Eric De La Cruz: The Heart of Healthcare Reform

To promote change in Eric De La Cruz’s name,

Click here to visit the Lifegiver Project.

In Memoriam:  Eric De La Cruz,  July 4th, 2009, Rest In Peace 

 

Eric De La Cruz raised the bar on American courage.  His family continues to shine a light on love.  Due to strength of will, he and his family would overcome obstacles few could navigate, lead an international community of thousands, and ignite others admiration and heroic passions.

The need was singular:  a heart transplant to save Eric’s life.

Please get the word out about my brothers plight.  He needs a heart transplant.  Healthcare red tape.  Please help save #Eric

Their story is profoundly American.  Only in the United States do we develop the rapid technology needed for the De La Cruz’s triumphant and inspirational campaign, but also the unacceptable healthcare system leading to their heartbreak.

 

Eric’s sister Veronica De La Cruz built a humanitarian Twitter community for Eric’s heart with some of the strongest bonds I have seen in a live or online campaign.  Supporters experienced in real time each blockade the De La Cruz family faced.  Despite the crisis, her continual dignity and love for her brother reminded many how to love. Eric pushed on.
 

It began when Eric was 22 years old, in school part time and working entry level.  These rarely offer health insurance or pay that can cover premiums.   He was one of the 30% of our millenial generation without insurance.  He was healthy, played hockey. He then grew fatigued and was diagnosed with severe dilated cardiomyopathy.

Eric’s condition worsened in the years after his diagnosis, leading to the eventual recommendation of a heart transplant. Every day Eric survived was a victory to him and the family since then.

Nevada does not have a heart transplant center.  This unleashed a black hole.  With a pre-existing condition, Eric’s only insurance option had been Medicaid.  Medicaid is not federally controlled or portable across state lines due to state’s self-determination.  The transplant was not covered.

 

 

Pleas for Eric’s life were Tweeted from celebrities such as Demi Moore and P. Ditty.  As the healthcare red tape reached nightmare proportions, the community grew stronger and faster.  Beautiful friendships were forged.  Hundreds of photos and cards were sent to Eric.  Together supporters created videos, Facebook groups, and Flickr streams. Touched by Eric, supporters created the ”No More Red Tape” campaign and petition.

 

 

Eric even inspired one of the toughest internet personalities to sing:

 

Eric had applied and was rejected twice for Social Security Disability status for coverage under federal Medicare, which represented his best hope of coverage that would permit his transfer to an out-of-state transplant center. And, worse yet, his next appeal was set a year in the future, time he certainly did not have.

My friends, … Senator Reid needs to know that there should be a change in our flawed health care system. We are praying that in this instance Nevada and California will work together so that Eric can get on the transplant list.

 

 

New champions were inspired whose interventions where heroic if not legendary.  Trent Reznor of the band Nine Inch Nails is now one of our great humanitarians for his emergency fundraising work for Eric.  He came to the rescue when Eric finally received Medicare, yet Medicare was deemed insufficient by their transplant center of choice.  Hospitals can inflate any price and turn away any private or public plan they feel will not pay the entirety.

 

Eric’s situation shines a bright light on a broken healthcare system, and his particular set of problems are being addressed on the political front, aiming for reform in addition to the need for immediate financial help to keep him alive TODAY. I think we can help with the latter. ~ Trent Reznor

The De La Cruz family was left to raise the remaining cost of the heart transplant.  Trent launched a feat of brilliant fund raising ingenuity that raised close to $500,000 in two days and over to $900,000 in a few weeks.  His fans were moved by Eric’s story in monumental form. Janes Addiction and Tony Hawk came on board.  Eric was transported and admitted to a hospital in Los Angeles.  NIN’s gracious fanbase went above and beyond and joined Eric’s campaign with passion. The top donors received VIP NIN pre-concert access to the show of their choice.  The tour sold out of VIP packages. These are at one:

 

Hanging in there, Eric wrote a thank you note to Trent.  It encapsulates what we all believe about Trent and Eric, “Words can not describe..”

 

Despite devastating complications leading to VAD surgery to keep him alive, Eric remained mentally strong and Veronica remained positive:

He even says he wants to try to play Scategories! HUGE improvement. He hasn’t had energy so I am happy to hear.

Their love was a light:

With one miracle after another. Thanks to everyone who has stood by our side and supported us. Its been a lovefest on the web. We are grateful.

