Real Deal: No More Needles for Blood Draws

Velano Vascular is on a mission to bring compassion to healthcare and make painful blood draws more pleasant for patients.  So far, they’re succeeding. They’ve received their 3rd FDA-clearance to help children and adults who cringe at the sight of needles.

Needlephobia affects 24% of adults and 63% of children.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf may come to mind when we talk about no more needles for blood draws because of ill-fated Theranos.  They’re the overly-hyped biotech start-up currently under federal investigation by the S.E.C. and U.S. Attorney’s office. Patients initially thrilled about no more needles got hoodwinked by fake news.

Meet the Real Deal.

Velano Vascular creates a single-use, disposable device called PIVO.

 

It attaches to a peripheral IV line, in hospital inpatients, allowing for lab quality blood samples to be drawn back through the IV –without requiring venipuncture (needle sticks or drawing blood from central lines) .

 

Many of the questions Therano’s CEO never answered, avoided or even got asked by reporters is welcomed by Velano Vascular’s CEO, Eric Stone, who I interviewed.

WHAT IS PIVO AN ACRONYM FOR?

ERIC STONE, CEO, VELANO VASCULAR:  PIVO derives from “peripheral intravenous catheter,” or PIV, which is a medical term for the standard IV most hospital patients are hooked up to in order to receive intravenous fluids..

WHAT IS PIVO?

STONE: PIVO is a single-use, disposable device that attaches temporarily to an IV line, allowing for needle-free blood draws from this existing line.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

STONE: It enables blood draws to be taken by clinicians from the same intravenous (IV) catheter most hospital patients already have inserted in their arms, instead of poking them again each time they need their blood drawn and instead of accessing larger catheters (Central Venous Catheters) which raise different challenges associated with each time they are accessed.

WHO DOES THIS DEVICE HELP PEOPLE?

STONE:  The device works for any patient with an IV catheter. Of course, children tend to more commonly have an acute fear of needles, so it can make pediatric care less invasive and painful.

There are also an estimated 30% of our hospital inpatients that are classified as DVA (Difficult Venous Access) because of aging, obesity, disease and more.

PIVO helps practitioners capture critical labs from these growing populations of patients who otherwise may take significant time and expense.

STONE: Also, those in hospitals or other inpatient settings, where the average length of stay is almost 5 days in the U.S. require daily or more frequent blood draws. Many of these patients have problematic veins or skin, which requires a lot of poking and prodding to draw blood. PIVO tackles these issues head on.

According to the CDC, an estimated 35M inpatient stays occur in the U.S. alone each year.  So, PIVO is set to  help many millions of Americans, not to mention those inpatients around the world.

HOW IS PIVO MORE COMFORTABLE & LESS DANGEROUS FOR PATIENT?

STONE:  For patients who have their blood drawn for a check-up once a year in an outpatient setting, blood draws are not that disruptive.  For a “frequent flyer” in the hospital, or a DVA (difficult venous access) patient –noted as such upon admission or who has become DVA after 10 or 20 days in the hospital feeling like a pin cushion –removing the needle from the procedure can have a lifelong impact.

Enabling practitioners to avoid accessing central lines (large, surgically-placed catheters) for blood draws aims to reduce the risks of Central Line Associated Blood Stream Infection.

Further, removing the needle from blood draws helps avoid risk of injury and infection for our phlebotomists, nurses and physicians. Hospital leadership is recognizing that an important alternative to a prevalent practice is now available.

IF I GET BLOOD WORK FROM AN ANNUAL PHYSICAL WILL THEY USE PIVO?

STONE:  PIVO requires a Peripheral IV catheter in order to access the vein. The IV line serves as a temporary conduit to the vein, so without the IV line PIVO cannot access the vein.

The IV line serves as a temporary conduit to the vein, so without the IV line, PIVO cannot access a patient’s blood.  As such, this procedure is most appropriate for the hospital inpatient setting.

I do envision PIVO will adopted in other care settings, where patients possess an IV line and require frequent blood draws, but the annual physical unfortunately is not one of these.

WHY AREN’T IV’S GOOD FOR DRAWING BLOOD WITHOUT PIVO?

STONE:  IV’s are essentially plastic  tubes which overtime become soft, like a noodle. While a noodle is fine for injecting fluids and medications into a patient, its soft walls collapse under the negative pressure of suction when you try to take fluids out.

There are other reasons why IV’s are less-than-optimal for drawing blood back, but these are quite complex in nature and we’re only just now uncovering some of the novel reasons through our research with leading clinical collaborators.

PIVO simply inserts a small, stiffer tube inside the existing IV tube for the purpose of drawing blood.

It works by propping open and unkinking the IV tube temporarily while enabling lab quality blood be collected.

HOW WAS THE IDEA FOR PIVO ORIGINALLY DEVELOPED?

STONE:   Velano’s co-founder and physician, Pitamber Devgon had an elderly patient with bruises up and down her arms from repeated needle sticks.  That patient asked him why he was continually sticking her with needles when she already had an IV catheter in her vein. He didn’t know, but began exploring if it was possible to draw lab quality samples out of the IV line using a separate device.

Stone, a Wharton MBA shares, “Most of my career has been in healthcare, plus I am a needle phobic following my childhood diagnosis with Crohn’s disease as a teenager. So, when I was looking for a company start and a product to bring to market and my former graduate school classmates introduced us, I was instantly engaged following years as a serial healthcare entrepreneur and patient advocate.  From that connection,  Velano was born. “

Velano first won FDA approval for PIVO in 2015, and has also obtained multiple U.S. and international patents for it, with additional applications outstanding in the U.S. & abroad.

STONE: “Five years from now,” asserts Stone, “I believe, without a doubt that PIVO will be the standard of care for inpatient blood draws and vascular access.”

Thanks for a great interview and innovation for healthcare consumers! -Maria Dorfner

http://velanovascular.com

 

MEDIA:   Contact: Michael Azzano at 415-596-1978 to set up telephone or on-camera interviews with patients or Eric Stone, CEO, Velano Vascular.

____________________________________________________

RELATED NEWS:

 

A year ago, Forbes contributor Robert Reiss called Eric Stone “The Steve Jobs of Drawing Blood” and tested PIVO himself.  Reprint of article below courtesy of Reiss.

The Steve Jobs Of Drawing Blood

by Robert Reiss , FORBES CONTRIBUTOR (specializing in writing about CEOs)

Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own.

I was recently at a board meeting at Griffin Hospital and our CEO was telling us about a new product that could transform perhaps the most ubiquitous healthcare practice – drawing blood.

The concept from a company called Velano Vascular repurposes the IV most hospital patients already have in their arms so blood can be drawn without having their veins repeatedly stuck by needles.

It aims to eliminate the associated negatives of traditional blood drawing: the pain and anxiety, injuries, excessive time and cost.

It seemed like such a revolutionary solution to a broad issue – sort of like in 1892 when Keds invented sneakers – and I was curious to understand if this was truly an historic moment where the age old process of drawing blood could once and for all be revolutionized.

It reminded me of one of my first CEO interviews back in 2007 with Jay Walker, the founder of Priceline when he described the driving force behind one of his over 700 patents, “The key to successful innovation is having a better solution for something that’s used everywhere and every day.”

So I decided to experience this innovation firsthand and a few weeks later I intentionally became a patient and experienced this new needleless way to draw numerous samples of blood.

I was amazed, the nurses were able to draw blood easily, and to do so as many times as they wanted without ever having to stick a needle in me again.

I was next introduced to the founder of Velano Vascular, Eric Stone, who I now admiringly call the Steve Jobs of drawing blood, and below are a few insights from our conversation:

Robert Reiss: How much blood is currently being drawn and what are the problems with the current system?

Eric Stone: Blood draws are not fun – and they are overlooked and underappreciated…except by patients. They are likely the most common invasive medical procedure, with an estimated half a billion in U.S. hospitals alone conducted every year, and two to three times this number across all hospitals worldwide annually.

Recognizing that the U.S. represents nearly 40 million inpatient admissions annually, with an average length of stay of five days, and a conservative estimate of two blood draws per patient per day, we are easily conducting hundreds of millions of inpatient draws each year quite readily.

This does not even take into account other non-hospital settings where patients require regular blood draws, such as long-term care facilities, skilled nursing homes and more – all locations where patients may have a peripheral IV (PIV) catheter indwelling (a requirement for our innovation to be relevant).

For a procedure that informs nearly 70% of all clinical decisions, it is remarkable that the last major innovation was the abandonment of bloodletting centuries ago.

Whether you’re the parent of a sick child or the son or daughter of an elderly parent, repeat hospitalizations and frequent blood draws hit home for just about everyone. It’s scary, it hurts, and it’s critical that we begin to pay attention and stop taking the steely reserve of our patients for granted.

Herein lies the rub. People scared of needles (trypanophobia) avoid necessary tests and treatment, needles injure healthcare workers more than 2 million times a year in accidents that can lead to serious infection, and the list of dysfunction goes on.

The way we draw blood today has real emotional, clinical and financial consequences. We can, and we must, do better. We can start by paying attention.

Reiss: What specifically is different about the Velano Vascular product?

Stone: Velano’s FDA-approved PIVO™ is a disposable, needle free device that connects to a patient’s existing IV catheter, enabling blood draws during their entire hospital stay without requiring subsequent needle sticks.

It turns out that IVs are great at putting fluids into the body but unreliable at pulling them out – that’s why patients receive so many needle sticks while in the hospital.

PIVO turns the routine IV into a reliable conduit for drawing high quality blood samples. This is an elegant solution to a centuries-old problem.

Now, patients no longer need to feel like a “pin cushions” or experience abrupt awakenings between 2:00 am and 6:00 am for the nighttime needle stick – when 40% of blood draws occur.

The company was founded based on a simple idea back in 2012, and subsequently PIVO has been used in clinical pilots and trials at a number of leading U.S. hospitals since receiving regulatory clearance in early 2015.

It has won a number of awards, including the Frost & Sullivan New Product Innovation Award for Vascular Access in 2016 and the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation competition at Children’s National Health in Washington, DC.

