  They have reached a new level of understanding, her joy and gratefulness is so heartful in the letter.  She wants us to know that her and her son will never forget Dan and the Fund and us.  Her letter shows us that Dan is touching lives in a way that we can both indeed can be proud of.

There have been times, over the months and years, we have been disappointed that we can’t raise more money that we are many times, and the only one donating to the Memorial we set up. But we remind ourselves, if all we do is save one teen, if it was just one Dan that would be enough!  If one parent is spared the pain, if one person is not dying as Dan did, that is enough so our donation, several times a year will suffice.  We want to be sure we are doing what we can also to spare a parent from the pain of being on the receiving end of a phone call, from wondering if they did all they could and of not having any holidays left to celebrate with their child ever again. 

This letter confirmed our conviction that the Memorial Fund was the way to ensure we are making a difference in people’s lives, in children’s and in parents. Dan’s name is helping kids turn their lives around and get a new lease on life.  It was and is the just and right thing to do. As long as there is a memorial fund in his name, Dan Bronold’s legacy lives on!  And as the mother said in the close of her letter, her and her son will forever be grateful to Dan, dead or alive to them, he is always alive!

God bless you Dan always in heaven for what your spirit is doing!   Love always!  

If you would like to learn more about Midcourse Correction Challenge Camp, visit http://www.midcoursecorrection.org/

To donate to the fund, Send donations to:

Midcourse Correction Challenge Camp

Attn:  Dan Bronold Memorial Fund

833 E Grand River Ave

Howell, MI 48843

Sister Girlz Make Getting Pinked Cooler

It is so cool to see other teams take the time, after Making Strides Nashville, to be creative and create some lasting memories to look back on the days event! So many that could not attend would like to know what they missed, especially those in treatment that need to know and see what others were doing the street to show their support or those at home hurting because of the lost of a loved one to breast cancer.

Those of us that attended love having the chance to relive the moments through another team's eyes.  It was impossible, with 35,000 people in attendance to capture it all. Thus, seeing it through another Team's eyes, Sister Girlz's Team is just wonderful and shows you the heart of this team.

They have spent the majority of their time just getting ready for the event and doing what they do, giving do causes that matter. Take a few minutes, if you

enjoy the video and believe in the group, to consider visiting their page and perhaps donating at Great video made was memories of Making Strides for Breast Cancer by Team Sister Girlz out of Nashville, TN! Team Captain Melanie Burnett and all her team members did a fabulous job spreading the word around. If enjoy this, please consider donating to this team. They decide with all the work they did increasing awareness! Go to www.makingstrideswalk.org/nashvilletn, search on the team name & select Donate. Give a donation, whatever you can give,  to their team. At least, share the video to others affected by Breast Cancer. I think you will find, like me, a Survivor, it is very uplifting!

Click here 4 Sister Girlz Video

Making Major Strides in Nashville!

Most of us are alone when we are told we have cancer. We are scared because we never envisioned hearing that word said to us. How do you prepare for being told you have breast cancer?  Where do you get a handbook on what to do if you are told this kind of information? If it existed, who would want to read it? It would feel like a death wish or a self-fulfilling prophesy of sorts.   Thus, it is one of the most isolating moments in your life.

Afterwards, you can be in a room full of caring friends and have moments when you feel alone, isolated, as if no one else truly understands how you feel.  This feeling, even while in treatment, while in surgery, recovery will come and go.  It varies from person to person but cancer is unique to each and every individual. But one thing remains constant, the day you are diagnosed, the moment, is never forgotten and at that slice in time, you are alone.  Your world is surrounded by only your own thoughts and feelings for a few moments in time while you try to absorb the enormity of what was just said.

Because of this, one of the most beautiful things about Making Strides Against Breast Cancer sponsored by the American Cancer Society (ACS) to me is the concept of togetherness. We are not alone. We are in this together.  Breast cancer, beating it, ultimately, is everyone’s responsibility. Yes, individually we need to take treatment and try to overcome our individual pathology case, the side effects, if a re-occurrence occurs, metastatic breast cancer, etc…  But the community at large has a responsibility to help prevent others from getting the diagnosis to begin with, continuing doing research to find better methods of prevention, easier treatment plans and cures so that women and men are not dying from this disease. 

