Tag: care

Vivian Keith is a brave 2-year-old battling leukemia at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. 

The form of leukemia that Vivian has affects her white blood cells, making it difficult for her immune system to fight diseases. For that reason, she spent most of her time at the hospital in isolation. The little girl sought human contact the only way she could. 

From her window. 

Vivian started a unique ritual that her parents believe calmed her down and helped her forget the chemotherapy she was enduring. She would sit at her window each morning and wave to the construction workers at the campus renewal project across the way. Her mother, Ginger, said that Vivian had to wave until one of the workers waved back. 

One day, Vivian received a very special surprise. Instead of waving, the workers were pointing to something.

Travis Barnes and Greg Combs are veteran ironworkers who decided to write a message for Vivian on one of the beams: “Get well soon.”

Combs said he was thinking about his own kids and how precious life is when they decided to write the message. 

Once Vivian left isolation, the two men were able to visit her and her parents. They were all too happy to meet the inspiring girl, and they even brought her a few gifts. 

“It was amazing,” Ginger said. “It was just an amazing day for her.”

Vivian was a bit shy, but Barnes and Combs still exchanged hugs with her and offered encouragement. 

“It makes me happy that something so simple like that could make someone’s day better,” Combs said. 

Most of us are looking for a way to stay motivated and consistent with healthy habits. Whether it is eating better or exercising, many of us need daily reminders, support, and something to keep the process interesting. There are thousands of smart phone apps promising weight loss or ripped abs, but do they really work? Is there an app for that?
A recent study conducted at the University of Florida is critical of most free apps. The apps were compared to the American College of Sports Medicine’s Guidelines for Physical Activity including:
– 150 minutes of cardiorespiratory exercise per week
– Resistance exercise two or three days per week
– Flexibility exercise two or three days per week
– Neuromotor exercise (balance, agility, and coordination) two or three days per week
Yes, measured against these criteria, most fitness apps fall short. But is that really the point?
Most Americans get just eight minutes of physical activity per day, or 56 minutes per week. ANY increase in activity is beneficial. If a free app reminds you to get up and move around more, that is excellent. If an app allows you to log what you eat and be more intentional, fantastic.
The secret to successful weight loss or fitness plans is to combine motivation and support for behavior change. A fitness or weight loss app isn’t going to be a magic cure, but they can support behavior change by:
– Providing positive messages, support, and motivation: The FitBit app does this very well. The app is simple, tracking steps and allowing users to log other data such as ounces of water or calories consumed. The real beauty comes through badges earned through steps, encouraging messages (you are almost to your goal), and the ability to connect with friends in good natured competition.
– Making users set specific goals: “I will take 10,000 steps today” is a more specific goal and will be more successful than a goals such as, “I will be more active.” Successful apps ask users to make measurable daily goals
– Reminding users to be intentional about goals: If you are intentional about something on a daily basis, change will happen. Most apps have the option to set reminders or have prompts built into the design.
– Individualizing activities: Cookie cutter activity or eating plans are less likely to be effective than plans that can be modified to fit individual needs. Apps that allow users to set beginning fitness levels, age, injury issues, dietary preferences, etc., will be more successful. The University of Florida Study recommended Sworkit as a comprehensive and flexible app.
– Being easy and pleasant to use: If an app is too complicated or is discouraging to use, you won’t be likely to go back to it day after day. I’m a fan of Johnson & Johnson’s 7 Minute Workout App. It is simple to use, mixes up activities, and is quick.
So, is there an app for that? There certainly could be. With so many to choose from for any smart phone, finding one to suit your specific needs using the criteria above is very possible. Try some out, most have a free version. Whether you are just getting started toward your goal or just need some new ideas to keep you motivated, a smart phone app may just be trick

Every year, restaurants and schools throw away perfectly good crayons. One man is putting those discarded crayons to use, though. 

The Crayon Initiative, a non-profit organization founded by Bryan Ware, uses discarded crayons to make new crayons, which are distributed to children at hospitals throughout California.

Ware, a creative dad from Northern California, was eating at a restaurant a few years ago with his wife and kids. He watched as his sons scribbled happily with some crayons. A thought struck him as he watched. 

What happens to those crayons afterward?

Ware asked his server and was disappointed to learn that the crayons at the restaurant were thrown away after customers leave. It seemed like a waste to him, so he started taking crayons with him. That simple act turned into The Crayon Initiative. 

The organization now receives leftover crayons from restaurants, schools, and personal donations. Ware sorts the crayons by color and melts them in his own kitchen. He then uses a special mold, built with the help of an occupational therapist, to form the new crayons. They’re molded a little thicker, so younger kids and those with special needs can grip them better.

So far, The Crayon Initiative has delivered more than 2,000 boxes to California hospitals, and recently Ware made the first deliver out of state, traveling all the way to New York. He hopes The Crayon Initiative can continue to grow and provide kids in a difficult situation with a creative outlet.

“From my perspective, the biggest goal is to give them an escape,” Ware told The Mighty. “I can’t even fathom what these kids are going through. If these crayons give them an escape from that hospital room for ten minutes, we did our job.”

