The Ritz 14
We had 3,000 people in front of the Ritz Carlton today to protest against the control of our health care by Big Insurance. I joined a number of people I met at the last event (when we blocked the entrance to the US Chamber of Commerce), plus 3,000 others, and we marched on the Ritz Carlton, where America’s Health Insurance Plans was holding a meeting.
As the march kicked off from DuPont Circle, Howard Dean tok Mike’s picture and talked about him. He asked whether Congress would stand with the insurance companies or with us, with the memory of Mike. He talked about it on the Rachel Maddow Show. Mike’s picture made several national news shows. I was interviewed by ABC, and I made it onto the evening news.
We stood outside and chanted, sang and told our stories. We challenged the police, while telling them we were working for their rights to health care. Many of them let us know they appreciated it.
I had wanted to get arrested, but the DC police weren’t interested in arresting us, since we were nonviolent and we didn’t try to cross their lines.
We surrounded the hotel’s exits, including a tunnel that leads to the parking garage, and the coningent in the tunnel made so much noise they drowned out the speakers at the AHIP convention.
Meanwhile, we still wanted to get arrested, even though we weren’t really willing to do anything really wrong. Finally, the police decided they would “escort” us from the scene.
So, 14 of us were escorted around to the back of the building. The officer who escorted me asked about Mike’s photo and told me about how his roommate’s granddaughter died when she was 17 from a lack of care. He told me he admires our resolve and respects our activism. When we got to the release point, he hugged me and wished us luck.
We began chanting “Free the Ritz 14!”
So, I’m one of the Ritz 14. And Mike’s story made it onto ABC and tomorrow night I’m on Ed Shultz Show at 6 p.m. on MSNBC to tell Mike’s story.
I hope it makes a difference.
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.
Cool! I didnt get past the pic but that’s neat. I always knew Mike was destined for D.C.!