Mike’s Obit
Michael Timothy Danforth
Candler NC- Michael Timothy Danforth, 33, died Tuesday, April 1, 2008, at home after a three-year struggle with colon cancer.
Mr. Danforth was born Nov. 3, 1974, in Augusta, Ga. He grew up in Fair Lawn, N.J., and Haverstraw, N.Y., and moved to Schenectady, N.Y., in 1998, where he met and married his wife, the former Janet Kraichy.
He worked as a chef in Schenectady and later in Savannah, Ga., where he lived from 2003 to 2007. He became sober on Nov. 10, 1997, and spent the final 10 years of his life active at the local and state levels of 12step groups.
Mr. Danforth is survived by his mother and stepfather, Leslie Boyd and Robert Mikulak of Candler, N.C.; his father and stepmother, Hazen W. and Linda Danforth, of Brunswick, Ga.; his grandmother, Avis Boyd of North Attleboro, Mass.; two brothers, Scott Danforth and Hazen Danforth Jr., a sister-in-law, Jennifer Danforth, three nieces, Lauren, Peyton and Meghan Danforth, and one nephew, Hazen (Trey) Danforth III, all of Brunswick, Ga.
A memorial service will be held at 5 p.m. Sunday at Savannah Unity Church, 2320 Sunset Blvd., Savannah, Ga. A reception follows the service.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Michael Danforth to Eblen Charities, 12 Regent Park Blvd., Asheville, NC 28806, or Duke University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duke University Medical Center, Box 3477, Durham, NC 27710.
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.
Life o’ Mike honors Joe Eblen
Life o' Mike presented its first Michael T. Danforth Community Service Award to Joe Eblen at a luncheon on June 8, in the Friendship Hall of First Congregational Church, 20 Oak St., Asheville.
Joe, seen here with Leslie Boyd, left, and his wife, Bobbie, has spent his life helping children and families, both as a coach and game official for more than 60 years, and as founder of Eblen Charities.
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.
Post a comment
You must be logged in to post a comment.