Recently, I was at TIFA Chocolate, the most delightful chocolate shop in Agoura, with my dear friend Steve, owner of Bent…on Coffee & Wine Too! in Thousand Oaks. While discussing our love of coffee and tea, we sampled various scrumptious homemade chocolates and ice creams. Dark lavender chocolate! Orange caramel chocolate! Desperately trying to decide which flavor of drinking chocolate to order – dark with a splash of cinnamon and vanilla and some delectable flavor of homemade ice cream I cant remember the name of floating in it, I wondered aloud, “When does passion become a disease?” Shaking our heads in thought, we could not answer for we were too busy with the chocolate dream in front of us.

There are so many philanthropic opportunities.  Donating your time or your money even for one evening can make a big difference.

Here is one to look into: http://www.concernfoundation.org/

Known as the “silent killer,” heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States.  In the twenty seconds it took you to read this far, one person in the U.S. has had a heart attack.  And each and every ensuing twenty seconds claims another heart attack victim.

So, how do you ensure that you do not fall victim to heart disease?   Meet Dr. Sanjiv Goel, an expert Interventional Cardiologist.  Born, raised and educated at the most prestigious schools in India, Dr. Goel completed his medical fellowships in Canada and was eventually sought after by the top medical teams in the United States.  Over the past 18 years, based in the Los Robles Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, Dr. Goel has emerged as an expert in non-surgical alternatives for cardio vascular disease.  Dr. Goel takes a holistic approach to your heart health.  In other words, Dr. Goel is as interested in preventing heart disease as he is in treating it.

Surgery is Old School

“My job is to keep patients away from surgery,” Dr. Goel explains as I look around his impressive office facilities.  Treadmills, ultrasounds, articles on the wall, and other equipment  – it begins to sink in that there has been a huge paradigm shift in cardiac care, a fundamental change in the approach and the underlying assumptions on how to treat cardiovascular disease, and Dr. Goel is at the forefront of this shift.   By constantly challenging methods and utilizing the newest technologies available, Dr. Goel took it upon himself to lead the way in coronary and carotid stents procedures, which are non-surgical procedures.  “Medicine is about pushing the envelope, bringing your best effort and helping the patient with the best technology available.”   Helping people live longer and survive what used to be a probably death sentence is the most gratifying part of his job.  “This branch of medicine is developing so fast.”  And with passionate experts such as Dr. Goel, the future for cardiac patients looks bright indeed.

East Meets West

What sets Dr. Goel apart in this field is the artistic and expert manner in which he blends Eastern and Western principles to care for his patients’ cardiovascular needs. “Both are a blessing,” he states in describing his Eastern and Western backgrounds. On a case by case basis, Dr. Goel works with each individual patient to create a plan for their particular cardiovascular needs and situation.  This plan may incorporate the Western principles of medications and procedural solutions such as:  angiogram, carotid stenting, or clot extraction, beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, or, Digoxin as well as the Eastern principles of natural remedies such as daily meditation, yoga, herbs such as garlic, fish oil and flaxseed, regular aerobic exercise as well training with weights and eating a proper diet.

By combining both, Dr. Goel strives to empower the patient to help themselves while still under his medical care and guidance.  “Society has set us up to fail,” he tells me when we discuss how our hectic lifestyles play a roll in heart disease.  Dr. Goel believes that changing our stressful lifestyles could have a big impact on our heart health.  Given that heart disease may be attributed to roughly 50% genetics and 50% environmental factors, it would behoove us to do everything possible to alleviate stress, to live an active lifestyle, and to eat right.

A Thing of The Past

“Heart disease will hopefully become, in the majority of patients, a thing of the past.  The preventative aspect of treating heart disease will eventually be the most powerful and predominant treatment.”   The progress toward this is dramatic as evidenced in the decreasing numbers of people who die from heart disease and the increasing number of people who, in just the past 10 years, have survived heart attacks.

