Canadian charity invites you to take the plunge in the name of youth mental health
1,000 people across the country are expected to take part in Brainfreeze 2022, an invigorating polar dip in support of Jack.org’s work to address the youth mental health emergency
TORONTO, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Jack.org and Surf The Greats are excited to welcome mental health heroes from coast to coast to join Brainfreeze 2022 with Presenting Sponsor, RBC Future Launch, in an epic in-person polar plunge in support of youth mental health.
Brainfreeze brings determined individuals together to smash through icy waters and fundraising goals in support of Jack.org, a Canadian charity that partners with over 3,000 youth leaders in every province and territory to provide them with the skills and resources they need to improve mental health outcomes in their communities.
Brainfreeze isn’t just about the physical plunge, but also the mental challenge that getting outside of your comfort zone presents. Whether participants decide to take the plunge or not, we’re challenging our community to do something that scares them in the name of mental health.
This year, we’re inviting these courageous Polar Bears to join our #BearItAll challenge and get real about the need for honesty and bravery when it comes to tackling the youth mental health emergency. And for the first time since before the pandemic, we’re able to welcome Polar Bears back to five in-person Brainfreeze events:
Polar Bears can either commit to a solo dip or bring family and friends to one of the in-person events for an unforgettable (and Instagrammable) team dip!
Can’t make it to the in-person events? Not to worry. Participants can register online, assemble their crew, and join the #BearItAll challenge wherever they call home. Whether they jump into the lake in their hometown, take an ice bath, or sign up for their first therapy session, each and every Polar Bear gets to choose something that pushes them out of their comfort zone while raising funds for Jack.org.
Receive a Brainfreeze Bundle when they raise $250+ for Jack.org
Get access to our 30-day meditation challenge led by the amazing Surf The Greats founder and CEO Antonio Lennert, a tidal flow yoga class, and a Wim Hof Method workshop before taking the plunge
This year, we’re aiming to challenge 1,000 Polar Bears to brave the cold across Canada to raise essential funds for youth mental health. All funds raised by these inspiring Polar Bears will go directly to Jack.org’s award-winning mental health resources and globally recognized youth mental health initiatives across Canada.
Rowena Pinto, President & CEO of Jack.org, said, “This will be my first big event with Jack.org and I couldn’t be more excited to participate in Brainfreeze. Thank you to the organizers and participants for your commitment to fuelling Jack.org’s work across Canada, supporting youth mental health education and peer-to-peer support.”
Michael Griffiths, a past Polar Bear, says the event is about much more than just the chill. “It is a gathering with other like-minded individuals who celebrate community, acceptance, and awareness to take a plunge into the icy Canadian waters,” he added. “We started with a group-led yoga session and then took off with our buddies into the water. Little did I know that my buddy would be first out, and I would be last in. All in good fun and for a great cause!”
To help uplift amazing Polar Bears like Michael across Canada, supporters are encouraged to visit our Donation page, hit “Donate” and search for their Polar Bear’s name. Anyone is eligible to join in on Brainfreeze 2022! Getting ready to #BearItAll starts with registering for free here.
About Jack.org Jack.org is the only Canadian charity that partners with young leaders in every province and territory to improve youth mental health outcomes in their communities. These incredible youth lead mental health conversations among their peers thanks to innovative programs that they helped design. Through Jack Talks, Jack Chapters, Jack Summits, Jack Originals, Be There, and BeThereCertificate.org, young leaders identify and dismantle barriers to positive mental health in their communities. Jack.org is working towards a Canada where all young people understand how to take care of their own mental health and look out for each other. A Canada without shame, where all those who need support get the help they deserve. With thousands of young leaders across every province and territory, the movement is only just getting started. To learn more, please visit Jack.org, BeThere.org and BeThereCertificate.org.
