LEGEND: NURSES
RadioLOVEIndia.com is honored to recognize kind Nurses all over the world.
It is only fitting that with the recent Nurses’ Week celebrations, we honor those whose needs are often forgotten as the medical economy tries to squeeze more and more out of less and less.
From cradle to grave, there are Angels placed in our lives to take care of an expansive list of technical details that good medicine demands.
For when a child is born, we honor the nurse who holds Mom’s hand as she performs the miraculous, the nurse that holds the child in her or his arms, carrying the newborn to safety before returning to Mom, the nurse that assists the MD with military precision, the nurse whose eyes are processing the blips and peaks on high tech equipment, the nurse who set up the room, and the team of nurses who makes this magic happen day and night, 24/7, 365 days a year.
For when a baby enters Heaven early, we honor the nurse who hugs Mom as she weeps, the nurse who calls the Chaplain for prayer, and just as many nurses who grieve.
For the toddlers racing about the pediatrician’s office, we honor the nurses who keep cool, keep the kids going, and keep the doctors on point, juggling phone calls and insurance claims with superhuman agility.
For the school kids who need their special meds on time, get sudden tummy aches, catch colds, suffer from home front stressors, we honor the solo school nurses who hold down the fort and get our children through it all.
For when our relatives enter the hospital unexpectedly, we honor the nurses who care for them in every department which we risk not being able to list completely, but we will try in a moment.
For when we are just down right frustrated and take it out on our nurses, we honor those who nurses who have been lashed out at, talked down to, and downright disrespected.
For all the nurses being asked to submit more surveys and more checklists and more reports and more online trainings without being given extra time to provide more patient care, we honor you and love you. We know you’d rather be taking care of us.
For the nurses who become like family to our Grandmas and Grandpas in nursing homes, we honor you. We should be there more often to help you and appreciate you. We know many nursing homes do not offer you the staffing ratios you deserve, but we pledge to honor you first, and will try to send you volunteers and nursing students and help that you so desperately need.
Ladies and Gentlemen, let us applaud kind Nurses of the World together.
Like any profession, not every nurse is perfect or even good, and we all have had experiences that are bad, but let us hope that Medical Executives use sensible means to train and recruit the best.
Often, what happens is over years of giving and giving and giving, a nurse’s own emotional needs may not be met by her employer, unit, or family. And sometimes, that can make a nurse feel pretty sour.
Who will show our nurses love in healthy ways?
Who will make our nurses feel significance in healthy ways?
Who will make our nurses feel safe in healthy ways?
Who will provide our nurses entertainment in healthy ways?
Who will give our nurses a chance to contribute in healthy ways?
Who will give our nurses the perfect balance of freedom and coaching to grow and blossom?
These 6 Core Needs above identified by world renowned Dr. Cloe Madanes are often overlooked in hospitals in corporations.
But when these 6 Core Needs are met, there is no end to the good a nurse or any employee can do.
And that is evidence based medicine.
What else do our nurses need besides a pat on the back?
Nursing units need to be protected aggressively from jealousy and politics, because patient lives are too important to let such organizational cancers persist.
Enough said.
May the legacy of Florence Nightingale persist and grow, for she taught us:
‘I attribute my success to this - I never gave or took any excuse.’
We promised you a list, no?
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Medical Missions nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Anesthesia nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Allergy/Immunology nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Cardiac nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Case Management nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Dermatology nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Dialysis nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor ENT nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Endocrinology nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor ER nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Forensic nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Gastroenterology nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Geriatrics nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Home Health nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor ICU nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Infectious Disease nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Informatics nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Infusion Therapy nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor ethical Legal nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Long Term Acute Care nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Medical Surgical nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor MICU nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Midwife nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Military nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Nephrology nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Neurology nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Occupational Therapy nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Oncology nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor O.R. nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Orthopedics nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor PACU nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Pain Management nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Pediatric nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Plastic Surgery nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Psych nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Physical Rehab nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor PICC line nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Radiology nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Telemetry nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Trainer/Teacher nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Transplant nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Travel nurses.
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor Women’s Health nurses.
If we have missed the opportunity to honor any specialty within Nursing, we apologize.
Know that from the bottom of our hearts, we honor every kind Nurse on the planet.