Making Strides is the coming together of all types of people, young, old, various religions and walks of life just to support this one cause that affects so many lives, breast cancer. In a world full of hate and violence, to see a symbol of love and life in a sea of pink is precious.  To see children and men wearing a color that to a cancer survivor means I lived another day to wear pink reminds me I am not alone ever, I never was and never will be as long as I live.    

This Strides season began this summer with Montgomery Gentry starting a Band of Pink, a commitment to donate $1,000 and promote their loyalty to the cause. When Tory Gentry’s wife Angie got diagnosed with it, rather than let the news come out through the media, he broke the news to his fans himself.  Troy and Angie then decided to do something positive about the disease choosing this venue, Making Strides for Breast Cancer. They challenged others to hop on board the Pink Band and donate too. This added incentive made me particularly proud of be an integral part of the social media piece this year. I thought this year could be, potentially, a huge year for Nashville.  

At the event, there were over 35,000 registered walkers this year on Oct. 10^th.  We know that many

walkers simply showed up without registering so we are not sure of the exact count.  The donations at the close of the day totaled more than $900,000 but with October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month more donations are rolling in for teams and individuals to ACS the entire month of October so that number is rising.  But what is so different and so cool about the Strides event that some folks don’t get without knowing it inside out is there is little overhead.  

Making Strides budget doesn't allow for much money on promotion at all. That is perhaps why social

media is done often times by people like me, a volunteer, as in unpaid.  This way donors can be assured as much as possible the majority of donations  go to what is promoted.  There is not vendor booths held to have giveaways because that is not the focus of the Strides event for ACS. This is simply about Breast Cancer only. It is not a health fair, not a convention, not a buyers paradise, just exactly what it is called a show of support for Breast Cancer, a way to Make Strides towards the mission of obliterating breast cancer.  And it works, ask the 35,000 in attendance.

Walking with them all, standing in a sea of people, all smiling, none of us are alone in caring about breast cancer and the issues surrounding it. So remember, if you are ever faced with the diagnosis, the one moment in time you feel alone, it will pass and you will soon feel the love of us all, all of us that come in pink to the streets in October to Make Strides!    Video Link Here

To donate, visit makingstrideswalk.org/nashvilletn

For additional information about breast cancer or any form of cancer, visit ACS's website at cancer.org or call the 24/7 hotline# at 800-227-2345.

Cindy Lovelace & The Healing Net Foundation

 

Years ago, when I first went to a camp for cancer survivors in the Nashville, TN area I felt like an outcast. I do not define myself by the cancer I had and so being there, around survivors and some still fighting the disease, seemed odd to me. I honestly felt like leaving out of denial that my life would forever be different and I would be bonded with so many of these people. But at that camp, I met a lifelong friend and feel I have changed, as a person and as a woman, for the better.

My friend I met there, Cindy Lovelace and I made an immediate connection the

moment we met. It was like an electrical shock, someone we just clicked, laughed about the same kind of things and saw life very similarly. It felt like an old comfortable shoe, except Cindy doesn’t look worn and tattered! She is vibrant, dynamic, and has an energetic personality.  Cindy’s faith in God is as strong as any clergy that I have known.  With an unshakable faith and deep abiding respect for human life, all the moments that make up a lifetime seem to matter to her.  And yet, so many of us wonder why such a strong, sharp intelligent woman would have to get re-diagnosed with cancer. Not only does she live with cancer, but it is a more rare type, Neuroendocrine Cancer, a word I can barely spell or say.

Cindy  has approached this like so many other things, in the years I have known

her. She is not lying down.  In most people’s eyes, she is a fighter.  I prefer to think of her more like a warrior, as she plays offensively in a battle with cancer as well as defensively.  And so it is with this diagnosis. 

Though many of us that love her pray reverently to God for a cure and for her long lifeline, she focuses on where she can make a difference with her life. Most

of us are much more affected by her disease than she is, mentally anyways.  She sees it as another opportunity to grow, a reminder of the preciousness of life and as a cause she needs to educate others about and help raise resolutions, research dollars and overall awareness. 

With that in mind, I asked Cindy, who is currently the President of Healing Net Foundation, an organization that devotes all its energy to Neuroendocrine Cancer, to address a few questions.  What follows is her responses, immediately after the questions stated by a novice, unfamiliar with this type and wanting to know more.  I hope you find this extremely informative and pass this information on to anyone who has ever battled something that seems incurable.  