Aurora Spine Corporation Announces FDA 510(k) Clearance for its SiLO TFX™ MIS Sacroiliac Joint Fixation System
CARLSBAD, Calif., Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aurora Spine Corporation ("Aurora Spine" or the "Company") (TSXV: ASG) (OTCQB: ASAPF), a designer and manufacturer of innovative medical devices that improve spinal surgery outcomes, today announced it has received 510(k) clearance from the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the patented minimally invasive SiLO TFX MIS Sacroiliac Joint Fixation System. The Aurora Spine SiLO TFX MIS Sacroiliac Joint Fixation System, is intended for sacroiliac joint fusion for conditions including sacroiliac joint disruptions and degenerative sacroiliitis. The SiLO TFX MIS Sacroiliac Joint Fixation System includes a Transfixing-Cone, an ilium screw, a sacrum screw and associated instrumentation. The SiLO TFX implants are designed to transfix the sacrum and ilium, providing stability for bony fusion.
“We are pleased with our continued commercial momentum as we expand our footprint for providing differentiated surgical devices in the sacropelvic/sacroiliac space,” said Trent Northcutt, President, and Chief Executive Officer. “We will make meaningful investments in our sales force and physician training, which we believe will enable us to further capitalize on the growth in outpatient surgery centers across the United States.”
Mr. Laszlo Garamszegi, Chief Technology Officer of Aurora Spine, added, "We are excited about this patented game-changing technology. Increased awareness of SI joint disruption as a significant contributor to back pain led us to develop a minimally invasive solution to treat the condition. It is a breakthrough for Aurora to offer a titanium version of our SiLO family of products, which offers additional fixation options to transfix the joint.”
"This is a significant milestone in the evolution of the treatment of SI joint dysfunction and clearly sets SiLO TFX apart from any other surgical options. This patented system transfixes the sacrum and ilium to provide superior clinical outcomes," said Dr. Michael Stoffman, Neurosurgeon at the University at Buffalo Neurosurgery. "The SiLO TFX clearance is an essential milestone for Aurora Spine as they are committed to helping patients experiencing chronic SI Joint pain."
About Aurora Spine
Aurora Spine is focused on bringing new solutions to the spinal implant market through a series of innovative, minimally invasive, regenerative spinal implant technologies. Additional information can be accessed at www.aurora-spine.com or www.aurorapaincare.com.
Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking information that involves substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties, most of which are beyond the control of Aurora Spine, including, without limitation, those listed under "Risk Factors" and "Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information" in Aurora Spine's final prospectus (collectively, "forward-looking information"). Forward-looking information in this news release includes information concerning the proposed use and success of the company’s products in surgical procedures. Aurora Spine cautions investors of Aurora Spine's securities about important factors that could cause Aurora Spine's actual results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements included in this news release. Any statements that express, or involve discussions as to, expectations, beliefs, plans, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not historical facts and may be forward-looking and may involve estimates, assumptions and uncertainties which could cause actual results or outcomes to differ unilaterally from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. No assurance can be given that the expectations set out herein will prove to be correct and, accordingly, prospective investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These statements speak only as of the date of this press release and Aurora Spine does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances.
Immugenia Obtains Pre-Seed Funding from adMare BioInnovations, ACET Capital, and Sherbrooke Innopole to Develop a Cancer Treatment Which Would Prevent Relapses
SHERBROOKE, QC, Oct. 6, 2022 /CNW/ - Immugenia Inc. has announced that adMare BioInnovations, ACET Capital 2, and Sherbrooke Innopole have joined forces to support the development of immunity therapy programs based on the work of Dr. Elie Haddad, clinical researcher at CHU Sainte-Justine and professor at the Université de Montréal's pediatrics department.
Immugenia is developing a new generation of CAR (chimeric antigen receptor) therapy. Current CAR therapies involve taking immune cells from a cancer patient and modifying them to express a CAR, making it possible for them to recognize and kill cancer cells when injected back into the patient.