 

July 5th, 2009: A day of shock that will not be forgotten by thousands.  Veronica posted her goodbye to Eric after he died on our nation’s birthday. He did not survive recovery from the VAD surgery, which was his only hope to stay alive.  The De La Cruz family’s pain was felt and candles were lit for them around the world.

 

 

What is most uniquely American about Eric’s story is that in other developed countries, more than Eric’s courageous memory would be alive.  In America, the true heroes in the battle for healthcare are the 18,000 uninsured who die per year. They have fought hardest, just to live.  The De La Cruz family continue to fight so other families do not suffer as they did. They just returned from the Washington D.C. to discuss healthcare reform and Eric’s story.

 

According to a Harvard think tank other countries spend half of what we do on healthcare and have higher survival rates.  Any single one of these regulations of other developed countries would have saved Eric’s life:  Premium costs attainable to entry level workers, an accessible federal plan, or the elimination of pre-existing exclusions.

 

There are two ways to grasp this.  Statistics:

 

 

Or by opening your heart:

 

 

With one third of our younger generation uninsured, a circumstance similar to Eric’s could strike down many young hopefuls in college.

 

During Eric’s life, Veronica lovingly called Eric’s supporters “Eric’s Twitter Army.”   After witnessing first hand what the US healthcare system did to the De La Cruz family,  Eric’s Twitter Army is there to fight for change in his name.  They are there so a healthcare failure of this magnitude will not happen to another family.  They believe in his memory and life.

 

Join us.  Follow @VeronicaDLCruz on Twitter. 

 

 ”Sign the petition at @HCAN. Eric, like many others, have fallen through the cracks. Our leaders need to be made aware that we need change and they need to do the right thing.” ~ Veronica De La Cruz

To promote change in Eric De La Cruz’s name, click here to visit the Lifegiver Project.

Contact your Congress leaders with “Tweet Your Senator.”

The email campaign below supports comprehensive healthcare reform that would save those in Eric’s situation. Click “Take Action”.

or, Create a Petition

Change.org

The Tweet Heard Around The World #iranelection

This is what we want:#iranelection

Before June 13th, 2009 we viewed the world outside the west through a media window that we did not know was there. That window has now been broken forever. The protesters in Iran are fighting an under-reported attack on their constitution and human rights, and at the same time garnering international support while turning media on its head.  In the course of a weekend, their courage swept and inspired the internet. They also showed us how distant traditional western media has become to global experience.  We have new heroes.

The situation in Iran is now CRITICAL – the nation is heartbroken -suppression is iminent – #Iranelection

For those of us fortunate to have followed a Tehran protester on Twitter since the 14th, the story is truly their masterpiece of the human will to have the truth be known. They want their constitutional right to a truthful election. The brutality and censorship they face has not extinguished their hopes, it is what turned them to the internet on day one.  Despite their latest estimate of over 1,000 arrests, 28 deaths, and hospitals running out of blood, they are not going to stop standing up to the regime.

Much of what occured in the first 48 hours after the election results was missed by media outlets so this is to give it narritive. On Twitter we knew the gravity of each situation before it happened.  They debated with each other whether to go to the march with Mousavi when national television announced to the country that it will be met with gunfire. That did not stop over 10,000 Iranian protesters.

IRG threaten to open fire at people if they try to participate in Mousavi’s rally.  State TV right now: rally is illegal and Police will use iron fist against law breakers.

The throng at the rally in the picture above is telling.  Aside from risking gunfire, a different strategy was used to stop organised protests the night before. Mousavi’s core support are university students, so the Iranian government launched an attack and round of arrests in universities.  There, Twitter was also used as a SOS for injuries, reporting how others could avoid harm, and reporting who died.

We have now some students with urgent need of medical attention.  I’m calling out to all ppl who can come here don’t leave us.  All university’s own security and personell have been evacuated by the police.

The University raids were obvious messages of force. Their estimated aftermath is 100 arrests, 15 badly wounded, and 5 dead. When Basijand police lined the only entrance of one university with police vans, other students drove their cars in to block them. The Basijended ended this with smashed car windows, tear gas and any students that fought the raid were met with metal chains. The students were then imprisoned in the buildings overnight. Everything was destroyed. When one badly injured student was allowed to leave for the hospital, he was arrested from his hospital bed.