Reiss: What are the strengths and weaknesses of your methodology on quality outcomes?

Stone: Velano is most often measured by the clinical quality of blood samples drawn and its impact on both practitioner and patient experience.

In thousands of patients, the quality of our blood samples has been definitive and easy to measure, both through clinical studies and “real world,” commercial use.

Blood drawn from PIVO has similarly low hemolysis rates (blood cell shearing or tearing that can relegate a patient to a re-draw and delays in essential care) to needle draws.

Clinical study efforts and pilots with some of the country’s leading healthcare institutions such as University Hospitals Cleveland, Intermountain Healthcare, The University of Pennsylvania Hospital and Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital reflect clinically appropriate laboratory results – confirming that blood drawn with our compassionate technology can become a standard of care for clinical decision-making.

Practitioner and patient experience is harder to quantify, but our surveys and testimonials to-date are resoundingly positive. In fact, patients who receive PIVO draws are requesting PIVO when transferred to floors in the hospital that are not participating in our pilots or upon readmission to the hospital. They are actually asking for the product – it is remarkable.

The onus is on Velano to continue improving our quality measurements to undeniably prove this innovation is truly a win-win-win, as we seek to elevate the quality of care and outcomes for patients, practitioners and hospitals alike.

Reiss: What is the financial model for a user and what is the economic impact nationally?

Stone: The cost of a blood draw is not just the $1 or less spent for a needle. Instead, it is the many billions of dollars a year spent on wasted materials, rejected blood samples, patient and practitioner risks, delayed results, labor costs, central line escalations, and more resulting from this less-than-desirable and madly inefficient procedure.

Some of the financial downsides of traditional blood draw standards are somewhat obscure, however we’ve helped our hospital partners understand the current impact by simply asking sincere questions, seeking to learn, and paying a modicum of attention to the topic.

Think about the blood draw on an elderly or obese or diabetic patient that can take as long as an hour of a nurse’s time and 2-3 needles to find a vein and collect an adequate sample.

Consider that even one single case of an employee blood borne pathogen transmission from a needle stick can cost millions of dollars in exposure for a hospital.

For PIVO, we understand that in an environment of increasing health industry price transparency and pressures, when our entire healthcare system is experiencing economic upheaval, and cost neutrality is required for rolling out true innovation in hospitals.

 

Reiss: Why did you start Velano Vascular and what’s your vision?

Stone: The reason why is very simple – because I am first and foremost a patient, and I am a parent.   25 years ago I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, launching me on a lifelong journey as a healthcare entrepreneur, patient advocate, and National Trustee of the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America. Since a young age, I’ve been motivated by IMPACT.

I started Velano in partnership with an intellectually curious physician inventor intrigued by a seemingly simple question posed by his patient – “why are you repeatedly sticking me with needles [when I already have an IV line in my arm]?”

This simple, yet elegant idea resonated strongly with me, for I am needle-phobic myself, and I have been that “tough stick” patient during my hospital stays. Today, this brilliant idea has become reality.

My vision for Velano is to touch every human being on the planet; for we will all spend time in a hospital at some point in life, and we will certainly need our blood drawn when we do.

 

http://velanovascular.com

 

MEDIA:   Contact: Michael Azzano at 415-596-1978 to set up telephone or on-camera interviews with patients or Eric Stone, CEO of Velano Vascular

Maria Dorfner founder of NewsMD: What’s Hot in Health

NewsMD Communications was founded in 1998 to educate healthcare consumers by connecting medical + media to inspire and empower millions to want to live healthy.

In 1993, Maria created Healthcare Consumers, Healthy Living, Lifestyles & Longevity and Healthcare Practitioners. The shows aired on CNBC, which she helped launch in 1989.  She is the founder of Cleveland Clinic News Service, helped launch MedPage Today (sold to CNN) and wrote & produced 21st Century Medicine for Discovery Health.  Her awards include Freddie for Excellence in Medical Reporting, Outstanding Leadership Abilities, Media Recognition, Who’s Who, Medical Reporting Scholarship. She produced for Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Report, talk shows & reality programming.

She began as an intern at NBC  SHOW in NYC in 1983.

This is her blog.

Have an innovative solution healthcare consumers|media should know about?

Contact: maria.dorfner@yahoo.com  

Response only if it’s a story of interest. Thank you.

 

    

  

How Much Sunshine Is Healthy For You?

We’ve all heard sunshine is good for your health.

How Much Sunshine Is Healthy?

Turns out, it’s 15 minutes of sun exposure without sunscreen 3 times a week.

How Much Sunshine Is Not Healthy?

More than 15 minutes of sun without sunscreen and you’ll end up with premature aging.

Dr. Melissa Piliang (pronounced Pill-ee-ang) of Cleveland Clinic says areas that should be covered at ALL times include:

FACE

CHEST

 

BACK

 

HANDS

 

SHE REMINDS US YOU CAN STILL DEVELOP SKIN CANCER ON TINY EXPOSED AREAS.

 

CG: Dr. Melissa Piliang /Cleveland Clinic

“Face, chest, back of hands are places too – that you can get a lot of sun just running and out of stores, to and from your car, to your mailbox; those kinds of situations.” [:10] 

What Does 15 Minutes of Healthy Sunlight Do?

It activates Vitamin D in your body. After activation, it functions as a hormone. The active form of Vitamin D is called D3 or cholecalciferol.

Vitamin D is vital for mental health, age-related cognitive decline, mood, cardiovascular health and strong bones.  D3 supports calcium absorption and your immune system.

You get vitamin D3 from foods such as mushrooms, orange juice fortified with calcium/D,  milk, fortified soy products, fish or supplements.

What If You Can’t Avoid Sun More Than 15 Min.?

If you need to be exposed to the sun more than 15 minutes Dr. Piliang says to use sunscreen liberally.  Everyone should make sun protection a part of their everyday routine, even while running errands –not just when you go to the beach or pool.

 

SHE SAYS THE BEST PROTECTION ARE SPRAY-ON SUNSCREENS OR A VARIETY OF LOTIONS AND MAKEUPS THAT CONTAIN S-P-F TO PROTECT SKIN.

DR. PILIANG SAYS KEEP LOTION HANDY SO YOU DON’T FORGET.

CG:  Dr. Melissa Piliang /Cleveland Clinic

“For people who are worried about sun exposure on their head, a hat is helpful. And actually a hat is very helpful for everyone because it protects the face, the head, and the top of the ears.” [:15]

ACCORDING TO THE U-S CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION,

SKIN CANCER IS THE MOST COMMON FORM OF CANCER IN THE UNITED STATES AND MEN, ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH LIGHTER SKIN. [:11]

If you see new moles or ones that change shape make sure to get them checked.

Again, people with exposed scalps should always use sunscreen there or wear a hat.

See a dermatologist if you have any concerns.

You can now safely say, “Good Morning, Sunshine!” 15 min. 3x’s a week.

THEN, IT’S “HELLO SUNSCREEN!”   😀

YOU CAN PREVENT SKIN CANCER BY TAKING THESE PRECAUTIONS.

 

MORE INFORMATION:  

https://my.clevelandclinic.org

MEDIA:  See Cleveland Clinic News Service (CCNS), July 26, 2017 Pathfire #10839 for Sound Bites/VO/B-Roll

Don’t forget to protect your EYES too!

Most of us think to pack the sunscreen when heading outdoors into the sun, but we might not always remember to grab a pair of shades.

According to Reecha Kampani, M.D., an ophthalmologist at Cleveland Clinic, putting on sunglasses is more than a fashion statement.

She says protecting eyes from ultraviolet rays is just as important as using sunscreen to protect the skin.

“”UV protection is good for all kinds of structures of the eye, like the eyelids, the cornea, conjunctiva, the lenses and retina tissue itself,”” says Dr. Kampani. “”You can get damage and changes of the eye with exposure to UV light, so protection is very important.””

Dr. Kampani says it is actually possible to get a sunburn on the eyelids and while rare, if exposed to too much UV light, the cornea, which is the clear tissue over the eye, can get a thermal burn, which can be very painful.

“Long-term exposure to UV light can lead to the formation of cataracts or macular degeneration.”

Dr. Kampani recommends wearing sunglasses and a wide-brimmed hat even on moderately sunny or overcast days, to make sure eyes are protected.

 

Wrap-around sunglasses are best if heading out in the sun all day, as they can keep light from coming in through the top and the sides of the glasses.

The good news is that people don’t have to spend a fortune to keep their eyes protected.

Dr. Kampani says buying discounted sunglasses is fine, but it’s a good idea to replace inexpensive glasses yearly.

“”If you’’re buying lenses that are at more discounted places, that’s fine,” said Dr. Kampani. “A lot of times they still do have full protection, but you have to keep in mind that it could be something that’s more temporary, like a spray-on coating, that won’t last as long.””

Dr. Kampani says it’’s also a good idea to keep in mind that artificial UV light, like the kind that is found in tanning beds, is just as bad for the eyes as it is for the skin.

Remember, when you’re outdoors or out in the field as we say in TV wear sunglasses OR a hat to protect your peeps!

Stay healthy!

 

 maria.dorfner@yahoo.com

 

MEDIA:

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Cleveland Clinic Newsroom
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Bitcentral/Oasis/Newseverywhere

Username: CCNews

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Pathfire: If you’re using the web browser, click on the ‘Provider Directory’ and look for the ‘Cleveland Clinic’ tab. Use the ‘Video News Feed Locator’ if you’re getting Pathfire via satellite.

*Also, now available using app.extremereach.com – select the ‘Cleveland Clinic’ destination to view the files. If you need assistance, contact videonetwork@extremereach.com

Tips To Combat Back Pain

• 

  ---

  Many Americans will experience back pain at some point in their lives.

  

  • It’s not just the physical aching that makes back pain agonizing. It’s everything that comes with it. Like not being up for or avoiding everyday activities.

    

    The good news is, 95% of back pain is temporary and not serious.

    

    Here are practical tips for back pain care and prevention:

  Avoid:

  • Lifting with your back. Bending over to lift and overusing the back muscles are common causes of back injury. Whether raising a barbell or shoveling snow, focus on lifting with your legs to reduce strain on your back.