Ostensibly, prison is supposed to be about rehabilitation. You would never know it at some institutions, though. But one in Washington is taking that goal to heart. 

And it’s doing it with bees. 

Cedar Creek Corrections Center in Littlerock, Washington is home to a beekeeping program that teaches inmates about green practices and trains them in a skill they can use after rejoining society. The program even works with Olympia Bee Keeper’s Association to fund a beekeeping apprentice certification. 

It’s one of the more coveted jobs inside in the prison and is quickly becoming a great way to build a rapport between the inmates and prison staff. 

“It gives me an open communication line we can talk about and share,” Glenn Epling, corrections officer and program instructor, told the King 5 news station. “It helps me bring something to these inmates that I’m finding out they’re very interested in.”

Many of the inmates didn’t know a thing about bees before working in the program. Now, they can spot diseases, pests, and healthy gathering of pollen. They’ve also learned how to effectively collect honey and wax and turn them into marketable products.

“You have the opportunity to actually advance yourself when you get out of here,” inmate Jack Boysen said. “You have the potential to turn this into a career when you get out.” 

The program is part of Washington’s Sustainability in Prisons Project, which was formally started in 2008 at four prisons. Currently, each of the state’s 12 prisons and around 3,000 inmates participate in the program. It includes environmental initiatives other than beekeeping like butterfly breeding and flower growing. 

Joslyn Rose Trivett, who works for the Sustainability in Prisons Project, said the program is giving inmates hope.

“A lot of the people who are incarcerated are struggling with the feeling of being thrown away and discarded by society,” Trivett said. However, she said the program has shown them, “There is value in every material and every resource and every animal and plant and certainly in every person.”

Braedon Monthony was taken with Winter the tailless dolphin the first time he saw her in Dolphin Tale. He excitedly told his mother, “Mom, how cool! She’s just like me!”

Winter, the star of Dolphin Tale, lost her tail after getting caught in a crab trap. Now, she uses a prosthetic tail. It’s something to which the first grader can relate. Braedon lost both of his legs below the knees after fighting bacterial form of meningitis before he was even a year old. 

Braedon desperately wanted to meet Winter in person, so he started a lemonade stand to raise money. When the Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Florida heard about Braedon’s efforts, they offered his family free tickets and set up a special meet and greet next spring. Unfortunately, the family will have to pay for the trip down there. But not to worry!

So far, Braedon has raised about $200 and the family also started a Go Fund Me page, which has netted around $4,000. It’s more than enough to go see Winter. 

“Ever since I saw the movie, I’ve been wanting to meet her, I’m so excited,” Braedon told People. “She lost her tail and I lost my legs, we both wear prosthetics, we’re the same!”

The movie, and Winter, made Braedon feel a little less lonely. He said it made him realize he wasn’t the only to lose his legs. 

“When he saw the movie, he was so excited to see another being similar to him,” Braedon’s mom, Elaine Monthony, told People. “He felt such a kinship with Winter. He doesn’t see people with prosthetics every day, so it will be very special for him to see her, he doesn’t have to feel alone or different. We can’t wait to see him experience that.” 

Like Winter, the prostheses aren’t an obstacle to Braedon. The energetic little boy loves to bike, swim, and just play outside. He might use the energy to do some good one day, too. Braedon said when he grows up he wants to work with animals who are missing limbs.

“I would like to train dolphins and killer whales that have lost their tales, because it would make me feel so happy that I would have my own dolphin to train!” he said. “Mine would definitely like me a lot, I think. We would have a lot in common.” 

Go get ’em kid!

Every day someone undergoes a life-altering experience, whether positive or negative. From the time we wake up and fall asleep, our world could quite possibly take an 180-degree turn, and that’s exactly what happened for Heidi McKenzie. Heidi was your everyday girl who enjoyed sports and other recreations. However, her life came to a halt in 2007 when she suffered injuries from a severe accident, paralyzing her from the waist down. Fortunately, she was the recipient of positivity and well-wishes as her support group aided in her mental discovery, but Heidi had one long-lasting qualm that couldn’t be solved through therapy or kind words – fashion. Heidi had already been a creative and fashion forward woman so when she realized her style choices were rather limited, specifically in finding pants that were both stylish and comfortable, she was not impressed. 

“Being adaptive and functional is what sells to those in wheelchairs so that is the main focus … cute is not a priority,” Heidi states. 

She knew that the majority of clothing wear for people in wheelchairs was catered toward the elderly, so skinny jeans or extreme flares are never an option when she’s on the market for a new outfit. As she was mulling this over she went on to graduate college, engage in various volunteer organizations, and she even won a beauty pageant! She was still in the fast lane in almost every aspect except for her jeans, and it finally became too much.