Tired & beaten. we couldn’t break through their wall, they were too many & we were no match for an entire army of special forces.

After the rally the students came back to another 2000 Basij at the university. On Twitter they could exchange names of those who died.

There is no need to hide their names anymore Mobina Ehtrami, Fateme Borati, Kasra Sharafi, Kambiz Shoaee & Mohsen Imani; all killed by ansar

During the 24 hours after the election results were announced and before the university arrests, there were two media realities. On social media, you had the heartbreaking flood of YouTube videos with police brutality and violent arrests that hit Twitter, along with stunning images of courage. If you went by television in the US, all you would know is that their were protests in Iran over an election. Time magizine online did cover it with an excellent article.

Police Brutality Clips from June 13th from YouTube:

This stunning photograph emerged of one Iranian woman showing the true courage of a people standing up for their rights. It was one of the most talked about items on FriendFeed.com on June 13th.  US television had yet to report on the crackdown in Iran.

Twitter users were volunteering their servers as proxy servers all around the world to keep Iranians online while their SMS, cellphone, landline and social media sites were blocked or cut.  We began saving every picture of arrests and downloading videos of brutality. We changed our cities to Tehran, added green icons and created a system that made censorship nearly impossible.  It did not go unnoticed, and someone was attacked in the US.

 Government now attacking people who provided proxy for us, I don’t know exactly how, but it’s confirmed. To all friends who are providing proxy / tunnel / vpn!  Please be careful!  Do not provide them in public & to all who seems to be from Iran.

Despite being told that the Western world is evil for their whole lives, they reached out to us. Despite the fact that they could be arrested for being online, they documented each event and uploaded it to YouTube and Flickr like award winning reporters. Through the real-time and lightweight structure of Twitter the protesters could tell the truth loud and clear, and weave the videos and pictures in as they occured. They are doing this while running for their lives.

Thanks to someone (probably gov) we’re are now also spies of Israel and to be shot on sight

The estimates and stories spread from Iranian to Iranian word of mouth and on social media are what matter, as this is what they are living right now. As much as their national media wants to spew ridiculous propoganda, or our national media wants to create their own footage, it is the protesters stories and belief in freedom that is moving their country. It is what is moving us.

And we are comforting them:

It is a miracle to have 25,197 people around the world supporting us! Thank you all out there.

Please click on the Take Action Change.org widget below and sign the petition to tell Iran that we are watching them. Grab the code and add a widget to your blog or profile as well. On Twitter, change your profile picture to green to show support or change your city to Tehran to help hide Iran Tweeters. Do not link to or use the @username of a credible Iran Tweeter.

Note:  This post was published before the harsher severity of the crackdown escalated. The Green Briefs were than organized and issued each day. Readers may begin here with Brief #1. These briefs are based on witnesses in Iran on Twitter. They report a much higher injury, death toll and number of arrests than Western media or Iran state media. This is crucial awareness.

or, Create a Petition

Change.org

Note: I stand by all written content in this blog. It comes from confirmed Iranian protester Twitter posts. The images of harmed university students in the their dorm rooms were more guesome and were blocked before I was able to archive them. The image of the harmed individual above emerged timed with the University raids, and is the only image on this blog I used a time frame to connect it with a confirmed violent event.

HEAL Africa: Woman’s Voices in the Congo

Although the Congolese war has been described as the bloodiest since World War II, the holistic hospital HEAL Africa is able to reach victims and remain stable due to its strong local ties.  Manuevering under the radar inside the territory, victims of what has been called “the Rape Capital of the World” come to the hospital for trama surgury, healing and renewal of spirit.  The E-Advocate has had the inspiring experience of knowing the dedicated HEAL Africa staff and interviewing them for our readers.

The film LUMO was created by the Goma Film Project to highlight one womans journey through the healing process at the HEAL Africa hospital in the Congo during the current rape epidemic.   The films trailer (please watch below) gives us a sense of the strong purpose of HEAL Africa.  Lumo has received numerous awards including the Human Rights Watch Official Selection and has been featured on CNN, the New York Times, and NPR.

 

The Goma Film Project summarizes the critical and life changing purpose of HEAL Africa to Congolese women:

“The agonies of war torn Africa are deeply etched in the bodies of women. In eastern Congo, vying militias, armies and bandits use rape as a weapon of terror.