    

    Poor posture. When you slouch, your muscles struggle to keep you balanced, which can cause back pain. Be mindful of your posture, especially at a desk.

    

    Too much bed rest. While getting enough sleep is a good thing, there is such thing as too much bed rest. Make sure you’re up and active during the day.

  ---

  

  TIPS:

  • Use a back support product. When you’re dealing with back pain, a hot/cold wrap can be an effective form of treatment. If it’s a new injury or your back is inflamed, use it cold. If you’re feeling stiff, you’ll want heat. And if you’ve battled back problems in the past, a back brace will provide lumbar support, which may help you avoid recurring injury.

    

    Start an exercise routine. It can’t be stressed enough: exercise helps avoid back pain. If you currently don’t work out, find some sort of fitness routine. If you have back pain, try yoga or water aerobics to ease the pressure on your joints, while getting the benefits of exercise.

    

    Switch your sleeping position. If you currently have back pain, talk to your doctor about the best sleep position. Sleeping on your stomach can be especially hard on your back.

    

    Adjust your workstation. Simple ergonomic changes can mitigate the hazards of sitting at a desk. Assess your workspace and determine changes you can make, from trying a standing desk to putting your monitor on a stand to help your posture.

    

    Change your mindset. We know chronic pain has a psychological component that can exacerbate pain. A positive shift in frame of mind could make a difference in the amount of pain felt or how quickly an injury heals.

    

  ---

  Don’t Forget Basics:

  • Eat healthy foods. Eating a balanced diet that includes the right amount and variety of vitamins and nutrients can help reduce back problems by nourishing the bones, muscles, and other spinal structures. Calcium is particularly good for bone strength.

    

    Reduce stress. Everyone feels stress sometimes. It’s important to find outlets that help you decompress and incorporate them into your life regularly. Exercise, yoga, and meditation are reliable routines. Laughter goes a long way, as well.

    

    Get sleep. Sleep is proven to be vital to our overall health. But being well rested also helps you have better posture and pay more attention to the way you lift and move things.

    

    Get up, move, and stretch. Whenever you’ve been sitting for 20-30 minutes, you should get up and walk around so you’re not getting locked into one position. If you’re feeling stiff, do some light stretching.

    

  ---

  When Should You See A Doctor For Back Pain?

  

  According to Mayo Clinic Staff, most back pain gets better within a few weeks without treatment. If you’re very uncomfortable, you can rest in bed for a day or two, but longer than that does more harm than good. Over-the-counter pain medications often help reduce back pain, as does the application of cold or heat to the painful area.

  

  Schedule an office visit if:

  Call your doctor if your back pain hasn’t improved after a week of home treatment or if your back pain:

  

  • Is constant or intense, especially at night or when you lie down
  • Spreads down one or both legs, especially if the pain extends below your knee
  • Causes weakness, numbness or tingling in one or both legs
  • Occurs with unintended weight loss
  • Occurs with swelling or redness on your back

   

  

  Seek emergency medical care if:

  Call 911 or emergency medical help or have someone drive you to the emergency room if your back pain:

  • Occurs after a high-impact car crash, bad fall or sports injury
  • Causes new bowel or bladder control problems
  • Occurs with a fever

  For more information visit:

  http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/back-pain/basics/definition/con-20020797

  Other Sources:

  • https://www.cedars-sinai.edu/Patients/Health-Conditions/Chronic-Back-Pain.aspx
    https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases_conditions/hic_your_back_and_neck/hic_Psychological_Factors_of_Chronic_Back_Pain
    http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/guide/causes-of-back-pain
    http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/features/manage-low-back-pain-home
    http://www.spine-health.com/wellness/nutrition-diet-weight-loss/food-thought-diet-and-nutrition-a-healthy-back
    http://greatist.com/happiness/23-scientifically-backed-ways-reduce-stress-right-now
    http://www.spine-health.com/wellness/exercise/exercise-and-fitness-help-your-back
    http://www.spine-health.com/wellness/exercise/stretching-back-pain-relief

    Additional Resources:
    http://www.ACEbrand.com
    http://www.acebrand.com/sport

     

    Stay healthy!

     

    contact: maria.dorfner@yahoo.com

Breakthrough: First Biologic Treatment for Eczema

An estimated 300,000 people suffer from Atopic Dermatitis, the most common form of Eczema.

They are most in need of new treatment options.

^{Eczema is a chronic inflammatory disease with symptoms often appearing as a rash on the skin.}

^{It’s characterized by rashes often covering much of the body.}  

^{It can include intense, persistent itching and skin dryness, cracking, redness, crusting, and oozing.}

^{Itch is one of the most burdensome symptoms for patients and can be debilitating.}

Now, the FDA has just approved the first targeted biologic therapy for adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis.

It’s called Dupixent and it will be available later this week to U.S. patients suffering from this chronic and debilitating form of eczema.

The Dupixent^® (dupilumab) Injection is the first and only biologic medicine approved for the treatment of adults with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD) whose disease is not adequately controlled with topical prescription therapies, or when those therapies are not advisable.

“People with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis cope with intense, sometimes unbearable symptoms that can impact them for most of their lives,” says Julie Block, President and Chief Executive Officer, National Eczema Association. 

“To date, there have been few options available to treat people with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis who have uncontrolled disease.  That’s why today’s approval of Dupixent is so important for our community. Now we have a treatment that is expected to help address patients suffering from this devastating disease.”

Dupixent is a human monoclonal antibody that is designed to specifically inhibit overactive signaling of two key proteins, IL-4 and IL-13, which are believed to be major drivers of the persistent underlying inflammation in AD.

It comes in a pre-filled syringe and can be self-administered as a subcutaneous injection every other week after an initial loading dose.

And it can be used with or without topical corticosteroids.

WHO IS DUPIXENT BEST SUITED FOR?

Adult patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (eczema) that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin (topical), or who cannot use topical therapies.  It is not known if Dupixent is safe and effective in children.

 

“Dupixent is the result of years of tireless research by our scientists into the underlying causes of allergic and atopic diseases.  In atopic dermatitis, Dupixent was shown to help clear the skin and manage the intense itch caused by the disease,” says George D. Yancopoulos, M.D., Ph.D., Founding Scientist, President, and Chief Scientific Officer, Regeneron.

“Today’s approval would not be possible without the dedication of the clinical investigators and the participation of the patients who took part in the global LIBERTY AD clinical program.”

Dupixent was evaluated by the FDA with Priority Review, which is reserved for medicines that represent potentially significant improvements in safety or efficacy in treating serious conditions.

“We strive to transform scientific innovation into therapeutic solutions that make a meaningful difference to people’s lives,”says Olivier Brandicourt, M.D., CEO, Sanofi.

“The approval of Dupixent offers new hope for adults with moderate-to-severe AD in the United States, and we look forward to working with regulatory authorities around the world to bring this important new medicine to patients globally.”

 

This follows the FDA’s 2014 Breakthrough Therapy designation for Dupixent for inadequately controlled moderate-to-severe AD.

Breakthrough Therapy designation was created by the FDA to expedite the development and review of drugs developed for serious or life-threatening conditions.

Dupixent represents the first time this designation was granted for a dermatological disease, other than in dermatologic cancers.

Sanofi Genzyme, the specialty care global business unit of Sanofi, and Regeneron will market Dupixent in the United States.

WHEN WILL IT BE AVAILABLE TO PATIENTS?

Dupixent is expected to be available to patients and providers in the U.S. later this week.

WHAT DOES IT COST?

The Wholesale Acquisition Cost (WAC) of Dupixent in the United States is $37,000 annually.

Actual costs to patients, payers and health systems are anticipated to be lower as WAC pricing does not reflect discounts, rebates or patient assistance programs.

Analysts say the drug could become a blockbuster therapy that could one day bring in more than $3 billion in annual sales.

SHOULD ANYONE NOT USE DUPIXENT AT ALL?

It should not be used in patients allergic to dupilumab or any of the ingredients in Dupixent.

WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON SIDE EFFECTS TO USING DUPIXENT?

The most common adverse events that were noted to be greater than or equal to one percent with Dupixent treatment included injection site reactions, eye and eye lid inflammation including redness, swelling, and itching, and cold sores in the mouth or on the lips.

In December 2016, the European Medicines Agency accepted for review Sanofi’s and Regeneron’s marketing authorization application (MAA) for Dupixent for adults with uncontrolled moderate-to-severe AD.

ANY SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS?

Dupixent can cause serious side effects, including:

• Allergic reactions. Stop using Dupixent and go to the nearest hospital emergency room if you get any of the following symptoms: fever, general ill feeling, swollen lymph nodes, hives, itching, joint pain, or skin rash.
• Eye problems. Tell your healthcare provider if you have any new or worsening eye problems, including eye pain or changes in vision.

 

WHEN SHOULD PEOPLE CONTACT A DOCTOR IF THEY EXPERIENCE SIDE EFFECTS?

People should tell their healthcare provider if they have any side effect that bothers them or that does not go away.

These are not all the possible side effects of Dupixent.  Doctors can provide medical advice about side effects.  They should also report side effects to FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088.

ANYTHING ELSE PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW?

• Use Dupixent exactly as prescribed.
• If your healthcare provider decides that you or a caregiver can give Dupixent injections, you or your caregiver should receive training on the right way to prepare and inject Dupixent.
• Do not try to inject Dupixent until you have been shown the right way by your healthcare provider.
• Please click here for the full Prescribing Information.
• Patient information is available here.

ARE ANY ADDITIONAL STUDIES TAKING PLACE?

Dupilumab Program Overview

Dupilumab is currently being evaluated in a comprehensive development program for Atopic Dermatitis (AD) that includes studies in children with severe AD (6 months to 11 years of age) and adolescents with moderate-to-severe AD (12 to 17 years of age).

In October 2016, the FDA granted dupilumab Breakthrough Therapy designation for both populations.  These potential uses are investigational and the safety and efficacy have not been evaluated nor confirmed by any regulatory authority.

