APPRECIATE BEAUTY, DON'T ENVY IT
This is taken from an article urging women to, instead of comparing themselves to other women and feeling inferior, rather embrace and appreciate others' beauty. After all, no one else's beauty detracts from yours:
"There are several things that recommend the role of appreciator. It's easy to be very busy -- at least as busy as one can be striving to be among the appreciated. I've discovered what the smartest men have always known: that women can be lovely in many ways -- as many ways, it seems, as there are women.
It's easy to be very happy, noticing things to admire rather than looking only for ways to be admired. You know that feeling you get when you see a lush summer garden, abundantly green and fragrant and riotous with blossoms? Does it bother you that you're not as beautiful as it is? No, of course not; it's a garden. Its beauty has nothing to do with you, takes nothing away from yours.
In fact, standing in the middle of a flourishing garden, filling your eyes with the deep and impossibly delicate colors, inhaling the odors, sweet and complex, you might feel more beautiful, more precious yourself, marveling at your own ability to perceive it all. That's the way I feel about those women I used to think of as competitors: Their beauty is one more avenue for a rich enjoyment of the world.
But maybe most important as an appreciator, I'm setting my own standards. Shall I compare thee to a summer's day? No, I won't. I won't compare you -- or myself -- to anything, not the weather, not our mothers, not that gorgeous creature crossing our paths. Because a thing of beauty needs no comparison, only an eye to behold it."
Exactly; and this is good advice for men as well as women, as well as--of course--for those with physical differences or Moebius Syndrome. We may at times feel very tempted to compare ourselves to others, and to feel as if we've come up short. But of course, we haven't...
"Our minds are as different as our faces: we are all traveling to one destination; --happiness; but few are going by the same road."--Charles Caleb Colton
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
AN INSPIRING STORY
Do you need some inspiration today? Need a little boost to keep on taking on the day? Read this story about a young man named Armando Saltiel. He doesn't have Moebius Syndrome. His special needs actually are far more extensive than for most. But, with the help of others, he's been able to become an amazing artist--even though all he can move are his eyes:
"Armando Saltiel’s parents used to take him skiing in Aspen, but the altitude became too much for his fragile lungs. He rode horses, too, but his severe scoliosis made that intolerable.
Born with a genetic brain abnormality that limits his communication to eye movements, “Mandi” was becoming more withdrawn. His parents feared he was shutting down completely. So, they settled on a curious activity for their son, largely because they could think of almost nothing else for him.
They let him make art.
It seems like a ridiculous concept — a young man who can barely move his head creating art. But the Saltiels saw what happened when their son started working with artist Julie Ludwick, and it was transformative.
Now, a partnership is developing, and this activity Saltiel came to almost as a last resort has become a salvation, potentially a career. As impossible as it sounds, Mandi Saltiel is an artist.
“It’s like he’s trapped in his body because he’s nonverbal and he’s so physically (challenged),” said his mother, Lori Saltiel. “Everyone wants a purpose. He’s expressing himself. He’s telling us something he has within him that he can’t verbalize.”
Saltiel, 21, of Libertyville, Ill., expresses those thoughts through painstaking sessions with Ludwick, an art therapist who began working with him in 2008 at Equestrian Connection, a therapeutic horseback riding center in Lake Forest, Ill., after riding ended.
One of their earliest pieces is a tangle of jagged blue and green marks on paper.
The two refined their communication. Ludwick soon determined that Saltiel wanted to tear colored paper, cut photos and glue both on his pieces. Then they started gluing objects, including beads, bingo chips, feathers, flowers, polished stones, sea shells and bottle caps, to the surface.
Saltiel’s art work grew. “Keep On Truckin’,” depicting the landscape of his perilous life through the use of paint, strips of photographs, seashells, polished stones, and a picture of an SUV, is 5 feet wide and nearly 2 feet high. “My Garden of Possibilities,” meant to convey his potential, is almost the same size.
But “Lori’s Oasis” may answer the obvious question of who really is creating this art — Ludwick, who has a master’s in art therapy, or the severely debilitated young man in the wheelchair?
