Friday
Manna
The photo is of Agustinus Kurnia Luon 20/08/00 My son! Become a Foster Parent Today!
Manna:dictionary.com tells us it is:
1)In the Bible, the food miraculously provided for the Israelites in the wilderness during their flight from Egypt.
2)Spiritual nourishment of divine origin.
3)Something of value that a person receives unexpectedly: viewed the bonus as manna from heaven.
As much as the human body needs feeding,we must also remember to feed our souls.To feed one's soul you need to look to other hungers that need feeding,other causes that need nourishment,causes that need bonuses-from YOU!God wants us to be generous,as it says in the Bible:"He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly,and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver". Corinthians 9:6,7
The reason for this page s a little different then most blogs.Through out my life it seems like I have been plagued with one misfortune or one disaster after another.I have experienced everything from losing a home and all belongings to fire to losing a son to SIDS,one wife to a neurological condition,another wife to a drug overdose,not to mention along string of friends who gave in to temptation once to often.If you know someone with a problem please check out Addiction Intervention Resources
Every time there as been a setback in my life there have been people willing to help,or people that are working hard to help prevent some of those setbacks. They deserve a thank you,and in most cases they need your MONEY!or time,that can be even more helpful in some circumstances. I am going to provide you with links to safe and secure donation sites.
My number one charity is for research into the causes and hopefully the prevention of SIDS-I pick SIDS,or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is simple.I lost my one and only son,David John Forbes,at the oh so young age of twelve weeks to that dreaded condition.I am asking you to please help,even a dollar,remember,you can make a difference.Safe secure (guaranteed) donations can be made here= Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Cancer as been a serious concern for me.I am one of the lucky ones,it was only because of research that my cancers were beaten.= Donations to the National Cancer Institute
Alzheimer's is responsible for shortening my Mothers life and robbing us of her wit and charm for years.A litttle girl never got to hear her Gramma's stories,never got the wisdom that was Mom.Please give to the Alzheimer's Foundation of America
Heart disease has been a concern of mine as well as my father had two "episodes"and wore a pacemaker the last twenty years of his long life If you are Searching for Information about "heart disease"? or wish to donate to the American Heart Association this is the place to do it.
Drug Addiction as touched my life in ways far removed from my own addiction.It seems like I hear every few months that another one of my circle is gone.Even though I have been clean for close to eighteen months and have not seen many of my old friends,friends they remain,and when I hear another has died a part of me dies with them.There is hope.Please support your local initiatives,or donate to national centers like Hazelden
Adoption is another issue that I have personal experience with,being adopted myself,help prevent abortions!.
Affordable Parenting Options Surrogacy Agency
Since I will never again know the joys of fatherhood,I have recently sponsored a child through Christian Child Sponsorship,where their trade mark is COMPASSION please consider sponsoring a child,if I can spend thirty two dollars a month,so can you!
Fire destroyed our home once,we were left with just the clothes on our backs.It was the dead of winter,insurance money was months away.Some kind neighbour made a call,and the next thing we knew we had winter clothing,bedding,a grocery hamper and best of all we were given hope,all from the Red Cross .Please give generously.For safe secure donations
I can not of course list all the charities that are worthy,I am only doing the ones that have had an effect on my life.For others you can always go here:The Best Directory For Donation The largest Donation Directory on the web
ALL REVENUES FROM THIS SITE WILL BE USED TO SUPPORT CAUSES MENTIONED HERE
Thursday
SIDS-Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
What is SIDS?
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is the sudden death of an infant under one year of age which remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including performance of a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene, and review of the clinical history. (Willinger et al, 1991).
In a typical situation parents check on their supposedly sleeping infant to find him or her dead. This is the worse tragedy parents can face, a tragedy which leaves them with a sadness and a feeling of vulnerability that lasts throughout their lives. Since medicine can not tell them why their baby died, they blame themselves and often other innocent people. Their lives and those around them are changed forever.