Any we hope Hospital Executives treat Nurses like it’s Nurses Week every week, not just 1 week per year.
LEGEND: JUDY BLAKE
It is my honor to share with you the humble power of Judy Blake, who served as Executive Director of Know Autism.
Judy is an amazing woman and Mother, a warrior for this noble cause which every family in America and the world is touched by directly or indirectly. She is heartwarming to interact with, and inspiring in her demeanor no matter the huge challenges she has endured as a single Mom. A woman of many talents, she is a fond honorary member of the Indian community, an extraordinary event planner, a Bollywood aficionado in the making, and just a jolly good human being.
Judy, it is my Honor to salute you as a RadioLOVEIndia.com Legend.
God bless You.
And it is my Honor to share your article below with the top Executives and Media personalities in the world:
'Autism. It’s a word that conjures up powerful emotions in some and has little or no meaning to others. If you are a family affected by autism, you understand the daily challenges and what it takes to be an advocate. There are people who believe they understand autism when in reality, they do not. April is Autism Awareness Month and blue is the color for autism. Blue shirts, blue lightbulbs, blue bracelets and everything lit up in blue. April gives us the chance to educate our communities about autism and why it truly matters to all of us.
Autism affects all races and all ethnicities. Sadly, autism is not recognized by some cultures and the affected person and their family suffer greatly. If a person was diagnosed with diabetes and needed insulin, we wouldn’t think twice. You wouldn’t expect their body to begin producing insulin on its own. Medication would be needed and no one thinks less of the person with diabetes. If that same person was also diagnosed with autism, they are judged in a way that is less than favorable. Some people would think they are mentally ill. Some would think they aren’t trying hard enough. Some would think the person is just being rude to others or looking for attention. None of these thoughts are true. Autism is NOT a mental illness. The person with autism is trying the best they can; they’re not looking to be rude or trying to gain attention from others.
I’ve been living with the challenges of autism for over twenty years – my son was diagnosed in 1996 when he turned just one year old. Can you imagine a world without the internet? Without Google? Without online support groups? Back then, you received huge packets of information regarding autism. You had to call people to receive information – e-mail was just emerging and so new to most of us. I remember my first e-mail address from Compuserve. I really didn’t understand the concept of e-mail and rarely used it. Today, I can’t imagine my life without it. The advancements in technology have allowed us to collect information, exchange ideas and allow families like mine to feel connected with others facing similar challenges. Today, information is e-mailed to families in seconds and knowing that other families are coping with similar challenges provides tremendous comfort.
In 1998, my knowledge about autism was drawn from the highly acclaimed movie “Rain Man”. Starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise, the Oscar winning film portrays Hoffman as autistic savant, Raymond Babbitt. His brother is Charlie, played by Cruise, and the movie reveals the new found relationship between the two brothers. If you have not seen this movie, I urge you to see it today. It was groundbreaking and introduced me to a world I never thought I would be so intimately surrounded by. Hoffman’s character portrays just one person with autism. It’s important to remember that while those diagnosed with autism share similar characteristics, no two people with autism are exactly alike.
In the early 1990’s, I knew of a young boy who looked typical by all accounts yet his behavior was very different. He lacked eye contact, had difficulty playing with his peers, obsessed over the must unusual topics and was very rigid in his routine. I knew something was not right and I just couldn’t put my finger on it. When I found out the young boy was diagnosed with autism, I was shocked. My only point of reference was “Rain Man” and this young boy was so different from the Dustin Hoffman character. He was higher functioning in many ways. It was then that I learned that autism is a spectrum disorder and the affected person can be mild to moderate to severe in their diagnosis.
My son was born in 1995 and I always believed that if a child had 10 fingers and 10 toes, they were in the clear and going to lead a wonderful life. I was the doting parent buying every toy imaginable to stimulate my child’s curiosity and exposing him to every facet of his world. But I could tell that something wasn’t right and he was not developing as he should by reaching the typical milestones like the other children. It’s hard to explain but he had a blank look in his eyes, sort of this emptiness that concerned me greatly. I was never one to keep my head in the sand and I had him evaluated by a wonderful developmental pediatrician when he turned one year old. I was blessed to live in Houston where there were resources available and I didn’t have to travel far to have him tested.