“Lori’s Oasis,” which represents Lori Saltiel’s interests, shows photos of blue and yellow furniture and a couch overflowing with pillows — all of which are in the family’s living room. Saltiel and Ludwick completed the piece before Ludwick had seen the Saltiels’ home.
“If this wasn’t his work,” Lori Saltiel said, “I wouldn’t pay for these sessions,” which are $60 an hour. She pointed to “Keep On Truckin’.” “This is the stuff he went through. If this wasn’t his, I wouldn’t have paid $650 to frame it. It would have been rolled up and put away.”
Ludwick, 28, describes the art-making as “communicating through a very complicated version of Twenty Questions. Obviously, there’s a part of me in these,” she added, “just like anybody who is an art instructor.”
But seeing Ludwick and Saltiel work underscores her role as art conduit.
Saltiel applies all the paint in his pieces. Ludwick places a wrist wrap on his right hand, slips a paintbrush into it then supports the hand or elbow. He chooses a color and slides the brush on the surface.
When Ludwick works on a piece, she constantly checks and double-checks with Saltiel on selection and placement of colors and objects. She cheers him and suggests what each object, color or position may mean to him.
Saltiel communicates “yes” by rolling his eyes toward the top of his head, and “no” by moving his gaze to the right. The partners work two hours a week and can take six months to complete a piece."
Read the whole thing...
ANOTHER MOEBIUS HERO
And that is a young boy from the UK named Titan Fairlie, who has Moebius Syndrome, and all those who are striving to help him--by climbing:
"Money raised by Darwin's The Rock climbing gym last weekend will go to the family of a battling NT toddler.
A rock wall - set up by Health Education and Learning Programs (HELP) NT which runs the centre - provided entertainment to kids and even some NT politicians who harnessed up to test their agility at the Darwin Boat Show. But the highlight was the launch of a new portable climbing wall for kids with disabilities.
Titan Fairlie, 3, who suffers from the rare neurological disorder Moebius syndrome, was a guest of honour. He was one of the first to play on the "Fishing Co-ordination Wall" - part of HELP's Swimming for Success program.
Co-ordinator Carolyn Reynolds said the new wall would help kids with disabilities develop their co-ordination, gross motor skills and confidence.
"This is my gift to Darwin," she said.
Do you need some inspiration today? Need a little boost to keep on taking on the day? Read this story about a young man named Armando Saltiel. He doesn't have Moebius Syndrome. His special needs actually are far more extensive than for most. But, with the help of others, he's been able to become an amazing artist--even though all he can move are his eyes:
"Armando Saltiel’s parents used to take him skiing in Aspen, but the altitude became too much for his fragile lungs. He rode horses, too, but his severe scoliosis made that intolerable.
Born with a genetic brain abnormality that limits his communication to eye movements, “Mandi” was becoming more withdrawn. His parents feared he was shutting down completely. So, they settled on a curious activity for their son, largely because they could think of almost nothing else for him.
They let him make art.
It seems like a ridiculous concept — a young man who can barely move his head creating art. But the Saltiels saw what happened when their son started working with artist Julie Ludwick, and it was transformative.
Now, a partnership is developing, and this activity Saltiel came to almost as a last resort has become a salvation, potentially a career. As impossible as it sounds, Mandi Saltiel is an artist.
“It’s like he’s trapped in his body because he’s nonverbal and he’s so physically (challenged),” said his mother, Lori Saltiel. “Everyone wants a purpose. He’s expressing himself. He’s telling us something he has within him that he can’t verbalize.”
Saltiel, 21, of Libertyville, Ill., expresses those thoughts through painstaking sessions with Ludwick, an art therapist who began working with him in 2008 at Equestrian Connection, a therapeutic horseback riding center in Lake Forest, Ill., after riding ended.
One of their earliest pieces is a tangle of jagged blue and green marks on paper.
The two refined their communication. Ludwick soon determined that Saltiel wanted to tear colored paper, cut photos and glue both on his pieces. Then they started gluing objects, including beads, bingo chips, feathers, flowers, polished stones, sea shells and bottle caps, to the surface.