That certainly was true in my case.My wife and I were never the same after we lost David,and it was only a year later that the marriage totally disintegrated.The worst part is having no one to blame.There is no warning.Our son was never ill,showed signs of early development,was bright,alert and laughing just a few hours earlier.He was born without complication in natural childbirth,a heathly seven pounds two ounce bundle of JOY!
If your child gets ill and you know there is no hope,you still have time to prepare,to have your goodbyes,and most of all you have something to blame.The same holds true in accidental deaths-you have an outlet for your anger.Not true with SIDS.Since there is none to blame you end up assigning blame to the innocent-your mate,your self,and sadly all to often to God.
Is There Hope? Reducing the risk of SIDS
When ever I hear of some new information on preventing SIDS it as an oposite effect on me then it should.Instead of being happy progress is being made,I am angry,as it makes me feel that I could have prevented my sons death.I know that is misplaced thinking,but those are my true feelings.
Unfortunately, we cannot expect to prevent all SIDS deaths now. To do so requires a much greater understanding of SIDS, which will be achieved only with a commitment from those who value babies and with a considerably expanded research effort. However, there are things that can be done to reduce the risk of SIDS.
Parents-To-Be
1. Get medical care early in pregnancy, preferably within the first three months, followed by regular checkups at the doctor's office or health clinic. Make every effort to assure good nutrition. These measures can reduce the risk of premature birth, a major risk factor for SIDS.
2. Do not smoke, use cocaine, or use heroin. Tobacco, cocaine, or heroin use during pregnancy increases the infant's risk for SIDS. (both my wife and I smoked)
3. Take care to prevent becoming pregnant during the teenage years. If you are a teen and already have one infant, take extreme caution not to become pregnant again. The SIDS rate decreases for babies born to older mothers. It is highest for babies born to teenage mothers. The more babies a teen mother has, the greater at risk they are. (this was our third child,over a twelve year period,so no correlation here)
4. Wait at least one year between the birth of a child and the next pregnancy. The shorter the interval between pregnancies, the higher the SIDS rate. (in our case it had been 14 months between births so...???)
Parents
1. Place infants to sleep on their backs, even though infants may sleep more soundly on their stomachs. Infants who sleep on their stomachs and sides have a higher rate of SIDS than infants who sleep on their backs. (GUILTY!!I grew up hearing the stoiry about how I refused to sleep on my back,and so it was at MY suggestion that we placed our children on their tummies-you see why the research angers me?)
2. Place infants to sleep in a baby bed with a firm mattress. There should be nothing in the bed but the baby - no covering, no pillows, no bumper pads and no toys. Soft mattresses and heavy covering are associated with the risk for SIDS.
3. Do not over-clothe the infant while he/she sleeps. Keep the room at a temperature that is comfortable for you. Overheating an infant may increase the risk for SIDS.
4. Avoid exposing the infant to tobacco smoke. Don't have your infant in the same house or car with someone who is smoking. The greater the exposure to tobacco smoke, the greater the risk of SIDS.
5. Breast-feed babies whenever possible. Breast milk decreases the occurrence of respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. Studies show that breast-fed babies have a lower SIDS rate than formula-fed babies do.
6. Avoid exposing the infant to people with respiratory infections. Avoid crowds. Carefully clean anything that comes in contact with the baby. Have people wash their hands before holding or playing with your baby. SIDS often occurs in association with relatively minor respiratory (mild cold) and gastrointestinal infections (vomiting and diarrhea).
7. Consider using home monitoring systems (apnea/bradycardia monitors) in an attempt to prevent sudden death in high-risk infants.The risk of SIDS in the following groups exceeds that of the general population by as much as 5 to 10 times:
Infants born weighing less than 3.5 pounds.
Infants whose sibling died of SIDS.
Infants exposed to cocaine, heroin, or methadone during the pregnancy.
The second or succeeding child born to a teenage mother.
Infants who have had an apparent life-threatening event.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of home monitoring with the baby's doctor before making your choice. Many communities have specialized programs for the clinical management of babies at high risk for SIDS. For information about the availability of such programs in your area, ask your baby's doctor or contact the American SIDS Institute. ( clinic page.)