How common is neuroendocrine cancer?  Neuroendocrine (or Carcinoid) Cancer is considered rare, but my experience and the experience of so many people being diagnosed in the United States, is starting to challenge exactly HOW rare.  The best guess is that 5,000 people will be diagnosed in this country each year, but I feel those numbers are rising rapidly.  It could be because of better diagnostic tools, more awareness, or unfortunately, an increase in the incidence of the disease.

Is there a common profile or demographic type that develops this type? It is diagnosed in children all the way to older adults, although the most common age seems to be around 45.  Male and Female

How much current research is going on with this type of cancer?  Is the research focused on cures, treatment or prevention?  Research in the United States is in pockets at best. One example is the University of Iowa, which was just recognized as a Center of Excellence in NET research.  The team there is led by Dr. Thomas Odorisio (Endocrinologist) and his wife Dr. Mary Odorisio (Pediatric Hemotology) Both of these physicians gravitated to treating neuroendocrine patients because of an influx of cases, and are now regarded as one of the few experts in the U. S. Right now most research is focused on treatment and cure.  No one knows exactly what causes it. However, most of the research as well as the latest treatment options developed in Europe, and as a whole, Europe continues to outpace the U. S. in the advancement of care for neuroendocrine cancer.  The grandfather of Neuroendocrine cancer research is considered to be Dr. Kjell Oberg of Uppsala University in Sweden.

What are warning signs you might have this type of cancer? Do GPs have this information and know to look for it? It’s complicated.  Some patients present with symptoms that mimic GP disorders such as Crohn’s disease, IBS, etc. These symptoms can range from flushing (face red/purple) to diarrhea and stomach cramps, even a racing heart. However, some patients have NO symptoms and the tumors are found incidentally when tests are run for other reasons.  Patients with symptoms can be misdiagnosed for years and treated for benign disorders when they really have cancer. It is a slow growing cancer, but can be insidious and eventually vicious if not found and treated properly.  As to whether GI’s have this information:  Maybe.  Maybe not.  Most physicians are told in medical school they will be lucky to see even one case in their lifetime. So they are not prepared to consider the disease as a possibility and tend to treat first for the more benign disease this cancer mimics.

Are there screening recommendations for neuroendocrine cancer as there are for many other types? Not really unless a physician suspects.  Then you can run some blood tests that could show some unusual elevations in gastrin, chromogranin A, glucose, etc.  This is a cancer of the hormone producing cells, and that is also what makes diagnosing this cancer so tricky.  There are all kinds of hormones are bodies secrete, and finding who is causing the trouble, and why can be very complicated.

How do you diagnosis it for sure, a particular test?  It is usually diagnosed when a tumor is found, biopsied and stained.  Then you know it’s neuroendocrine and can also tell what grade it is. The higher the grade the more likely it is to metastasis. This cancer is slow growing, but it does metastasis. The most likely place it goes whether the primary is in the lungs, pancreas, intestines, stomach, female organs, etc…it the liver.  There is another hidden element of this cancer. It tends to NOT show up on traditional scans. CT scans MIGHT catch it, and even the MRI is known to miss it.  There is a new scan, used in Europe for several years, called the Gallium 68. It is still in clinical trial in the U. S. even though the first trial was begun at Vanderbilt in 2011.  I was actually one of the first to take that scan.  A neuroendocrine tumor had been found in my pancreas and removed but my doctor, Dr. Eric Liu, suspected it might have already gone to my liver.  An MRI was negative.  Less than 30 days later I had the Gallium 68 and two tumors in my liver lit up.  This diagnostic test can be a lifesaver. FDA approval is said to be imminent, but it cannot happen soon enough to help so many people.  Sometimes this cancer is diagnosed because the patient has not responded to treatment of the benign diseases it mimics, but then, the cancer might have progressed and metastasized beyond surgery. 

Are you ever totally healed from it or does it just go in remission? At this point, you are never healed, and while you can go in remission, many patients live with the tumors until they become bigger or cause enough trouble to need to be removed.  That is my case.  I have tumors in my liver.  Some have been removed, others are still too small to be seen.  This cancer tends to “seed” the liver, therefore the tumors grow at different stages.

Is there an increase in this type in recent years?  I think so, but I cant prove it.  My work in establishing the Healing NET Foundation to focus on awareness and education of the medical community at large has brought me in contact with a lot of new patients, and the list grows every week.