Saltiel’s art work grew. “Keep On Truckin’,” depicting the landscape of his perilous life through the use of paint, strips of photographs, seashells, polished stones, and a picture of an SUV, is 5 feet wide and nearly 2 feet high. “My Garden of Possibilities,” meant to convey his potential, is almost the same size.
But “Lori’s Oasis” may answer the obvious question of who really is creating this art — Ludwick, who has a master’s in art therapy, or the severely debilitated young man in the wheelchair?
“Lori’s Oasis,” which represents Lori Saltiel’s interests, shows photos of blue and yellow furniture and a couch overflowing with pillows — all of which are in the family’s living room. Saltiel and Ludwick completed the piece before Ludwick had seen the Saltiels’ home.
“If this wasn’t his work,” Lori Saltiel said, “I wouldn’t pay for these sessions,” which are $60 an hour. She pointed to “Keep On Truckin’.” “This is the stuff he went through. If this wasn’t his, I wouldn’t have paid $650 to frame it. It would have been rolled up and put away.”
Ludwick, 28, describes the art-making as “communicating through a very complicated version of Twenty Questions. Obviously, there’s a part of me in these,” she added, “just like anybody who is an art instructor.”
But seeing Ludwick and Saltiel work underscores her role as art conduit.
Saltiel applies all the paint in his pieces. Ludwick places a wrist wrap on his right hand, slips a paintbrush into it then supports the hand or elbow. He chooses a color and slides the brush on the surface.
When Ludwick works on a piece, she constantly checks and double-checks with Saltiel on selection and placement of colors and objects. She cheers him and suggests what each object, color or position may mean to him.
Saltiel communicates “yes” by rolling his eyes toward the top of his head, and “no” by moving his gaze to the right. The partners work two hours a week and can take six months to complete a piece."
Read the whole thing...
ANOTHER MOEBIUS HERO
And that is a young boy from the UK named Titan Fairlie, who has Moebius Syndrome, and all those who are striving to help him--by climbing:
"Money raised by Darwin's The Rock climbing gym last weekend will go to the family of a battling NT toddler.
A rock wall - set up by Health Education and Learning Programs (HELP) NT which runs the centre - provided entertainment to kids and even some NT politicians who harnessed up to test their agility at the Darwin Boat Show. But the highlight was the launch of a new portable climbing wall for kids with disabilities.
Titan Fairlie, 3, who suffers from the rare neurological disorder Moebius syndrome, was a guest of honour. He was one of the first to play on the "Fishing Co-ordination Wall" - part of HELP's Swimming for Success program.
Co-ordinator Carolyn Reynolds said the new wall would help kids with disabilities develop their co-ordination, gross motor skills and confidence.
"This is my gift to Darwin," she said.
Ms Reynolds - who had a serious brain injury five years ago - said she saw how little help there was for disadvantaged families in the Top End.
"Now I'm getting better I can't just sit back and do nothing," she said.
"I can help other struggling families so I will."
The former teacher said the kids were encouraged to name the fish and a helicopter on the wall, included as a symbol of "climbing to new heights".
Funds raised by the centre at the weekend went to the Fairlie family, who had returned from Melbourne where Titan had his third eye operation in a month.
"They never ask for help," Ms Reynolds said.
Parents Mai and Keith Fairlie said they were blown away at the generosity. Along with being born paralysed down the right side of his body, Titan also has severe autism, complex seizures and a cross chromosome.
"Caroline's kindness came out of the blue," Mr Fairlie said. The Fairlies have been to Melbourne 14 times for their son's mobility operations and plastic surgery with more to come."
"A leader is a dealer in hope."--Napoleon Bonaparte
"I can help other struggling families so I will."
The former teacher said the kids were encouraged to name the fish and a helicopter on the wall, included as a symbol of "climbing to new heights".
Funds raised by the centre at the weekend went to the Fairlie family, who had returned from Melbourne where Titan had his third eye operation in a month.
"They never ask for help," Ms Reynolds said.