Recently engaged to a young man from her village, 20 year-old Lumo Sinai couldn’t wait to have children and start a family. But when she crossed paths with marauding soldiers who brutally attacked her, she was left with a fistula— a condition that has rendered her incontinent and threatens her ability to give birth in the future. Rejected by her fiancé and cast aside by her family, Lumo found her way to the one place that may save her: a hospital for rape survivors set on the border with Rwanda. HEAL Africa.

Buoyed by the love of the hospital staff, and a formidable team of wise women known to all as “the Mamas,” Lumo and her friends keep the hope of one day resuming their former lives, thanks to an operation that can restore them fully to health. A feisty young woman with a red comb perpetually jutting from her hair, Lumo faces the challenge of recovery with remarkable courage and sass. As she and her friends recover from surgery, they pass the days by gossiping and sharing their dreams of one day finding love.”

The E-Advocate interviewed Harper McConnell, the Director of Development with HEAL Africa.  After working with Harper on various social media strategies over the past few months, I am more than inspired by her deep knowledge and 24-7 dedication to the health of rural Congo and ending the rape epidemic.

E-Advocate: Heal Africa works towards the vision of a holistic medical health in the rural regions of the DR Congo. How are your volunteers and staff on the ground in the Congo advancing your vision?

HEAL Africa: HEAL Africa has sat at the epicenter of the genocide and war since HEAL began as a hospital in Goma in 1994, founded by a Congolese surgeon, Dr. Jo Lusi and his wife Lyn. Health problems are often the symptom of greater societal ills, so we work outside of the hospital walls.

We are one of the few aid organizations that can cross all rebel territory lines to deliver medicines, train rural nurses, and educate communities through public health seminars. We adamantly believe we must address the root causes provoking poor health.

E-Advocate: What approach has Heal Africa utilized to equip conflict-ridden communities with health strategies?

HEAL Africa: The utter lack of infrastructure makes supplies and services incredibly difficult to deliver. As most people cannot come to the HEAL Africa hospital in Goma, we collaborate with over 56 other rural health centers and larger international health organizations, through training health workers and providing supplies to set up relief action plans for major outbreaks and health crises.

The rural health centers are supplied with training, equipment and medication including malaria treatment, HIV prevention and orthopedic operations and HIV transmission at birth through HEAL Africa.

E-Advocate: What are the key health issues that Heal Africa is currently addressing?

HEAL Africa: At the hospital in Goma, HEAL Africa specializes in fistula repair surgery for women who have developed the condition from either complications during pregnancy and labor or from brutal rape. HEAL Africa addresses orthopedic issue as well. The hospital performs over 1000 operations per year.

In the rural areas HEAL Africa does outreach training and surgery where the surgeons at the hospital in Goma take a several week trip to a remote area to operate and train the nurses and doctors.

The HIV AIDS clinic at the hospital monitors 500 HIV positive children and administers anti-retrovirals. In the rural areas, the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission program administers medicine to women who are HIV positive when they are giving birth to reduce the chance of transmission.

 

E-Advocate: How is Heal Africa affected by the current upsurge in military action in the Congo?

HEAL Africa: Due to the crisis, HEAL Africa prepared for a cholera outbreak and has been administering cholera treatment in refugee camps and surrounding areas.

The conflict greatly affects HEAL Africa’s development programs in the rural areas. HEAL focuses on development rather than relief, but in times of crisis the focus must be shifted towards relief. This can be discouraging as many of the staff members have seen their hard work torn away in a matter of days, but at the same time they are able to assist the communities in an efficient and relevant manner as they have been connected with them long before the recent upsurge in fighting.

E-Advocate: How can we support your vision?

HEAL Africa: You can raise funds and we have two rewarding ways to do this. The escalating conflict has placed a large financial strain our organization as the majority of the medical work is done for free or below cost.   You can also just donate on our website.

With your friends, or community organization you can host a party and watch the documentary “Lumo”. This award-winning and engaging documentary follows a women on her journey to the HEAL Africa hospital. Procedes of your purchase of the DVD from the LUMO website will go to us when you use the code HEAL0808  We can equip you with informative materials to teach others about us.

