Kids-Heal

WHILE WORKING WITH KIDS IN THE HOSPITAL DURING MY DAYS WITH CHILDREN'S HEALING ART PROJECT (CHAP) I LEARNED THAT KIDS DIDN'T REALLY TALK ABOUT THEIR ILLNESSES MUCH. THEIR FOCUS WAS ON LIVING THE LIFE THEY HAVE IN FRONT OF THEM. HEAL AND DEAL WAS THE TERM WE OFTEN USED AND THIS TERM BECAME MY DAILY MANTRA DURING THE LAST YEAR.CANCER SURGERY IN FEBRUARY 2021 WAS FOLLOWED UP WITH SPINAL SURGERY IN JULY 2021. BOTH SURGERIES WERE AT MY BELT LINE 5 ROBOTS IN THE FRONT AND LATER 4 IN THE BACK WERE SLICING AND DICING A PATH TOWARDS A HEALTHY FUTURE FOR ME. MONTHS IN A WHEELCHAIR AND LEARNING TO WALK AGAIN AS THE COVID PANDEMIC RAGED AROUND ME AS I CHANTED HEAL AND DEAL. THE INSPIRATION FROM KIDS I WORKED WITH IN YEARS PAST RETURNED TO ME TO DEAL WITH MY HEALTH ISSUES AND TILT TOWARDS EVERY POSSIBILITY FOR ME TO HEAL.NEEDLESS TO SAY IT HAS TAKEN OVER A YEAR FOR ME TO BEGIN TO FEEL HUMAN AGAIN. THE FOG OF MEDICINES AND THE HEALING CURVE OF MY MUSCLES, NERVES AND BLOOD VESSELS IN THE CORE OF MY BODY DEMANDED ALL MY ENERGY. THERAPY WAS, AND STILL IS, A STRUGGLE. IN REALITY KIDS-HEAL HAS BEEN A BLESSING AS THIS WORK HAS HELPED PULL ME OUT OF A WORLD WHERE SIMPLY WALKING IS A DAILY CHALLENGE, BUT FINISHING THE WORK I PLEDGED TO DO CONTINUES TO GIVE ME FOCUS, ENERGY AND PURPOSE.MY THREE MAJOR DONORS, WHO I HAVE WORKED WITH FOR OVER A DECADE, CONTINUE TO BE VERY PATIENT AND SUPPORTING. THEIR FAITH IN ME IS AN IMPORTANT AND VITAL HEALING GIFT. NOW IS OUR TIME TO EXPAND OUR FUNDING SOURCES AS WE REACH OUT TO SCHOOLS, HOSPITALS AND JUVENILE DETENTION CENTERS TO IMPLEMENT OUR PROGRAMMING.ACCOMPLISHMENTS:1. OUT OF A WHEELCHAIR AND ON TO A CANE!2. HAVING THE STRENGTH AND FOCUS TO WORK 8 HOURS A DAY FOR KIDS-HEAL.3. PRESS AND FUNDRAISING KITS 2000 PRESENTATIONS HAVE BEEN PRINTED: 1000 BROCHURES IN ENGLISH, WITH 1000 CROSSWORD PUZZLES IN ENGLISH, AND 1000 ART COLORING POSTERS + 1000 BROCHURES (FOLLETOS) IN SPANISH, WITH 1000 CROSSWORD PUZZLES (CRUZEGRAMAS) IN SPANISH, AND 1000 ART COLORING POSTERS. KIDS-HEAL PRESENTATION KITS ARE BEING USED TO CONTACT SCHOOLS AND FUNDERS IN THE US, CANADA, ACROSS MEXICO AND INTO CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA. FREE HEALTH EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN IN ALL THE AMERICAS IS NOW A REALITY.4. OUTREACH AND IMPLEMENTATIONONE OF THE CORNERSTONES OF KIDS-HEAL'S FOUNDATION HAS ALWAYS BEEN HOW TO BE IN THE SCHOOLS WITHOUT PHYSICALLY BEING IN THE SCHOOLS. HOW TO CREATE AN ENGAGING, EVALUATED AND MEMORABLE ONLINE PRESENCE. IT TOOK 4 YEARS OF IN THE FIELD RESEARCH AND TESTING TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO CREATE AND PRODUCE AN ONLINE AND FUNCTIONAL PRESENCE.ANY NEW CONTENT REALLY NEEDS AN IN-SCHOOL PRESENCE TO GROUND IT AND MAKE THE WORK MORE PERSONAL. POORER, AND RURAL, SCHOOLS CAN HAVE CHALLENGES WITH ANYTHING NEW. NEW PROGRAMMING CAN ALSO INTIMIDATE TEACHERS AND CONFUSE STUDENTS. KIDS-HEAL IS STILL FOCUSED ON