What is the success rate in treating it in the early stages? It is very successful if you catch it early and there are folks now who have been living with this cancer for 20+ years.  However, there is the problem that it’s so difficult to diagnose, and especially so in people with no symptoms. 

If caught in later stages, what is life expectancy? Even in later stages, people have been, at the very least, greatly helped in their daily quality of life and the prognosis can be several more years.  Again, it depends on where it is, when it’s diagnosed, and if you are fortunate enough to be seen by an expert who really understands the disease.  There are many many sad cases of people who were given incorrect information and either not given enough treatment or given too much treatment. 

Who is highly involved in research in this field since it is not as well known? Is it being studied overseas, other countries? Europe. very few in U. S.

Which country is the most advanced in their diagnosis and treatment of neuroendocrine cancer? Sweden and Germany

What percentage of oncologists specialize in this type? There are some specialists who understand it, and treat a lot of patients.  My doctor, Dr. Eric Liu, a neuroendocrine cancer surgeon, has recently opened The Neuroendocrine Institute at Rocky Mountain Cancer Centers in Denver.  Dr. Richard Warner (GI) at Mt Sinai in New York established the first center on neuroendocrine and carcinoid in this country.  I mentioned Drs. Odorisio at U of Iowa. There is also Dr. Eugene Woltering and team at Ochsner in Louisiana.  There is an expert oncologist at UK Markey Cancer Center in Lexington KY—Dr. Ed Wolin.  Dr. George Fisher at Stanford was one of the physicians who treated Steve Jobs, whose neuroendocrine cancer caused him to seek a liver transplant and he died from complications of that surgery.  But these and a few others are just pockets of physicians in the U. S. There are major cancer centers who do not have experts, and unfortunately people go there expecting the top treatment, and well, doctors don’t know what they don’t know. 

What is the one thing no one knows about this type of cancer and they should know? It is misleading to refer to a neuroendocrine cancer in the pancreas as pancreatic cancer.  It’s not the same as the more common pancreatic cancer.  Same deal in any other organ. This cancer should not be treated the same as other types of cancer. It needs a physician who has had a lot of experience, and is aware of all the latest research and treatment options.  You can live with this disease many years IF you find the right doctor. 

For additional information and to support research and awareness in this field, please click on the link to the website below.        

The Healing Net Foundation http://www.thehealingnet.org/

You can follow this organization on Facebook  the healingnetfoundation   

or on  Twitter @HealingNET1

Speak Up

Sometimes I find it amazing that Americans feel news issues are black and white as in I will get involved and try to make a difference or I won’t.  There is also the attitude of staying

Autism is so prevalent!

informed verses keeping oneself so busy that staying abreast as to what is going on in one’s country is not of interest. That attitude of total disinterest has exceptions when the issue has a direct effect on people. Then they manage to find the time and step up to the plate.  I would argue that many issues covered in the news that do not directly affect us indirectly do.  Therefore, individually or collectively as a group, we should pay attention and consider making a difference in some small way.   

Just recently, we all know the situation in Baltimore has created what the community feels warrants large protests in the street.  I was glad to see this mirrored in other cities.  What happens in one city can easily happen in others, even if there wasn't proof that it is already.  It was also refreshing to see how many white colored and other minorities joined in these walks, as they should. Prejudice and labeling is an insult to us all. Would these other races be as involved if the issue were not so highly publicized?  I don’t know the answer but I think it is worth contemplating.

I remember years ago when I had watched a television expose on sex trafficking. It followed prominent American men going to Thailand for services. In watching the show in my comfortable home in Nashville, Tennessee and seeing young girls around the age of 10-12 offering men blow jobs for a dollar or two for food while they lived in horrid conditions, my mind was blown away. Hearing about this topic is one thing, seeing it in action is another thing. It is so abhorrent I felt compelled to do something.

I went to work the next day and told several women I worked with about it. One woman, in particular, was married to a preacher of a Pentecostal church. When I told her I wanted to do something to make a difference, she recommended I find another cause as that one was too far out of reach for me to make a difference. Well, saying no to those children was heart-breaking as I could not get the image out of my head.

I made a commitment, from then on in Sept. 2010 I was going to say a prayer every day on my way to work that by Christmas something would happen and at least some of those girls would get out of there. I said the same prayer every day with such conviction asking God to please help those people on the news show that were committed to that mission, getting girls out of sex slavery, to make a big break.  Then it happened.  The first week of Dec. I was driving to work listening to the news. I had just finished my prayer and it came on.  A huge rescue attempt had been made and was successful and a roundup of girls had been made that had been held in sex slavery!  Our government released a statement saying it was one of the largest numbers of children they had gotten out of this situation. I believe prayer does make a difference!