“In this day and age, people from all walks of life, of all ages are seeking out less high risk solutions and turning to more natural therapies for healing.  Alternatives do exist.”

Prevention – You Know Your Body

There are known symptoms that are indicators.  Unlike the commercials you see on television which when I watch them I realize I suffer from everything from depression to fibromyalgia to erectile dysfunction, these symptoms are specific, and are often combined.  Again, it goes back to being aware of your body.  You’ve been living in it for a long time, you know what is normal and what isn’t.  And while each person’s “normal” will vary slightly, be aware if you experience: chest pain (which is often confused with heartburn), dizziness, fatigue, a cough, high blood pressure, palpitations, shortness of breath, swelling, or cyanosis, which is a bluish coloration of the skin and mucous membranes?.  If these occur, see your doctor right away.

The Human Element

Utilizing both Eastern and Western philosophies brings the human element to the forefront of his profession. “Healing from a heart attack or any heart disease is very emotional.  There can be anxiety, pain, fear.  I approach each patient as a personal relationship, and communicate an understanding of their situation in a one on one environment.  I mend one heart at a time.”

My son’s friend and many of their friends did go to her parents’ “wanna be reality TV show / CD mixin’ / D-celebrity who doesn’t show up to her kid’s graduation party” but my son chose to go to another party.   And in a moment of reflection, at the end of the day, he grabbed my hand and said, “Thanks mom, for being there for me today.”

Kids notice.  And they know what’s going on.  And if you tell yourself that “it” (whatever it is) is no big deal or that there will be plenty of other “its” then you might want to examine your priorities and question why you became a parent in the first place.

A neighbor and her friend were mugged at gunpoint at a restaurant 1 mile from our street.

Around the corner, a house was robbed in the middle of the day.  The owner did not set their alarm system when they left.

A house 3 blocks away was robbed.  The burglars rang the bell and when a young woman who worked for the family that owned the house answered the door, they forced their way in, tied her up, and robbed the house.

A child was home alone, told by his mother not to answer the door.  So when the doorbell rang, he ignored it.  Moments later, there were two men walking through the backyard and breaking a window to get in.  The boy called his mother on her cell.  Out for a jog, she called 911 as she ran home.  She and the police arrived at the same time, just in time to catch the bad guys running away.  The next day, construction began on a gate around their front yard.

Our local little league baseball park had to spend fundraiser money to hire security guards because cars in the parking lot kept getting broken into.

Did you know that 60% of residential burglaries occur during daylight hours?*
Every 14.6 seconds a burglary takes place.*

Do you notice strange cars on your street or in your neighbors’ driveways?  Do you call them to talk about it?  Do you even talk to your neighbors?  We need to get to know one another again.  We need to look out for one another, for our community, for our street.

What are some things you can do?
•Get a dog
•Install an alarm system.  And turn it on when you leave.
•Lock your doors and windows
•Leave outdoor lights on
•Set indoor lamps with timers.
•Let your neighbors know when you will be out of town and what, if any, activity to expect at your house.
•Post Neighborhood watch signs.

For more information, visit the National Neighboorhood Watch Institute website:
http://www.nnwi.org/

*Statistics from Every Monday Matters, by Matthew Emerzian and Kelly Bozza

Progress has been made towards the achievement of Millennium Development Goal Number Four.47 New estimates from UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, and the UN Population Division show that under age five mortality has declined steadily since 1990, and that progress has accelerated this decade. In 1990, nearly 13 million children died before their fifth birthday.48 By 2008, that number had been cut down to 8.8 million.49

However, this goal is the most off track of any. If the numbers continue as they are, the MDG4 target will not be reached by 2015. Of the sixty-seven countries with high mortality rates, only ten are on track to meet the goal, and alarmingly, several countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Iraq, and the former Soviet Union have seen mortality rates increase.50 Let us all find the Mama Bear within and make the numbers disappear and become what they should be – just numbers.

