World Malaria Day

My apologies to posting this blog a few days late, but better now than never:

This morning I was checking Twitter, it’s only been a few months since I started using Twitter but I love it. I follow some of my favorite News sources, fellow travelers, photographers, non-profit organizations, NGOs (non-governmental organizations), a few athletes (yes Apolo), a few celebrities (Jamie Oliver and Ellen) and even a girl who is a traveling stripper.

I noticed today a lot of my NGOs and news sources were talking about Malaria, and then I remembered today was World Malaria Day.  Two days ago GOOD magazine posted this video on their Facebook page. It created a bit of controversy. As you see it is in fact a “fake” news story, about an outbreak of Malaria reaching a town in California. There were some readers that were absolutely appalled at the fact that GOOD would resort to “scare tactics”, some thought that GOOD would have done a better job by showing real footage of real people suffering from Malaria.

I personally thought it was an excellent video driving home the fact that if Malaria was killing 3,000 American children a day like it does in Africa, we as Americans would be doing something about it.

I also feel that if GOOD had gone the way of showing the true faces of malaria of African children and Haitian children dying, most Americans would be immune to just another video showing the effects of the poor, sick and suffering in a country very far away from the world they live in. If one American child was dying EVERY 30 SECONDS (like it is in Africa) from Malaria there would be a DEMAND to eradicate or at least find ways to prevent Malaria.

While organizations like the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation are working towards a Malaria vaccine, there are many organizations who are handling the immediate need of providing bed nets to those who live in Malaria stricken countries. Sweet Sleep provides bed nets to every child they give a bed to, bed nets cost $10.00.

Last summer Sweet Sleep gave beds and nets to the Greater Life Orphanage, while we were there in December, they mentioned that the number of Malaria outbreaks had dropped tremendously.  Just $10 can save a child’s life, a $10 bed net can prevent a working adult from getting malaria, can keep them employed, can keep the economy of their country moving, forward, ten bucks that’s it?!

In December during the three weeks I was in Uganda, we developed close relationships with approximately 30 people. Thirty people who we saw more than once, knew their names, still know their names, will see when we go back to Uganda. Six of them had malaria, six of them who admitted out loud to us that they were sick with malaria while we were there. Who knows how many countless others we came in contact over those three weeks who were sick with malaria, but we didn’t know about it. 1 in 5 of the people we know had malaria while we were there. Here are some of the their stories:

Patrick is 13 years old and lives in a orphanage. The first day we met him, he was sick with malaria, with a fever, with the shakes, and lethargic. Candis the director of the orphanage was going to take him to the local clinic on her way to dropping us off at our hotel. The local clinic was jam packed and Beth a woman we were traveling with offered to pay for Patrick’s treatment at a private clinic. Patrick ended up having cerebral malaria, that could have killed him in 48 hours had he not received treatment. He spent 2 days in the hospital, had three IV drips and $11 later. Yes that’s right $11 and Patrick  was back to being a healthy 13 year old. $11 between life and death.

Godfrey the manager of the hotel we stayed in, came down with malaria while we were there, he missed 2 days of work. It was the fourth time that year he’d had an outbreak.

Sharon, Catherine and Fa Fa all girls from the same orphanage as Patrick sick with Malaria while we where there.

Rose, a woman who was our interpreter and guide to the six IDP camps we gave beds to, so sick one of the days we went to camp, we had to pull over twice so she could vomit. We had to rearrange our schedule for the next few days, so she could recover from this outbreak.

To most Americans, Malaria is a disease that happens in far off exotic countries, inflicted by a mosquito bite, so how bad can it be? Malaria kills ONE CHILD EVERY 30 SECONDS in Africa. Malaria impedes the economies of these developing countries, sick adults miss work, the economy slows, the forward moving motion of change, slows, sick children, miss school, miss opportunities to improve the living situation they are in, until a malaria vaccine comes on the market or malaria is eradicated, a $10 bed net can make the difference between life and death.

The purpose of this blog today isn’t to guilt you into buying a bed net, though if it worked sweet! The purpose of this blog today is to bring awareness to the reality of Malaria and how it effects millions of people a day and the importance of eradicating this disease sooner rather than later.

April vs. the Tick

The other day a colleague of mine said “you know what the main cause of death is for people in our demographic, household accidents”.

As someone who has lived alone or spends a lot of time alone in hotel rooms and even now with a roommate, I’ve definitely had those moments where I’ve almost choked, or almost slipped and fell in the bathroom or almost maimed myself in some way, where I’ve thought yup this is how I’m going out. They are going to find me dead in the bathtub of a concussion. Luckily tonight's episode didn't kill me but if someone had been videotaping what was happening I'm sure ya'll would be finding it HI LARIOUS!