When I received the autism diagnosis, I cried. I wiped away the tears and I cried again. It wasn’t because I loved my child less. On the contrary, I couldn’t have loved him more. I was scared because I didn’t know anyone who had a child with autism. I moved to Houston only 10 months earlier and while I already had a wonderful circle of friends, I knew of no one whose child had autism. I received this huge packet containing information about county agencies, special needs schools and therapists that could help my child. I was terrified but I became a mother with a mission. I contacted my local zoned school and within a couple of months, I began receiving therapy for my son in our home. Speech therapists, occupational therapists and a teacher to work with my son on his cognitive abilities. Our schedule was full and I was very grateful to receive the help. It was the beginning of a lifetime of help that he would receive.
Autism is a neurologically based disorder and developmental disability that is very complex. It typically begins in early childhood and is a spectrum disorder commonly referred to as ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). It is characterized by the difficulty in forming typical social relationships, impairments in verbal and non-verbal communication and repetitive behaviors. It’s important to stress again that while no two people with autism are exactly alike, there are similarities. The first 24 months of development are critical. If the child exhibits one of the following, the parent should seek an evaluation:
Does not babble or coo by 12 months
Does not gesture (point, wave, grasp) by 12 months
Does not say single words by 16 months
Does not say two-word phrases on his or her own by 24 months
Has any loss of any language or social skill at any age
Early intervention is critical to the success in helping the child develop. No child ever asked to be brought into this world and it is up to parents, doctors and teachers to make sure that the child receives the needed help as quickly as possible. When we see a diagnosis on an x-ray or in a blood test, we tend to believe it without question. Going back to the diabetes example, a parent would not deny their child insulin. But the testing for autism spectrum disorder is more complex. The child is observed and evaluated through a series of tests and the decision is made as to whether or not they are found to be on the spectrum. It is painful for any parent to find out that their child is diagnosed with autism. While none of us can predict the future, it’s even more difficult with this diagnosis because no one knows how the child will develop through the years. What we do know is that with therapy and possibly special needs schools, the child’s chances to progress increase dramatically. My son required speech therapy, occupational therapy, social skills classes and attended various special needs school programs, both public and private. This all comes at an exorbitant price and difficult decisions have to be made. We all want the best for our children and there were times as a parent when I couldn’t deliver that. I was able to have my son in private programs for the first few years of his life in conjunction with public school programs. It was the best of both worlds.
Elementary school was wonderful because our school district had a class specifically for high functioning students on the autistic spectrum. It was a dream come true. My son was in a class that most parents had to pay for in a private school setting yet this was provided by our public school system. Middle school became more challenging and high school even more so. The teachers my son had were wonderful and cared deeply about his well-being. But with large class sizes and huge campuses, it was impossible for my son to feel a connection with anyone. I knew that he belonged in a small private school but the high cost was way out of reach for me. As I write this, my eyes fill with tears because it is something that I will lament for the rest of my life. I know that I did the best I could as a parent but knowing that I couldn’t provide the education and class setting that my son needed to truly grow is something that will always plague me. I know that my son would be different today if he has been placed in smaller classes with special education teachers who truly understand the world of autism.
Like many problems we face in life, these things usually come down to money. Our school district did the best that they could with the resources that they had. But when there are not enough resources, children suffer and this should never be the case.
According the Centers for Disease Control, 1 in 68 children will be diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Autism is a developmental disability and the majority of those diagnosed are boys – 1 in 42. In 2000, 1 in 150 children were diagnosed with ASD – this is almost a 120% increase which is staggering. You may be reading this article and think to yourself “Does this really matter to me”? The answer is YES!
It matters because:
Almost 1 percent of the world population has autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
More than 3.5 million people live with ASD
Autism services cost U.S. citizens $236 - $252 billion annually
A majority of the costs are in adult services compared to approximately $65 billion for services for children
The cost of raising a child with autism exceeds $1 million and if there is an intellectually disability, the cost exceeds $2 million
Disability researchers estimate that people with developmental disabilities are four to ten times more likely to be victims of crime than their non-disabled counterparts
Autism is not caused by poor parenting. Scientists have not come up with a single cause for autism. Genetics and the environment could be contributors to this developmental disorder. Autism is not a mental illness. Some people think that it is and this could not be further from the truth. Mental illness conditions include anxiety, bipolar disorder and depression. There are many mental health illnesses but autism is not one of them. It is possible for someone with autism to have a co-existing mental health condition but having autism by itself is not a mental illness.