Future Research
PLEASE DONATE !!
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome is the sudden death of an infant under one year of age which remains unexplained after a thorough case investigation, including performance of a complete autopsy, examination of the death scene, and review of the clinical history. (Willinger et al, 1991).
In a typical situation parents check on their supposedly sleeping infant to find him or her dead. This is the worse tragedy parents can face, a tragedy which leaves them with a sadness and a feeling of vulnerability that lasts throughout their lives. Since medicine can not tell them why their baby died, they blame themselves and often other innocent people. Their lives and those around them are changed forever.
That certainly was true in my case.My wife and I were never the same after we lost David,and it was only a year later that the marriage totally disintegrated.The worst part is having no one to blame.There is no warning.Our son was never ill,showed signs of early development,was bright,alert and laughing just a few hours earlier.He was born without complication in natural childbirth,a heathly seven pounds two ounce bundle of JOY!
If your child gets ill and you know there is no hope,you still have time to prepare,to have your goodbyes,and most of all you have something to blame.The same holds true in accidental deaths-you have an outlet for your anger.Not true with SIDS.Since there is none to blame you end up assigning blame to the innocent-your mate,your self,and sadly all to often to God.
Is There Hope? Reducing the risk of SIDS
When ever I hear of some new information on preventing SIDS it as an oposite effect on me then it should.Instead of being happy progress is being made,I am angry,as it makes me feel that I could have prevented my sons death.I know that is misplaced thinking,but those are my true feelings.
Unfortunately, we cannot expect to prevent all SIDS deaths now. To do so requires a much greater understanding of SIDS, which will be achieved only with a commitment from those who value babies and with a considerably expanded research effort. However, there are things that can be done to reduce the risk of SIDS.
Parents-To-Be
1. Get medical care early in pregnancy, preferably within the first three months, followed by regular checkups at the doctor's office or health clinic. Make every effort to assure good nutrition. These measures can reduce the risk of premature birth, a major risk factor for SIDS.
2. Do not smoke, use cocaine, or use heroin. Tobacco, cocaine, or heroin use during pregnancy increases the infant's risk for SIDS. (both my wife and I smoked)
3. Take care to prevent becoming pregnant during the teenage years. If you are a teen and already have one infant, take extreme caution not to become pregnant again. The SIDS rate decreases for babies born to older mothers. It is highest for babies born to teenage mothers. The more babies a teen mother has, the greater at risk they are. (this was our third child,over a twelve year period,so no correlation here)
4. Wait at least one year between the birth of a child and the next pregnancy. The shorter the interval between pregnancies, the higher the SIDS rate. (in our case it had been 14 months between births so...???)
Parents
1. Place infants to sleep on their backs, even though infants may sleep more soundly on their stomachs. Infants who sleep on their stomachs and sides have a higher rate of SIDS than infants who sleep on their backs. (GUILTY!!I grew up hearing the stoiry about how I refused to sleep on my back,and so it was at MY suggestion that we placed our children on their tummies-you see why the research angers me?)
2. Place infants to sleep in a baby bed with a firm mattress. There should be nothing in the bed but the baby - no covering, no pillows, no bumper pads and no toys. Soft mattresses and heavy covering are associated with the risk for SIDS.
3. Do not over-clothe the infant while he/she sleeps. Keep the room at a temperature that is comfortable for you. Overheating an infant may increase the risk for SIDS.
4. Avoid exposing the infant to tobacco smoke. Don't have your infant in the same house or car with someone who is smoking. The greater the exposure to tobacco smoke, the greater the risk of SIDS.
5. Breast-feed babies whenever possible. Breast milk decreases the occurrence of respiratory and gastrointestinal infections. Studies show that breast-fed babies have a lower SIDS rate than formula-fed babies do.
6. Avoid exposing the infant to people with respiratory infections. Avoid crowds. Carefully clean anything that comes in contact with the baby. Have people wash their hands before holding or playing with your baby. SIDS often occurs in association with relatively minor respiratory (mild cold) and gastrointestinal infections (vomiting and diarrhea).
