More letters for health care
More letters were written to Rep. Heath Shuler and Sen. Kay Hagan, asking them to support meaningful health care reform.
We had another letter-writing party this afternoon at the new Land of Sky United Church of Christ in east Asheville. It wasn’t huge, but it was great. Land of Sky, as I said, is a new church and one centered on social justice issues.
One of the women writing letters is homeless. She waited three and a half years for knee surgery, partly because she had no place to recuperate. She’s in rehab now as her knee heals, but it 12 days, she’ll be released, and unless something happens soon, she’ll be on the street again.
Most of the people who were there have health insurance, but one woman who doesn’t told a funny story: She had a date with a man she absolutely didn’t want to see again. When she was telling her mother about the date, her mother said, “But honey, he has health insurance!”
I remember when mothers used to say, “But honey, he’d be a good provider.”
Tags: 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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