People judge by what they see. If someone has Down ’s syndrome, it is my hope that others would be tolerant and understanding. If someone was in a wheelchair, I would hope that others would open the door or assist going up a ramp. Yet when my son or others like him had temper tantrums when they were teenagers or flapped their hands, I was perceived as a bad parent who didn’t discipline my child. Today, my son is 21 and while he doesn’t have temper tantrums in public, he has other behaviors that many of you would find troubling. He continues to flap his hands, paces back and forth constantly and talks incessantly to himself (scripting). In addition to autism, he was diagnosed with Tourette’s as a teenager. You can imagine the stares we get by people who judge prematurely and who don’t understand why my son is the way he is. While these times are difficult for me, I also use them to educate others. If I’m faced with an angry or confused look, I politely explain that my son has hidden special needs and he is doing the best that he can. I briefly explain what he copes with and most of the time, people are very understanding.
People with autism, Tourette’s, anxiety or any other disorder are entitled to lead as full of a life as possible. As the Executive director of the KNOWAutism Foundation, we seek to educate communities of every culture about autism and its co-existing conditions. Families have a hard enough time as it is getting the appropriate help for their child and it’s important that their community accept them and not isolate them. I often work with families who feel alone and afraid because their community has turned their back on them. Once communities truly understand what autism is, how it manifests itself and that it is a true developmental disability, only then can communities begin to help each family. Our Foundation also offers financial assistance. Our first program subsidizes the cost of diagnostic testing. Testing can cost from $750 - $1500 and we provide grants to ease the financial burden for families. Our second program subsidizes the cost of any number of services including private school tuition, therapy, social skills classes or additional programs the child might be involved in.
Educating all communities is the first step toward acceptance, tolerance and understanding the challenges of autism. Without these – it is next to impossible for a child and their family to get help while still feeling a part of their community.
If your community wants to learn more, we welcome the opportunity to raise awareness and acceptance. Please contact Judy Blake at judyblake@know-autism.org. We want to help as many families as possible. If you would like to make a donation - our website is www.know-autism.org.'
LEGEND: INDIAN DOCTORS ASSOCIATION
RadioLOVEIndia.com is honored to award Houston's Indian Doctors Association, a chapter of AAPI.
Led by the humble, sensible, and brilliant Dr. Manish Gandhi for 2016-2017, Indian Doctors Association is the local chapter of the powerhouse AAPI organization, a nationwide network Physicians of Asian Indian origin.
There are over 100,000 Indo-American Physicians practicing in America.
That spells over 500 million good deeds per year for patients.
The Indian Doctors Association prides itself in the selfless service of ALL people of ALL cultures.
These Doctors hail in many cases from modest villages, scorched by the Indian sun and sweltering humidity, born of toil and focused on Excellence.
These Doctors hail from strong families who broke the generational curse of poverty to soar into America to live the white picket fence dream, only to hunger and thirst for the next life saving surgery or blue collar patient desperately needing a simple medication to make it through a complex life of socioeconomic pressure.
The Indian Doctors Association recently invited RadioLOVEIndia.com to an extraordinary gala, highlighting the contributions of this Family to Houston Medicine, and notably supported by big names as you will see in the photo above.
IDA is making a big humanitarian name with the Indian Doctors Charity Clinic, which treats all people of all cultures every week. The clinic operates on Saturday mornings, offers free blood tests, and features a dedicated nursing staff who work full time jobs and still show up to brighten the days of many who slip through the cracks of affordable healthcare.
Doctors who toil all week arrive bright and early, 730am, to live their passion, helping people who are doing their best to just make it. This dream-come-reality was made possible by extraordinary souls like the Moonat family of Physicians, the legendary Dr. Kirtikumar Shah, who at 80+ still shuffled into the clinic fighting Parkinsons, but sharp as a whip when assessing and diagnosing and treating patients even after decades of philanthropic services provided to Indian villagers, KC Mehta the business operations wizard, Dr. Raman the charming surgeon who also served on the Board of a charitable hospital in India, and many others. Heartfelt thanks to the brilliant Surgeon Dr. Tripathy and the veteran village Physician Dr. Chauhan for giving us the time to grow this great mission with broad community support.
