Welcome to Life o’ Mike
We are on a mission: Tell the stories of people who have died because they didn’t have health insurance. Mike was one of those people, and I was fortunate enough to be his mom for 33 years.
Mike was born Nov. 3, 1974 — my 22nd birthday. He had some medical problems that we later learned would leave him very vulnerable to colon cancer. That meant he couldn’t get insurance unless he was wealthy enough to afford medical treatment on his own.
If you look at his medical records the year before he was diagnosed, the doctor wrote again and again, “patient can not afford a colonoscopy.”
If he had been able to afford it, the cancer might have been discovered before it was Stage 3.
Mike died on April 1 with me by his side. He joined the more than 167,000 people who have died since 2000 because they didn’t have insurance and couldn’t get diagnostic tests.
We believe that’s wrong, and we hope to change it.
Tags: Patient Pals & Family Friends
Life o' Mike has a peer support program for people with one or more serious or chronic medical issues or disabilities.
We aim to reduce isolation and fear among people who have conditions, including psychiatric illness, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, mild dementia or other cognitive disorder or disability, thereby reducing depression and complications as people learn to improve self-management of their medical conditions.
Patient Pals help alleviate feelings of isolation and frustration. They can help people develop a list of questions to ask the doctor and then accompany the person to the doctor to make sure all the questions are answered, taking notes to be sure the person understands the doctor’s answers.
Our trained volunteers also accompany their “Pals” to art exhibits, movies and walks outdoors, meet for coffee, call to check in and more.
Our Pals have experienced weight loss, improvement in diabetes, HIV, psoriasis, depression and more, just because they have someone who cares about them. Some relationships develop into longer-term friendships; other Pals move on to more independent lives.
Family Friends are there to help caregivers and other family members grow into their new role.
We need volunteers, who are asked to donate a minimum of one hour a week. Training is free and includes information on active listening, ways to help and when to know more help is needed.
And of course, we need funding.
To learn more, call Leslie Boyd at 828-243-6712 or e-mail lifeomike@gmail.com.
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