We all have our concerns in life with issues that affect our lives more directly. As a breast cancer survivor, I am fervently in support of the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides

Debbie Thomas, Director of Strides & myself, 2014, media specialist

against Breast Cancer.  I currently, during the season, help with the social media. I participate in other areas for this event too wanting it, each year, to be bigger and more successful in donations and awareness than the next.  Though I do not see my involvement as self-serving, I do see it as a natural evolvement.

It is important to support areas that are outside of our comfort zone.  I admire those that do more than pray, those that do more than read about it.  But doing anything is better than doing nothing! The issues are plentiful, animals being endangered, people having rare forms of illness, children dying from lack of healthcare, gay rights. 

Care enough to be motivated to understand the issue and why it indirectly affects you.  People need each other to get involved and make a stand. The idea that gay people can get medical insurance from companies as a partner but in states are not allowed to marry seems so contradictory.  Do we really want our money spent on fighting over this issue when there are issues out there causing quality of life?  I have a grandchild that could use a service dog, a friend that could use medical assistance, families in major cities that could use money spent on police reform.

There is a line between being concerned and being consumed.  With all of the stress in our lives, no one needs to take on added stress. However, helping a brother is something we are all called to do. To expect the world to help you in your hour of need when your life has been played out serving no one but your own needs and wants is hypocritical.  I urge you to find the time. Even if it is simply to become knowledgeable about some of the issues we are facing.  Hopefully, with that understanding, you will be more than willing to take a few moments out of your life to try to make a difference. Stepping up feels good and is more rewarding than sitting down. 

Stay the Course - Not Just Midway but All the Way

Jim and I are adamant about supporting the Midcourse Correction Challenge Camp in Michigan.  Many that follow my blog or know me personally are aware that I did a great deal of research into their organization.  I wanted to try to determine which program in Michigan my step-son Dan would see as the most reflective of  what he would have wanted for himself and others to help  make it ‘through the rain’, the trials in his life. 

This organization was a clear stand out. Talking to Richard Wood, the Executive Director only put an exclamation point to the decision.  Never have we looked back.  Thus, though little funds have been garnished, to date, for the fund we started in Jim’s son’s name, we are steadfast in our commitment in doing what we can do support and promote this Camp. 

To that end, I want to share a few recent stories to come out of Midcourse I learned of recently, since my last writing on the Camp.  In addition to their Challenge Camps they also have a much more intense Honor Company program attendees can return to.  This is far better explained by visiting their site, listed below. 

This Honor Company program shows just 

how much progress can be made with 

teens after attending the first camp. 

This is not a spa treatment facility.   To willingly come back for a more intense version is a clear indication that these young people recognize it has real value in their life.  It may be a boot camp, but motivation and insight is accomplished.

At a recent Camp, one young man spoke to the Director about how he had been released from drug use finally.  Life begins anew for this young man now, free from the bondage of drug use and put on a new course to live with goals in place.  How can this be accomplished in a weekend camp?  Ask yourself if the cost is too much to pay?  Would you want to help someone live drug free for a small token of change?

Another attendee had returned a few weeks ago and proudly showed how his failing grades from his attendance at the first camp were now all B’s.  He had come, that first time, literally kicking and screaming in a car, restrained.  Now, this same young man is like many others that attend and leave this fine program, forever changed. Attending the Honor Company, he was seen hugging his parents, asking for forgiveness and committed to knowing his steps now are the path to a good direction.   A life is saved, he came screaming at one time and is leaving smiled and invigorated.  In my book, that is a miracle. 

Many know that the leader of the organization, Richard Wood,  has a heart of gold.  His staff is full of good people on a mission. He not only believes in the program, he genuinely cares about the parents and the teens. We feel blessed to know our donations are guided by his hands, by his heart.  We know Dan’s name is saving spirits that might otherwise be diminished like his shortened life was. 