Tonight as I was getting ready for bed, I decided to put some jojoba oil in my hair, all of a sudden I felt a bump back behind ear. I knew almost immediately what it was, but it’s right in a spot I can’t see in the mirror, so I grab my camera and a snap a picture of the area and sure enough, I have a tick on my head. I have a tick on my head. OH MY GOD…I HAVE A TICK ON MY HEAD!!

TSA at PHX

TSA you slay me almost every time I fly.

I fly 2 to 10 times a month, in and out of various airports across the country.

My favorite is when you’re going through security and you have a few TSA employees barking over and over again “take out your liquids. They need to be in a plastic bag. Nothing over 3 oz. can go through security. If you don’t take out your liquids you could be delayed further”. You know the last time I put all my liquids in a baggy and took them out of my carry on luggage….2 years ago. I don’t travel with any liquids over 3 oz because those are actually easy for TSA to spot. I do have eye drops in one bag, copious tubes of lip gloss in about 14 different spots, hand crème at the bottom of my bag, Neosporin in another spot…you get the picture.

Today going through PHX they are barking the same liquid rhetoric, I once again do not do anything special with my liquids. I do pull out my laptop in it’s security friendly case where I do keep an iphone cord and my wireless card in there. Note: 1 in every 10 flights someone from TSA may actually tell me my bag is no longer “friendly” because I have said contraband cords in my bag. Today was one of those days, so I had to pull the cords out and drop them in the bin. In the process I’m being sassy to the TSA lady saying, it’s one in every 10 flights TSA says anything to me….she says “well it took PHX TSA to do something about it” Her counterpart says “it should make us feel good we enforced the rules”….UH HUH….

Meanwhile my bags go through security liquids in all their various spots in my carry on, along with my box cutter I keep in my office supply bag….and no one says a thing…

Way to do your job PHX TSA!

My Spontaneous Act of Kindness to A Stranger Challenge

A few weeks ago I blogged about the 29 Days of Giving. I love the concept. I can not commit to anything at all. I lasted 5 days. That could be the longest thing I've ever committed to, I'm sort of almost not kidding you.

I get bored. I lose track. I get interested in something else. I hop on a plane. I decide I can't take it any longer and I have to have a piece of chocolate...I've NEVER been able to diet EVER in my entire life.

I also struggled with the concept of what "giving" entails. In my mind I already do a lot of giving to friends, family and strangers, it is in fact in my nature. I'll buy dinner when I'm out with friends. I'll help a mom traveling with kids on a plane get situated. I'll let people make a left turn in front of me. You get the point. Don't get me wrong I'm hardly anywhere close to St. Theresa. Part of the reason why I fell off the 29 Days wagon was because in fact I was in a completely shitty mood on Day 6. I'd been out of town for a month and it was my first day home. I didn't want to talk to anyone. I didn't want to smile at anyone and I sure as hell wasn't going to do anything nice for anyone that day, thus my tumble off the wagon.

Getting back on the 29 Days wagon has been weighing on my mind in the last week or so and I was trying to determine when I should maybe give it another go.

Today presented that opportunity. I'm in Phoenix on business. This morning a few colleagues of mine and I went for a walk and then stopped at a Safeway. We all wanted to pick up a few items for our rooms. This Safeway has a Starbucks in it...I'm trying to kick my Chai latte habit...but that whole commitment thing got in the way...so there I was standing in line waiting for my turn. I was off in my own little dream world, when I tuned into the girl 2 people ahead of me placing her order and then subsequently realizing she'd left her card in her car. Embarassed she started to tell the cashier, she'd have to be right back. As I realized what was happening, I knew what I had to do. I said "I'll pay for your coffee". The girl, probably about 20 was stunned, speechless. I said "yeah I got it. I hate when that happens. Just do it for someone else sometime" She thanked me about 85 times. I was like really it was 2 bucks. It's my pleasure. Have a good day. You would have thought I had just performed CPR on her dog, ok that might be an exaggeration.

How many times have you ordered something and then realized your cash or card was left in your pant pockets, other wallet or not where it should be at that moment?

My challenge to you is to commit a spontaneous act of kindness to a stranger this week. It doesn't have to cost you anything and it doesn't have to be a tangible item. But can you create just a little bit of sunshine into someone's life, who least expects it in the next 7 days?!