Dupilumab is also being studied in other inflammatory diseases that are believed to be driven by IL-4 and IL-13 cytokines, including persistent uncontrolled asthma (Phase 3, results expected later this year), nasal polyposis (Phase 3) and eosinophilic esophagitis (Phase 2).

These potential uses are investigational and the safety and efficacy have not been evaluated by any regulatory authority.

WHERE CAN PEOPLE LEARN ABOUT CLINICAL TRIALS TAKING PLACE?

For more information on dupilumab clinical trials please visit www.clinicaltrials.gov.

IS THERE ANYONE THAT SHOULDN’T USE IT?
Do not use if you are allergic to dupilumab or to any of the ingredients in Dupixent®.

ANY OTHER SAFETY PRECAUTIONS PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW ABOUT?  

People should tell their healthcare provider about their medical conditions BEFORE using Dupixent, including if they:

• have eye problems
• have a parasitic (helminth) infection
• have asthma
• are scheduled to receive any vaccinations. You should not receive a “live vaccine” if you are treated with Dupixent.
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. It is not known if Dupixent will harm your unborn baby.
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known whether Dupixent passes into your breast milk.

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and herbal supplements.

If you have asthma and are taking asthma medicines, do not change or stop your asthma medicine without talking to your healthcare provider.

ANYTHING ELSE PEOPLE SHOULD KNOW?

Sanofi and Regeneron recognize Dupixent can only help those uncontrolled moderate-to-severe AD patients prescribed the medicine if they can both access the medicine and use it properly.

Therefore, the companies have launched Dupixent MyWay™, a comprehensive and specialized program that provides support and services to patients throughout every step of the treatment process.

 

Dupixent MyWay™ will help eligible patients who are uninsured, lack coverage, or need assistance with their out-of-pocket costs.

Additionally, Dupixent MyWay™ offers personalized support from registered nurses and other specialists who are available 24/7 to speak with patients and help them navigate the complex insurance process.

For more information, please call 1-844-Dupixent (1-844-387-4936) or visit www.Dupixent.com

About Sanofi
Sanofi, a global healthcare leader, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients’ needs. Sanofi is organized into five global business units: Diabetes and Cardiovascular, General Medicines and Emerging Markets, Sanofi Genzyme, Sanofi Pasteur and Consumer Healthcare. Sanofi is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York(NYSE: SNY).

Sanofi Genzyme focuses on developing specialty treatments for debilitating diseases that are often difficult to diagnose and treat, providing hope to patients and their families.

About Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Regeneron (NASDAQ: REGN) is a leading science-based biopharmaceutical company that discovers, invents, develops, manufactures and commercializes medicines for the treatment of serious medical conditions. Regeneron commercializes medicines for eye diseases, high LDL-cholesterol, atopic dermatitis and a rare inflammatory condition and has product candidates in development in other areas of high unmet medical need, including rheumatoid arthritis, asthma, pain, cancer and infectious diseases. For additional information about the company, please visit www.regeneron.com or follow @Regeneron on Twitter.

SOURCES:

i Mount Sinai. Patient Care Atopic Dermatitis 2016. http://www.mountsinai.org/patient-care/health-library/diseases-and-conditions/atopic-dermatitis#risk. Accessed October 31, 2016.

ii Zuberbier T, Orlow SJ, Paller AS, et al. Patient perspectives on the management of atopic dermatitis. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2006; 118:226-232.

iii Data on file.

iv Friends of Cancer Research. Breakthrough Therapies 2017. https://www.focr.org/breakthrough-therapies. Accessed February 22, 2017.

Sanofi

2017 News Releases

 

 

 

 

Stay healthy!

contact: maria.dorfner@yahoo.com

 

 

Reading To Your Baby Early Has Benefits

Many parents spend countless hours reading bed-time stories to their babies. Does it help?

Sure does, according to new research. Reading books to infants can boost vocabulary and reading skills for years to come.

Kimberly Giuliano, M.D., of Cleveland Clinic Children’’s did not take part in the study, but encourages parents to start reading to their babies “as soon as possible.”

“Dr. Giuliano says, “It’s never too early to start. If you want to read to your newborn – that’’s great. “They get in your arms, they’’re comforted, they hear your voice and it’’s a wonderful bonding experience for parents and babies alike.””

Researchers monitored 250 pairs of mothers and babies for four years and found book-reading quality during infancy was a good predictor of early-reading skills.

They also found a combination of book-reading quality and quantity during toddler years was a good predictor of literacy skills, such as name-writing, by age four.

WHEN IS A GOOD TIME TO START?

Dr. Giuliano says once babies begin opening their eyes more and become more reactive to the world around them, they’’re more than ready for books.

She says even if they’’re only a few months old, they can still learn.

“”Young babies, especially those under the age of one, love books that have a little bit more of a sensory feedback to them,” says Dr. Giuliano. “

She adds, “They learn by developing all different types of senses, so if they can hear, see, and touch, it really helps them to understand the concepts that are being presented to them in the book.” It’s important for kids of all ages to spend time relaxing and reading every day.”

“”The more we engage our brains actively in reading, the better children do academically, the longer their attention spans are, and the more success they’’re likely to have in school,”” says Dr. Giuliano.

‘Early Reading Matters: Long-term Impacts of Shared Bookreading with Infants and Toddlers on Language and Literacy Outcomes’ was originally presented at the 2017 Pediatric Academies Society Meeting on May 8, 2017.

 

 

MEDIA:  See Cleveland Clinic Pathfire for b-roll and soundbites

 

Healthiest Time To Start Work

Research shows 10 a.m. is the healthiest time for dayside workers to start work.

Woman making heart-shape with hands outdoors

This gives people time for health maintenance, which prevents illness.

Time to meditate, stretch, exercise, have breakfast, read a bit, shower and go.

Instead, society has the masses rushing in sleep-deprived to clock in at 7 a.m. or 9 a.m.

Instead of promoting health –the typical American schedule,  activates cortisol levels.

As mentioned, cortisol is bad, and it’s highest when you rise.

 

Cortisol continues to rise as you rush to get to work on time fearing you’ll be late, fearing you didn’t have time to eat right or exercise, fearing all the bad news you hear or read from mass media on your way into work. It’s no wonder road rage is highest then.

 

Cortisol causes inflammation in your body and keeps you in this chronic state of fear.

It’s a breeding ground for cancer. Good news is you CAN reverse cortisol release in your body.  Anyone who boasts about “being up all night” is a walking time bomb for illness .

If you stay up all night –you should not be boasting about it. You need to get to sleep to reduce levels of cortisol.

The bad news is cortisol is addicting, which is why people in the rat race are perpetually on the go-go-go.

But where are they going is the question, as cortisol has been called the death hormone.

 

If you can’t count on your employer to care about your health, then you HAVE to take it upon yourself to schedule decompressing.

 

Take breaks. Walk around office. Go to a park during lunch. Eat nutritious foods.

 

One hour before bed, turn off all electronics, pour a hot bath with Epson salt, put on soothing music, close eyes, breathe deeply, think of nothing but all you are grateful for.

Then, set your alarm to sleep for at least 9 hours.

 

 

This may be easier said than done when you have kids needing your attention.

But kids need healthy parents, so try to think of a way to make time for your own mental, physical and spiritual health, so everyone else is safe in your presence.  Don’t do it when the kids are in water. You need to keep an eye on them then.

Remember, if you haven’t slept, you’re the equivalent of a drunk while driving. So, if one of your responsibilities is getting kids to practice or play dates, you need your sleep.

If your kids turn in at 8 p.m. then make 9 to 10 p.m. your decompressing time. Watching TV or scrolling through social media doesn’t count. You need to turn it all off. Again, take a warm shower, bubble bath, listen to music, go outside for a walk and breathe deeply.

This will prime you to sleep like a baby.

 

Of course, many people who commute don’t get home until 9 p.m. so they need to scarf down food and crash and that’s after sorting through mail, cleaning, and the list goes on.

It can be a struggle to get to bed in time to get enough sleep to do it all again next day.

Again, this process all activates cortisol levels in people. So any company that says they care about a healthy workforce and subscribes to this formula are clueless about health.

Some companies think having a gym at work equates to good health. Most are empty.

When you’re trying to do it all, nothing gets your full attention. It simply piles up.

It leads to staying up late and not getting enough sleep to be productive and healthy the next day.  It’s a continual cortisol fest with no life balance.

The solution for corporate America may be to start in times at 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. for commuters — giving people enough time to rise and shine early, meditate, have a nutritious breakfast, get some exercise, spend time with family. Happy employees are loyal employees that have the energy to go the extra mile.

Co-workers laughing together

 

People’s productivity will rise as a result, unlike their cortisol levels.

Too many success articles focus on making money or achieving titles, status, fame or material possessions. It’s none of that.  It’s HEALTH.  Before.  During. After.

When you are healthy in mind, body and spirit you make good life decisions and have balance, which means if things beyond your control change –you will be OK.

Money, title, status, fame and material possessions can change in the blink of an eye. Don’t be defined by that. Be defined by who you are as a person.  Spend time with those that matter, help as many people as you can, and don’t take yourself to seriously.

Disneyland. Healthy Families. Sis is missing.

 

Success includes character traits, such as kindness, honesty & thoughtfulness. And those traits are most likely to exhibit themselves when you are healthy and combat cortisol.

Colleagues, family members, friends and your company benefits when you’re healthy.

Making lots of money is wonderful, but  if you don’t make health a priority, by the time you reach your professional or financial goals, you will not be able to enjoy it.

Time to make health a priority before you run out of time.

 

 

Consultations, National PR and Media Training Available For a Fee

contact: maria.dorfner@yahoo.com

 

Your Thoughts Impact How You Age

Scott Bea, PsyD, of Cleveland Clinic, says for years doctors have had notions that attitudes and thoughts may predispose us to early aging.

More and more these notions are turning into scientific research.

He says there are different types of negative thinking.  Each can be impactful.