In the lobby, a sea of patients from Nigeria, Mexico, Pakistan, America, and all over the world. When the medical team arrives, their faces light up like candles in the dark, glowing with genuine gratitude, the greatest gift a Clinician can receive.
And so it is with genuine gratitude that RadioLOVEIndia.com invites Indian Doctors Association into our LEGENDS Circle.
Looking forward to seeing some of their busy Doctors on our India Medical Outreach at :
http://www.radioloveindia.com/india-tour.html
LEGENDS CIRCLE - This is where we archive those of Honor those who have empowered Social Change for the Better.
LEGEND: DAVID PEDEMONTE - AUTISM OVERCOMER + MOTIVATOR + ARTIST
'Autism: A Story of HOPE'
by Arjun Ghose
Hope is a gift that most of us take for granted.
We hope to lose 10 pounds at the gym, and it can happen.
We hope our kids do well in school and career and it can happen.
We hope for peaceful happy lives, and it can happen.
But for parents and guardians of autistic children, 'hope' can often seem like an illusion that is fleeting away, dashed by the confusion and extraordinary stress of daily life.
Families of special needs children battle perplexing diseases in a maze of school offerings and healthcare offerings that sometimes seem like desperate attempts to contain the unknown.
For one Mother, 'hope' has become a calling and a treasure which she has fought for...and achieved. We hope her story comforts and inspires you.
As the consummate Mommy, Gloria Pedemonte, went into her final pregnancy hopeful, filled with the joy of having one last baby boy.
She received the greatest gift in her sweet baby David... and what would also be the greatest challenge of her Motherhood.
Early in childhood, Gloria noticed something was different about David. His behaviors, his screams, his distant persona. By preschool age, David did not speak and was diagnosed by Dade County School District with autism.
A devastating blow for any Mother.
His Mother Gloria then entered 'the autism maze'. She began a journey of frustration, desperately seeking 'a fix'. That journey involved taking him to 16 psychiatrists and every center imaginable in her area. Though she gained knowledge each step of the way, there was no progress.
Stress mounted.
She evaluated school offering after school offering after school offering, but again, there was no progress.
The sad reality of intense socioeconomic situations like those in families with special needs children is that stress builds..and if unmanaged with family therapy and strong spiritual supports, marriages can break. This only makes helping the special needs child more difficult.
In Gloria's case, the stress mounted. And her husband left her to raise her autistic child David and his several siblings ...alone.
Devastation.
Through the heartache and with enormous grit, Gloria developed herself in 4 key areas that saved her son's life:
1- Faith
2 - Hard work
3 - Persistence
4 - Thinking like a Mommy-CEO
David's Mom implemented a strong Faith regimen: prayer + action.
She prayed and declared relentlessly that her son would overcome Autism.
She evaluated all sorts of curricula for David.
She led the home like a Mommy-CEO, scheduling each of David's siblings to pour love and academic tutoring upon David in house. Whatever area each child was strongest in, she had that area taught to David by each sibling.
Hard work for the whole family. Because they were doing what families are supposed to do.
David's Mom developed a completely organic diet for David.
Meanwhile, after trial and error of special ed offerings that didn't work, she happened to see an infomercial on TV and decided to purchase a Hooked on Phonics product for her son David. A shot in the dark, but she began showing it to him daily.
Her persistence and faith paid off.
And a breakthrough was evident at age 9, when David's speech was unlocked.
His first words?
'Mommy'
Then 'I love you.'
By middle school, David received President Clinton's academic achievement award.
And his art skills began to blossom.
By age 19 David completed a Bachelor's degree at AIU.
Speaking to David's Mom and he is an awe-inspiring and empowering experience.
She can be best summed up as FIERCE.
Their life story reminds us that evil often strikes hardest at the verge of our greatest success.
But just like in the movies, good always gives us strength to defeat evil at this time and all times.
And David and his Mom defeated evil in a big way.
At his graduation, the Dean referred to him as a Genius and noted how the least likely to graduate with honors did just that. David knew his calling was to help other autistic kids.