You can also order beautiful Healing Arts products. The Healing Arts program at HEAL Africa teaches patients at the hospital how to sew, read, write, and weave. Healing Arts also collaborates with widows and disabilities groups to produce products that are sold locally and internationally. All participants are paid a good, fair wage, which allows them to support their families. You can go to the Healing Arts website to order.

Connect with HEAL Africa:
Subscribe to their blog
MySpace: Be a friend
Change.org: Become a supporter.

Chris Klug: Ride of His Life

After years of training as a professional snowboarder and exteme sport athlete headed for the Olympics, Chris Klug developed Primary Sclerosing Cholangitits.   The clocked ticked for six years while he waited for a liver transplant until July 28th of 2000.  His sport and his drive then took on a new purpose when life gave him a second chance.  In 2004, Chris founded the Chris Klug foundation for Organ Donor Awareness.

 

Freeriding Baldy 2006, Andrew Wilz Photo

E-Advocate: When you received your Olympic gold medal you became a champion to athletes around the world. Now you help save lives as well. What was you inspiration?

Chris Klug: I’ll never forget my six years on a transplant waiting list, hoping and praying for a second chance. My life was put on hold and I did not know what lay ahead. 100,000 people across the US are currently waiting for solid organ transplants, sadly seventeen die daily waiting. Chris Klug Foundation’s goal is to “Eliminate the wait.”

In a fun way we’re hosting events across the country to educate everyone about the importance of organ and tissue donation. I always loved snowboarding. Through snowboarding I’ve been provided a tremendous platform to help make a difference to those waiting for a second chance. Every chance I get, I wave the banner of organ donation. I hope to compete in my third Winter Olympics in 2010 and help represent the transplant community and encourage everyone to register as an organ donor and provide hope to those going through the transplant process.

E-Advocate: Was there a key point after your surgery that you remember knowing you were going to rise to such incredible athletic heights?

Chris Klug: As soon as I awoke from my six hour liver transplant surgery I felt like a new engine got dropped in me. I knew I was going to make it back. Ironically the competitive snowboarding season following my transplant was one of my best. I was on the World Cup podium four times and won a National Championship. I attribute this to the fact that I was racing for my life just a few months before and now I was racing my snowboard again. It truly put things into perspective for me and made me realize how fortunate I was to have received a second chance to do what I love.

E-Advocate: What are the primary goals of the Chris Klug foundation and how did your personal experience shape those goals?

Chris Klug: Sharing the life-saving message of organ and tissue donation with everyone. Through our Donor Dudes events on every high school and college campus across the country, CKF hopes to educate young people about the importance of sharing their donation decision with their family. 

E-Advocate: Signing up to be a donor can impact the lives of many. How can someone help spread this message through your foundation and sign up?

Chris Klug:  Get involved, team up with CKF and host a Donor Dudes event at your workplace or on your campus. Share the message with your friends and family. Together let’s eliminate the wait.

E:Advocate: Your key event is the Summit for Life. How does this event further your personal message?

Chris Klug:  First, the Summit for Life is an awareness and educational event. Secondly it is the primary fund raiser for CKF, so we can continue our organ donation outreach through our Donor Dudes events.

E-Advocate: When someone becomes a racer or sponsors a racer, how does this impact the lives of those in need of a transplant?

Chris Klug: Sponsoring a racer is an opportunity to share the message of organ donation. The funds raised from S4L racer pledges help CKF continue our important donor education outreach. CKF will host twenty-five donor awareness events in 2008 promoting donation at events such as the Winter X Games, Vans Warped Tour, FIS Snowboard World Cup and high school and college campuses across the country. We hope to double the number of Donor Dudes events in 2009.

Visit the Chris Klug Foundation and learn more about donor awareness.

Aspen Sojourner Magazine 2006, Nora Feller Image

 

The Summit for Life is an annual event with over 500 climbers making their way up Aspen Mountain at night.  They will climb 3,267 vertical feet, in the dark and through fairly treacherous  terrain.  World class racers attend the event from around the country, but the event is open to all ages and abilities.

Visit the Chris Klug Foundation and learn more about donor awareness.

The E-Advocate did attend Summit for Life 2008 and filmed an interview with Chris, foundation staff, and S4L racers. This will be covered seperately.

Be the Sea Change

BE THE CHANGE. VOTE FOR THE OCEAN.