I want to hear your stories!!

xox

Off the 29 Days Giving Wagon

I was going strong for the first 5 days. Really enjoying this little experiment and then I came back to Nashville on Monday. It was actually Tuesday that I fell off. Typically when I come home after being on the road, I don't like to leave my house. I don't like to talk to people and my communication level is close to zero.

What to give loomed over my head all day...I had a few ideas in mind but they were going to require effort I just wasn't feeling like giving.

So I have to start all over again....I'm going to start tomorrow.

Puzzles and Patience- Day 1

Today is day one of my 29 days of giving. I should start out with a disclaimer, I already knew what my gift for today was going to be, I’m not totally sure if that’s cheating or not. I intend on counting it as my first gift, but should an opportunity present itself that could be considered another gift I think I’m going to run with it.

In January, when I came back from Uganda I sent out an email to a lot of my friends letting them know I was back, thanking them for their support and including a link to my photos. I received a reply back from an old boss and dear friend of mine- “Great Work April. Family Video would be proud. My life sucks at the moment- Ben died last week…”

You could have knocked me over with a feather as I read Stuart’s email. In fact as I go back to read the email for the purpose of this blog, I’m feeling a little light headed and over come with tears.

Stuart’s youngest son, Ben had been suffering from epileptic seizures for as long as I can remember, many times being air lifted to the nearest hospital after an episode of seizures. Stuart had included a link to Ben’s obituary along with Ben’s Caring Bridge website. It’s there I learned of Ben’s last few weeks here on earth. His CaringBridge website is also where I go back to read more about Ben and his amazing spirit, along with the joys and sadness the Gilpins have been experiencing during the past few months.

One of Stuart’s entries he mentioned that Ben was a big fan of puzzles and as a tribute to Ben they would be collecting puzzles of 100 pieces or less. Passing them along to school, nursing homes, etc in his honor. I read that and decided I wanted to participate. I would buy a few puzzles and send them onto Stuart doing my part in recognizing Ben’s short life and spreading a little joy to the recipients in Tyler, TX. Last week I purchased the puzzles, I’ve been carting them around in my car for the past week, knowing that I was going to start the 29 days soon and wanting to include these puzzles as part of my 29 days.

Yesterday, I sat outside on my sister’s back patio, soaking up the sun and said a short little prayer, asking God to give me the right words to bring some comfort to the Gilpins. I’m notorious for misspeaking or mis-writing (is that a word?). Miraculously the words came and I was content with my message.

Today, I headed off to the post office with letter in hand and puzzles in the car. I first go to the Post Office and none of the boxes would fit this one puzzle I had purchased. It was a hard wood puzzle of the US and State Capitals. (I felt that was appropriate coming from me.) So I left and went to the Postal Connection down the road, let me say I hate going to a FedEx or a Mailbox Etc….it never goes fast, ever! My patience begins to wear thin as I’m trying to make this wood puzzle fit in a box without spending a stupid amount of money on a box for a 3 dollar puzzle to fit in!! As my patience is wearing, I’m reminding myself of the purpose of my being here and I take a few deep breaths. I eventually decide that the wooden puzzle will not be making it’s way to Tyler and ship off the other 6 or so puzzles to Stuart. I then stand in line waiting for the cashier to finish up with the customer in front of me, which you would think was taking 45 minutes the way my patience was again wearing thin….ask me where I had to be?? Nowhere….nowhere at all hell I could still be standing in the line..I don’t have any pressing engagements this week in Verona, WI. Finally, it’s my turn…finally I’m giving her my address and then Stuart’s address and then telling her what’s in the box….which I found really intrusive to be spitting out two addresses along with the contents of the box in front of a bunch of people. I am in fact in small town, USA so the chance of someone taking my Nashville address and committing a malice act is probably slim to none, but really!?!?

All the while I’m berating myself in my head “Gulley- what the hell is your problem!?! Why are you so irritable!?!” I left the Postal Connections deciding the next 28 days shouldn’t involve mailing anything…..or maybe they should…so I can learn patience.

I’ve spent the morning at this great coffee shop in Verona, Tuvalu Coffee House. I had an awesome chat with the owner, about the amazing chai they have here, she’s even willing to sell some to me in bulk. Along, with picking her brain about doing business with Fair-Trade items, we’ve exchanged information and I’m looking forward to working with her in the future.

After I had placed my order, I could either sit on the side of the cafe with no kids or the side with kids and a screaming baby. I chose the screaming baby side…I also chose to put my earphones in ☺ As I’m typing up this blog, I go back to that wooden-puzzle in my car that didn’t make it to Tyler, TX and I look over at all the kids toys here at the cafe….and I just realized my second gift of the day.