“So what do we do now?” Kendall and Kamden asked in unison. Taking a deep breath, I discussed with them my research, and showed them the photos and numbers. I watched as tears rolled down cheeks as the pictures and numbers told a story of children, children like James and Joey, children like themselves. I witnessed my sons identifying, seeing the similarities and feeling the horror of a different reality. In that moment I knew that our lives and the lives of others on the other side of the globe would be changed forever. Cub to cub. Mama Bear to Mama Bear. Mama Bear to cub.

References available upon request.

1. The Millennium Development Goals: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/

2. UNICEF: http://www.unicef.org/

3. The World Health Organization: http://www.who.int/en/

4. Nothing But Nets Program: http://www.nothingbutnets.net/

Increasing the number of children sleeping under insecticide treated mosquito nets in malaria-endemic areas would decrease under-five deaths by 10 percent.

5.. The Measles Initiative: http://www.measlesinitiative.org/

This highly contagious virus spreads to and will infect ninety percent of the people that an already infected person comes into close contact with. It weakens the immune system and can lead to secondary complications.

6. Food.

Every child, woman, and man should have access to food and proper nourishment. There is enough food to go around and numerous organizations are working to ensure that it is distributed to those in need.

http://www.wfp.org/how-to-help

http://www.bread.org/learn/hunger-basics/hunger-facts-international.html

7. Vitamin A supplementation.

Supplements of vitamin A taken every four to six months can reduce child mortality from all causes by as much as twenty-three percent.

http://www.who.int/vaccines/en/vitamina.shtml

8. Preventative Medical Access and Vaccination.

Preventative treatments and vaccines can save lives around the globe by halting the spread of infectious disease. Immunizing children has saved countless lives and access should be granted to all worldwide. Access to medical care for diarrhea, malaria, measles, pneumonia, and HIV are essential.

http://www.takepart.com/news/2010/01/27/diarrheal-disease-vaccine-could-save-millions-in-developing-world

8. Treatment of drinking water.

Water quality and sanitation standards must be improved. UNICEF helps develop systems to control water-borne diseases that undermine child survival and development.   http://www.unicef.org.

9. Personal Hygiene Education.

As Mama Bears around the globe have stated for years, “Wash your hands.” The education of this powerful preventative measure has not been received in many developing countries.

10. Maternal and Neonatal Education.

With over two-thirds of under five deaths occurring in the first two months of life, this is a critical area for education worldwide. Education on increasing breastfeeding alone would help protect babies from diarrhea and acute respiratory infections, stimulate their immune systems and improve their response to vaccinations.

WHO – http://www.who.int/en/

UNICEF – http://www.unicef.org/

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) – http://www.unfpa.org/public/

11. Tetanus.

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/tetanus/article_em.htm

12. Improving family care practices.

According to UNICEF, “80 percent of health care in developing countries occurs in the home – and the majority of children who die do so at home, without being seen by a health worker.” Access to knowledge and basic supplies could prevent as many as forty percent of child deaths. http://www.unicef.org/

13. Global Giving.  Choose and donate.

http://www.globalgiving.org/dy/v2/content/themes.html?documentType=project&vo=true&hl=true&themeName=Children&country=&region=&fq=%7Ccb01_themeName_ms%3A%22Children%22&la=narrow&q=under+5&x=0&y=0

Four main factors threaten the survival of James and Joey: Malnutrition, illness, socioeconomic, and neonatal. All play a major role in whether or not these boys will see their fifth birthday.31

1st Preventable Threat: Malnutrition

Solution: Access to Food and Nutrients.

One child dies every six seconds from malnutrition and related causes.33

Why aren’t we feeding our babies worldwide? It is unfathomable for most in modern society to think of hunger as an issue. Food is such an obsession in our culture, that the reverse issue – obesity – is causing physical harm and death to our children in industrialized countries. Kendall and Kamden don’t know what it is like to be hungry. James and Joey don’t know what it’s like NOT to be.

