It's my birthday too! Those of you who know me, know I'm a big believer in giving back. I hope to leave the world a little better than I found it. Last year on my birthday, I had just returned from my mission trip in Nicaragua. While I was there, working to get people access to clean water became an important issue for me. So for my birthday, my friends all donated to build a well in Africa and give hundreds of people in the local village clean water.
Yesterday, I was nominated by my sister to take the ALS ice bucket challenge. You've probably seen this challenge, which has gone viral in recent weeks and already raised over $12 million for ALS research. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease," is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. It's basically like being buried alive - your muscles stop working, but your brain stays fully functional. ALS is terminal and there is no cure.
My grandmother had ALS. It is a horrible, awful disease that no one should have to go through. So, I have gladly accepted my sister's challenge. I will be completing my ice bucket challenge tonight in class. There is no better way I could think of than to end my birthday by honoring my grandmother and the thousands of other people suffering from this disease.
So, in light of it being my birthday, I will go easy on you this week. I would like to know, "What causes do you support? What issue is important to you and why?" Answers are due no later than Wednesday, August 27th, 2014. If you would like to donate or learn more about ALS, you can go here: www.alsa.org Also - stay tuned to the blog as I will be posting a video of me accepting my ice bucket challenge later this week!
If we get more people like Charlie Sheen and the people that give money and time to this research, hopefully with the advancing technologies we will have a cure soon.
ReplyDeleteMy cause is talking to people about Jesus Christ and how he can save you from your sins and deliver you from any sickness if you have faith in him. I tell them about the deep sins i was in and couldnt find my way out but God had mercy on me and delivered me out of my dark places. He also delivered me from MRSA which is a bacteria that can eat away your flesh and possibly kill you. I had i t from playing football when a cleat took a chunk of meat out of my shins. The MRSA kept coming back and getting worse but when i prayed and kept the faith, God took that burden away from me. Its important to me to pass the word of God to those who know nothing about God and give them some of my stories, because i was once there and have been delivered and i just feel free being in the presence of God knowing that he will never leave me nor forsake me and all i have to do is ask.
ReplyDeleteThe issue that is important to me and needs to be resolved is gun violence. Recently, we've experienced so much gun violence that its tearing our country apart. People are afraid to go out into the public because they're afraid of not being safe. It seems as if it is so easy to pick up a gun and take someone else's life as if there are no consequences. If we could find a way to get better gun control and stop the violence in the world today, we could live in peace.
ReplyDeleteAn issue that get to me is the amount of homeless people in the world today. I understand that in some peoples eyes that the some of the homeless people choose to be that way because they don't use the resources that are provided but I feel that either way someone should extend their hand to help them to create a new beginning in their life. There are a number of things that could factor in their homelessness and from my encounters with a homeless family in the past I developed a longing to help as many homeless people I can in my lifetime.
ReplyDeleteA few causes and issues I support and are important to me is the awareness of heart health and cancer. I am avidly donating to The Heart Association and run in 5ks they host in Indy every year in honor of my mom who has suffered from heart attacks. I as well raise money for an ex boyfriends little sister who was diagnosed with leukemia and has relapsed 3 times at only the age of 15 and the same goes for awareness of breast cancer too, which I have lost a family friend recently at the age of only 45. Seeing first hand the fear, pain, and tough times those situations bring to someone or their families made me really want to help the best way I possibly can if it is only raising money, donating money myself, running 3 miles, taking a little 15 year old girl shopping and making dinner for a family who lost their mom a few times a week. It's really important to me to provide love and support as much as I possibly can to others who have faced or are facing life-death situations because I knew how much I appreciated everyone who helped and supported my family and I throughout all the experiences I have dealt with.
ReplyDeleteThe cause that I support is F*Cancer. It’s a non-profit organization, funding to help support young adults and adults to detect cancer in a early stage. By educating them on Cancer. About 90% of Cancers in stage one are curable. Teaching self-exams for early detection. http://www.letsfcancer.com/
ReplyDeleteAn issue that is important to me is Teenage Smoking. Many young teenagers are starting out young between ages 10-14. Causing many health problems in the further to come. Influenced by many celebrities seen on television or being peer pressure to fit in. Even young children are smoking. Here’s a video of a child in Indonesia, addicted to smoking that went viral in 2011. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2lzvoGGXBc Were is Aldi now, 2 years later? Here’s an article link by abcNews below. http://abcnews.go.com/Health/smoking-baby-today/story?id=14453373#all
So, help stop others like Aldi from the addiction.
I guess the cause i support is peace. The fighting and outrageous violence is just getting worse and I try my best to at least keep that negativity away from family and friends it is difficult when that is all you see on the news and all around you in your every day life.
ReplyDeleteThe cause I help support us breast cancer. One of my moms friends is a survivor of breast cancer. Prior to us finding out about her breast cancer, very year we would donate, start a team, and participate in the breast cancer walk every year. We walk and donated to help raise awareness of breast cancer and how it can really change and effect peoples lives.
ReplyDeleteThe cause I support is Type 1 Diabetes. Not many people have this form of the disease. My dad was diagnosed when he was a kid and I've watched him go through it all my life. At 45 years old, he's losing his vision and can barely see me from across the room. A lot of people don't know the side effects of diabetes. I remember growing up and seeing him lying there on the floor when I got home from school and having to wake him up. Or when he was shaking and screaming and I had to call 911. It was terrifying as a kid to have to go through that. My boyfriend has diabetes as well so I guess it just hits home for me.
ReplyDeleteThe cause that I support is the Wounded Warrior Project. I mostly support this program because I am a wounded veteran. Although I cannot support my brothers in arms on the battlefield I will do everything I can to ensure that they and their families are taken care of here at home. It is very easy to forget about those who have served when they are not being broadcast all over the media. A lot of people forget that we are currently in Afghanistan, often I hear people talking about how we are all home. However, soldiers are still fighting a war and getting injured. There are a lot of veterans and families struggling because of the physical and mental scars they received during their time of service. The Wounded Warrior Project is an excellent program that has helped over 54,000 wounded veterans and over 7,500 family members receive support and services since 2004.
ReplyDeleteFor information please visit:
http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/
Native American Art Council, It is dedicated to educating the general public and breaking stereotypes by presenting the traditions and societal contributions of Native Americans through song, dance, art, crafts and other forms of expression.
ReplyDeleteThe cause that I support is any cause that can help people and make difference. A issue that is important to me is secondhand smoke because sidestream
ReplyDeletesmoke (smoke that comes from the lit side of the cigarette is more likely to cause cancer then the smoke from the other end.
The issue I suppport is heart health. My husband has had a heart attack 3 years ago and it has been an issue that we still try to assist.
ReplyDeleteWell, I help support help for Cancer. I've witnessed 8 people in my family have different forms of cancer, three of which have passed away from the disease. I have become more careful and aware of the symptoms and ways to detect whether you have cancer or not and donated to help find research.
ReplyDeleteThis is a new issue that I have just seen and its for homeless veterans. I saw a music video witch i will try to post and it talks about how many homeless vets we have in this country. Its ridiculous, why can we not be able to help the people that went out to war, put their lives on the line to protect our country and defend our so called freedom? Its especially hard for them as well because of how many homeless phonies are out in the street begin for money. I can't really explain it but I will post the music video and see if you will feel the way I did. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_l4Ab5FRwM
ReplyDeleteA cause I support is the Special Olympics. It is important to me because my stepsister is an athlete in the Special Olympics and I see that it makes her really happy and it has given her opportunities that she would not have had without it.
ReplyDelete