The rally and the trip home
Joe and Barbara Coulson hold signs made by Life o' Mike board member Chrystal Cook and written by me. Her photo was taken by dozens of photographers as she held the sign.
I know it’s Tom Coulson and I can’t get the photo caption to update. Sorry, Tom.
What a day yesterday was. We had 1,000 people and we’re going to do it again in October. No date was set yesterday, but I’ll post it as soon as I know.
I felt like an 18-year-old hippie again. We chanted and waved our signs and told our stories. It was amazing.
We got on the bus at 6 p.m. and changed drivers in Roanoke. Our first driver for the evening, Joe, was courteous, friendly and respectful — and probably more ready for a party than we poor, tired folks were.
Our second driver was different.
I have to admit I lost it when, knowing who was on the bus, he was talking on the phone in a loud voice, espousing hatred toward Obama, claiming Joe Wilson has apologized all he needs to because he was right and talking about how this crisis will result in the “population reduction” we need.
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.
I’m so sorry about that Leslie! I had no idea that was going on, because I was at the very back of the bus! You handled the situation wonderfully. While you may have been greatly pained by this man’s insensitivity, maybe he will think about what you said, and it will turn his “ugly” heart around. One can only hope!
I am so glad I found out about your bus trip and didn’t drive, as originally planned. I was tired and a bit achey by the time we got home, but I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything in the world! It is a day I will long remember!! Thank you for all you do! Blessings upon you…
We were concerned when the bus stopped and knew that the bus driver’s explanation of a fuel stop did not make sense. I regret that you had to handle this after all the work you did to make this event a success. I’m appreciative of your efforts and felt our work was worth the trip. What an adventure!
Actually, it was a fuel stop. There was some kind of problem with getting fuel at the first station.
The rally was a wonderful experience for me. I have really been getting tired of all the negative press about health care and I was happy to actually DO something. I enjoyed meeting people from all over the country who think the way I do. People like the lady who flew in from Kansas by herself, or the wonderful little oriental lady whom we ran into on the bus parking deck. She had driven down from New York and was just arriving and the rally was already over. So Sorry! We told her there will be a bigger one in October. I hope she comes back.
Leslie,
As always, I am so proud to call you “Friend”!!! Good for you to set the disrespectful driver straight about his on the clock behaviours!!! If more people would speak up, our world would surely be a better place.
Thanks,
Marey Coates