"Unfortunately, traditional CAR technologies have a limited lifespan, which allows for relapses. By modifying patients' own hematopoietic stem cells, rather than peripheral cells as is usually the case, Immugenia is creating immunotherapy that could last continuously, thereby decreasing the risk of relapse while reducing the risk of toxicity associated with too high doses of CAR-T," stated Dr. Elie Haddad. "Our innovative cell-specific promoter technology makes this stem cell strategy possible."
While traditional CAR-T therapy primarily targets liquid tumours such as leukemia, adding CAR to stem cells also allows patients to develop CAR-NKs, making the strategy more effective and expanding its indications to solid tumors.
"This cutting-edge technology will let us specifically induce and control these immune cells' activity and, as such, avoid the depletion of T cells we see in current therapies," mentioned Dr. Joseph Mancini, Vice President, Innovation - Biological Sciences at adMare. "The adMare scientific team has solid expertise in immunology and oncology. Through this research collaboration, we will leverage our induced pluripotent stem cell (IPSC) platform to advance and accelerate the development of this new therapeutic approach."
Immugenia is also being supported by the ACET and Sherbrooke Innopole.
According to Martial Bilodeau, ACET's Investment Director, "ACET Capital 2 is pleased to be financially supporting this new, very promising company and its experienced team in their innovative approach in immunotherapy."
Sherbrooke Innopole's Director of Business Services (Life Sciences sector), Martine Courtemanche, stated, "When we learned about Immugenia, we quickly identified the very promising potential of the company's technology. We are pleased to have been able to act as a spark for this start-up by providing its first financing through our seed fund and our Sherbrooke International grant program, which is focused on business development outside Quebec and the search for partners."
"Our partners' contribution makes a big difference in our company's growth," added Stéphane Gagné, President and CEO of Immugenia. "Axelys, the Quebec public research-based innovation development and transfer company, has worked with us as we created the company and transferred the technology. The support from all our collaborators will help accelerate the advancement of our unique and promising treatment."
About Immugenia
Immugenia is an early-stage immuno-oncology company developing a novel approach to CAR therapy by engineering hematopoietic stem cells to treat cancer and prevent relapses. Its proprietary technology allows for the CAR to be expressed selectively in T and NK cells in order to leverage their synergistic activity against cancer. More information can be found at www.immugenia.com.
About adMare BioInnovations
With a strong track record of globally-competitive scientific discovery, Canadian life sciences are primed to lead the world. To make this a reality, adMare BioInnovations uses its scientific and commercial expertise, specialized R&D infrastructure, and seed capital to build strong life sciences companies, develop robust ecosystems, and foster industry-ready talent. It re-invests its returns into the Canadian industry to ensure its long-term sustainability. adMare currently has 28 portfolio companies that have attracted $1.4 billion of risk capital, have a combined value of $3 billion, and have created over 1,000 jobs in Canada. For more information, please go to www.admarebio.com.
About ACET Capital
ACET's mission is to identify innovative and bold technological projects, guide entrepreneurs in their development, and drive innovative new companies with a positive societal impact and the potential to be very successful in the future. Supported by a committed business community, ACET offers entrepreneurs personalized coaching from pre-startup to internationalization as needed, access to various sources of financing (including its own investment funds), the expertise of its market intelligence service, and the strength of its networks so that they can transform their passion, vision, and innovations into successful businesses. More information is available at www.acet.ca
About Sherbrooke Innopole
Sherbrooke Innopole is the para-municipal economic development organization for the city's industrial and high-value-added services sectors. Its mission is to accelerate the development of companies from the five key sectors – Advanced Manufacturing, Cleantech, Life Sciences, Information Technologies, and Micro-Technologies – and ensure that Sherbrooke offers an attractive and innovative business environment. It is funded by the City of Sherbrooke through its economic development coordination office (www.sherbrooke-innopole.com).
About Axelys
The Quebec government created Axelys on April 1, 2021. Its mission is to contribute to Quebec's economic and social prosperity by accelerating the development and transfer of high-potential innovations stemming from public research. It also contributes to the creation of scientific companies founded on the basis of public research discoveries.