These days, he is able to coach and empower autistic kids in ways the school system cannot, taking some from silence to speech, and all from helplessness to dignity. He has groomed young artists who can also generate income from their skills. Most importantly, he has restored to autistic kids a feeling that they are productive , loved human beings.
David is living proof that a diagnosis cannot thwart destiny. David's art has become world renowned. He has won awards and acclaim internationally. In fact, the Ambassador of Japan is a fan of David's Japanese style art and comic books. David is a truly gifted individual. He can produce animation videos from scratch. He can compose ballets and conciertos. Cirque du Soleil has even approached him.
But most importantly, David can connect with autistic kids in a way few can.
He incessantly sows into the community, never forgetting his hard fought journey and his Mom's sacrifices. For example, David has raised funds for the ill children of Ronald McDonald house. He also raises funds for Christmas gifts for special needs kids. Recently, David and Gloria brought Easter presents to all the kids at the house, and were shocked to find no one else had done so.
He and his Mom are now public speakers now too, and inspire audiences of up to 15,000 (and growing) without fear. They have gone from 'down and out' with a poor prognosis to making a huge impact on families with special needs kids. And their dream is to build a world class center to empower autistic kids with a world class curriculum that works....and heals.
If there is 1 thing you can take away from this story, David's Mother would advise......
Memorize this mantra:
'YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE'.
Please visit the following website to learn more about David at:
http://davidsartismschool.org/aboutme/
And please ask David how you can order a beautifully framed autographed reprint of his amazing art for that special someone in your life.
LEGEND : LYNN PRICE - Sibling Rights Advocate, Motivator, Social Entrepreneur
LEGEND: MANISHA GANDHI
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to recognize Manisha Gandhi, Director of Development at Akshaya Patra, a non profit organization that feeds 1.4 million Indian children lunch...DAILY.
One of India's most powerful non profit organizations, Akshaya Patra has been been studied by top business schools and is frequented by world leaders and organizations like President Clinton, the Dalai Lama, UN, and Major League Baseball.
Manisha Gandhi fell in love with the vision and reach of Akshaya Patra when she featured them as a TV Asia Reporter. Somewhere between answering the texts and emails from Bollywood celebs and U.S. Media personalities that fill her cell phone, and mesmerizing the Houston Indo-American community with her singing and event hosting, the children of Akshaya Patra kept tugging on her heart strings.
And she gave in, to an amazing beyond amazing cause.
From Houston to Chicago to Orlando to Atlanta and beyond, Manisha has been setting up elegant Akshaya Patra galas, to introduce the west to the east, and to ensure village children all over India get fed hot nutritious delicious meals we in the U.S. often take for granted.
Often, an empty belly is the only thing that stands in the way of a child making the jump from performing as below average to being a top ranked student earning the pride of entire villages, not to mention putting much need smiles on the faces of Mommy and Daddy, who may eat once a day...if lucky.
Manisha's mission is to make every moment of her life count.
To make sure no child goes hungry.
Not in India.
Not in any country.
That's why Supply Chain professionals and extraordinary business minds are studying the Akshaya Patra model.
How can a kitchen crank out 15,000 rotis(delicious Indian tortillas) in an hour?
Modern science to the max.
And the envy of every factory on the planet.
Always keepin' it real, always down to earth, always wise...Manisha Gandhi is one powerful lady and Mother to follow.
Just as Google Execs like Vice President Gopi Kallayil do.
Hope to see you and your firm visit the Akshaya Patra kitchens of India and meet the charming brilliant inspired children they nurture.
We certainly will, during RadioLOVEIndia.com's amazing October 2016 Diwali Service Vacation of a Lifetime.
Who knows...maybe you might even meet the Executives of firms like Infosys and Tata, along with Bollywood celebs, that advocate for children fed by Akshaya Patra.
To contact Manisha for an interview, please email Manisha@apusa.org.
To learn more about Akshaya Patrya, see:
www.foodforeducation.org
LEGEND: MOTHERS
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to announce the Champion of the Week as...Mothers!
On Mother's Day ,we formally honored the hard working Mothers of the world who strive to be the best parents possible raising the best children possible.
We salute enormous sacrifice of dutiful Mothers, from the enormous miracle of giving birth onwards.
Mothers who endure the tantrums of toddlers with patience Divine are our everyday heroines.
