Spreading the word
I have a busy week ahead, spreading the word about the health care rally next Saturday (10 a.m.-noon, Pritchard Park, downtown Asheville). There seems to be a lot more interest than when we held a rally here last October. I think people know they have to be heard, and if we who want meaningful reform now don’t speak up, the people doing the shouting will be the only ones heard.
Now that I’m not at the newspaper, I’m free to speak my mind, although I don’t want this to be about politics. This is a moral issue and that’s how we have to talk about it.
As a Christian, I want to live the teachings of Christ. I go right to Matthew 25, where Jesus describes how people will be judged. I heard that story when I was a small child and I internalized the admonition that whatever we do to the least of these, we do to Christ. When we turn our backs on the poor, on the hungry, on the sick, we turn our backs on all that is good. It diminishes all of us.
This isn’t about money or votes, it’s about the morality of allowing people to suffer and die because we don’t care enough to give them the care they need.
I was for universal access to quality health care before Mike got sick, before he was denied care, and before he died. I wrote about it as a reporter and I cared about it as a human being.
Some have said I’m using my dead son for political gain, but I have nothing to gain politically. I don’t want power, I don’t want to hold office, but I do want people to have access to our health care system.
Have a beer in May
Stop into Altamont Brewing, 1042 Haywood Road, West Asheville, any time in May and ask for their "charity" beer of the day. Buy one and Life o' Mike gets $1. In fact, we get a buck for each one sold. So go in every day and have one to support Life o' Mike.
Thanks, Altamont!
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.
Start From Seed
Life o' Mike has a new program- Start from Seed (SFS).
SFS is a volunteer doula program aimed at providing non-medical, comprehensive support to low income, high-risk women and families of Buncombe County focusing on three areas:
1. We help new doulas with certification and training in return for their participation as a volunteer doula for SFS
2. We mentor volunteer doulas with their first few clients
3. Our volunteer doulas provide birth and postpartum doula services to low income, high risk moms, providing support and tools to empower them as a new parent.
A birth doula is a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; a postpartum doula provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period.
Start from Seed clients are referred to us from the Buncombe County Department of Health’s Nurse-Family Partnership Program, Western North Carolina Community Health Services, and Mission Hospital. The Program is intended and designed for growing clients’ inner strength and helping them gain empowerment to help them cope with the emotional, physical and mental challenges of childbirth, labor, and motherhood.
Our new moms and their infants have many needs. If you would like to help them get off to a good start, please visit our Start from Seed web site: Start from Seed, or call Program Director Chelsea Kouns at 804-814-9946.
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