SOURCE Immugenia
New national research report on menopause reveals the steep toll of silence and stigma on Canadian women
Menopause Foundation of Canada report shows women in the prime of their lives facing inequity in the healthcare system and at work; calls for action
TORONTO, Oct. 6, 2022 /CNW/ - Landmark new research of Canadian women going through the universal experience of perimenopause / menopause reveals the real-life impact and inequities women face in a stage of life long shrouded by secrecy. A shocking one in two (46%) feel unprepared for this stage of life and, in a world where no topic is off limits, more than half (54%) believe menopause is still a taboo subject. Despite menopause affecting 50% of the population, a remarkable four in 10 women in the national survey by the Menopause Foundation of Canada (MFC) reported feeling alone through their menopause experience.
The Menopause Knowledge Gap
The silence around menopause leaves too many of the estimated 10 million women in Canada over the age of 40i - those in perimenopause/menopause/postmenopause - searching for answers. They are trying to understand what is happening to their bodies, why they may be feeling the way they do, and whether treatment and support is available. It also leaves women unaware of the potential long-term health impacts of menopause.
Most women – 95% in MFC's survey – experience menopausal symptoms. While the majority of women were aware of hot flashes (84%) and night sweats (77%), two-thirds or more were not aware that urinary tract infections (82%) and heart palpitations (75%) were symptoms. Six in 10 did not know that headaches/migraines (58%), anxiety (58%), depression (56%) and memory issues (58%) were symptoms. Complicating the issue is determining whether these symptoms are the result of another condition.
"I have been treating menopausal women for decades and know the serious toll symptoms can have on their health and quality of life," said Dr. Wendy Wolfman, MD, FRCS(C), FACOG, NCMP, president of the Canadian Menopause Society and a member of the Medical Advisory Board of the Menopause Foundation of Canada. "Menopause is seen as something women must endure, like a woman's burden. This is unacceptable. Women deserve to feel healthy and they should not suffer in silence. There is preventative care, lifestyle choices, and safe and effective treatment options to help women thrive during their menopausal years."
Health Equity
The average Canadian women will spend up to half of her life in a menopausal state. While women report their family physicians are their most trusted source for information and advice about menopause, fewer than one-quarter said their family physician proactively discussed menopause with them. Of the 41% who decided to seek out medical advice themselves, 72% found that advice to be not helpful or only somewhat helpful, and four in 10 women felt their symptoms were undertreated.
"The hormonal changes associated with the onset of menopause can increase the risk for osteoporosis, heart disease and many genitourinary issues that can get worse over time if not managed appropriately," said Dr. Shafeena Premji, CCFP, MHA, BSc, MCMP, who operates menopause and women's health clinics in Alberta. "It is critical that family physicians deepen their understanding of menopause, including learning about the latest clinical practice guidelines, and proactively starting the menopause conversation with their patients."
Menopause Inclusive Workplaces
An estimated one-quarter – five million – of Canada's 19-million-person labour force are women over the age of 40ii. MFC's new research reveals that three-quarters of working women feel their employer is not supportive or do not know if they have support to help them manage this stage of life. Eighty-seven per cent of survey respondents believe working women need support through all stages of life, including menopause. Working women going through menopause are also dealing with the reality of ageism, with 3 in 10 fearing that their colleagues may see them as weak, old, or past their prime.
"Women in the prime of their lives should not be blindsided by menopause," said Janet Ko, president and co-founder of The Menopause Foundation of Canada. "Normalizing this natural part of life is long overdue and everyone has a role to play. Our hope is that by talking about menopause we break the taboo and empower women with evidence-based information. Improving health equity for women during this time of life and making sure that our workplaces are age and gender inclusive will go a long way towards ending the silence and the stigma of menopause."
The survey was conducted by Leger Canada between August 2 and August 11, 2022, using Leger's online panel. The survey of 1,023 Canadian women aged 40-60 is representative by region, education, income, and ethnicity among women that fall into this age range. This independent research report was made possible by supporters and volunteers, including educational funding from Lupin Pharma Canada, Organon, Astellas Pharma and Searchlight Pharma.