Parents Mai and Keith Fairlie said they were blown away at the generosity. Along with being born paralysed down the right side of his body, Titan also has severe autism, complex seizures and a cross chromosome.
"Caroline's kindness came out of the blue," Mr Fairlie said. The Fairlies have been to Melbourne 14 times for their son's mobility operations and plastic surgery with more to come."
"A leader is a dealer in hope."--Napoleon Bonaparte
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
ALWAYS PROTECT YOUR EYES
Those of us with Moebius Syndrome can undoubtedly identify with this piece of advice, especially given that it's very difficult for us to squint:
"You may hear a lot about keeping your skin safe from the sun’s harmful rays, but did you know your eyes need to be protected too? Dr. Manny, senior managing editor of FoxNewsHealth.com, explains:
Short-term UV exposure may burn the front surface of the eye, just like a sunburn would on the skin.
To protect your eyes, you should always wear sunglasses that block 99 to 100 percent of the UVA and UVB rays. And they don’t have to be expensive.
UV exposure can come from reflections off the sand, pavement, water and snow – so you should wear sunglasses year-round.
In addition, a wide-brimmed hat can also add cover.
Overexposure to sunlight can lead to cataracts, which is the common long-term consequence.
Cataracts affects 22.3 million Americans and costs $6.8 billion dollars in medical bills each year.
But, if you take the proper precautions when out in the sun, you can avoid problems like these."
DIVORCE AND SPECIAL-NEEDS CHILDREN
On Facebook a little bit ago, the topic of getting a divorce, all while you have a child with Moebius Syndrome, came up. There are no easy answers there. But any couple, or any parent, dealing with the issue might want to check out a website such as this--it has some intelligent thoughts and resources on the subject:
"There is no question that having a child with a disability is a tremendous source of stress for any couple.
What was once a carefree romantic relationship turns into a painful, confusing, emotional rollercoaster, at least for a time.
Sometimes one partner decides he or she wants off the ride and this leaves a tremendous burden on the spouse left behind.
If the problems in your marriage have reached a crisis stage and you are considering a divorce, first explore all possibilities of saving your marriage.
Often marriages can be saved with the help of skilled marriage and family counselors. If you do not know a counselor, an experienced divorce attorney can recommend one who is properly qualified.
If your marriage cannot be saved, there is still a good chance that you can negotiate a divorce that is fair to both of you without an angry and destructive battle. It is possible to negotiate your differences in a reasonable way."
Read the whole thing...
"As I grow to understand life less and less, I learn to love it more and more."--Jules Renard
Those of us with Moebius Syndrome can undoubtedly identify with this piece of advice, especially given that it's very difficult for us to squint:
"You may hear a lot about keeping your skin safe from the sun’s harmful rays, but did you know your eyes need to be protected too? Dr. Manny, senior managing editor of FoxNewsHealth.com, explains:
Short-term UV exposure may burn the front surface of the eye, just like a sunburn would on the skin.
To protect your eyes, you should always wear sunglasses that block 99 to 100 percent of the UVA and UVB rays. And they don’t have to be expensive.
UV exposure can come from reflections off the sand, pavement, water and snow – so you should wear sunglasses year-round.
In addition, a wide-brimmed hat can also add cover.
Overexposure to sunlight can lead to cataracts, which is the common long-term consequence.
Cataracts affects 22.3 million Americans and costs $6.8 billion dollars in medical bills each year.
But, if you take the proper precautions when out in the sun, you can avoid problems like these."
DIVORCE AND SPECIAL-NEEDS CHILDREN
On Facebook a little bit ago, the topic of getting a divorce, all while you have a child with Moebius Syndrome, came up. There are no easy answers there. But any couple, or any parent, dealing with the issue might want to check out a website such as this--it has some intelligent thoughts and resources on the subject:
"There is no question that having a child with a disability is a tremendous source of stress for any couple.
What was once a carefree romantic relationship turns into a painful, confusing, emotional rollercoaster, at least for a time.
Sometimes one partner decides he or she wants off the ride and this leaves a tremendous burden on the spouse left behind.
If the problems in your marriage have reached a crisis stage and you are considering a divorce, first explore all possibilities of saving your marriage.