STARTING IN THE POOREST SCHOOLS AND WORKING OUR WAY UP THE EDUCATIONAL FOOD CHAIN, IN BOTH OREGON AND IN MEXICO.4A. OREGON OUTREACH AND IMPLEMENTATIONTHE CONTACTS KIDS-HEAL MADE IN THE SCHOOLS, AND WITH FAMILIES, IN THE FORGOTTEN CORNER OF OREGON ARE STILL IN PLACE. ADDITIONAL PORTLAND METRO AREA SCHOOLS FROM THE 9 SPANISH IMMERSION SCHOOLS, TO PUBLIC, PRIVATE, RELIGIOUS AND ART SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY KIDS-HEAL IN THE PAST AND NOW WE WILL RECONNECT TO SCHEDULE PROGRAMMING WITH OUR PRESENTATION KITS.ISABELLA BROWN, CRAZY CAT ARTIST, TWO PAGE CANCER PROFILE IN OUR BROCHURE, HAD ALWAYS DREAMED OF BEING A TEACHER. BUT AFTER HER FIRST YEAR IN COLLEGE SHE NOW UNDERSTANDS THAT MANY TEACHERS ARE NOW HOSTAGES OF SCHOOL BOARD BATTLES THAT REFLECT LOCAL RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND POLITICAL IDEOLOGY. ISABELLA'S SHATTERED DREAM BECAME A BLESSING FOR KIDS-HEAL.ISABELLA WAS BORN IN BEND, OREGON TO A MOTHER FROM GUADALAJARA MEXICO AND A CAUCASIAN FATHER. SHE UNDERSTANDS OREGON FROM MORE THAN AN URBAN VIEWPOINT. SHE HAS OFTEN CREDITED ME FOR HELPING HER FIND HER WAY IN THIS WORLD. SO IT FELT NATURAL AND EASY TO SUGGEST THAT SHE REPLACE ME IN THE URBAN AND RURAL TOUR TO IMPLEMENT KIDS-HEAL'S PILOT PROGRAM FOR CANCER EDUCATION.AT FIRST SHE FELT INTIMIDATED AND AS WE TALKED SHE BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND THAT I HAVE NO TEACHING CREDENTIALS AND YET I HAVE TAUGHT AND INSPIRED THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN. I TOLD ISABELLA THAT IT WOULD BE EASY FOR HER TO TEACH FROM HER HEART AND FROM HER LIFE EXPERIENCE. I HELPED ISABELLA FIND HER A WAY TO EXPRESS HERSELF THROUGH HER PAINTINGS AND HER WORD AND AS A CANCER SURVIVOR SHE HAS FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE WITH DEPRESSION, BULLYING AND PAIN. ISABELLA IS UNIQUELY QUALIFIED TO TEACH WHAT SHE HAS LEARNED.ISABELLA'S MOTHER IS A TRAINED ARCHITECT, PHOTOGRAPHER AND VIDEOGRAPHER. THEY WILL TRAVEL TOGETHER TO TALK IN SCHOOLS AS A MOTHER AND DAUGHTER CANCER SURVIVING TEAM AND DOCUMENT IT ALL. ISABELLA IS CLOSER TO THE AGE OF OUR STUDENTS/CLIENTS. SHE IS HALF MEXICAN, AN ARTIST, WRITER AND AN ENGAGING YOUNG WOMAN WHO CAN ARTICULATE HER JOURNEY. WHAT SCHOOL HAS EVER HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF A YOUNG ADULT ARTIST TALK AND ANSWER QUESTIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH A PEDIATRIC CANCER SURVIVOR POINT OF VIEW? NEVER!4B. MEXICO OUTREACH/IMPLEMENTATIONRURAL VS. URBAN MENTALITY IN MEXICO IS NOT SO DIFFERENT FROM THE RURAL VS. URBAN DIVISION IN THE US. RURAL AND POOR COMMUNITIES ARE SUSPICIOUS OF US CITY FOLK. I GREW UP WITH THIS MENTALITY AND IT HAS HELPED ME CRAFT THE LANGUAGE NECESSARY FOR RURAL PRESENTATIONS. IF YOU HAVE NOT GROWN UP WITH THE EXPERIENCE OF CONSTANTLY BEING TALKED DOWN TO YOU CANNOT FEEL OR UNDERSTAND THE LANGUAGE OF RURAL COMMUNITIES, ANYWHERE. IN KEEPING WITH OUR MISSION TO