About the Menopause Foundation of Canada
The Menopause Foundation of Canada (MFC) is a national non-profit advocacy organization created to raise awareness of the impact of menopause on women and society. MFC's mission is to eliminate the social stigma and taboos associated with menopause and to ensure that this important women's health issue is fully supported by our health care system, government, business and the broader community. Learn more at MenopauseFoundationCanada.ca
What Does Your Daddy Do? Shows Kids the Cool Side of the Trades
Boston, October 5, 2022 — Career training opportunities and certifications offered in high school may not come soon enough for some students, posits Joshua Page, an electrician and author of the engaging new children’s book, What Does Your Daddy Do?
“For about the last five or six years, I was being asked to go to career days at high schools and speak about becoming an electrician,” Page said in a recent interview. “But I didn’t think I was making a big enough impact. I thought those kids were a little too old; they had already made up their minds; maybe they’re going to college.”
A children’s book seemed like the ideal way to reach an elementary school-aged audience.
What Does Your Daddy Do? introduces young readers to Ashton, whose fifth grade class is having career week. Ashton isn’t sure exactly what his dad does, so he goes home and asks him. Ashton then gets to learn about all the cool work his dad does as an electrician and all the interesting tools he gets to use. As career week continues, all the students get to share stories about what their parents do.
“I wrote this book to plant a seed in a younger generation’s mind about how ‘cool’ the trades are and to start the conversation young,” Page added.
About the Author
Joshua Page is a husband, father, electrician, entrepreneur and TEDx Speaker. With the release of his first book, What Does Your Daddy Do?, Page has also added “author” to his many titles.
An electrician by trade, Page is passionate about informing the younger generation of all the career options they have in addition to college. Page believes that choosing a trade and working with his hands saved his life and allowed him to have the life he loves. As a father of two, his mission is to teach his children and their generation about how fulfilling a career in the trades can be and to encourage them to follow their own path in life.
Launch of first-ever Canadian youth mental health platform will transform research and treatments
MONTREAL, Oct. 06, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A pioneering youth mental health project will enhance Canada’s overall understanding of youth mental health needs and advance new assessment and treatment approaches. Each year, one of out every four youth in Canada needs mental health services, making an initiative such as this urgent and critical for the well-being of our young people. The “Canadian Youth Mental Health Insight (CYMHI) Platform” powered by RBC Future Launch, will use open data, machine learning and other methods to improve communication between youth and families, researchers, clinicians and other service providers with diverse mental health experiences and specializations.
A specialized research team has been awarded a $5.13-million grant to create this platform to optimize mental health with and for youth across Canada. Generous funding has been provided from RBC Future Launch, Power Corporation of Canada, and the Canada Brain Research Fund (CBRF), an innovative arrangement between the Government of Canada, through Health Canada, and Brain Canada.
Led by Dr. Sean Hill, Director of the Krembil Centre of Neuroinformatics, and Senior Scientist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), the team brings together diverse organizations across the country including academic institutions, community-based mental health services, hospitals, and youth and family advisories from Foundry, Youth Wellness Hubs Ontario, and other integrated youth services.
The Insight platform will provide an interactive web portal for youth, family members, clinicians, service providers, researchers, and policy makers to access shared data, analytics, and AI tools for optimizing mental health care. The portal will enable users to find data and connect insights from community and school prevention programs, youth mental health services, and clinical research studies. The portal will also provide access to AI-based services to help users navigate mental health services, personalized tools for monitoring mental health, identifying risks, and recommending services, and an interactive atlas of youth mental health service demand and availability to guide service providers and policymakers.
“Through this project, we are providing a state-of-the-art informatics platform that serves as a foundation to improve mental health for, and importantly, with youth across the country,” notes Hill. “It will facilitate high impact research and the development of youth mental health approaches that would otherwise not be possible.”