Often marriages can be saved with the help of skilled marriage and family counselors. If you do not know a counselor, an experienced divorce attorney can recommend one who is properly qualified.
If your marriage cannot be saved, there is still a good chance that you can negotiate a divorce that is fair to both of you without an angry and destructive battle. It is possible to negotiate your differences in a reasonable way."
Read the whole thing...
"As I grow to understand life less and less, I learn to love it more and more."--Jules Renard
Friday, September 2, 2011
FOR MOMS AND DADS
What can you do for your baby to help stimulate his or her brain, to help it develop? Research shows--try to develop the ability to concentrate:
"A new study suggests babies trained to concentrate spend more time focusing on the task at hand, which could help them learn all kinds of new skills.
Researchers from the University of London in the U.K studied 42 11-month-old babies, half of whom were trained to concentrate by animated computer programs, while the other half watched regular TV. After 15 days, the babies were put to the test. Trained babies were better at focusing on a task, like interacting with a parent, and ignoring distractions, like puppets.
“Whenever there’s movement, our attention gets drawn to it,” said study author Sam Wass of the University of London’s Center for Brain and Cognitive Development. “The better you are at saying, ‘No, that movement isn’t interesting; I want stay focused on this,’ the better you’re going to do.”
Because their brains are still developing, babies have a remarkable ability to form new neural connections — known as plasticity.
“The older you get, the less plastic your brain is,” Wass said. Think about a house: “If you start putting in alterations while the foundation’s being built, it’s easier than doing it after the house is finished.”
Mastering concentration can help children hone other skills, like reading, Wass said. But it’s unclear how long the effects of his 15-day computer-based training program will persist. Furthermore, most experts agree that tots’ TV and computer time should be kept to a minimum.
Wass said there are things parents can do daily to cultivate concentration in wee brains without serious screen time.
“There’s evidence that engaging in set tasks, like sitting and doing a puzzle with your child is a way of training to concentrate,” he said. “The infant can use the caregiver’s attention capacity as a sort of scaffold, training them to pay attention over longer periods of time.”
This is especially valuable for parents of Moebius children, as developing your child's brain, in whatever way possible, can only be a good thing.
"Let us not say, Every man is the architect of his own fortune; but let us say, Every man is the architect of his own character."--George Dana Boardman
What can you do for your baby to help stimulate his or her brain, to help it develop? Research shows--try to develop the ability to concentrate:
"A new study suggests babies trained to concentrate spend more time focusing on the task at hand, which could help them learn all kinds of new skills.
Researchers from the University of London in the U.K studied 42 11-month-old babies, half of whom were trained to concentrate by animated computer programs, while the other half watched regular TV. After 15 days, the babies were put to the test. Trained babies were better at focusing on a task, like interacting with a parent, and ignoring distractions, like puppets.
“Whenever there’s movement, our attention gets drawn to it,” said study author Sam Wass of the University of London’s Center for Brain and Cognitive Development. “The better you are at saying, ‘No, that movement isn’t interesting; I want stay focused on this,’ the better you’re going to do.”
Because their brains are still developing, babies have a remarkable ability to form new neural connections — known as plasticity.
“The older you get, the less plastic your brain is,” Wass said. Think about a house: “If you start putting in alterations while the foundation’s being built, it’s easier than doing it after the house is finished.”
Mastering concentration can help children hone other skills, like reading, Wass said. But it’s unclear how long the effects of his 15-day computer-based training program will persist. Furthermore, most experts agree that tots’ TV and computer time should be kept to a minimum.
Wass said there are things parents can do daily to cultivate concentration in wee brains without serious screen time.
“There’s evidence that engaging in set tasks, like sitting and doing a puzzle with your child is a way of training to concentrate,” he said. “The infant can use the caregiver’s attention capacity as a sort of scaffold, training them to pay attention over longer periods of time.”
This is especially valuable for parents of Moebius children, as developing your child's brain, in whatever way possible, can only be a good thing.