As a couple, we are not financially well off, by any stretch, but with the little we have; we find something to give to this fund several times a year, Dan Bronold Memorial Scholarship Fund.  We quit asking others to give nearly as much because we saw such a lack of response.  If you don’t give to this program, we understand but please find another one you will support. These young misguided teens, if not straightened out, can become tomorrow’s criminals on the street, full of hate.  That anger can be turned inward or outward. They need help, they need direction, and they need a place like Midcourse to put them on the right course. 

And we also pray that when they are misguided they are not put in a jail cell in isolation and left there with nothing to help them sort their thoughts out.  This Camp believes they can prevent those unhappy endings. We believe it too, infact, we are hearing about it often.  Amen.

  For more information, visit their site:  http://www.midcoursecorrection.org/

Change the Future, One Family in the Phillipines

The amount of lives affected by the typhoon that hit the Central Philippines on Nov. 8th is staggering, how could you possibly come up with a number.  They still can't quantify the death toll as they are discovering bodies, missing persons and people are walking around aimlessly unaccounted for, unreachable by conventional methods. 

It is hard to fathom the rebuilding process when we have so much and they have so little, not even a brick to start a foundation of a home. There are many outlets to help.  All are good provided you make sure they are legitimate and going to the rightful source, the people, aiding those that need it. 

This post is about one family in particular hard hit by Yolanda, the catastrophic typhoon. So let me back up a minute.  I met Jessa Santos this summer in Northern Kentucky, where she lives. She is from a large family and came over to the United States to try to provide a better life for herself and her young daughter Dawn.  All of her siblings still live there and have been directly impacted by this tragedy. Her step-father is trying to do all he can to bring awareness to the family from others that might offer some assistance.  Everyone that knows the family or hears of their plight is being asked to spread the word as he has created a funding account just for Elsie, his children and his grandchildren to receive aid via this special account.  The relief going into the country is limited and quite slow. 

His information is below.  If interested in helping, please give knowing that no gift is too small. Jessa's step-father is will keep anyone posted on how their kindness and generosity is helping his children in this time of dire need if they are interested, so please let him know when you mail in your gift.  

Pass this information on as well.  This is a good loving family.  They are proud people and are in desperate need of help. 

Thank you for taking time to reflect on their plight.  

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please Help!

Family portrait - May 2010

To those of you who are moved to make a donation to help the victims of typhoon Yolanda in the

Philippines, I ask you to please help Elsie’s and my five children and five grandchildren there in

Tacloban who are victims of this terrible catastrophe. We now know that, by the grace of God, they all

survived (two of them miraculously, having been in Elsie’s house when the storm and surge struck).

Very sadly, all that each of them has now is their life, and the clothes they were wearing while enduring

this monster storm. They have lost everything else. 

Elsie's house (before typhoon Yolanda hit)

                                                                       

Elsie’s house, where three of her children lived, has

been totally destroyed, flattened to the ground by the ferocious wind and the 16 ft. storm surge. The same is true for the home of Elsie’s elder son, his wife and four children. All gone now. Wherever all of

them will go and whatever they will do, they will have to start their lives anew, for there is not one thing left of their lives before November 7th.

If you are so inclined, we will be forever grateful, as I am sure

will they, for a contribution of any amount to the fund we have set up for their welfare (“Elsie’s

Children Fund”). Should you do so, you will then know exactly whom your money will be helping to

recover from this disaster and that every penny will be benefiting them directly. May God bless you.

Mail donation to: Elsie’s Children Fund, c/o W. C. Roth, 134 Main Ave., Highland Heights, KY 41076

Please write email address on check.

.                                               

                                      

              +

            Yvette                                                     Blanche                                                    Ella           

             Bill                                                         Kim                                                    Jerome                     

       Joy Joy                                              Jessa Mae                                                      Jessel       

Clarence

                                 

                                                                         

General information on family members above:      

   Yvette, Elsie's daughter ("Net Net")

         Yvette's dog "Poochie" somehow survived the typhoon but now won't leave the wreckage that was Elsie's house, even though she has no food.

Blanche ("Che Che"), Elsie's daughter

Blanche's daughter, Ellacriss (named after Elsie's given name, "Criselda")

Bill, Elsie's son (Elsie calls him "Billingoi")

Kimberly ("Kim Kim"), Elsie's youngest daughter

Jerome ("Jing", "Rome"), Elsie's eldest child

Joy Joy, Jerome's eldest daughter (her debut was to be on her 18th birthday, this November 28th)

Jessa Mae, Jerome's daughter

Jessel, Jerome's daughter

Clarence, Jerome's son