“The CYMHI is a fantastic development to empower youth and youth-involved initiatives to take ownership in paving the way for future mental health service implementation,” says Suchayte Bali, Youth Engagement Coordinator at Foundry. “At a grassroots level, this can allow for many youth-led not-for-profit organizations to garner an understanding for which supports are needed in their communities, now backed by machine learning data from across Canada.”
“Right now, 9 out of 10 provinces are funding services with research components, British Columbia can’t learn from New Brunswick, and Ontario is missing evidence from Saskatchewan and so on,” says CYMHI leadership team member Steve Mathias, Executive Director at Providence Health Care and leader of Foundry, a British Columbia network of centres that offer young people health and wellness resources, services and supports both in person and virtually. “It is about bringing everyone together to share and exchange what we are living, and learning.”
Mental illness disproportionately affects young people between the ages of 15 and 29 worldwide. It accounts for approximately half of the overall burden of disease in this age group, making it the leading cause of disability in Canada.
“More than ever, brain research is critical in helping us, as a community, recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigate its effects on the brain and our mental health,” says Dr. Viviane Poupon, Brain Canada President, and CEO. “We must invest in projects like these that will lead to concrete impacts on brain health for youth in Canada.”
“The stress, anxiety, depression, and loneliness caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have disproportionally impacted the mental health of young people in Canada. With so many children and youth still struggling, it is essential that we accelerate our efforts to ensure that young people have access to appropriate supports when and where they need them,” says The Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Mental Health and Addictions and Associate Minister of Health. “This ground-breaking mental health platform will continue to improve youth mental health services by listening to youth in order to base our response on a much better understanding of youth priorities, needs and treatment approaches.”
“It’s important to us that youth across Canada have the best opportunities to thrive and reach their fullest potential,” says Mark Beckles, Vice-President, Social Impact and Innovation, RBC. “Through our partnership with Brain Canada, we’re focused on increasing and accelerating access to services for youth who are facing mental health concerns, while facilitating digital solutions for practitioners and researchers.”
“At Power Corporation we recognize how critical it is to strengthen access to mental health services and supports for young Canadians and their families, wherever they live. We are proud to be able to support the Canadian Youth Mental Health Insight (CYMHI) Platform. This advanced digital platform and pan-Canadian partnership between researchers and practitioners promises to fill gaps in support and ultimately enhance the quality of youth mental health care in every region of the country,” says Paul Genest, Senior Vice President, Power Corporation of Canada.
This project was awarded funding through the 2021 open call for applications to the Brain Canada Youth Mental Health Platform, powered by RBC Future Launch, with generous support from Power Corporation of Canada.
Funding for the Brain Canada Youth Mental Health Platform has been made possible by the Canada Brain Research Fund (CBRF), an innovative arrangement between the Government of Canada (through Health Canada) and Brain Canada Foundation.
From Making Mistakes to Making It Big: The Pitch Queen Unveils Imperfect Journey to the Top
Brooklyn, NY, Oct. 5, 2022 — Precious Williams is a self-described “full-figured diva from St. Louis” who admits she made every mistake in the book before making it big as a bestselling author and CEO of Perfect Pitches By Precious. Today, she shares the power of creating the perfect pitch with audiences that number in the thousands, but she climbed a higher mountain than most people realize to get there.
“You can make every mistake in the world. You can fail a lot of times and still wind up on top because persistence beats resistance,” Williams said in a recent interview. “There’s no way I should be where I am today.”
As recently as 2018, Williams was living in a women’s center in New York City, battling depression and addiction. She shares her profound transformation — and her empowering philosophy — in her latest book, The Pitch Queen: A Woman’s Journey From Poverty To Purpose & Profits. In it, she paves the way for others who are struggling by proving there is power in embracing one’s authentic self — flaws and all.
“My journey has been about showing others how to give birth to their next beautiful now, right now,” Williams said. “I want you to take the things that people say are your flaws and make them your secret weapons.”