The breathtaking footage of the ocean in this video shows the majesty of what ironically is dying.   It is the ocean as it should be and through large scale action, could remain.  But, it will take an overhaul in how we perceive the water that makes up %71 of our planet and the health of creatures that live in it.

At the end of this beutiful video, there is an alarming statisic.  There once were 300,000 whales in our oceans.  We are down to 1% of the species.

Over the summer, I interviewed the Wild Dolphin Foundation, as well as participated in their adopt a dolphin program.  It was an interview that opened my eyes.  I live in Colorado, as land-locked as they come, having no idea that what I poured down my drain or let drip from my car was party to killing off the species of dolphin I adopted. 

The $20.00 I donated to the Wild Dolphin Foundation may have undone some of the damage I had done over my lifespan.  The Wild Dolphin Foundation works hard to get this through our heads.  What we do on land is a big part of the conservation problem- our consumerism and waste.

Another issue is captivity.  It is through this lense that we get a feel for what are the larger issues of ignorance and disrespect.

A few weeks ago, I began to interview Shelby Proie, a dedicated ocean activist who recently appeared on CNN advocating for the orca Lolita, housed in an illegal sized tank at the Seaquarium in Miami.  Shelby volunteers for numerous ocean conservation nonprofits and is a wealth of knowledge on marine mammal conservation.  She currently advocates for the Orca Network, who tracks the remaining orcas.

I  began researching for the interview.  I found million dollar requests for Lolita’s release, major movie star involvement, awareness concerts, major media articles,  and years of protests.  I saw pictures of the illegal size of her tank - a ratio that equals you living inside your closet for forty years.   Not a hard sell, especially when you know that orca’s swim up to a hundred miles a day.

Over 40 years of her captivity and there has not even been a fine.  Then I found the one thing that disgusted me and hit me like a ton of bricks.

This is from the US Animal Welfare Act, which covers animals in captivity, transported animals, and domesticated animals.  I will leave it in fine print, because the government has.  But, the key word to look for is ‘annual.’

“To ensure that all licensed and registered facilities continue to comply with the Act, APHIS inspectors make unannounced inspections at least once annually. If an inspection reveals deficiencies in meeting the AWA standards and regulations, the inspector instructs the facility to correct the problems within a given timeframe. If deficiencies remain uncorrected at the unannounced followup inspection, APHIS documents the facility’s deficiencies and considers possible legal enforcement.”

The Seaquaruim and Lolita have missed their annual inspection for forty years under the Animal Welfare Act.   Ironically, there is a link to report an incidence such as Lolita right on the same page where I read the Act so they can be inspected.   As we know, Jonny Depp and a million dollars can not make that button work.

We have an ocean that is in poor health due to centuries of neglect and disrespect for its creatures.   We need to completely turn the tide.  We are down to the last one percent of the ocean’s population of whales, and in my eyes that means the clock is ticking.

The Wild Dolphin Foundation, Shelby Proie and I got together and came up with an Idea for America to bring to the Obama administration.

The answer is to do more and ask for more than just taking part in any one campaign of plastic bags or stopping drainage.  We need to take part in a campaign that covers ocean conservation as a whole.  We need a government body that actually implements its ocean and marine animal policies, responds to ocean related nonprofits and takes action on issues.

How many aspects of ocean health will have to be down to one percent before we campaign for real, permanent change?  How many ocean creatures will struggle like Lolita before we see the symbolism of our country’s failure to respect ocean life?

Ocean and ocean species conservation needs to come to the forefront instead of remaining buried within the current government system.

Our government bodies that can take action for ocean protection, management and conservation are burried within organizations that are saddled with many concerns.  The hierarchy begins with the US Department of Commerce, under which is the top-notch National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  NOAA’s mission:  “NOAA is an agency that enriches life through science. Our reach goes from the surface of the sun to the depths of the ocean floor as we work to keep citizens informed of the changing environment around them.”

Under NOAA, the body whose primary concern is ocean related matters is the National Ocean Service.  This quality scientific agency is greatly concerned with ocean conservation, but again has increasing responsibilities, one of which is to maintain the ocean’s productivity and “grow our nation”s coastal economy.”  The ocean is responsible for %60 of our gross national product already with overfishing as one of ocean conservation’s primary concerns.  The National Ocean Service has plenty to bear.