"Let us not say, Every man is the architect of his own fortune; but let us say, Every man is the architect of his own character."--George Dana Boardman
Thursday, September 1, 2011
THE TRIALS OF CARING FOR A SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD
Occasionally on the various social media sites out there we see parents talking about some of the difficulties in raising a child with special needs. Certainly parents of children with Moebius Syndrome know how this can be. I found an interesting article today with some frank discussion by a parent of a special needs child (though the child doesn't have Moebius; he has a form of epilepsy) along with mention of the some of the important rewards that come with the territory:
"Joan’s son Jack is 12 and has a form of severe epilepsy that affects his intellectual capabilities and his behaviour. He needs one-on-one care 24 hours a day. Joan also has a daughter Ruby and the family lives in Belmont, Victoria.
Jack has a form of epilepsy known as Lennox-Gastaut. His development was normal until he was about three years old and the uncontrolled seizures began. The severe seizures have affected Jack’s intellectual capabilities and his behaviour. His condition is expected to get worse with age.
‘Basically, Jack needs one-on-one care all the time. He needs help with dressing, feeding, toileting and you need to watch him all the time in case he takes off. You always have to be aware of what he’s doing, whether it’s making sure he’s watching videos or making sure he doesn’t become too aggressive with his sister Ruby. You really have to get everything done at home, like getting dinner ready, before Jack gets home so that you can care for him. Because of this, going out becomes too difficult. Sometimes you’ll give something a go but when an outing turns into a disaster, it’s easy to give up. You tend to base your life around home and not have much of a social life.
‘As a result we have to do everything separately. I might take Ruby out while Paul (my partner) takes Jack out. Without family support you rely on paid carers to get respite. The support we can access is not flexible and is allocated on a case-by-case basis. This makes working particularly difficult – I can get funding for a carer to pick Jack up after school and bring him home if I am sitting at home, but not when I am at work because it is not classified as respite.
‘What is particularly frustrating is hearing about how society is so accepting of disability and disability is catered for in the community. It is total crap. Most parents I know with children with disabilities have a really hard time taking them out. As a parent you are given a really hard time when your child looks normal but doesn’t act the way they should be acting. You can feel really defeated.
‘You also lose your close relationships and tend to mix with other parents of children with disabilities because you can relate, they become your support network. You don’t want to listen to people with pretty easy lives complain about what you see as trivial bullshit.
‘At the end of the day though, the rewards do outweigh the hard stuff. As a parent you do get a lot of love back and Jack does have a particularly good sense of humour. As a family we have a really tight bond, everything is out in the open and we all know each other really well.?
"Nothing of character is really permanent but virtue and personal worth."--Daniel Webster
Occasionally on the various social media sites out there we see parents talking about some of the difficulties in raising a child with special needs. Certainly parents of children with Moebius Syndrome know how this can be. I found an interesting article today with some frank discussion by a parent of a special needs child (though the child doesn't have Moebius; he has a form of epilepsy) along with mention of the some of the important rewards that come with the territory:
"Joan’s son Jack is 12 and has a form of severe epilepsy that affects his intellectual capabilities and his behaviour. He needs one-on-one care 24 hours a day. Joan also has a daughter Ruby and the family lives in Belmont, Victoria.
Jack has a form of epilepsy known as Lennox-Gastaut. His development was normal until he was about three years old and the uncontrolled seizures began. The severe seizures have affected Jack’s intellectual capabilities and his behaviour. His condition is expected to get worse with age.
‘Basically, Jack needs one-on-one care all the time. He needs help with dressing, feeding, toileting and you need to watch him all the time in case he takes off. You always have to be aware of what he’s doing, whether it’s making sure he’s watching videos or making sure he doesn’t become too aggressive with his sister Ruby. You really have to get everything done at home, like getting dinner ready, before Jack gets home so that you can care for him. Because of this, going out becomes too difficult. Sometimes you’ll give something a go but when an outing turns into a disaster, it’s easy to give up. You tend to base your life around home and not have much of a social life.
