Badge of Honor

The month of June is declared "Riley Month."  What is Riley you say?  Riley Children's Hospital is in Indianapolis, IN with nearly 1400 sick beds, the most of any hospital in the country.  The reason June is so very special is because there is a fundraiser called Joshua's Ride for Riley on June 24th raising funds, awareness and fun for Riley Urology who saved the life of Joshua.

This month you will hear stories from Riley kids (like myself), parents and supporters to generate excitement for the wonderful loving care Riley Children's Hospital provides to thousands families a year. Of course we will not forget our Dad's that help make the world go around on Father's Day and be prepared for a special treat celebrating a Riley Dad.  You will understand why being called a "Riley Kid" is a badge of honor.

My Riley Story

Personally having grown up with a congenital spinal birth defect, I spent quality time at Riley enduring over 40 surgeries some as an adult, as well.  The journey is a continuous one for me, perhaps looking another surgery in the eyes in the very near future.  I'm 37 so I grew up with Riley.  Riley was a small hospital back in 1981 when my family moved here from Ohio.  The Urology department was in a hallway with only a couple exam rooms.  Within that very small space, however, were exceptional health care providers leading the way medically as a State of the Art department.  The nurses, doctors, medical students, residents eased the minds of the frightened children and parents.  Their empathy and concern helped distract parents and children from some painful procedures and at times news of major surgeries which would be scheduled.

Urology Department

I remember the tile floor.  It had multiple colors and I jumped from one color to another without stepping on the lines.  In the hallway, they had books and magazines too.  My Mom would engage me in "Highlights" magazine to keep me from being afraid.  And another favorite was, "Ranger Rick."  It was a basic set up with brilliant doctors who changed my life.  After many procedures over the years, they made me continent, and in that, confident as well!  Many of the Urological surgeries are life saving procedures no one thinks about.  Entire urinary tract are reconstructed to save a childrens' kidneys and lives.  It's truly phenomenal!

Thank Your Riley Urology for Making me Continent!

Orthopedics and Neurosurgery

Wow, I spent so much time in the Orthopaedics department as well.  Sacral Agenesis (my congenital spinal anamolie) is multi-faceted, impacting the body holistically.  In order to walk I have had many corrective procedures for bilateral club feet to straighten my feet and ankle fusions (surgically fuse the ankles at 90 degrees) and muscle shortenings and lengthenings and more. What I loved was my Doctor and the Nurses.  This department was around the corner (in the 1980's) with a small waiting room and several examining rooms. My doctor was so gregarious and confident.  I idolized him really.  Before surgeries he used marker to draw the bones on my legs and "diagram" what he was going to do so I could visualize the procedure.  It helped me become a part of the process, as a child.

Out of the Gates to Walk! 

Hospital Stays

There were many long hospital stays over the years. Before the hospital expanded to different wings per illness, siblings were not allowed to visit for fear of spreading germs to the immunocompromised patients.  I went long times where I missed my twin brother and older sister.  However, the nurses were so wonderful on the floor.  When I was able to get out of my bed, I would sit at the nurses station and could call my Mom.  I was quite grown up!  Even when I used the call button for the nurse, I made my request using proper medical terminology and very politely.  They tirelessly cared for all of the children!  To this day I still can picture some special nurses I've had over the years and am so thankful they came into my life.  To lift everyone's spirits, I would wear a clown nose and plastic Spock ears when the nurses came into my room.  I did this even when I was tired and in pain.  It put a smile on all of our faces and broke the tension.  If you don't laugh you cry.  And laughter is a great release!

College Years And Beyond

As I went to college and tried to "forget" my surgeries and all that I had been going through, I was abruptly reminded.  Suddenly I was unable to walk with indescribable pain.  Ironically enough, I had never had a spinal surgery my entire life until I was 21.  This is where Orthopedics and Neurology worked together in many surgeries.  My spinal canal collapsed on the spinal cord compressing it so much that it was damaging the cord and my ability to walk and other organ functions.  After my first Laminectomy (remove bone from around the spinal cord giving the cord room to swell without injury) it was wonderful.  Immediate relief and regaining of strength.  I had about 5 of those and then 5 tether cord releases where my neurosurgeon surgically corrects an abnormality with the nerve roots.  This keeps me out of pain and walking as well. 

Thank You Riley for Taking Care of Me. It makes me Happy!

What Can You Do? 

All Riley Kids grow up quickly seeing life and death as a child.  It molded me into an empathetic, independent, happy individual who wants to pay it forward and help other children and families struggling.  Join me in honoring Joshua's fight to live in just 4 short years.  He's endured many long, arduous surgeries at the hands of Dr. Cain and Dr. Rink at Riley Children's Hospital in Urology. 