7. Consider using home monitoring systems (apnea/bradycardia monitors) in an attempt to prevent sudden death in high-risk infants.The risk of SIDS in the following groups exceeds that of the general population by as much as 5 to 10 times:
Infants born weighing less than 3.5 pounds.
Infants whose sibling died of SIDS.
Infants exposed to cocaine, heroin, or methadone during the pregnancy.
The second or succeeding child born to a teenage mother.
Infants who have had an apparent life-threatening event.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of home monitoring with the baby's doctor before making your choice. Many communities have specialized programs for the clinical management of babies at high risk for SIDS. For information about the availability of such programs in your area, ask your baby's doctor or contact the American SIDS Institute. ( clinic page.)
Future Research
PLEASE DONATE !!
Wednesday
Links to Cancer Information
When I set out to write this page,a page with information on cancer,and also of course a way for you to make a donation to cancer research,I soon realized that I could not begin to add all of the information that was avaiable.Instead of me writing a long a complex article,I wil use this page instead to provide you with links to what I have researched so far.
Common Cancer Types Bladder Cancer Breast Cancer
Colon and Rectal Cancer Endometrial Cancer Kidney Cancer (Renal Cell)
Leukemia Lung Cancer MelanomaNon-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Pancreatic Cancer Prostate Cancer Skin Cancer (Non-melanoma)
Thyroid Cancer All Cancer TypesA to Z List of Cancers
Cancers by Body Location/System Childhood Cancer Women's Cancers
There is of course much more,and from any of those links you can branch off to a hundred more.While it might seem as if Cancer is topic that can never be fully explained and that it is a deadly disease,I am here as living prove that Cancer can be beaten,as I am a two time survivor.
My first touch of cancer was detected by a girlfriend who kept harping at me to get a blemish on my back check out.I was a little surprised at the doctor who examined me,his first words were "Where you raised on a farm?"Seems like in this part of the world Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) the type of skin cancer I was diagnosed was is very prevalent amongst the rural population,exposure to the sun as well as dangerous exposure to a wide variety of herbicides and pesticides are cited as mitigating factors.The other form Non-melanoma skin cancer is the much more common Basal cell carcinoma(BCC).
I count myself very fortunate that I did not get the much more serious Melanoma skin cancer(maliganant melanoma) it is much more deadly.
My second brush with cancer was of much more serious nature,as if not for the miracle surrounding the way was diagnosed I would not be here today.Since i have alrteady written about(follow the link)I will now end this post.
Please consider donating to cancer research
Common Cancer Types Bladder Cancer Breast Cancer
Colon and Rectal Cancer Endometrial Cancer Kidney Cancer (Renal Cell)
Leukemia Lung Cancer MelanomaNon-Hodgkin's Lymphoma
Pancreatic Cancer Prostate Cancer Skin Cancer (Non-melanoma)
Thyroid Cancer All Cancer TypesA to Z List of Cancers
Cancers by Body Location/System Childhood Cancer Women's Cancers
There is of course much more,and from any of those links you can branch off to a hundred more.While it might seem as if Cancer is topic that can never be fully explained and that it is a deadly disease,I am here as living prove that Cancer can be beaten,as I am a two time survivor.
My first touch of cancer was detected by a girlfriend who kept harping at me to get a blemish on my back check out.I was a little surprised at the doctor who examined me,his first words were "Where you raised on a farm?"Seems like in this part of the world Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) the type of skin cancer I was diagnosed was is very prevalent amongst the rural population,exposure to the sun as well as dangerous exposure to a wide variety of herbicides and pesticides are cited as mitigating factors.The other form Non-melanoma skin cancer is the much more common Basal cell carcinoma(BCC).
I count myself very fortunate that I did not get the much more serious Melanoma skin cancer(maliganant melanoma) it is much more deadly.
My second brush with cancer was of much more serious nature,as if not for the miracle surrounding the way was diagnosed I would not be here today.Since i have alrteady written about(follow the link)I will now end this post.
Please consider donating to cancer research
