March 2006

President’s Message…

The program for the February 25th meeting was a Power Point demonstration presented by Sandra Bath. She gave some examples of how CEPSA could use Power Point for educational purposes. One was to make DVDs of the polio awareness mall exhibit to have available for other support groups, schools, universities, polio seminars, conferences, etc. This goes along with the educational part of CEPSA’s purpose.

We are off to a great start to reach our goal to implement CEPSA’s purpose in 2006!

The Coastal Empire Polio Survivors Association, Inc. Purpose Statement

The purpose of CEPSA is:

1. To locate and offer support to polio survivors and their families;
2. To promote awareness of polio, post-polio syndrome, polio immunization and accessibility issues;
3. To educate polio survivors, their families, friends and the medical community about the causes, symptoms and treatments of post-polio syndrome;
4. To provide financial aid for polio survivors for necessary equipment and medical care that is not covered by insurance;
5. To give referrals, counseling, and assistance to polio survivors as needed.

The areas listed below are numbered according to our purpose:

• Newsletter: #2 – Promote Polio Health Awareness, #3 – Education
• Brochure: #2 – Promote Polio Health Awareness, #3 – Education
• Safety Letter: #2 – Accessibility Issues
• Care Teams: #1 – Support
• S.O.S. – Survivors On Search flyer: #1 – Locate Survivors
• Request for Financial Assistance Form: #4 – Aid for Equipment and Medical Care
• S.O.S. – Sharing Our Strengths: #1 – Support and Encouragement, #3 – Education, #5 – Counseling
• Website (Jim Veccia): #1 – Locate Survivors, #2 – Promote Polio Health Awareness, #3 – Education
• Rotary Club, McIntosh County – Cheryl Brackin, March 7, 2006: #1 – Locate Survivors, #2 – Promote Polio Health Awareness, #3 – Education
• WTOC – Mid-Morning Live – Diane Davis, March 15, 2006: #1 – Locate Survivors, #2 – Promote Polio Health awareness, #3 Education

*The questionnaire that was distributed at the February meeting about CEPSA’s purpose will be available at the March meeting.

We need everyone’s ideas! Make sure you fill out a form and give to me at the next meeting.

March Meeting Program:

• Medicare- Tom Newcomer

April Meeting:

• CEPSA’s Anniversary Celebration History Book Workshop
• April 22, 2006
• Lunch Provided

Reminder:

Bring copies of information and photos to the March Meeting for the CEPSA History Book Workshop in April. If you would like for me to make the copies, put your name on your originals and I will return them at the next meeting. Thanks for your help.

Diane Davis, President

God Bless…

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CEPSA’s New Member

Update: Michelle Robertson – Welcome to CEPSA!

Michelle joined us for the first time at the February meeting. It was great to meet you, Michelle. We look forward to getting to know you. Beverly Jarvis is Michelle’s Care Team Leader.

Member Concerns

• Dale and Harriett Merritt
• Betty Kipp
• Eunice Newcomer
• Dot Parkhurst
• Sissy Morel’s mother

Thanks to Cheryl Brackin and Sandra Bath for the refreshments and to Lorraine Frew for helping to set up at the February meeting.

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Coastal Empire Polio Survivors Association, Inc.

General Meeting February 25, 2006, Minutes

President Diane Davis called the meeting to order at 10:20 am. She welcomed a guest, Michelle Robertson, who is a polio survivor. Everyone present introduced themselves.

Bob Parkhurst did two inspirational readings and a prayer. The group then said the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. The minutes were approved as written. Marty Foxx gave the Treasurer’s Report.

Diane Davis stated that she had a request for help from a new member. She will send her a Request for Financial Assistance Form.

Cheryl Brackin, Publicity Chair, announced that President Diane Davis will be on WTOC’s Mid-Morning Live with Sonny and Jody within the next two weeks. She was given a choice of several days within the next two weeks. Diane will notify us with the date when it is known.

Cheryl Brackin will be doing a presentation on CEPSA to the McIntosh County Rotary on March 7, 2006.

Lorraine Frew stated that she gave three books about Post-Polio Syndrome to her orthopedic surgeon who asked for information.

Several member concerns were shared by some of the Care Team Leaders. Members and family members who have been ill are Dale Merritt, Betty Kipp, Eunice Newcomer, Dot Parkhurst and Sissy Morel’s mother. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.

Marty Foxx stated that the print of the Tybee Lighthouse donated by Peggy Cone will be a door prize at our annual banquet in November 2006. We will also have four or five other really nice door prizes that same day.

President Diane Davis briefly explained that we want to create a CEPSA History Book that will include items from each year since we were founded in 1997. She asked members to bring relevant items such as photos and newspaper articles to the March meeting so that they can be copied and returned at the April meeting when we will have a workshop. She also asked members to write their “polio stories” for the Memory Book.

Program: Sandra Bath did a power point demonstration to show us what can be done and how it can be used to meet the educational goals included in our Purpose. Several members had suggestions regarding where it could be used.

After a ten minute break, Diane distributed a questionnaire about meeting our purpose. A brief discussion was held. Diane asked the members to take the document home, seriously consider and answer each of the questions, and return them at the March meeting. They will then be reviewed to prioritize the ideas for planning our activities.

Door Prizes: Tom Newcomer won an Auto Shine Car Wash; Dave Vance won a cloth holder for plastic grocery bags made by Eunice Newcomer; and Lorraine Frew won a pair of pillows made by Eunice Newcomer.

The next meeting will be held at 10:00 AM on March 25, 2006.

The meeting was adjourned at 12:10 PM.

Respectfully submitted,

Janet DiClaudio, Secretary

Attendance:

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Cooking with Care

Preserving Our Health through Healthy Foods

By Marty Foxx

After reading THIS, you’ll NEVER look at a banana in the same way again!

Bananas contain three natural sugars – sucrose, fructose and glucose – combined with fiber, a banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world’s leading athletes. But energy isn’t the only way a banana can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression:
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND amongst people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating a banana. This is because bananas contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS:
Forget the pills — eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Blood Pressure:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it the perfect way to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit’s ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Mosquito bites:
Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Strokes:
According to research in “The New England Journal of Medicine,” eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!

So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, “A banana a day keeps the doctor away!”

Found on the internet

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McIntosh County Rotary Visit

We are reaching out to other areas of the state. On March 7 CEPSA members were invited guests of the McIntosh County Rotary Club in Darien, Georgia. Ruth and Junie Parham, Hattie Evenson, and Cheryl Brackin attended. Cheryl spoke about her polio history and gave a brief history and overview of our group. Ruth brought her brace which she wore at age three months as a visual reminder of what some polio patients experienced.

Cheryl thanked Rotary for their participation in the worldwide effort to eradicate polio. The club president stated that he never had heard about post-polio syndrome before that day.

Later that afternoon Cheryl was interviewed for an article in The Darien News. A picture of the four CEPSA members will be published along with the article. We are pleased to have this contact with the Darien paper and will be sending monthly meeting announcements to the paper in the future.

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Happy Birthday

• April 2: Fred Davis
• April 1: Tom Newcomer
• April 8: Marty Foxx

Voluntary Dues of $15.00 may be paid to Marty Foxx; the gift of stamps for mailing your newsletter would be greatly appreciated!