“One is just cynical hostility, where you know, we stew a lot,” says Dr. Bea. “When people are kind of suspicious and pretty certain the world or folks are against them it stays with them; and keeps stress chemicals like cortisol circulating in the body too long.”

Dr. Bea says some studies have looked at how certain types of behavior and thought patterns can impact our aging and DNA.

He says we tend to lump all negative thinking into one place, but there are actually many little ways that can actually harm us by influencing our telomeres, which are – the tips at the end of our DNA that affect the aging process.

Thoughts like pessimism – — always predicting doom and gloom, as well as ruminating, which is dredging up past events and mulling them over and over again, can keep stress chemicals active and alive.

Dr. Bea also says thought suppression – where we actively try to avoid thoughts – takes a lot of activity and tension and tends to overload our brains.

What to do?  When we’ engage in the outside world, and not in our own heads, Dr. Bea says we can better handle these negative thought patterns.

The key is to be able to recognize that thoughts are just thoughts.

“Dr. Bea recommends you do the following to cut off negative self-talk:

Say to yourself, ‘I’’m allowed to think without trying to fix or solve anything.’ “

Use simple mindfulness exercises that can be done, even in five second bursts at various times throughout the day.  Focus on the sensation of your breath.

If something distracts you (sights, sounds) ease your attention back to your breath.

 

MEDIA:  Video and Sound, See Pathfire July 19 or contact: ccnewsservice@ccf.org

SOURCES: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21974787
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12671-016-0500-5

 

MY two cents and what I recommend. My blog. My two cents: 

 

I subscribe to something called DAILY PRIME.  You know how a “Good Morning Beautiful” text from your significant other can make you wake up with a smile.

Well, relationships ebb and flow, so you can’t count on consistency. It can also border on creepy if it’s not from your SO.  DAILY PRIME is consistently in a positive, good mood.

Here’s how it works. Each morning, I get an amazing, positive, motivational, inspirational text that kick starts the rest of my day. You pick a time preference.

It’s created by John Assaraf.

John and his wife Maria are two of my favorite people in the world. When I first met them we walked in San Diego for Rady’s Children Hospital.

They’ve wonderful energy and such an authentically calm, healing presence. It’s the kind of good, positive energy that radiates from within. I

When you get to that state, it benefits your well-being and everyone in your presence.

Assaraf has been preaching thoughts equals things way before before The Secret (which he appeared in) was on Oprah or studies confirm it.

One of my favorite books, The Power of Positive Thinking did too.

Positive THOUGHTS lead you to make positive ACTIONS.

Also, you can do things that release the opposite of cortisol in your body. There are naturally healthy healing chemicals and hormones inside your body, but it takes action to release them.

Actions like daily exercise, listening to music, mediating, spending time in nature or with positive family and friends, laughing, petting your dog, and hugging release endorphins.

Love is a biggie. It releases all the feel good hormones, including oxytocin. I read a great book about it in 2014 and interviewed author, Paul J. Zak for this blog. It’s called The Moral Molecule: The Source of Love and Prosperity.  I

I was recently interviewed on a radio program about mind-body connection –hot topic.

 

Stay healthy!

Related:

I was delighted to meet Brian Tracy while in San Diego.  I attended one of his conferences and brought one of his books with me. Without my even asking he graciously says, “Let me sign that.” He wrote, “Maria, You can do it!” inside it.  That’s positivity for you. Whatever “it” is doesn’t matter when someone believes in you.

How To Be More Positive by Brian Tracy

Your mental diet largely determines your character and your personality and almost everything that happens to you in life.

What is a mental diet? Keep reading and I’ll explain…

When you feed your mind with positive affirmations, information, books, conversations, audio programs, and thoughts, you develop a more positive attitude and personality.

You become more influential and persuasive. You enjoy greater confidence and self-esteem.

Those who work with computers use the expression “G.I.G.O.” or “Garbage in, Garbage out.” But the reverse is also true, “Good in, Good out.”

When you make a clear, unequivocal decision that you are going to take complete control over your mind, eliminate the negative emotions and thoughts that may have held you back in the past, and become a completely positive person, you can actually bring about your own personal transformation.

Mental fitness is like physical fitness. You develop high levels of self-esteem and a positive attitude with training and practice. Here are the seven keys to becoming a completely positive person:

1) Positive Affirmations

Speak to yourself positively; control your inner dialog. Use positive affirmations phrased in the positive, present, and personal tense:

“I like myself!”

“I can do it!”

“I feel terrific!”

“I am responsible!”

We believe that fully 95% of your emotions are determined by the way you talk to yourself as you go throughout your day. The sad fact is that if you do not deliberately and consciously talk to yourself in a positive and constructive way, you will, by default, think about things that will make you unhappy or cause you worry and anxiety.

As we said before, your mind is like a garden. If you do not deliberately plant flowers and tend carefully, weeds will grow without any encouragement at all.

Discover your level of self-confidence and build greater confidence in yourself.

2) Positive Visualization

Perhaps the most powerful ability that you have is the ability to visualize and see your goals as already accomplished. Create a clear, exciting picture of your goal and your ideal life, and replay this picture in your mind over and over.

All improvement in your life begins with an improvement in your mental pictures. As you “see” yourself on the inside, you will “be” on the outside.

3) Positive People

Your choice of the people with whom you live, work, and associate will have more of an impact on your emotions and your success that any other factor. Decide today to associate with winners, with positive people, with people who are happy and optimistic and who are going somewhere with their lives.

Avoid negative people at all costs. Negative people are the primary source of most of life’s unhappiness. Resolve that from today onward, you are not going to have stressful or negative people in your life.

4) Positive Mental Food

Just as your body is healthy to the degree to which you eat healthy, nutritious foods, your mind is healthy to the degree to which you feed it with “mental protein” rather than “mental candy.” Read books, magazines, and articles that are educational, inspirational, or motivational.

Feed your mind with information and ideas that are uplifting and that make you feel happy and more confident about yourself and your world.

Listen to positive, constructive CDs and audio programs in your car and on your MP3 player or iPod. Feed your mind continually with positive messages that help you think and act better and make you more capable and competent in your field. Watch positive and educational DVDs, educational television programs, online courses, and other uplifting material that increases your knowledge and makes you feel good about yourself and your life.

5) Positive Training And Development

Almost everyone in our society starts off with limited resources, sometimes with no money at all. Virtually all fortunes begin with the sale of personal services of some kind. All the people who are at the top today were once at the bottom, and sometimes they fell to the bottom several times.

The miracle of lifelong learning and personal improvement is what takes you from rags to riches, from poverty to affluence, and from underachievement to success and financial independence.

As Jim Rohn said, ”Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.”

When you dedicate yourself to learning and growing and becoming better and more effective in your thoughts and actions, you take complete control of your life and dramatically increase the speed at which you move upward to greater heights.

6) Positive Health Habits

Take excellent care of your physical health and wellness. Resolve today that you are going to live to be eighty, ninety, or one hundred years old and still be dancing in the evenings. Eat healthy foods, natural and nutritious, and eat them sparingly and in proper balance. A nutritional diet will have an immediate, positive effect on your thoughts and feelings.

Resolve to get regular exercise, at least two hundred minutes of motion per week, walking, running, swimming, bicycling, or working out on equipment in the gym. When you exercise on a regular basis, you feel happier and healthier and experience lower levels of stress and fatigue than a person who sits on the couch and watches television all evening.

Especially, get ample rest and relaxation. You need to recharge your batteries on a regular basis, especially when you are going through periods of stress or difficulty.

Vince Lombardi once said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.”

Some of the factors that predispose us to negative emotions of all kinds are poor health habits, sleep deprivation, lack of exercise, and nonstop work. Seek balance in your life.

7) Positive Expectations

Practicing the Law of Attraction is one of the most powerful techniques you can use to become a positive person and to ensure positive outcomes and better results in your life. Your expectations become your own self-fulfilling prophesies.

Whatever you expect, with confidence, seems to come into your life. Since you can control your expectations, you should always expect the best.

Expect to be successful.

Expect to be popular when you meet new people. Expect to achieve great goals and create a wonderful life for yourself. When you constantly expect good things to happen, you will seldom be disappointed.

Conclusion

I hope you enjoyed this post on developing a more positive attitude with positive affirmations.  Please leave a comment and share with your friends!

 

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Why You Need Positive People in Your Life

Happiness is a choice. But we continually need to be reminded by people to make that choice.

by Shawn Achor

One big mistake people make is not realizing that happiness is an individual choice. But every choice is influenced by the people in our lives. If you change your life influencers for the better, you can dramatically increase your chances for happiness and success.

In my research, I’ve found that positive social connection is the greatest predictor of long-term happiness. Welcoming a positive new influencer into your world can be one of the most important choices for happiness you make. That person might be a professional life coach or a mentor or simply someone whom you respect and who has the positive outlook you want to emulate.

A positive influencer will have a few outstanding traits that rub off on you over time. This person will practice gratitude. He will seek joy daily and work at becoming his best self. He’ll enjoy being active and feel connected to others.

Think about the negative influences around you. These are people who focus on the bad things in their lives and cause you to do the same. You’ll be left searching for new problems to worry over. Negative influencers don’t smile or laugh easily. They have trouble maintaining relationships and see stress as a threat rather than a challenge to embrace. Steer clear!

We know that happiness is a choice. But we continually need to be reminded by people to make that choice, especially when life gets challenging. Think about the people you know who could be positive influencers and spend more time with someone who will improve your happiness and lead you to greater success.

The 10 Essential Habits of Positive People

by Judy Belmont

Judy Belmont, M.S., LPC is a mental health and wellness speaker/author and is a member of the National Speakers Association. Full Bio

Are you waiting for life events to turn out the way you want so that you can feel more positive about your life? Do you find yourself having pre-conditions to your sense of well-being, thinking that certain things must happen for you to be happier? Do you think there is no way that your life stresses can make you anything other than “stressed out” and that other people just don’t understand?  If your answer is “yes” to any of these questions, you might find yourself lingering in the land of negativity for too long!

The following are some tips to keep positive no matter what comes your way. This post will help you stop looking for what psychologists call “positivity” in all the wrong places!  Here are the ten essential habits of positive people.