More than 3 million people are in wheelchairs in the United States alone, so Heidi decided to be the spokesperson for young Millennials that knew their life was only different by the chair they relied upon. Heidi partnered with designer Kristin Alexandra Tidwell to create jeans that are fashion-forward, comfortable, and easily accessible for people in wheelchairs. She titled it “Alter Ur Ego” and started a Kickstarter campaign that immediately took off raising more than 20k. They began creating jeans that have since been a wild success. These jeans look like your everyday pair, however, there is a comfortable elastic band that holds your stomach in since it’s impossible to suck in, and no one likes an unwanted pooch! The pockets are easier to access with them being placed lower on the leg and the cut is higher in the back so you don’t have any unwanted skin peeking through. The last invention is pure genius  – they manufactured an invisible catheter opening to avoid embarrassment yet still maintain the much-needed accessibility. 

Heidi is an inspiration to us all as she continues to look forward in life and pursue her love for designing items that people, who are in a similar situation as herself, can utilize. Her positivity and resolve is something we could all use a little more of in this world! 

When you have a sick child, feeding the meter probably isn’t your first priority. 

An Australian mom was initially distraught to see she had been ticketed after spending several days in a Canberra hospital with her sick nine-week-old son. She found a welcome surprise when she picked up the ticket, though. 

There was a note attached to the ticket left by a kind stranger, who only gave her name as “Laura.” It said, “I saw your car had a parking ticket on it. I’m sure whatever you’re going through at the hospital is tough enough so I have paid for you.”

The note included a receipt for the payment, as well. 

The anonymous mom posted a picture of the note to the Canberra Mums Facebook page. She wanted to share the compassionate act with others and hoped Laura might see it. The post went viral in no time, receiving 50,000 likes in less than a day. Now more than 100,000 people have liked the post, and it has also been shared 16,000 times. 

In the post, the anonymous mom wrote, “I hope that Laura sees this and knows how much I appreciate her support. Thank you so much.”

There’s been no word on whether Laura has seen the post, but, if the reactions to it are any indication, she’s incredibly appreciated. 

Typically, complaints to any restaurant or business are met with a polite apology and not much else. One grocery store in Ireland went the extra mile, though. 

Gina Grant, a mother from County Donegal, was having a difficult time shopping for groceries. Her son Francis has Mitochondrial Disease and is totally reliant on her. Grant only had two options while shopping: Try to push a wheelchair and a cart simultaneously or put Francis in the cart with the groceries. Neither situation was ideal. 

“Ordinarily I have to put my son in the back of the trolley along with the food, which he finds incredibly stressful,” Grant told the Irish Mirror. 

After one especially trying trip to Dunnes Stores, Grant petitioned store management for an accommodation. She wanted a cart that would make shopping with Francis less stressful. To her surprise, Dunnes exceeded her expectations.

Grant showed up to the store one day, anticipating another difficult trip when the staff told her Francis’ cart was ready. 

“They brought it over and it had a special padded seat, head support, safety harnesses, the works! If I had of won the lottery, I couldn’t have been happier. It was amazing, I haven’t stopped smiling since. It was a wonderful thing to do,” Grant told the Irish Mirror.

Grant said it was a “pleasure” to shop for once and that “such a small thing” can make an incredible difference. She won’t be the only one to benefit either. The cart, which is the first of its kind in the Donegal, will be available for anyone who needs it. Additionally, Dunnes plans to make 155 specialized carts available in stores across the country. 

The happy mother commended the store. 

“I am over the moon that Dunnes have decided to do this,” she said. “I know how much a difference this little thing has had in my life. So to think that me pushing Dunnes to get me a trolley for my son will bring normality to other parents in the same situation, it makes me very chuffed.”

Folding origami is pretty impressive, but what these sisters are doing takes it to another level. 

In 2011, Katherine Adams started folding origami with her father while her older sister when to school. Around the same time, the precocious 5 year old learned that people in other countries go thirsty every day and many girls can’t go to school because they’re hauling water all day.

She decided to do something about it. 

Katherine enlisted the help of her 8-year-old sister Isabelle and her parents. The girls, and a few other volunteers, hosted an origami sale at a Starbucks in Dallas. All of the proceeds went toward building a fresh-water well in Ethiopia. Katherine and Isabelle hoped to make $500, but they made much more. The origami ornaments sold out the first day, and two months later they had raised more than $10,000.

It was more than enough to cover the cost of a new well that benefitted a whole village. 

The venture was so successful that the sisters are now co-presidents of Paper For Water. The organization has hundreds of volunteers who fold and sell origami ornaments. With their help, Paper For Water has raised more than $650,000 during the last four years. The money has gone toward 70 new wells in various places in Africa, India, and even the United States.

The girls have made an amazing effort, but it’s a drop in the bucket considering what still needs to be done. Nearly 800 million people lack access to clean water and proper sanitation facilities could cost up to $20 billion, the girls’ father Dr. Ken Adams said. The girls are optimistic, though.

“If everyone in this world helps a little, it all adds up to a lot,” Isabelle told Good News Network. “Folding origami is an easy way for people of any age to help change the world.”

The family has visited two of the wells that have been built, one in India and the other on a Navajo reservation in New Mexico. In 2017, the family plans to go on a “world tour” of the wells that have been built. 

If you want to help, you can buy ornaments on their website.