10 K and a new sweatshirt
Eblen had its 10K Heroes for Hope walk today. It’s dedicated to Dana Jarrett, my colleague, Keith’s, late wife. He always raises money for it and gets John Boyle to solicit donations from the newsroom. But John was out of town this week, so I took over, and Keith and I collected about $1,650.
Eblen was there for Mike when he needed antibiotics or when he needed a tank of gas to get to his appointments at Duke.
They’re sponsors of our rally here later this month. The least I can do is twist a few arms and walk six miles for the cause.
I walked most of the way with the chair of our county commissioners. Nathan Ramsey is a Republican and I’m a Democrat, but we had a great conversation about how to get all Americans access to health care. We talked about different possibilities and how we could probably find a way that we both could agree on.
I like Nathan. He’s a really decent human being, and he was willing to listen and maybe even change his positions a little. He saw the possibilities.
I also cornered a couple of congressional candidates this week. One was the incumbent, Heath Shuler. He talked about the progress we’ve made with children and the elderly. But nothing he suggested would have saved Mike’s life.
I rattled off a few statistics and asked what he planned to support to get access to health care for people ages 18-65. He wasn’t sure, but he was leaving town in a couple hours for the bailout vote, and he agreed to sit down with me again and discuss some ideas.
The other candidate was the Republican Carl Mumpower. He told me he comes down on the side of the free market, but agreed that there has to be oversight and regulation.
Still, the words, “free market,” send shivers down my spine. Look what the free market has gotten us so far.
Tags: Second annual Eat at Mike’s
Reserve now
Life o' Mike sponsors its second annual Eat at Mike's, an evening of good food prepared by local chefs, at Tingles Cafe in downtown Asheville. The event also features silent and live auctions with items from Highlands Brewing, artist Angela C. Alexander and more.
Tickets to the dinner are $25; $20 for children 3-12 and free for children under 3.
To reserve, e-mail lifeomike@gmail.com. For more information, call 828-243-6712.
Patient Pals & Family Friends
Life o' Mike has a new peer support program for people newly diagnosed with chronic or serious illness or with a new disability and their caregivers.
Patient Pals are people who have experience with various illnesses and disabilities, who can help someone newly diagnosed or with a new disability work through the fear, frustration, confusion and grief often experienced in the first few months.
Family Friends are there to help caregivers and other family members grow into their new role.
People with new illness or disability fare better when they have a role model -- someone who can help them negotiate their new path in life.
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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