In ThePitch Queen, Williams takes readers inside the biggest challenges of her life, revealing that she once dated a former drug kingpin, battled with her sexuality, lost her mind, got evicted twice and was kicked out of law school. She refused to give up, and she rebuilt her business empire with the very bricks that once blocked her path.
Key takeaways from ThePitch Queen include:
-The importance of resilience and how to overcome adversity
- How to develop a winning mindset
-The power of focus and consistency
- How to take control of your life and create the future you want
“The Pitch Queen is more than just a story; it’s a call to action,” Williams said. “It's time for you to take control of your life and create the future you want.”
About the Author
Precious L. Williams is a 13-time national elevator pitch champion. She has also been featured on Shark Tank, CNN, Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Black Enterprise, Essence and the movie LEAP. Her current clients include Microsoft, LinkedIn, Google, NBCUniversal, Federal Reserve Bank, Intuit QuickBooks, Yelp, Harvard University and more. Williams is an international professional speaker, corporate trainer and bestselling author. Her other books include Pitching for Profit and Bad Bitches and Power Pitches.
The Happy Clam Treads New Waters in Search of Harmonious Life
Boston, October 5, 2022 — Like clams finding nourishment from filter feeding, Rosemary Schmidt derives strength from taking in the bits and bytes of information swirling all around her and weaving it into a cohesive mosaic. Putting thoughts and ideas into a logical sequence that tells a story helps her make sense of a sometimes senseless world.
“It’s as satisfying as kneading and shaping a bread dough,” she writes in the introduction to her latest book, The Happy Clam. “It’s both an itch and a need. What’s inside needs to be put in order.”
The Happy Clam is a direct reflection of how Schmidt approaches life — by using the parts and pieces to form a cohesive whole. And it’s in that wholeness where harmony is possible, Schmidt posits.
Weaving research from the fields of sociology, psychology and neurology with deeply personal, relatable anecdotes, Schmidt contemplates what brings people joy, how change happens and what makes people tick.
The first half of the book lays the groundwork, ruminating on the benefits of being happier and why it is a worthwhile goal, and the myriad subtle but deliberate changes people can make to move the needle a tick or two.
The second half pivots to a more narrative style, as Schmidt shares stories related to her time as a supervisor, the sudden loss of her sister, and her mother’s gradual decline and eventual passing. In its final chapters, the book takes a more philosophical and theological turn, getting at the heart of human relationships and how to make change happen.
“Without telling you what to do, The Happy Clam offers a roadmap and allows you to chart your own course,” Schmidt adds. “It will make you think and leave you smiling.”
About the Author
Rosemary A. Schmidt is a Boston-area author, blogger and geologist. She published her first book, Go Forward, Support! The Rugby of Life, in 2003, which explores life lessons drawn from the sport of rugby.
Schmidt holds a Bachelor of Science degree in geology from the University of Dayton and a Master of Science in geology from the University of Illinois. She works as a professional geologist. Originally from the Chicago area, Schmidt now resides near Boston with her spouse, Susan.
Visit her blog at www.happyclam.net, or follow her on Twitter at @GainlineRS.
The Happy Clam
Publisher: Gainline Press
ISBN-10: 0970852827
ISBN-13: 978-0970852823
Available from Amazon.com, BN.com, and many other online sellers and independent bookstores
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What Does Your Daddy Do? Shows Kids the Cool Side of the Trades
Boston, October 5, 2022 — Career training opportunities and certifications offered in high school may not come soon enough for some students, posits Joshua Page, an electrician and author of the engaging new children’s book, What Does Your Daddy Do?
“For about the last five or six years, I was being asked to go to career days at high schools and speak about becoming an electrician,” Page said in a recent interview. “But I didn’t think I was making a big enough impact. I thought those kids were a little too old; they had already made up their minds; maybe they’re going to college.”
A children’s book seemed like the ideal way to reach an elementary school-aged audience.
