National Make A Difference To A Child Month!

Hey guys,

Eventbrite is looking to raise awareness for causes that fall in the month of July. Eventbrite is the largest self-service ticketing platform in the world that helps people find and plan events.  The main thing that they focus on is non-profit fundraising. If you're interested in checking out their site, click here. By clicking the link, you will be sent to the site and you'll be assisted with a tool to help you with planning your fundraiser. That particular tool is an event organization tool that's offered at a discount for nonprofit fundraising.


I think National Make a Difference to a Child Month is a great idea because not all children may not feel special, needed or wanted and that is such a sad thing to think about. Everyone; children and adults; should feel special, needed and wanted. There are many ways that you can make a difference in a child's life.You can add your ideas but here's the list of ideas I thought of:

• Tell them that you love them
• Take them out to a movie and let them choose which movie you see
• Take them out to dinner and let them choose the restaurant
• Make them breakfast in bed, like they might have done for you on Mother's or Father's Day
• Take them to the park and just enjoy the time spent together
• Go bowling with them and get bumpers so they can jump up and down when they hit the pins, or even get a strike.
• Have an ice cream date
• Go to the zoo
• Go to the pool in your neighborhood, or to the beach You can even have a water balloon fight in your backyard

Even if you don't have any children of your own, you can of course still do these things with your nephew/niece, grandchildren, friends' children, or you could even sign up to be a Big Brother or Big Sister. Some other ideas if you don't have any children of your own, you can get in touch with your local children hospital, foster homes, kids camps, and ask what items they are the most in need for. A kids camp might just ask for Popsicles for hot days, and while that might be something that you feel isn't important to have but to the directors/counselors and to the campers having something to cool them off in the heat will help them out a lot. You could even donate to a children's charity and help find a cure for a disease or cancer.  Do you have any ideas on how you can make a difference in a child's life? 

Do you want to begin a non-profit fundraiser? If yes, you should check out Eventbrite here. 


<3 Amanda 

National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day

(http://www.inktastic.com/Find/Fibromyalgia+Awareness+Ribbon+Tank+Top)

Hey guys,

Today is National Fibromyalgia  Awareness Day. If you aren't familiar with what Fibromyalgia  is, it  is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Symptoms sometimes begin after a physical trauma, surgery, infection or significant psychological stress. On the other hand, in other cases, symptoms gradually accumulate over time with no single triggering event.  Some people experience tension headaches, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, anxiety and depression..   The gender that is  most likely to be diagnosed with the disorder is female. There is currently no cure (Fibromyalgia, 2017).

Some statistics about Fibromyalgia are (Prevalence, n.d.):

• Fibromyalgia is one of the most common chronic pain conditions.
• It affects an estimated 10 million people in the U.S. and an estimated 3-6% of the world population.
• It is often seen in families, among siblings or mothers and their children.
• The diagnosis is usually made between the ages of 20 to 50 years

References:

Fibromyalgia.(2017). Retrieved May 12, 2017, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/fibromyalgia/home/ovc-20317786

Prevalence. (n.d.). Retrieved May 12, 2017, from http://www.fmaware.org/about-fibromyalgia/prevalence/

<3 Amanda 

Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Week

(https://www.pinterest.com/pin/472737292107523473/)

*This post is dedicated to a friend of mine who has CF. She is a very strong person*

Hey guys,

This week (April 10-16) is a week to spread awareness for Cystic Fibrosis. I, myself, wasn't too familiar with it until a few years ago. I knew that Cystic Fibrosis was a disease but I didn't know a lot about it before.  When I knew that this week was coming up, I wanted to write a post and spread more awareness to this disease.  

If you are not aware of it is, Cystic fibrosis is a progressive, genetic disease that causes persistent lung infections and limits the ability to breathe over time. It is a genetic disease. People with CF have inherited two copies of the defective CF gene -- one copy from each parent. Both parents must have at least one copy of the defective gene (Cystic Fibrosis Foundation., n.d.).

Some statistics about CF are  (Cystic Fibrosis Foundation., n.d.).:

• More than 30,000 people are living with cystic fibrosis (more than 70,000 worldwide).
• Approximately 1,000 new cases of CF are diagnosed each year.
• More than 75 percent of people with CF are diagnosed by age 2.
• More than half of the CF population is age 18 or older. 