‘As a result we have to do everything separately. I might take Ruby out while Paul (my partner) takes Jack out. Without family support you rely on paid carers to get respite. The support we can access is not flexible and is allocated on a case-by-case basis. This makes working particularly difficult – I can get funding for a carer to pick Jack up after school and bring him home if I am sitting at home, but not when I am at work because it is not classified as respite.
‘What is particularly frustrating is hearing about how society is so accepting of disability and disability is catered for in the community. It is total crap. Most parents I know with children with disabilities have a really hard time taking them out. As a parent you are given a really hard time when your child looks normal but doesn’t act the way they should be acting. You can feel really defeated.
‘You also lose your close relationships and tend to mix with other parents of children with disabilities because you can relate, they become your support network. You don’t want to listen to people with pretty easy lives complain about what you see as trivial bullshit.
‘At the end of the day though, the rewards do outweigh the hard stuff. As a parent you do get a lot of love back and Jack does have a particularly good sense of humour. As a family we have a really tight bond, everything is out in the open and we all know each other really well.?
"Nothing of character is really permanent but virtue and personal worth."--Daniel Webster
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
SPOTLIGHT ON BULLYING
All of us with Moebius Syndrome or with other physical differences probably know something about "bullying." Many of us have been victims of it, at least in small ways; and perhaps in serious ways. I know many of you parents who have children with Moebius worry about your child being bullied. And so given that, many of us are glad that there is more talk about bullying out there in our society, and attempts to reduce it. Right now an anti-bullying law in New Jersey is in the news; one can't really say if it is the perfect solution to the problem, but again, more discussion of the issue of bullying has to be good. Here's more about the New Jersey law:
"Under a new state law in New Jersey, lunch-line bullies in the East Hanover schools can be reported to the police by their classmates this fall through anonymous tips to the Crimestoppers hot line.
In Elizabeth, children, including kindergartners, will spend six class periods learning, among other things, the difference between telling and tattling.
And at North Hunterdon High School, students will be told that there is no such thing as an innocent bystander when it comes to bullying: if they see it, they have a responsibility to try to stop it.
But while many parents and educators welcome the efforts to curb bullying both on campus and online, some superintendents and school board members across New Jersey say the new law, which takes effect Sept. 1, reaches much too far, and complain that they have been given no additional resources to meet its mandates.
The law, known as the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights, is considered the toughest legislation against bullying in the nation. Propelled by public outcry over the suicide of a Rutgers University freshman, Tyler Clementi, nearly a year ago, it demands that all public schools adopt comprehensive antibullying policies (there are 18 pages of “required components”), increase staff training and adhere to tight deadlines for reporting episodes.
Each school must designate an antibullying specialist to investigate complaints; each district must, in turn, have an antibullying coordinator; and the State Education Department will evaluate every effort, posting grades on its Web site. Superintendents said that educators who failed to comply could lose their licenses."
OTHER TIDBITS
Once again--get some sleep:
"Men who get the least deep sleep each night have a higher risk of hypertension, new research shows.
Earlier studies have tied chronic sleep disorders and low levels of sleep to greater risks of heart disease and obesity, and even reduced life span. But the new study, published in the journal Hypertension, is one of the first to find that it’s not just how much you sleep, but the the quality of your nightly slumber that can affect your risk for high blood pressure."
"Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us."--Thomas Paine
All of us with Moebius Syndrome or with other physical differences probably know something about "bullying." Many of us have been victims of it, at least in small ways; and perhaps in serious ways. I know many of you parents who have children with Moebius worry about your child being bullied. And so given that, many of us are glad that there is more talk about bullying out there in our society, and attempts to reduce it. Right now an anti-bullying law in New Jersey is in the news; one can't really say if it is the perfect solution to the problem, but again, more discussion of the issue of bullying has to be good. Here's more about the New Jersey law:
"Under a new state law in New Jersey, lunch-line bullies in the East Hanover schools can be reported to the police by their classmates this fall through anonymous tips to the Crimestoppers hot line.
In Elizabeth, children, including kindergartners, will spend six class periods learning, among other things, the difference between telling and tattling.
And at North Hunterdon High School, students will be told that there is no such thing as an innocent bystander when it comes to bullying: if they see it, they have a responsibility to try to stop it.