Undernutrition contributes to over a third of the under five deaths and is an underlying cause in up to fifty percent.34 It also magnifies the effect of every disease, including measles, malaria, and pneumonia. Malnutrition can also be caused by diseases such as diarrhea that reduce “the body’s ability to convert food into usable nutrients.”35

The world produces enough food to feed and nourish everyone36 and child deaths worldwide could be prevented or decreased by increasing access to vitamin A and zinc.37 We must, as Mama Bears, get this food supply to these starving cubs because their own mothers are currently unable to feed and nourish them appropriately.

2nd Preventable Threat: Illness

Solution: Access to Preventative Medicine.

Pneumonia, malaria, measles, diarrhea, tetanus, and HIV/AIDS, are the diseases that account for half of all under-five deaths.39 Pneumonia and diarrhea remain the diseases most often associated with child deaths40 and together they account for thirty-seven percent of all deaths in children under five.

Access to prevention and treatment measures such as: antibiotics for acute respiratory infections; oral rehydration for diarrhea; immunizations; the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets; drugs for malaria, tetanus, and Aids41; and ensuring proper nutrition to decrease the risk of dying from a disease – could save half of the children who die each year.

Disease does not have to be inevitable for these children. We can take action to protect them. And children with these diseases, or those who may contract them, do not need to die.42

3rd Preventable Threat: Socioeconomic

Solution: Access to Sanitary Water, Living Conditions and Supplies

There are children dying because they do not have safe drinking water, sanitary living conditions, or access to basic health supplies.

Improper disposal of feces, garbage and contaminants by a community, as well a lack of proper hygiene, i.e. hand washing, can cause issues with the food and water supply that will lead to diseases related to diarrhea,44 which in turn can lead to malnutrition and make a child more vulnerable to a host of other diseases. This vicious cycle that needs to be broken.

4th Preventable Threat: Neonatal

Solution: Access to Education.

Education, particularly for women and girls, will save the lives of many children46 as poor health of pregnant and nursing mothers often translates to poor health for babies.

The most predominant deaths are occurring in the infant and neonatal periods, yet neonatal education, medicine, research and innovation remains the most lacking. A greater effort must be made to ensure access to health education, medical education, hygiene education, nutritional education, neonatal education, and community education.

“Mama Bear.” We have all heard this phrase used about a mother protecting her cubs. The mammalian species historically showcases the fierce behavior of the adult females to protect the young. Why? Perhaps because they grow their babies inside their bodies. Perhaps because mammals nurse their young.7

Whatever the ‘perhaps’ may be, throughout the animal kingdom, females protect the young – and not just their own – to make sure they get what they need to survive. A female can become wildly strong and aggressive when and if a baby is threatened. ( See above photo8). Bears, monkeys, deer, cougars, hyenas, elephants, dogs, even squirrels and hamsters rally around the young to protect them from predators, to make sure they have enough to eat, to make sure they will survive until they are ready to leave the mother and venture out on their own.

Armed with this information and given that we are at the top of the mammalian “chain,” what has happened to the human race that we have allowed so many of our children, like James and Joey, to be at risk of dying today? What has happened to our species that a threat to one child is no longer a threat to our own child? Are we so afraid of getting involved, of a lawsuit, that we can now ‘walk on by’ and choose to ignore the children to save ourselves the trouble? And what is that doing to the make-up of our brains? How does that change us forever? Is it too late to listen to our instincts? Is it too late to step in and stop this crisis? No, it is not. We can still do something about it. We can still step in and help. And at this point in time, we must step in and protect our species. We must bring all we can – emotionally, spiritually, financially, and technologically to the table and share it. We must stop pushing the less fortunate away because they are not “ours.” We must once again embrace each child as our own. We “Mama Bears” with the resources and the strength must step up and protect our children – all children.

When one baby dies all are affected. If James or Joey dies, in someway or another, Kendall and Kamden will be affected. We are all connected – across continents, race, and gender – by the threads of humanity. Let us tend to these threads and stop cutting them loose. Let us weave them together to build them up and make them stronger.