1. Positive people don’t confuse quitting with letting go.

Instead of hanging on to ideas, beliefs, and even people that are no longer healthy for them, they trust their judgement to let go of negative forces in their lives.  Especially in terms of relationships, they subscribe to The Relationship Prayer which goes:

I will grant myself the ability to trust the healthy people in my life … 

To set limits with, or let go of, the negative ones … 

And to have the wisdom to know the DIFFERENCE!

 2.  Positive people don’t just have a good day – they make a good day.

Waiting, hoping and wishing seldom have a place in the vocabulary of positive individuals. Rather, they use strong words that are pro-active and not reactive. Passivity leads to a lack of involvement, while positive people get very involved in constructing their lives. They work to make changes to feel better in tough times rather than wish their feelings away.

3. For the positive person, the past stays in the past.

Good and bad memories alike stay where they belong – in the past where they happened. They don’t spend much time pining for the good ol’ days because they are too busy making new memories now. The negative pulls from the past are used not for self-flagellation or unproductive regret, but rather productive regret where they use lessons learned as stepping stones towards a better future.

4. Show me a positive person and I can show you a grateful person.

The most positive people are the most grateful people.  They do not focus on the potholes of their lives.  They focus on the pot of gold that awaits them every day, with new smells, sights, feelings and experiences.  They see life as a treasure chest full of wonder.

5. Rather than being stuck in their limitations, positive people are energized by their possibilities.

Optimistic people focus on what they can do, not what they can’t do.  They are not fooled to think that there is a perfect solution to every problem, and are confident that there are many solutions and possibilities.  They are not afraid to attempt new solutions to old problems, rather than spin their wheels expecting things to be different this time.  They refuse to be like Charlie Brown expecting that this time Lucy will not pull the football from him!

6. Positive people do not let their fears interfere with their lives!

Positive people have observed that those who are defined and pulled back by their fears never really truly live a full life. While proceeding with appropriate caution, they do not let fear keep them from trying new things. They realize that even failures are necessary steps for a successful life. They have confidence that they can get back up when they are knocked down by life events or their own mistakes, due to a strong belief in their personal resilience.

7. Positive people smile a lot!

When you feel positive on the inside it is like you are smiling from within, and these smiles are contagious. Furthermore, the more others are with positive people, the more they tend to smile too! They see the lightness in life, and have a sense of humor even when it is about themselves. Positive people have a high degree of self-respect, but refuse to take themselves too seriously!

8. People who are positive are great communicators.

They realize that assertive, confident communication is the only way to connect with others in everyday life.  They avoid judgmental, angry interchanges, and do not let someone else’s blow up give them a reason to react in kind.Rather, they express themselves with tact and finesse.  They also refuse to be non-assertive and let people push them around. They refuse to own problems that belong to someone else.

9. Positive people realize that if you live long enough, there are times for great pain and sadness.

One of the most common misperceptions about positive people is that to be positive, you must always be happy. This can not be further from the truth. Anyone who has any depth at all is certainly not happy all the time.  Being sad, angry, disappointed are all essential emotions in life. How else would you ever develop empathy for others if you lived a life of denial and shallow emotions? Positive people do not run from the gamut of emotions, and accept that part of the healing process is to allow themselves to experience all types of feelings, not only the happy ones. A positive person always holds the hope that there is light at the end of the darkness.  

10. Positive person are empowered people – they refuse to blame others and are not victims in life.

Positive people seek the help and support of others who are supportive and safe.They limit interactions with those who are toxic in any manner, even if it comes to legal action and physical estrangement such as in the case of abuse. They have identified their own basic human rights, and they respect themselves too much to play the part of a victim. There is no place for holding grudges with a positive mindset. Forgiveness helps positive people become better, not bitter.

How about you?  How many habits of positive people do you personally find in yourself?  If you lack even a few of these 10 essential habits, you might find that the expected treasure at the end of the rainbow was not all that it was cracked up to be. How could it — if you keep on bringing a negative attitude around?

I wish you well in keeping positive, because as we all know, there is certainly nothing positive about being negative!

(Photo credit: Positivity Amongst Negativity via Shutterstock)

 

Featured photo credit: Janaína Castelo Branco via flickr.com

 

638 Primary Personality Traits from MIT

Positive Traits (234 = 37%)

1. Accessible
2. Active
3. Adaptable
4. Admirable
5. Adventurous
6. Agreeable
7. Alert
8. Allocentric
9. Amiable
10. Anticipative
11. Appreciative
12. Articulate
13. Aspiring
14. Athletic
15. Attractive
16. Balanced
17. Benevolent
18. Brilliant
19. Calm
20. Capable
21. Captivating
22. Caring
23. Challenging
24. Charismatic
25. Charming
26. Cheerful
27. Clean
28. Clear-headed
29. Clever
30. Colorful
31. Companionly
32. Compassionate
33. Conciliatory
34. Confident
35. Conscientious
36. Considerate
37. Constant
38. Contemplative
39. Cooperative
40. Courageous
41. Courteous
42. Creative
43. Cultured
44. Curious
45. Daring
46. Debonair
47. Decent
48. Decisive
49. Dedicated
50. Deep
51. Dignified
52. Directed
53. Disciplined
54. Discreet
55. Dramatic
56. Dutiful
57. Dynamic
58. Earnest
59. Ebullient
60. Educated
61. Efficient
62. Elegant
63. Eloquent
64. Empathetic
65. Energetic
66. Enthusiastic
67. Esthetic
68. Exciting
69. Extraordinary
70. Fair
71. Faithful
72. Farsighted
73. Felicific
74. Firm
75. Flexible
76. Focused
77. Forecful
78. Forgiving
79. Forthright
80. Freethinking
81. Friendly
82. Fun-loving
83. Gallant
84. Generous
85. Gentle
86. Genuine
87. Good-natured
88. Gracious
89. Hardworking
90. Healthy
91. Hearty
92. Helpful
93. Herioc
94. High-minded
95. Honest
96. Honorable
97. Humble
98. Humorous
99. Idealistic
100. Imaginative
101. Impressive
102. Incisive
103. Incorruptible
104. Independent
105. Individualistic
106. Innovative
107. Inoffensive
108. Insightful
109. Insouciant
110. Intelligent
111. Intuitive
112. Invulnerable
113. Kind
114. Knowledge
115. Leaderly
116. Leisurely
117. Liberal
118. Logical
119. Lovable
120. Loyal
121. Lyrical
122. Magnanimous
123. Many-sided
124. Masculine  (Manly)
125. Mature
126. Methodical
127. Maticulous
128. Moderate
129. Modest
130. Multi-leveled
131. Neat
132. Nonauthoritarian
133. Objective
134. Observant
135. Open
136. Optimistic
137. Orderly
138. Organized
139. Original
140. Painstaking
141. Passionate
142. Patient
143. Patriotic
144. Peaceful
145. Perceptive
146. Perfectionist
147. Personable
148. Persuasive
149. Planful
150. Playful
151. Polished
152. Popular
153. Practical
154. Precise
155. Principled
156. Profound
157. Protean
158. Protective
159. Providential
160. Prudent
161. Punctual
162. Pruposeful
163. Rational
164. Realistic
165. Reflective
166. Relaxed
167. Reliable
168. Resourceful
169. Respectful
170. Responsible
171. Responsive
172. Reverential
173. Romantic
174. Rustic
175. Sage
176. Sane
177. Scholarly
178. Scrupulous
179. Secure
180. Selfless
181. Self-critical
182. Self-defacing
183. Self-denying
184. Self-reliant
185. Self-sufficent
186. Sensitive
187. Sentimental
188. Seraphic
189. Serious
190. Sexy
191. Sharing
192. Shrewd
193. Simple
194. Skillful
195. Sober
196. Sociable
197. Solid
198. Sophisticated
199. Spontaneous
200. Sporting
201. Stable
202. Steadfast
203. Steady
204. Stoic
205. Strong
206. Studious
207. Suave
208. Subtle
209. Sweet
210. Sympathetic
211. Systematic
212. Tasteful
213. Teacherly
214. Thorough
215. Tidy
216. Tolerant
217. Tractable
218. Trusting
219. Uncomplaining
220. Understanding
221. Undogmatic
222. Unfoolable
223. Upright
224. Urbane
225. Venturesome
226. Vivacious
227. Warm
228. Well-bred
229. Well-read
230. Well-rounded
231. Winning
232. Wise
233. Witty
234. Youthful

Neutral Traits (292 = 18%)

1. Absentminded
2. Aggressive
3. Ambitious
4. Amusing
5. Artful
6. Ascetic
7. Authoritarian
8. Big-thinking
9. Boyish
10. Breezy
11. Businesslike
12. Busy
13. Casual
14. Crebral
15. Chummy
16. Circumspect
17. Competitive
18. Complex
19. Confidential
20. Conservative
21. Contradictory
22. Crisp
23. Cute
24. Deceptive
25. Determined
26. Dominating
27. Dreamy
28. Driving
29. Droll
30. Dry
31. Earthy
32. Effeminate
33. Emotional
34. Enigmatic
35. Experimental
36. Familial
37. Folksy
38. Formal
39. Freewheeling
40. Frugal
41. Glamorous
42. Guileless
43. High-spirited
44. Huried
45. Hypnotic
46. Iconoclastic
47. Idiosyncratic
48. Impassive
49. Impersonal
50. Impressionable
51. Intense
52. Invisible
53. Irreligious
54. Irreverent
55. Maternal
56. Mellow
57. Modern
58. Moralistic
59. Mystical
60. Neutral
61. Noncommittal
62. Noncompetitive
63. Obedient
64. Old-fashined
65. Ordinary
66. Outspoken
67. Paternalistic
68. Physical
69. Placid
70. Political
71. Predictable
72. Preoccupied
73. Private
74. Progressive
75. Proud
76. Pure
77. Questioning
78. Quiet
79. Religious
80. Reserved
81. Restrained
82. Retiring
83. Sarcastic
84. Self-conscious
85. Sensual
86. Skeptical
87. Smooth
88. Soft
89. Solemn
90. Solitary
91. Stern
92. Stoiid
93. Strict
94. Stubborn
95. Stylish
96. Subjective
97. Surprising
98. Soft
99. Tough
100. Unaggressive
101. Unambitious
102. Unceremonious
103. Unchanging
104. Undemanding
105. Unfathomable
106. Unhurried
107. Uninhibited
108. Unpatriotic
109. Unpredicatable
110. Unreligious
111. Unsentimental
112. Whimsical