Mothers mesmerize us as they remain calm yet stern as teenagers push their parents to the edge, with daredevil stunts, schoolhouse discipline, and hormone driven fits.
For those Mommy 'nagging episodes', we must also be thankful, for, when dished out within reason, wise advice with wiser repetition programs good kids to become great.
The Mothers who raise children alone deserve our high praise, for theirs is a challenge that most men cannot even fathom: work+cook+clean+parent+discipline+struggle+grieve for help+guard against the wrong kind of man again+endure+multitask all at once like only women are capable of.
The Mothers who raise others' children, like the sacrificial 24/7 Nun-Mommies of Mother Teresa's orphanage in Kolkata, are awesome beyond words. We should honor them, support them, and promote them.
For when Mothers become Grandmas and help us with our children, we are eternally grateful, because that is another round of parenting, which never ends, and always transcends.
Sometimes Mothers are left in nursing homes, angels in passing, and we know the world is a better place because of those graceful smiles they give us when we visit.
So let us visit our Mothers often, honor them often, help them often, and help others become better Mothers often.
Because Mother's Day should be every day.
For those of you who did not have role model Mothers, and for those who are not role Model mothers, we honor you too, because we are all a work in process, and hopefully all who struggle in any role seek the right help at the right time.
And that, my friends, is why RadioLOVEIndia.com exists.
LEGEND: DR. PETER HOTEZ
RadioLOVEIndia.com is proud to honor White House Medical Envoy Dr. Hotez.
Hats off to CBS for featuring Dr. Hotez in a story about massive funding to eradicate Zika virus.
Dr. Hotez has been a true friend of our community and a relentless soldier committed to wiping out avoidable illnesses and avoidable loss of life in developing nations around the world.
In a world where Physicians with elite credentials like his might isolate themselves from the common man, Dr. Hotez leads with humility, and honors every human being with grace, always ready to sow into others, lift up others, and value others.
This is one reason our team refers to him as the Archangel of the world renowned giant Texas Medical Center.
Good dharma and duty bring good karma, as Indians often say.
And Dr. Hotez' good deeds have earned him the elite position of White House Medical Envoy, advising the U.S. State Department and carrying America's original mission to improve lives into the African subcontinent, where his leadership and connections are seeding a mission to save millions of lives.
His scholarly passions have elevated him into the position of Dean for the National School of Tropical Medicine at top ranked Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. Here Dr. Hotez inspires and educates young Physicians-to-be, ensuring a new generation of 'Physicans-Who-Really-Care emerge', Physicians who still care about the poor, the hungry, the heartbroken, the abandoned, the captives...and the uninsured.
Enter Baylor College of Medicine's Globalization program, which sets up state of the art operating rooms in African villages, drills water wells, and trains medical professionals to staff clinics to handle the huge health challenges Africa faces.
Dr. Hotez' superhuman capacity has simultaneously landed him in the position of Endowed Chair in Tropical Pediatrics at world famous Texas Children's Hospital in Houston.
A Physician with supernatural social enterprise strengths, Dr. Hotez is also President and Director of the Sabin Vaccine Institute headquartered in Washington D.C. This awesome firm handles vaccine development for diseases pharmaceutical companies might not find it lucrative enough to build pipelines for.
Dr. Hotez understands that wiping out disease means wiping out poverty. As Fellow in Disease and Poverty at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University, he shares with the world how to do exactly that.
Hence, India's Harvard caliber IIT has invited him to speak at their graduation, launching inspired your minds to create health and wealth.
Behind and beside every great man is a GREAT WOMAN. Mrs. Hotez therefore must share equal credit as our Champion of the Week. More on her with her permission of course. Both husband and wife are also leaders in wiping out the confusion and heartache that Autism presents families with.
A highly sought after speaker, Dr. Hotez' greatest strength is that of the world's greatest leaders in history: HUMILITY.
Founder of Camp to Belong, Lynn has inspired me for over a decade.
How best to describe Lynn?
Spiritual Mother to Millions.
Lynn is a truly a living Angel on Earth who advocates for the welfare of and nurtures children who have experienced pain beyond what words can describes.
To add trauma to trauma, these children are often separated from their brothers and sisters upon entry into the foster care/ child protective services system.
