Meet Dewey
Dewey, our new boy.
Meet Dewey, whose previous owner was about to send him to the pound. We’re at my office right now and he’s slobbering with excitement all over the carpet.
We’re not sure how he’ll get along with Beasley and the cats, but if that doesn’t work out, we’ll find him a home where nobody will take him to the pound.
Like Mike, I’m a sucker for animals. A couple years before he died, he saw a dog hit by a car. The person who hit it kept on driving, so Mike stopped and picked the dog up and brought it home. As it lay across his lap, Mike tried to find a vet that would take it, but the dog died before he found an emergency vet. He buried it under the pine tree in his yard and called me in tears, angry that someone would let a dog roam free and that someone could hit it and not stop.
Mike was more of a cat person, but he loved all animals — more than he loved people, according to him.
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.
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