Negative Traits (292 = 46%)

1. Abrasive
2. Abrupt
3. Agonizing
4. Aimless
5. Airy
6. Aloof
7. Amoral
8. Angry
9. Anxious
10. Apathetic
11. Arbitrary
12. Argumentative
13. Arrogantt
14. Artificial
15. Asocial
16. Assertive
17. Astigmatic
18. Barbaric
19. Bewildered
20. Bizarre
21. Bland
22. Blunt
23. Biosterous
24. Brittle
25. Brutal
26. Calculating
27. Callous
28. Cantakerous
29. Careless
30. Cautious
31. Charmless
32. Childish
33. Clumsy
34. Coarse
35. Cold
36. Colorless
37. Complacent
38. Complaintive
39. Compulsive
40. Conceited
41. Condemnatory
42. Conformist
43. Confused
44. Contemptible
45. Conventional
46. Cowardly
47. Crafty
48. Crass
49. Crazy
50. Criminal
51. Critical
52. Crude
53. Cruel
54. Cynical
55. Decadent
56. Deceitful
57. Delicate
58. Demanding
59. Dependent
60. Desperate
61. Destructive
62. Devious
63. Difficult
64. Dirty
65. Disconcerting
66. Discontented
67. Discouraging
68. Discourteous
69. Dishonest
70. Disloyal
71. Disobedient
72. Disorderly
73. Disorganized
74. Disputatious
75. Disrespectful
76. Disruptive
77. Dissolute
78. Dissonant
79. Distractible
80. Disturbing
81. Dogmatic
82. Domineering
83. Dull
84. Easily Discouraged
85. Egocentric
86. Enervated
87. Envious
88. Erratic
89. Escapist
90. Excitable
91. Expedient
92. Extravagant
93. Extreme
94. Faithless
95. False
96. Fanatical
97. Fanciful
98. Fatalistic
99. Fawning
100. Fearful
101. Fickle
102. Fiery
103. Fixed
104. Flamboyant
105. Foolish
106. Forgetful
107. Fraudulent
108. Frightening
109. Frivolous
110. Gloomy
111. Graceless
112. Grand
113. Greedy
114. Grim
115. Gullible
116. Hateful
117. Haughty
118. Hedonistic
119. Hesitant
120. Hidebound
121. High-handed
122. Hostile
123. Ignorant
124. Imitative
125. Impatient
126. Impractical
127. Imprudent
128. Impulsive
129. Inconsiderate
130. Incurious
131. Indecisive
132. Indulgent
133. Inert
134. Inhibited
135. Insecure
136. Insensitive
137. Insincere
138. Insulting
139. Intolerant
140. Irascible
141. Irrational
142. Irresponsible
143. Irritable
144. Lazy
145. Libidinous
146. Loquacious
147. Malicious
148. Mannered
149. Mannerless
150. Mawkish
151. Mealymouthed
152. Mechanical
153. Meddlesome
154. Melancholic
155. Meretricious
156. Messy
157. Miserable
158. Miserly
159. Misguided
160. Mistaken
161. Money-minded
162. Monstrous
163. Moody
164. Morbid
165. Muddle-headed
166. Naive
167. Narcissistic
168. Narrow
169. Narrow-minded
170. Natty
171. Negativistic
172. Neglectful
173. Neurotic
174. Nihilistic
175. Obnoxious
176. Obsessive
177. Obvious
178. Odd
179. Offhand
180. One-dimensional
181. One-sided
182. Opinionated
183. Opportunistic
184. Oppressed
185. Outrageous
186. Overimaginative
187. Paranoid
188. Passive
189. Pedantic
190. Perverse
191. Petty
192. Pharissical
193. Phlegmatic
194. Plodding
195. Pompous
196. Possessive
197. Power-hungry
198. Predatory
199. Prejudiced
200. Presumptuous
201. Pretentious
202. Prim
203. Procrastinating
204. Profligate
205. Provocative
206. Pugnacious
207. Puritanical
208. Quirky
209. Reactionary
210. Reactive
211. Regimental
212. Regretful
213. Repentant
214. Repressed
215. Resentful
216. Ridiculous
217. Rigid
218. Ritualistic
219. Rowdy
220. Ruined
221. Sadistic
222. Sanctimonious
223. Scheming
224. Scornful
225. Secretive
226. Sedentary
227. Selfish
228. Self-indulgent
229. Shallow
230. Shortsighted
231. Shy
232. Silly
233. Single-minded
234. Sloppy
235. Slow
236. Sly
237. Small-thinking
238. Softheaded
239. Sordid
240. Steely
241. Stiff
242. Strong-willed
243. Stupid
244. Submissive
245. Superficial
246. Superstitious
247. Suspicious
248. Tactless
249. Tasteless
250. Tense
251. Thievish
252. Thoughtless
253. Timid
254. Transparent
255. Treacherous
256. Trendy
257. Troublesome
258. Unappreciative
259. Uncaring
260. Uncharitable
261. Unconvincing
262. Uncooperative
263. Uncreative
264. Uncritical
265. Unctuous
266. Undisciplined
267. Unfriendly
268. Ungrateful
269. Unhealthy
270. Unimaginative
271. Unimpressive
272. Unlovable
273. Unpolished
274. Unprincipled
275. Unrealistic
276. Unreflective
277. Unreliable
278. Unrestrained
279. Unself-critical
280. Unstable
281. Vacuous
282. Vague
283. Venal
284. Venomous
285. Vindictive
286. Vulnerable
287. Weak
288. Weak-willed
289. Well-meaning
290. Willful
291. Wishful
292. Zany

 

Some things on this list crack me up.

 Stay healthy! Stay positive!

Safety Musts for Kids Around Pools

Swimming is one of the best cardiovascular exercises. Great for your body AND mind.

 

 That said, it’s important to do safely, especially if you have kids or there are children around you.

PLEASE make sure to read this if you have any type of pool (even an inflatable) or are thinking about getting one.

There are rules and regulations in each State and it’s YOUR responsibility (not your child or anyone else) to stay safe.

POOL SAFETY REQUIREMENTS BY STATE:

https://patch.com/pennsylvania/peters/residential-pools-require-adherence-to-state-laws-and37599f6bb8

Drowning happens in the blink of an eye.

 

Hold your child’s hand when near water. 

Even if they CAN swim, never ever take your eyes off of them, not even for a second.

Swimming lessons should be mandatory in schools. To this day, I meet adults who can’t swim and say they’re “afraid” and “too old now.”  That’s nonsenses. You’re never too old to learn anything.

Remember, it’s never too late to learn, even if it’s only as a survival skill.

Check with your local YMCA about lessons. It’s well worth it.  I’m a certified aerobics instructor with CPR certification, and taking a water aerobics class is a great way to get comfortable in the water before taking swim lessons.

A Few Alarming Swimming Factoids:

70% of African American children cannot swim
60% of Latino children cannot swim
40% of Caucasian children cannot swim
Ten people drown each day in the U.S.

37% of people can not swim the length of a pool
Drowning is 2nd leading cause of childhood unintentional death for children under 14

Formal swim lessons could reduce the likelihood of childhood drowning by 88%.

Water safety education can save a life, including that of a loved one, a child or your own.

Here are a few more swim factoids.  I’m still working on #2:

1. Drowning is silent. In every fatal or near fatal case of drowning, the victim goes under water without thrashing about and yelling for help.

2. NEVER swim alone. Even the strongest swimmers can drown. 

3. WATCH your child/children. Do not take your eyes off of them. It doesn’t matter how well they can swim (see #2.) Watch them vigilantly if they are anywhere NEAR a body of water- you never know when they’ll end up IN the water.

There are even safety requirements by state when you buy one of those little inflatable pools for your backyard. If you don’t follow the rules, you will be fined.

Read more water safety rules HERE.

Besides keeping you safe, there are SO many health benefits to swimming.

 

 

 

 

 

Stay healthy!

Maria Dorfner

contact:  maria.dorfner@yahoo.com

New Study Links Insomnia to Alzheimer’s

New research now links sleep problems with Alzheimer’s disease.  According to the Alzheimer’s Association, more than five million Americans live with Alzheimer’s.

Cleveland Clinic’s Stephen Rao (pronounced Ray-Oh) did not participate in the new study but says results suggest people who have trouble sleeping may be at an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s later in life.

CG: Stephen Rao, PhD /Cleveland Clinic:  “The basic finding is that the more disturbance of sleep that people reported, the more likely that they were going to have pathology in their spinal fluid that related to Alzheimer’s disease.” [:15]

 

RESEARCHERS SURVEYED JUST OVER ONE-HUNDRED PEOPLE AT HIGH RISK OF DEVELOPING ALZHEIMER’S WHO HAD NORMAL THINKING AND MEMORY ABILITIES.

PARTICIPANTS WERE ASKED ABOUT THEIR SLEEP QUALITY AND ALSO PROVIDED A

SPINAL FLUID SAMPLE.

RESULTS SHOW THAT PEOPLE WHO REPORTED HAVING SLEEP PROBLEMS HAD MORE

BIOLOGICAL MARKERS FOR ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE IN THEIR SPINAL FLUID THAN FOLKS WHO DID NOT REPORT SLEEP PROBLEMS.

DOCTOR RAO NOTES THAT WHILE THE STUDY SHOWS A LINK BETWEEN SLEEP

AND ALZHEIMER’S IT’S A BIT OF A CHICKEN AND EGG SCENARIO, IN THAT DOCTORS AREN’T SURE WHAT COMES FIRST.  THE ALZHEIMER’S OR THE SLEEP PROBLEMS.