But while many parents and educators welcome the efforts to curb bullying both on campus and online, some superintendents and school board members across New Jersey say the new law, which takes effect Sept. 1, reaches much too far, and complain that they have been given no additional resources to meet its mandates.
The law, known as the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights, is considered the toughest legislation against bullying in the nation. Propelled by public outcry over the suicide of a Rutgers University freshman, Tyler Clementi, nearly a year ago, it demands that all public schools adopt comprehensive antibullying policies (there are 18 pages of “required components”), increase staff training and adhere to tight deadlines for reporting episodes.
Each school must designate an antibullying specialist to investigate complaints; each district must, in turn, have an antibullying coordinator; and the State Education Department will evaluate every effort, posting grades on its Web site. Superintendents said that educators who failed to comply could lose their licenses."
OTHER TIDBITS
Once again--get some sleep:
"Men who get the least deep sleep each night have a higher risk of hypertension, new research shows.
Earlier studies have tied chronic sleep disorders and low levels of sleep to greater risks of heart disease and obesity, and even reduced life span. But the new study, published in the journal Hypertension, is one of the first to find that it’s not just how much you sleep, but the the quality of your nightly slumber that can affect your risk for high blood pressure."
"Reputation is what men and women think of us; character is what God and angels know of us."--Thomas Paine
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
SO HOW COME SOME PEOPLE GET THE FLU...WHILE OTHERS DON'T?
Some scientists have studied it:
" Why do some people end up in bed feverish, hacking and sneezing for days from the flu — when others seem to never get sick? To answer that question, University of Michigan researchers did the first study of its kind: They infected 17 healthy people with the flu virus and discovered that everyone who is exposed to the flu actually is affected by it, but their bodies just have a different way of reacting to it. Half of the study participants got sick; the other half didn’t notice a thing.
Some scientists have studied it:
" Why do some people end up in bed feverish, hacking and sneezing for days from the flu — when others seem to never get sick? To answer that question, University of Michigan researchers did the first study of its kind: They infected 17 healthy people with the flu virus and discovered that everyone who is exposed to the flu actually is affected by it, but their bodies just have a different way of reacting to it. Half of the study participants got sick; the other half didn’t notice a thing.
“Many people might conclude that if you are exposed to a virus and you don’t get sick, it’s because the virus didn’t stick or it was so weak, it just passed right through your system and your system didn’t notice. That’s not a correct notion,” says Alfred Hero, professor at the University of Michigan College of Engineering and author of the study, which was published Thursday in the journal PLoS Genetics.
He continues, “There is an active immune response which accounts for the resistance of certain people getting sick, and that response is just as active as the response we all know and hate, which is being sick with the sniffles, fever, coughing and sneezing. It’s just that the responses are different.”
Hero, along with scientists from Duke University Medical Center and the Duke Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy, studied participants’ gene expression to watch how the immune system reacted to the flu virus. The analysis reviewed 22,000 genes and 267 blood samples, and used a pattern recognition algorithm and several other methods to discover the genomic signatures associated with the immune response in people who get flu symptoms and those who do not.
They found significant and complex immune responses in the people who got sick and the people who didn’t. Scientists noticed changes in their blood 36 hours before some people actually felt sick. Although they understand that some people’s immune systems resist the virus, they still don’t know how or why that happens.
“There is a behind the scene active immune response even when you don’t get sick,” Hero says. “What we found were differences in their biological metabolism and gene expression. These differences had to do with antioxidants.”
So sometimes your body responds to a virus...but you just don't know it. And it's hard to explain how it did it. Reminds me a bit of how our bodies respond to having Moebius Syndrome. Right? I can only see out of one eye at a time. But I use both of them, and somehow my body adapted to using both of them and switching back and forth fast enough to see what I needed to see. I couldn't explain to you, though, how it happened. Our lips and mouths don't work like other peoples'...yet we learn how to speak. Though explaining how we did it would be hard.
The body...it's an amazing thing.
"Be your character what it will, it will be known, and nobody will take it upon your word."--Lord Chesterfield
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