What Does Your Daddy Do? introduces young readers to Ashton, whose fifth grade class is having career week. Ashton isn’t sure exactly what his dad does, so he goes home and asks him. Ashton then gets to learn about all the cool work his dad does as an electrician and all the interesting tools he gets to use. As career week continues, all the students get to share stories about what their parents do.
“I wrote this book to plant a seed in a younger generation’s mind about how ‘cool’ the trades are and to start the conversation young,” Page added.
About the Author
Joshua Page is a husband, father, electrician, entrepreneur and TEDx Speaker. With the release of his first book, What Does Your Daddy Do?, Page has also added “author” to his many titles.
An electrician by trade, Page is passionate about informing the younger generation of all the career options they have in addition to college. Page believes that choosing a trade and working with his hands saved his life and allowed him to have the life he loves. As a father of two, his mission is to teach his children and their generation about how fulfilling a career in the trades can be and to encourage them to follow their own path in life.
New York, NY, October 5, 2022 — Social media, cell phone cameras and video conferencing apps like Zoom and Teams drove a significant uptick in facial plastic surgeries over the past couple of years. Now, the trend is pivoting back to the body, says top New York City plastic surgeon Dr. Richard Westreich.
“Body contouring is surging and in demand,” said Dr. Westreich. “Now that we're getting a level of normalcy, the boom from Zoom is switching back to focusing on the body.”
Also on trend? Bundling more than one procedure in one surgical appointment — liposuction and rhinoplasty, for example. This approach can save money and time for cosmetic surgery patients.
Whatever procedure a person is considering, due diligence is the best defense against potential post-op problems, Dr. Westreich cautioned.
“My best advice to people is to go back to the mindset before the Zoom boom,” he said, explaining that virtual consults have streamlined the process and tightened the timeline between concept and completion. “Don’t rush into something just because it’s easy or convenient.”
Popular procedures include breast augmentation, liposuction, rhinoplasty, eyelid surgery and facelifts. Less invasive procedures like Botox injections are skyrocketing.
If you’re considering any cosmetic procedure, these safety tips from Dr. Westreich can improve your chances of a better outcome:
Tip 1: Make sure any doctor you schedule through a virtual visit allows you to cancel AFTER an in-person meeting for surgery. There is no substitute for face to face.
Tip 2: Your health doesn’t belong in the bargain bin.
Tip 3: Medical tourism can be dangerous. Laws may differ; regulations may differ; problems with after care may arise.
Tip 4: Understand informed consent. Ask for examples of not only the good outcomes but also the potential bad ones. Ask for data specific to the procedure and the doctor performing it (complication rates, death rates).
Tip 5: Surgery belongs in accredited operating rooms. Ask to see accreditation certificate (AAA, AAAA, JCAHO).
Tip 6: Make sure the board certification of a doctor makes sense for the procedure they are performing.
Tip 7: If significant issues arise after a procedure (surgery or office injection), seek a second opinion on management.
More on Dr. Richard Westreich
Dr. Richard Westreich graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. in Biological Basis of Behavior, Neuroscience concentration in 1995 from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his medical school training at the New York University School of Medicine in 1999 with an M.D. and Honors in Cell Biology Research. Dr. Westreich then did his post-graduate training in Facial Plastic Surgery and Otolaryngology at the prestigious Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.
He has been selected multiple times by Castle Connolly and New York magazine as one of the top doctors in facial plastic surgery. He is an assistant professor at SUNY Downstate Medical Center and is on staff at Lenox Hill and Mount Sinai Hospitals. He is a faculty member and teacher at a fellowship in Facial Plastic Surgery at Mount Sinai. His private practice is located on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, where he specializes in rhinoplasty, septoplasty, secondary and reconstructive rhinoplasty, facelifts, eyelid surgery and nonsurgical procedures.
He can be seen regularly on several national news programs, including ABC, CBS, FOX and Newsmax.
Dr. Westreich is also an accomplished artist and musician. His band, Big Rich Energy, is currently touring, making limited stops across New York City. For more information on his band: https://bigrichenergy.com/.
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