What needs to happen is the creation of a government body whose primary reponsibility is advocacy for ocean conservation and ocean species in captivity.  With 71% of our planet dying, it will take more than a compromised focus of a service, within an administration, within a department.  It will take an idependent commission with a clear focus and we can create it.

We can be the change.  Follow these steps.

First, I will take you to Change.org.  I am a firm believer that everyone who plans on being anyone should have a free account there.  Secondly, there is currently a campaign created by Change.org called Ideas for America. Vote for the ocean.

BE THE CHANGE. VOTE FOR THE OCEAN.

Gavin Griffin: Pink Hair

Super star professional poker player Gavin Griffin, Above the Rail Poker News, and Realities for Children  discuss charity and the poker boom. Gavin Griffin dies his hair pink to create breast cancer awareness at each poker tournament he plays around the world.

 

E-Advocate to Above the Rail: “Gavin Griffin had a far reach with the breast cancer awareness that he created. What is behind his pro-poker star power?

Above the Rail: “Gavin is the first to win the esteemed triple crown, which is a first place win at the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas, the World Poker Tour, and the European Poker Tour. These are the three largest and most recognized poker tournaments in the world. In 2004, he won a World Series of Poker bracelet, winning over $200,000.00. He then followed that up with a European Poker Tour Monte Carlo Grand Final, winning first place with over 2 million. Now, he won the World Poker Tour Borgata Winter Open, and took home over 1.4 million.

E-Advocate to Gavin: “By dying your hair pink for the events, did you expect the strength of the cancer awareness that it created?”

Gavin: “I expected to create some awareness, but winning the tournament and everything that followed it was a huge boost. I was on the cover of CardPlayer, the biggest magazine in poker, and a couple of other magazines as well. Every interview I’ve done since then has had some mention of the Avon Foundation or breast cancer awareness. It’s been really great to be a part of raising awareness for breast cancer.”

E-Advocate to Above the Rail: “Between having pink hair on the cover of Cardplayer and in coverage of the events, what is your estimate of how many people he reached?

Above the Rail: “Gavin did a tremendous thing by bringing breast cancer awareness to a massive amount of people. With the invention of the “hole-cam”, which allows viewers to see hidden cards live on television, the poker boom exploded. Most networks show tournaments including NBC and ESPN. In terms of Cardplayer, they distribute over 100,000 copies a year.

E-Advocate to Gavin: “Why is breast cancer awareness close to your heart?

Gavin: “In 2004, my girlfriend, Kristen, was diagnosed with breast cancer. She survived and is living a happy and healthy life now. If she hadn’t caught her cancer so early, I never would have met her and my life would be much different.”

E-Advocate to Gavin: “How do you plan on creating cancer awareness in the future?”

Gavin: “In the future, both Kristen and I plan to continue being advocates for breast cancer awareness by donating to charity, speaking about it in interviews, and perhaps in the future by hosting charity events.”

E-Advocate:  Realities for Children is a nonprofit in Colorado which holds poker tournaments as its primary fundraiser for its Triumph Award Scholarship Program.

Realities for Children to Gavin: “Poker and charities seem to go together. Do you view the poker community as charitable and where do you see the future between the two going?”

Gavin: “I don’t think that as a whole the poker community is charitable. Mostly this is because of the nature of our profession. I think that is presented with a cause directly they will give money to it, but most won’t give time or effort to promote a charity. There are obvious exceptions such as Jennifer Harman, Daniel Negreanu, and Phil Gordon. I would like to see more poker players take up causes and get involved with charities. I’m not sure how we will accomplish this, but I look forward to a time when more poker players are aware of the problems outside their own world and do something about them.”

E-Advocate to Realities for Children: “With this in mind, what was the most successful aspect of your event to help abused and neglected children?”

Realities for children: “It was fun. The event was not for professional players. It let us reach out to a new donor base that we would not know otherwise. We met new supporters because of the social nature of the event, and these relationships could be cultivated from there. ”

E-Advocate to Realities for Children: “How did you first create your event?”

Realities for Children: “The time spent to create a charity poker tournament event is important. Historically, a non-profit could create a poker tournament and take a percentage of the profits. The challenge now is to create an event that is not considered illegal gambling. To be considered a gambling event you must remove one of three aspects: chance, reward, or cost. We removed cost by making the donation optional. We had to work with the gaming department and the sheriff’s office to ensure that the event was correct. Now we have a format.