I once read that over 75% children were inhumanely separated from their beloved brothers and sisters upon entry into foster care. Pathetic.
In a justice system that often lacks common sense, choosing instead to be entangled in the bizarre ancient British linguistics of legal papers and delays most decent human beings do not need or understand, the GOD GIVEN RIGHT FOR SIBLINGS TO GROW UP TOGETHER IS BEING DESTROYED.
Why?
Because parents are given the right to destroy their children's lives without government interference, until it is too late.
That is why crime, bankruptcy, divorce, addiction, depression, and dysfunction in our society have spiraled out of control into a multi-billion dollar problem annually.
That is also why children are being abused every minute of every day around the world.
It takes a hugely bravely soul to take on a system that works against the well being of children, to find allies within that system willing to make a change, and to take those changes global day after day.
Lynn Price has stood in the gap to fight for these kids. Lynn has been a Light of Hope for these children.
Over 20 years ago, Lynn created Camp To Belong to give children a taste of decency after they have been abused by family and abused by the system which separated them from healthy sibling relations.
For 1 week in the summer, Lynn created a phenomenon of healing by bringing separated brothers and sisters together for therapeutic activities and just plain long overdue brother and sister time together.
I have seen the Magic of Camp To Belong first hand. It is like nothing most volunteers have ever experienced. I have watched as kids who longed to hug their brothers and sisters all year burst into tears as the buses pull in and they finally run to their siblings. I have watched the joy of reunited siblings hold hands and run about, like God intended for them to do. I have watched the joy of reunited siblings dancing in circles , eating smores, and singing Camp To Belong songs in the safety of Lynn, dedicated Social Workers working off the clock, protective teachers and principals , and volunteers across the nation. I have watched brothers and sisters taking nature walks without a worry in the world... finally.
I have watched brothers and sisters with their arms around each other shoulders as they sit and take in the beauty of mountains and trees and blue skies and sunshine.
These are the things that Camp To Belong makes possible.
Humanity: a concept that it takes moving mountains to restore.
And Lynn Price moves mountains.
Camp To Belong is a concept spreading coast to coast because of Lynn Price.
Sibling Reunification is a concept spreading coast to coast because of Lynn Price.
Judges are thinking twice and thrice before separating siblings because of Lynn Price.
Media leaders are taking notice of sibling rights because of Lynn Price.
That is why Oprah Winfrey crowned Lynn one of her Angels.
The President of the United States honored Lynn Price at the White House.
The Ashoka Foundation named Lynn Price an Ashoka Fellow.
Lynn has been featured on CBS.
Lynn has been honored by Parenting Magazine.
Late Paul Newman supported Camp To Belong.
George Clooney applauded Camp To Belong, and plugged the movement during the Oceans movie he made.
Her Media experience and accolades are numerous, and you can read them at www.lynnprice.com.
Most importantly, Lynn understands the enormous longing and pain that sibling separation results in. Lynn was adopted as a baby and separated from her sister. Lynn always felt a longing as a child as she grew up. And one day her sister came into her life. As they bonded, they knew there were millions of children in the world who are being heartbroken by sibling separation.
Lynn has written 3 books, starting with Real Belonging: Giving Siblings Their Right to Reunite.
We strongly recommend your company, church, organization reach out to Lynn to invite her to speak to you in person.
We also strongly recommend you join us in boosting social civility.
Adults need to grow up and learn how to increase communication, decrease conflict, and stop sibling separation when healthy bonds exist.
Outside the foster care system, lawmakers are divided by a lack of common sense.
In some states children separated from siblings by divorce or parental mental illness have no right to even REQUEST visitation with their brothers and sisters.
This is referred to as 'standing' to bring a lawsuit.
Odd that one can sue a fast food chain for dropping hot coffee on their pants while driving , but an innocent child cannot even bring a legal process to REQUEST a Judge grant visitation with a brother or sister being kept from that child.
Why is a child in Illinois any different from a child in Texas or Pennsylvania?
Why does a child in one state have a right to request visits with siblings, but a child in another state has no right to visit requests with brothers and sisters?
Did God want children in Illinois to have different rights than children in Texas?
No.
This is happening in America, Ladies and Gentleman.
Camp To Belong is 1 powerful solution.
And so are you.