Reference:
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved April 12, 2017, from https://www.cff.org/What-is-CF/About-Cystic-Fibrosis/

<3 Amanda 

National Child Abuse Awareness Month

(http://swaysuniverse.com/first-aid-with-kelly-kinkaid-april-is-child-abuse-awareness-month/)

This month is national awareness month for something that sadly happens and that is Child Abuse.  National Child Abuse Prevention Month is a time to acknowledge the importance of families and communities working together to prevent child abuse and neglect, and to promote the social and emotional well-being of children and families (ABOUT, n.d.). Here is National Child Abuse Prevention Month journey throughout the years (ABOUT, n.d.) :

• 1974-The first Federal child protection legislation, CAPTA was signed by President Nixon on January 31, 1974 and marked the beginning of a new national response to the problem of child abuse and neglect.
• 1982-In 1982, Congress resolved that June 6-12 should be designated as the first National Child Abuse Prevention Week.
• 1983- President Reagan proclaimed April to be the first National Child Abuse Prevention Month
• 1989-The blue ribbon campaign is a memorial to children who have been affected by abuse and neglect.
• 2005-There was renewed commitment to make child abuse prevention a national priority.

Here are some very sad statistics about child abuse (Child Abuse Statistics, n.d.) :

• In 2015, an estimated 1,670 children died from abuse and neglect in the United States
• in 2015, Children’s Advocacy Centers around the country served more than 311,000 child victims of abuse, providing victim advocacy and support to these children and their families.
• Nearly 700,000 children are abused in the U.S annually. 
• CPS protects more than 3 million children. 
• The youngest children were most vulnerable to maltreatment.
• About four out of five abusers are the victims’ parents
• Of those alleged to have abused children, nearly a quarter were themselves children.

Blue Ribbon Week:   

(http://www.facesofchildabuse.org/documents/ICON%20Blue%20ribbon%20white.jpg)

April 2nd -8th is reserved for National Blue Ribbon Week.  The blue ribbon stands for Child Abuse Prevention and it is displayed in memory of all of the children lost to child abuse and in support of child abuse prevention.  Why is it blue? It is blue to represent the bruised and battered bodies of the thousands of children that are abused everyday. 

References:

ABOUT. (n.d.). Retrieved April 03, 2017, from https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/preventing/preventionmonth/about/Child 

Abuse Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved April 03, 2017, from http://americanspcc.org/child-abuse-statistics/


Prevent Child Abuse. (2012). Retrieved April 03, 2017, from http://www.facesofchildabuse.org/blue-ribbon-movement.html 

<3 Amanda 

World's Autism Awareness Day

(https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism/waad/about-world-autism-awareness-day)

Hey guys,

Today is a day that focuses around something that I think should have more attention towards, and that is World's Autism Awareness Day.  I have friends who have children who have Autism.  Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, refers to a range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication, as well as by unique strengths and differences. Autism is  caused by different combinations of genetic and environmental influences.The most-obvious signs tend to appear between 2 and 3 years of age.It can be diagnosed as early as 18 months in some cases (What Is Autism? , 2012).


Some statistics about Autism (What Is Autism? , 2012) :

• Around one third of people with autism remain nonverbal.
• Around one third of people with autism have an intellectual disability.

Some facts about Autism (What Is Autism? , 2012) :

• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates autism’s prevalence as 1 in 68 children in the United States. This includes 1 in 42 boys and 1 in 189 girls.
• An estimated 50,000 teens with autism become adults – and lose school-based autism services – each year.
• Certain medical and mental health issues frequently accompany autism. They include gastrointestinal (GI) disorders, seizures, sleep disturbances, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety and phobias.

If you think your child might have Autism,see if they have any of the signs. You can find the link here. But please keep in mind that every child is different and one child might have one sign while another child might have a different sign. Children are like snowflakes because there are no children that are exactly the same.

References:

What Is Autism? (2012). Retrieved April 01, 2017, from https://www.autismspeaks.org/what-autism


<3 Amanda 

National Kidney Disease Awareness Month

(http://www.hospitalgiftshop.com/Shop-by-Condition-Kidney-Disease.htm)

Did you know that March is National Kidney Disease Awareness Month? Chronic kidney disease (CKD) includes conditions that damage your kidneys and decrease their ability to keep you healthy by doing the jobs listed. If kidney disease gets worse, wastes can build to high levels in your blood and make you feel sick.  There are many complications that you could experience, which are: high blood pressure, anemia (low blood count), weak bones, poor nutritional health and nerve damage. One of the many terrible things about CKD is that it increases your risk of having heart and blood vessel disease. Something that I wasn't aware of was that Chronic kidney disease may be caused by diabetes, high blood pressure and other disorders. When kidney disease progresses, it may eventually lead to kidney failure, which requires dialysis or a kidney transplant to maintain life (About Chronic Kidney Disease, 2017).

I have a personal connection with Kidney Disease. Last September, I was informed that my uncle was diagnosed with Kidney Disease and it was in stage 4. . In the middle of October, my cousin donated a kidney to her dad. I have seen them both afterwards and they both are doing well. My uncle was back in the hospital but for a different reason from his kidneys. 

