Column: A False Sense of Security
Not that there’s anything wrong with that; in fact, as a four-year, stage IV, non-small-cell lung cancer survivor, it’s amazing to have any security, false or otherwise, whatsoever.
April 17 Well-being Festival Prevents Extinction of a People
GMU professor brings health to Maijuna indigenous people, whose population has dwindled to 400.
The Mason Center for Social Entrepreneurship and the Center for Consciousness and Transformation have partnered with Mason ethnobiologist Dr. Mike Gilmore and Mason students to bring clean drinking water as well as proper sanitation and hygiene to the Maijuna communities, an indigenous people in the Peruvian Amazon whose population has been reduced to the low number of 400 individuals. The Maijuna are dying due to dysentery and waterborne diseases contracted from contaminated drinking water.
Column: Asked and Answered
I think about it enough, I don’t want to think about it too much. What’s “it?” Cancer.
Children ‘Dress Up With Grown-ups’
Medical Care for Children Partnerships funds medical, dental care for children of uninsured working families in Fairfax County.
“To me, children are the most beautiful creatures of God and there is nothing comparable to being able to give them a healthy and happy smile.” —Dr. Tehreem Butt, recipient of the Dr. Jorge Arnoldson Award
Alexandria Bulletin Board April 3
Information on events taking place in Alexandria.
Hundreds of Low Income Residents Receive Free Dental Care
Event was part of The Northern Virginia Dental Society’s 10th Annual Mission of Mercy
Several hundred low income and uninsured residents of Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax County received free dental care recently when the Northern Virginia Dental Society (NVDS) hosted its 10th Annual Mission of Mercy (MOM) project.
Fairfax County’s Homeless Population Declines 12 Percent
Emphasis on rapid re-housing, prevention keys to success.
Despite economic obstacles and fallout from across-the-board sequester cuts, Fairfax County’s number of homeless individuals declined 12 percent decline in the past year, and 26 percent since 2007.
Fundraiser for Fairfax Girl, Age 8
Tara Sankner, an 8-year-old Fairfax resident, was recently diagnosed with brain cancer, and the local community is rallying ’round to show its support. She and a fundraising and support team called “Pray for Tara” wore special, pink T-shirts and participated in last Saturday’s, March 23, Rev3 Run Rogue 5K and 1K at the Fairfax Corner Shopping Center. Tara ran and walked in both events and also had a donation table there.
Fairfax Adult Softball Continues to Support Special Olympics
Participants, family, friends and supporters of Fairfax Adult Softball, Inc. (FAS) united together on Jan. 27 for the 13th Annual Bowling Tournament to benefit Northern Virginia Special Olympics and Fairfax County Park Authority field improvements.
Column: 14.8 Percent
That is the percentage of diagnosed lung cancer patients who survive beyond five years, according to The National Cancer Institute’s SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975-2009, in a graph published in the Feb. 26, 2013 Washington Post’s weekly Health & Science section. As a non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) survivor beginning his fifth year post-diagnosis, charting my prospects in such a cold and impersonal manner is both chilling and arguable. “Chilling” in that facts speak for themselves and are hardly made up of whole cloth, to invoke one of the late Jack Kent Cooke’s more famous quotes. And “arguable” in that charts, statistics, etc., may very well measure the mean, but it sure doesn’t measure the man (this man, anyway). Meaning, from my perspective: sure, the chart is scary as hell, but I’m not sure I’m on it, if you know what I mean? (I know you know what I hope.)
Governor Approves Conditional Budget for Medicaid Expansion
Vote-swapping operation traded transportation votes for Medicaid money.
Half a million uninsured Virginians may be eligible for Medicaid under an agreement now being worked out in Richmond — a deal in which Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell agreed to include Medicaid expansion as part of the budget if Senate Democrats supported a transportation package.
Mount Vernon CrossFit Opens on Richmond Highway
Mount Vernon CrossFit @ The D.A.M. Garage head coach and director of programming, Sean Dunston, was working up a sweat coaching the participants in the Saturday morning three-part work out in January.
Potomac Bulletin Board March 27
Information on events taking place in the Potomac area.
Alexandria Bulletin Board March 27
Information for events taking place in Alexandria.
Spring Fun
Crystal City 5k runs return in April.
Say goodbye to winter woes over a friendly 5k run this April in Crystal City. Races return this spring every Friday, and offer participants a chance to get out and go.