A Chance to Help

I'm big on helping others, and ever since April Winchell over at Regretsy helped my shop sell out two months ago, my drive to pay it forward is even stronger. I joined a fabulous Etsy team called April's Army, a group of dynamic and amazing artists from the Regretsy sphere who are gathered together in solidarity to pool their resources in an effort to provide funds for people in need.

The last week of every month, April's Army will open a shop filled to the brim with items donated by team members - some of them gorgeous, some of them snarky, some of them just plain fun - and all proceeds from sales in the shop go to a different recipient each month.

The inaugural recipient for all proceeds from this month's April's Army shop is Jason Williams. Jason is a young man from Alabama who, with the help of his fiancee, Robin Lynne, is fighting pancreatic cancer. Jason is enrolled in a promising clinical trial at Johns Hopkins but he needs help to pay for his expenses. All profits from April's sale will go to Jason for his treatment.

Here's how you can put some good back into the world and help out someone in need:

Robin, Jason's fiancee, is raising money through her For Jason Etsy shop. To make a direct donation or to meet Jason and read about his progress, check out his blog. Or, you can click over to April's Army Shop and purchase something fabulous. I bought this April Winchell Lego minifig keychain, because, well, HELLO:

The shop has been open for a scant few days and already there are 116 sales and counting. There are still some items available for purchase, but the response from the Regretsy/Etsy community has been overwhelming. Join the April's Army Facebook page today to receive word each month when the shop goes live with all new items - there is always someone in need, and this shop will be there to help. There is way more love in this world than we all think, and no one said we can't have a bit of fun while spreading it around. Please help if you can, or at the very least, share this link. I call this "Click-tivism" and it costs you absolutely nothing but a few taps on your mouse.

Calling All Quilters!

My lovelies, please take a moment to read the alchemy request above, or click the graphic to go directly to the request. I learned of this heart-wrenching request through my friends at Regretsy, and though I don't quilt (I have never had patience enough to skillfully handsew), it occurs to me that I must know someone who does. Or someone who knows someone who does. You get the idea.

I ask that you consider assisting in this woman's healing by helping any way you can - making one of the quilts, donating money toward its creation, or just posting a link to this entry to your social media. A little of your consciousness and kindness can go a very long way. If you're not an Etsy user and you'd like to help, please post a comment and I will send your information to April at Regretsy, who is in direct contact with this person in need.

The internet can be used for more than we think. Be thankful today. Thanks, all.

Calling all Good People in the World

“My name is Sofia Benbahmed and I am trying to do everything in my power to get the help I need. I am currently trying to raise money to get the treatment recommended for me for a disease I have had for 12 years - an eating disorder.”

~GiveForward.org

Through a close friend, Mary at Miss Mary Max (a fabulous, detailed, and highly cerebral blog discussing gender, social, health, and sexual issues) I became aware of Sofia’s plight. Like many people the world over, Sofia is struggling to gain ground over her illness, which could take her life. In 2008 Sofia’s insurance company ceased covering her treatments, just as she was beginning to improve and take control back from her debilitating and wasting disease. Eating disorder treatment is very expensive because of the aggressive and thorough approach that treatment requires - nursing, nutritional counseling, psychiatric/medication administration and monitoring, 24 hour a day counseling and monitoring, multiple group therapy sessions daily and several individual therapy sessions weekly. Sofia received three weeks of treatment, covered by her insurance company, United Behavioral Health (an oxymoron of a name, at best), and was forced to leave treatment. Her family is now embroiled in a legal battle to gain back the coverage that could save her life.

Her goal is to raise $15,000 to ensure her full six weeks of treatment, a staggering and sickening amount brought to you by the corporatization of America’s health care system and the view of many politicians and insurance company big-wigs who clearly must think that people like Sofia should just eat a sandwich and get over it. Sofia could really use $30,000. We won’t even talk about how outrageous that cost is for a single individual struggling in this country with any illness, much less a mental one.

If you can donate to Sofia’s fund, please click here. There is also an option to donate directly to Sofia’s treatment through Monte Nido, her treatment facility – just contact Sofia through her blog. If you’d like to write scathing letters to the fat cats at United Behavioral Health, click here for contact information. I urge you to also contact your state’s representatives about the crippling corruption in US insurance companies. Click here to find out how.

Put yourself or a loved one in Sofia’s place, a young girl, brave enough to seek help and ask for assistance from total strangers. Her path is not an easy one. Can you help her take another step in the right direction?

• 1 in 5 women struggle with an eating disorder or disordered eating (National Institute of Mental Health)
• Eating Disorders affect up to 24 million Americans and 70 million individuals worldwide (The Renfrew Center Foundation for Eating Disorders)
• 90 % of those who have eating disorders are women between the ages of 12 and 25 (SAMHSA)
• It is estimated that currently 11% of high school students have been diagnosed with an eating disorder (ANAD)
• While women are more commonly affected by eating disorders, more than a million men and boys battle the illness every day (www.nationaleatingdisorders.org)
• 91 % of women surveyed on a college campus had attempted to control their weight through dieting, 22% dieted “often” or “always” (Kurth, Krahn, Nairn, Drewnowski, 1995)
• Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness
• A young woman with anorexia is 12 times more likely to die than other women her age without proper treatment (American Journal of Psychiatry)
• Five to ten percent of anorexics die within ten years of onset, 18-20 percent die within twenty years of onset, and only 50 percent report ever being cured (American Psychiatric Association)
• 20% of people suffering from anorexia will prematurely die from complications related to their eating disorder, including suicide and heart problems (The Renfrew Center Foundation for Eating Disorders)