IMPLEMENT KIDS-HEAL PROGRAMMING STARTING IN THE POOREST COMMUNITIES/SCHOOLS WE ARE BEGINNING IN CHIAPAS, THE POOREST STATE IN MEXICO.I AM HIRING A FULL TIME PERSON TO RESEARCH, ORGANIZE AND PRESENT CONTENT IN MEXICO, HE WILL ALSO RESEARCH GRANTS FOR FUNDING IN MEXICO. HE IS A DOCTOR WHOSE FOCUS IS ON THE HEALTH OF THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN MEXICO. IVAN IS A BIG, HANDSOME, DARK SKINNED, COMPASSIONATE AND FUNNY MEXICAN DOCTOR. IT MAY LOOK STRANGE TO INCLUDE SKIN COLOR IN MY DESCRIPTION OF HIM BUT TO WORK EFFECTIVELY IN ANY COMMUNITY IT IS MUCH EASIER IF YOU LOOK LIKE THEM. RACISM IN MEXICO AGAINST DARKER SKINNED MEXICANS IS PROFOUND. IVAN, AS A DARKER SKINNED MEXICAN, EXPERIENCES RACISM FROM HIS OWN FATHER ABOUT HIS SKIN COLOR.IVAN WILL BRING HEALTH EDUCATION INTO THE SCHOOLS IN CHIAPAS AS A DOCTOR. THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED. ISABELLA IS A BETTER REFLECTION OF STUDENTS IN THE US THAN A 68-YEAR-OLD-MAN. IVAN IS A BETTER REFLECTION OF THE STUDENTS AND PEOPLE KIDS-HEAL WILL SERVE THAN THE ONLY WHITE MAN IN A SCHOOL OF INDIGENOUS AND MEXICAN STUDENTS. FAMILIARITY IS A GREAT START TO BUILDING ANY RELATIONSHIP.5.POLITICS IN EDUCATIONTHE BATTLE FOR EDUCATION, WHAT IT SHOULD BE AND WON'T BE, IN THE US CONTINUES TO DEVOLVE TOWARDS POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS PREFERENCES. TEACHERS ARE QUITTING THEIR JOBS AT RECORD RATES IN THE US. RURAL SCHOOLS ARE BEING ESPECIALLY HARD HIT. SCHOOLS ARE NOW FORCED TO RELY UPON TEACHER ASSISTANTS AND VOLUNTEERS TO GUIDE STUDENTS. HEALTH EDUCATION HAS TAKEN YET ANOTHER STEP BACKWARDS IN THE US. SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS IN MEXICO ARE MUCH MORE OPEN TO ANY FREE EDUCATION IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH. THE SIMPLICITY OF KIDS-HEAL PLUG AND PLAY PROGRAMMING ENCOURAGES TEACHER ASSISTANTS AND VOLUNTEERS TO LEARN WITH THEIR STUDENTS.COVID PUSHED EVERYONE ONLINE. AT A TIME WHEN SCHOOL BOARDS ARE DICTATING WHAT STUDENTS CAN LEARN IN SCHOOLS, AND PARENTS ARE CHOOSING TO TAKE CONTROL OF THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION, SOCIAL MEDIA IS NOW THE POWERFUL VENUE TO ENGAGE STUDENTS/CHILDREN WITH AN INTERACTIVE AND ENTERTAINING EDUCATION. TIC TOC BACON BOY VS. SINISTER SAUCE DANCE-OFF TARGETS KIDS AND ENCOURAGES THEM TO TAKE OUR CANCER EDUCATION CLASS INTO THEIR CLASSROOMS.80% OF THE SCHOOLS KIDS-HEAL INVITED TO PARTNER WITH US IN 2014 CHOOSE TO WORK WITH US. WHAT WILL THE PERCENTAGE BE IN 2022? WHEN I PRESENTED THE IDEA OF CANCER EDUCATION TO THE MEXICAN CONSULATE IN PORTLANDTHEY CRIED. THEY TOLD ME NO ONE WAS BRINGING THEM HEALTH EDUCATION IN SPANISH. SPANISH IMMERSION SCHOOLS, APPROXIMATELY 3,000 IN THE US, AND ENGLISH IMMERSION SCHOOLS IN MEXICO, AND ACROSS LATIN AMERICA, ARE MORE EDUCATION BASED THEN POLITICAL BASED SCHOOLS. OFFERING FREE HEALTH EDUCATION, ALSO AS A LANGUAGE CLASS, IS A VALUABLE ASSET TO THESE SCHOOLS.