Some facts about Chronic kidney disease (CKD) are:

26 million American adults have CKD and millions of others are at increased risk.

Heart disease is the major cause of death for all people with CKD.

Two simple tests can detect CKD: blood pressure, urine albumin and serum creatinine.

Persistent proteinuria (protein in the urine) means CKD is present.

High risk groups include those with diabetes, hypertension and family history of kidney failure.

(About Chronic Kidney Disease, 2017).

Reference:

About Chronic Kidney Disease. (2017). Retrieved March 24, 2017, from https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/about-chronic-kidney-disease 

Stroke Awareness Month (BEDM Day 27 Bonus)

May is considered stroke awareness month and when I saw the opportunity when someone asked on Facebook if anyone would be interested in writing a post to help promote stroke awareness. I quickly jumped on it as my grandma passed away from a stroke back in October of 2003 when I was 12 years old. She was walking into D&W when she suffered her stroke. She was rushed to the hospital and after tests we found out that they couldn't operate because it was too deep in her brain. She then later passed away. She was 80 years old.

I don't think stroke awareness is a popular awareness but it should be because just like a heart attack,someone can suffer from a stroke. It can be a family member, a friend or even yourself. Do you know how often someone suffers from a stroke in the U.S? Every 40 seconds! Also, about 800,000 people have a stroke every year. That's insane. Strokes are also the No. 1 preventable cause of disability with 80 percent of strokes that are preventable!  Did you know that there is an acronym for strokes?  I'll be honest and say that I didn't know this acronym. Actually only 9 percent of people can identify all the letters in the F.A.S.T acronym for stroke.

F - Face Drooping - Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile.

        A - Arm Weakness - Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?               

          S - Speech Difficulty - Is speech slurred? Are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence like: “The sky is blue.” Is the sentence repeated correctly?

        T- Time to call 9-1-1 - If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get them to the hospital immediately.

*When you recognize a stroke and immediately call 9-1-1, the person has a greater chance of getting to an appropriate hospital quickly and being assessed for treatment options like a clot-busting drug or clot-removing device.

Famous people who has suffered a stroke 

Bob Barker 

   Mary Kay Ash

Dick Clark

      Betty Ford   

(Famous People Who Have Had Strokes - Famous People Are Human, 2016)

      Take the #StrokeHero Quiz:  You don’t need superpowers to be a Stroke Hero. You can be a Stroke Hero by knowing F.A.S.T, the warning signs of stroke, so you’re ready to take action.  http://strokeheroquiz.org/ 

References:

Stress Awareness Month Website 

Famous People Who Have Had Strokes - Famous People Are Human. (2016). Retrieved May 27, 2016, from http://www.famouspeoplearehuman.com/index.php/famous-people-who-have-had-strokes/

 

     <3 Amanda 

National Anxiety And Depression Awareness Week (May 2nd–8th, 2016)

There is something that people might not know about me and that is I have anxiety when it comes to certain things.When I was in my senior year, some tests in Ecology, I took in a different room because of the anxiety of not doing my best because I would see others finishing their tests at a faster pace than me and being one of the last ones to finish the test.

I wasn't taught how to drive that much,only a few times (by an older brother and my ex-fiance) but that isn't the reason why I don't know how to drive/have my license. Anxiety is a big thing that gets in the way of me learning how to drive.  Whenever I think about learning how to drive, I get nervous. I'm nervous that I'm going to get into a crash or when turning I'm nervous that I'm going to turn into the wrong lane and then again, get into a crash.

One of my goals this summer is to learn how to drive and prove it to myself that I can overcome my anxiety and achieve my goal. Wish me luck!!

Facts about anxiety and Depression:

• Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older, or 18% of the population (Anxiety And Depression Association Of America, 2014).
• Anxiety disorders develop from a complex set of risk factors, including genetics, brain chemistry, personality, and life events(Anxiety And Depression Association Of America, 2014).
• Major depression is a treatable illness that affects the way a person thinks, feels, behaves, and functions. At any point in time, 3 to 5 percent of people suffer from major depression; the lifetime risk is about 17 percent (Anxiety And Depression Association Of America, 2015).
• It is not uncommon for someone with an anxiety disorder to also suffer from depression or vice versa. Nearly one-half of those diagnosed with depression are also diagnosed with an anxiety disorder (Anxiety And Depression Association Of America, 2015).

References:

Anxiety And Depression Association Of America. (2014). Facts & Statistics. Retrieved May 08, 2016, from http://www.adaa.org/about-adaa/press-room/facts-statistics

Anxiety And Depression Association Of America. (2015). Depression. Retrieved May 08, 2016, from http://www.adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/depression

<3 Amanda