E-Advocate to Realities for Children: “Did the format effect the success of the event?”

Realities for Children: No. What we did to ensure the event’s success was to create a high end event at the Hyatt hotel with a higher entry donation. We brought in sponsors for the event for added donations. Another aspect that we added was a “blind-a-thon” in which entrants would get pledges for each blind level that they get to.”

E-Advocate to Above the Rail: “Can you explain to our readers what a blind level is?

Above the Rail: “Realities for Children came up with a great idea with the blind-a-thon to raise money. In poker tournaments the blind is a forced bet by the players before each hand is played. The blinds go up at intervals as the tournament goes on, which makes it easier to get knocked out.

E-Advocate to Realities for Children: “What does your poker tournament support?”

Realities for children: “The poker tournament helps abused and neglected children as they grow into adulthood. The event was created to fund our Triumph Award Scholarship for young adults. It is the crown jewel of our program and it is designed to break the cycle of abuse. Children in our program reach personal goals and then receive collegiate support that acknowledges their accomplishments. They also receive a mentor who acts as a role model through young adulthood. The children who we work with are amazing youth who deserve support into their adulthood.

Visit the Realities for Children Website

Erica Sandoval: Inspired by Unity

Unity, the 7 year old daughter of Erica Sandoval, was the inspiration for her non-profit Exceptionally Excited Kids. Erica is an on-line champion who single handedly recruited over 5,000 people to send emails to congress in support of autism legislation. Her daughter is a champion as well, overcoming the obstacles that autism creates.

“My inspiration comes from my 7 year old daughter Unity, who was diagnosed with autism when she was 2 years old. Her diagnosis was extremely hard for me at first. What I knew about autism was what I saw in movies like “Rain Man” and I thought there is no way my daughter has that! After the acceptance kicked in, I became obsessed with learning everything I could about autism and searched everywhere for programs and support for myself and Unity.

There was virtually no activities classes or support groups except for the occasional meeting at her school. Unity’s previous school was an incredible support for me and I served on their board for almost three years so I could give something back to them. Later, after still struggling to find appropriate resources for us, I started a nonprofit organization with my friend Sue, who also has a child with a disability. We offer exactly what I needed when Unity was first diagnosed, and still need today, which is various means of support including exercise, socializing, family support and more.

E-Advocate: What were the challenges and highlights of starting your own non-profit?

Erica: There are many of both. The biggest challenge is funding. We are waiting for our 501(c)3 to come in and once we get that a lot more doors will open. It is in the government’s hands… As of now, we rent a room in a local gym, but they only give us 2 hours a week. That is nowhere near enough! We desperately need our own building.

There is such a need for the services we provide; there are over 3,000 children in my town of Hemet alone that qualify for special education, and 2 hours a week will not do! We have been working like crazy giving presentations in and around our community and we have a few coming up that could really be promising. Otherwise, we are stuck waiting for our nonprofit status that will allow us to receive federal grants and such.

One of our board members actually spoke with Mary Bono and she has agreed to speak with the IRS on our behalf to help move along our application! Isn’t that amazing?! In the mean time, practicing giving presentations about EEK is great. Especially for me because I have an enormous fear of speaking in public. Everyone in EEK teases me that I am starting to “come out of my shell!” Which is our phrase to represent a turtle coming out of a shell. The turtle is our logo.

Finally, the benefits are tremendous. I don’t even know how to put them into words without crying. My whole view on the world and other people has changed so drastically. All I can say is that this is exactly what I am supposed to be doing with my life, and I will continue to do this work for the rest of my life. EEK is my family forever.

E-Advocate: Your daughter inspired the founding of EEK. How has EEK changed her life as well as others?

Erica: EEK has changed Unity’s life in many ways. She is much more open and seeks out friendships whereas she wouldn’t before. She has learned a lot about being patient and waiting her turn to participate. My other daughter Eden, (who is 4) also has had a lot of benefit from EEK. At first I was worried about the questions she might ask me about the other kids; such as “why does he look like that” or “why does she talk that way?” It’s amazing because she has never once asked me anything like that.

I realized she only sees the person. She does not see anything “wrong.” She accepts people as people. That is the greatest gift! I have heard lots of other children ask those questions before, about Unity even, and it’s only natural… but Eden doesn’t see the differences, she only sees that we are all the same.

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