HE SAYS MORE RESEARCH NEEDS TO BE DONE TO BE SURE.

CG: Stephen Rao, PhD/Cleveland Clinic:  “We don’t know what the chicken or egg cause is here, it may very well be that sleeping longer will help us to prevent us from developing or slow down the process of Alzheimer’s disease but we certainly  don’t have the definitive answer as yet.”

Complete results of this study can be found online in the Journal NEUROLOGY. [:10]

  Maria Dorfner

MY OPINION:  

“A multitude of factors may cause insomnia, but I bet the primary cause is your choice of food or beverage before turning in. Technology is a biggie, but if you’re sleepy you won’t want to look at your phone or computer.

Your brain requires healthy food and beverages to stay sharp and sleep well.

Numerous foods and beverages are already proven to disrupt sleep including high-fat foods, soda, chocolate, caffeine, heavy spicy foods, alcohol 4 to 6 hours before bedtime, meat and high protein intake. Even prescription and over-the-counter cold medications may contain caffeine.  Let’s also not rule out tobacco usage.

Healthy foods that promote sleep include nuts, seeds, eggs, bananas and a few crackers & cheese.  Water no later than 8 p.m. is a healthy go-to beverage.

Daily exercise also helps you sleep well.

I’d love to see “further studies” include two groups of people “at risk” for developing Alzheimer’s: 1. sedentary people who eat and drink disruptive foods and beverages, use tobacco and take prescription medications 2) compared to people that exercise daily, eat and drink healthy foods and beverages and do not take OTC or prescription medications or use tobacco.

Then, compare how well these two different groups sleep, along with their biological markers for Alzheimer’s disease.

Bottom line:  Missing piece to this puzzle may be finding out what causes sleep problems.  I posit people more at risk have unhealthy habits leading to sleeplessness.

Remember, you have the power to change your daily habits and choices.

It’s time to research and study causes, so people can practice prevention instead of seeking treatment for symptoms, or worse believing the symptom is a cause. ”

-Maria Dorfner

 

NATIONAL MEDIA:   See Pathfire #: 10826 dated July 5, 2017 for soundbites/voiceover

contact:  maria.dorfner@yahoo.com

Health Hero: Meet 16-Year-Old Mai Griffith

Mai (pronounced M-A-Y) Griffith, a 16-year-old student in California started her own 501c3 called Hearts for Hearts to bring medical supplies and volunteer in third world countries that are in need.

Mai is a sophomore at Santa Margarita Catholic High School. She volunteers at Saddleback Memorial Hospital in her free time and has a passion for serving others.

Mai hopes to study medicine in college and use her practice to continue to help those in need of medical assistance.

Each weekend, we’ll feature someone beautiful like Mai, doing something cool to make the world a better place.  I spoke with Mai and and her Mom today before they depart to NYC next week.  From there, she takes off for her journey to Ghana.

Mai, what first prompted you to start the foundation?

MAI:  “I first started volunteering at a hospital near my house. I met a lot
of people who were going through a lot of difficulty and that was what made
the first impression on me. Then, hearing about all of the violence and war
in the news like the war in Syria in the past year, and all of the refugees
who direly needed help, I couldn’t think about anything but helping these
people. It is very hard not to see all of the people calling out for help
in all of these places, especially with everything going on in the world
today.”

Where do the medical supplies come from?

MAI:  “The medical supplies come from personal donations from people,
solicited donations from hospitals, and other non-profits whose goal is to
provide supplies to foundations like ours to deliver to the countries.”

 

How did you even know to create a 501c3? Who helped you?

MAI: “People tend to donate more when they know that it is a legitimate
non-profit. Making it a 501c3 gave credibility to the cause and gives us
the platform to get corporate sponsorship in the future. My mom helped me
set it up, from being on a non-profit board before, she knows how important
that status is.”

Where do you get funding to go to third world countries?

MAI:  “We get funding from fundraising, selling pins with our logo on them,
and sugar scrubs that we make with our logo on them as well. Spreading the
word about our foundation also helps to bring in donations in many forms.”

What do your parents think about what you’re doing?

ANN MARIE (GRIFFITH) DRYDEN, MAI’S MOM: 

“Mai is a very independent young woman and has compassion that is
truly lacking in our society these days. She is interested in medicine and
has been volunteering at a hospital for a year now and has been frustrated
that she can’t actually HELP anyone because of HIPPA rules and her age.
The whole reason she wanted to volunteer was to “give back” to others and
she kept being told NO.

Mai has volunteered on trips outside of the US so she started looking at
ways to volunteer in underdeveloped countries that need the help the most.
From that it kind of evolved into bringing medical supplies to starting a
501c3 in order to have companies be willing to donate the supplies.

As far as her going all the way to Ghana, I am admittedly nervous about it.
I have been in contact with the US Consulate in Ghana as well as reached
out to reporters in the area to see what they have to say about safety and
everyone says the Cape Coast in Ghana is really safe.

So I am feeling about as good about it as I can. When Mai watches YouTube videos
of helping people in these underdeveloped areas she is literally brought to
tears. So….how can I possibly say no. I love Mai for who she is and the
fact that she wants to do this.”

We do too.  It can’t hurt that you’re a marketing and finance wiz yourself. I also noticed you have a TV background.  How did your background help Mai?

ANN MARIE:  “I was the Chief Operating Officer for a company called PowerDirect, which does a lot of demographic data for Fortune 500 companies, and we deliver jumbo door hangers for people’s doors. As odd as that sounds, our clients are big companies, such as Google, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Comcast, Best Buy, Verizon, Team Mobile and others.  I managed all aspects of operations and finance. It also includes marketing, advertising, television production, manufacturing, strategic planning and operations.

I’ve been in executive leadership roles for multiple companies for more than 15 years including HBO, True Designs/True Innovations and Sentinel Offender Monitoring. Clearly, my experience has had a tremendous influence on my daughter  as I always talk to her about my work.

As a female executive, I think that’s real important.  So, the first time Mai expressed an interest in doing something to help people my reaction was that it was typical for her because she’s always had a huge heart.  

She has a tremendous amount of compassion.  At the age of 7, she had a lemonade stand and she’s always been into helping others. She volunteered at the hospital, but was frustrated about not really feeling that she was helping enough. She felt she could do more abroad.

The more we talked about it, we brainstormed on what was the best way that she could go about making it a reality.  Then, she did a fundraiser on the beach in Orange County to get people to donate.”

Will you be going to Ghana with your daughter?

ANN MARIE:  “No, she’s joining another volunteer international group called Project Abroad, and they have chaperones, so she’ll be going with them. Originally, I thought the medical supplies would be shipped separately, but yesterday we learned it’s better to pack them in suit cases.  

We’re getting as many suit cases as we can donated. We’ve even been asking on Facebook.  It costs a lot, but we’re trying to get other kids to take a suitcase with them as each is limited to two bags.

The supplies end up going to 3 different locations:  The Cape Coast Orphanage, The Ankafu Leprosy Camp, and The Cape Coast Teaching Hospital. I reached out to Johnson & Johnson in Dubai trying to get them to give us test strips, so they can use the blood sugar testing machines that will arrive.”

What safety precautions has she taken?

ANN MARIE (MAI’S MOM): “She’s done vaccines and anti-malaria because she’ll be dealing with kids with malaria. I contacted the U.S. Consulate in Ghana and reached out to different people who have already done things there, so we can get feedback before she goes there and everyone has said that she’s going to an area that is the original area in Africa that slave trading started, so it’s an area that is definitely not very developed.

It’s not a tourist area, but it means it’s less likely to have terrorist activity.  She has a straw that filters water. She’ll be in a place that she can get bottled water brought in from ACCRA, the capital of Ghana.

I made sure Mai really understood what she was doing because most kids her age are at the beach during the summer and here she is wanting to place bandages on sick children.”

What will you and Mai being doing while in New York City?

ANN MARIE:  “We’ll be in NYC looking at Columbia University, where she’d like to do Pre-Med, and then she flies out on Friday, July 7.”

That’s wonderful.  Let’s talk to Mai again. Mai, we love what you’re doing. Good luck at Columbia and on your trip to Ghana. Tell me about your future aspirations.

MAI: “I’m interested in medicine and have a compassion to help, and I
aspire to be able to reach those across the globe who are in true need of
medical attention. I want to continue with my foundation and to grow it
globally so that I can reach more countries and areas that would benefit
from our help.”

How can other people help support what you’re doing?

MAI:   “Other people can help by sending us medical supplies and products
they no longer need like band aids and other items alike. A lot of times
expiration dates on the boxes do not matter to the places accepting our
donations, so anything helps. Along with supplies, monetary donations
through the link on our site help to pay for shipping, costs and delivery
of the supplies.”

If people want more information, where should they go?

MAI  “Our website http://www.hforhfoundation.org and our Instagram is @hforhfoundation

Your trip is coming up soon. How do you feel about going to Ghana?

MAI:  “I am extremely excited to go to Ghana, as I really want to be able to
help where I am needed and make a real difference. I am also a little
nervous as well, because it is halfway across the globe, and it is so
different from how I live at home. Overall, I really cannot wait because I
know this will be an amazing experience to contribute to the world we all
live in and to make it a better, safer place for generations to come.”

When do you get back from Ghana?

“I get back July 23. There’s a few hour layover in NYC and then back to Orange County.”

Thank you to remarkably inspirational Mai and her Mom for all they’re doing to help others and create meaningful change in the world and for taking the time to speak with me. Wishing her a safe and wonderful trip and experience.

http://www.hforhfoundation.org

ABC News LA did a story on our Health Hero this week, which you can view here: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BzxYf7TwDSINNWVzWU9sWmtyMDA www.hforhfoundation.org

Mai and her Mom can also be reached on Twitter at:  @hforhfoundation

 

If you know someone beautiful doing something cool to help others, let us know.

   Contact:  Maria.Dorfner@yahoo.com. Subject: Health Hero

 

Happy, Healthy Fourth of July, everyone!

 

contact us:

Share your health story with the Healthy Within Network community.  Email topic to: Maria.Dorfner@yahoo.com