cancer

If you were with us on Christmas Day you heard the story of Betsie Gallardo, who, unless something changes quickly, is going to be intentionally starved to death in a Florida prison after being convicted of spitting on a cop.

In fairness, the State did not decide simply to starve her; instead, the Department of Corrections (DOC) first chose to withhold any further treatment for her inoperable cancer…and then they decided to starve her to death.

Her adopted mother is trying to get her released on humanitarian grounds; the DOC recommended in October that she be allowed to go home and die, the Florida Parole Commission refused.

Governor Charlie Crist chairs the Executive Clemency Board, who could also agree to let her go…and so far, they’ve also refused to take action.

Funny thing is, the Governor and his Board have been more than willing to step in when other Floridians requested pardons and commutations, even in situations that seemed a lot less dire.

Today, we’re going to look at that history—and to be honest, as with many things in the Sunshine State, from the outside…it all looks a bit bizarre.

There are many gifts to be given and received this holiday season; some that you can wrap and put under a tree, and some so intangible and ethereal that they cannot be held within the boundaries of paper and ribbon.

Instead, they exist within the boundaries of our hearts.

Among those intangible presents, few matter more than the chance to be with those we love—and at the time of our death, it’s the most important thing of all.

We have a chance to bring all of this to a dying woman and her family—but the only way it can happen is if we convince the Florida Department of Corrections not to kill her first.

It’s not a tale of light and joy—but if we get lucky, there could still be a happy ending.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/07/28/divorce.marriage.health/index.html

According to the above article, "a study was completed at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The study found that divorced or widowed people have 20 percent more chronic health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes or cancer than married people. They also have 23 percent more mobility limitations, such as trouble climbing stairs or walking a block."

An Open Letter To Government Leaders and Health Care Advocates:

I am writing to you to ask that you support an affordable National Public Health Care Plan with a waiver option. My husband and I have been married for more than 22 years. We have three children with Cystic Fibrosis, one adult child with a severe Brain Injury, and one healthy child. Cystic Fibrosis is a genetically inherited terminal disease which greatly decreases life span and affects all organs of the body. The costs for treating Cystic Fibrosis patients includes multiple expensive non-prescription and prescription only medications, therapies, and excessive costs for the purchase of food because their bodies require more calories than usually recommended for average individuals. Our adult sons Brain Injury was caused by a drunk driver hitting us when he was five years old which has left him the mental and intellectual equivalent of a five to seven year old child for the rest of his life.

Elizabeth penned a column for Newsweek that was published on its website this afternoon. Her thoughts are candid, especially when Elizabeth shared her vulnerability with readers this way:

And when he died, I cried. I know I cried not just for him, but-filled with fear-for myself as well. The diagnoses of our cancer recurrences ("recurrences" being one of those misnomers we simply endure) tumbled out upon one another by days, and I felt-and feel- connected to a man who loved what I loved, although we came to nearly every argument from opposite corners of the ring.

A little more after the jump

Shouldn't $1.6 million dollars of your hard earned North Carolina tax money give you the right to know and refuse exposure to hazardous pesticides, herbicides, and chemicals? If Governor Easley can spend $1.6 million tax payer dollars on a pesticide plan to protect farmworkers shouldn't the plan also include protecting the citizens of North Carolina as well. The plan should be comprehensive and not discriminate between industries, companies, workers, and citizens. Tell the Director of the State Office of Rural Health and Community Care, Mr. John Price to implement a plan that protects everyone's right to know when being exposed to hazardous pesticides, herbicides, and chemicals.

The Breast Care Center at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center is going to help save and improve the lives of many women. As the son of a breast cancer survivor, I appreciate and understand how important these efforts are to breast cancer screening and treatment in Fayetteville. Nevertheless, I think about my father and two brothers. According to recent cancer statistics,1 in 2 men will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, and 1 in 6 will have prostate cancer. To make matters worse, North Carolina has one of the highest rates of prostate cancer in the nation. Locally, Fayetteville Mayor J. L. Dawkins lost his repeated battle with prostate cancer in 2000. My only conclusion is that Fayetteville needs a companion Prostate Care Center for men.

Crossposted from Town Called Dobson & My Left Wing


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