Remember to engage in activities which make you happy and share the heart beats during that activity with Riley Kids.  It's sharing compassion that gives families hope when they see the number increase, knowing that so many people have done something positive in their honor.  The weather is nice now, if you want to bike ride, walk your dog, play Frisbee, or read, do yoga, spend time laughing with friends, volunteer.  Make doing positive activities a part of your daily life and it will become a habit.  Share that happiness with Riley Kids who can view that as a giant get well card from the world.  Log your Happy HeartBeats at http://www.gtwyh.org/rileyurology/grouphome.asp.

To login, click on "Are you a member Login"
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Will you join me in generating excitement as Joshua's Ride For Riley approaches?  Spread the word.  You can log happy heartbeats wherever you are located by doing a  positive activity that day.  It will connect all of us.  Read Joshua's story at http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/keith-krimmel-1/keithkrimmelsfundraisingpage to donate to Riley Urology who saved Joshua's life and gave his family hope!  This is one of many, many stories of survival at Riley including mine.

Happiness Is In The Eye of The Beholder

Remember growing up and everyone would always ask, "So, what do you want to be when you grow up?"  And we all thought we knew too.  The great thing about that is, our imagination told us what we wanted to be.  Oh the places we could go in the recesses of our minds.  So natural and uninhibited.  A true story about a young boy many years ago. It goes like this:  "When I was five years old, my mother always told me that Happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I wrote down ' HAPPY ' . They told me I did not understand the assignment, and I told them they did not understand life." - John Lennon.  Interesting coming from an individual who went on to sing and teach the world harmony and how to be themselves.  He really lived what he wanted to be, happy.  Happiness it seems lies in the eyes of the beholder.  Teachers may think it has to be a profession, doctor, lawyer etc. but wouldn't it be nice to be happy too??  Now that's a dream worth dreaming.  Thank you John Lennon for your many gifts of words and songs and inspiration.

Me on my Adaptive Big Wheel Having Fun!

Let's look at our youth today and their happiness.  There are so many responsibilities and rushed events, often little time for the imagination to lead the way.  Remember lying on your back on the ground, looking up at the sky seeing actual objects in the clouds?  It was so real.  Remember holding hands and skipping down the side walk with your best friend and catching fire flies in the summer?  Oh the magic surrounding us.  It was just a dream land.  Let's step back to that time with our kids.  Think of adventures to take with your kids.  In the evening, play tag or freeze tag even.  Now there's a blast from the past. 

Mark Playing with our Nephew and Thier Prescious Dog Gabby!

One such company which encourages and teaches us ways to be children again and to help our children find joy in creative play is www.planetfassa.com.  It's not just for kids to be happy and learn through imagination and being creative.  It's for all of us. Let's all get involved.  Ask your children what makes them happy and write down their comments, to catalog as they grow.  Review it and ask them to explain or better yet, to show you.  Spend time in the evening unwinding by playing hide and seek, asking what they did during the day and what was their most favorite, start a game where every week someone new in the family hides a designated item and it has to be found and reassign the hider each week.  This can go on a life time.  Then when the children are grown, one of the kids will bring it and maybe leave the item under your pillow - oh the memories to be established.  Don't forget the bed time story and if your children are older come up with them as families.  Remember blowing bubbles and seeing who had the largest one and how long it would last before it popped?  Don't forget hopscotch on the drive way and other chalk art outside.  Play with your animals who may have been couped up all day while everyone's at school and work.  Play Frisbee or ball or keep away.  The moral of this story, do happy activities!  Belly laugh until your stomach hurts (what a wonderful feeling).  Have friends over to enjoy the fun and engage in their fun activities. 

Adults don't forget to  foster your inner child.  He/she is still there.  Think back on what made you happy.  Maybe your career revolves around that, if so, you are very lucky indeed!  Remember to tap into your own imagination whether it be journaling, talking to an old friend, getting together with friends and laughing the whole time, spending time with family, running, triathlons, walking your dog (your best friend), do puzzles to unwind, sudoku, sail, enjoy the night sky...do whatever it is that lets you escape for a little while and just puts a smile on your face.  Read about where my imagination took me as a child to spark your memories at http://www.planetfassa.com/blog/?p=4470 and remember even day dreaming is something which can make us happy.  I spend time remembering our trip to Santa Fe and the sunsets from mountain tops, all the colors and how close the sky felt.  I have always loved the sky. 

Stella Swimming enjoying A Hot Summer Day in The Pool!

Look at that Happy Dog Smile!!

Then make it part of your habit to share all that happiness to http://www.gtwyh.org/rileyurology/grouphome.asp. How great to teach the spirit of sharing and giving to your children.  What a wonderful thing to share - happiness.  It's catchy!  Watch our world become a better place because of YOU and your families and pets.  Let's show everyone Happiness improves our lives and those of others when we share it!

Take Time to Enjoy Each Other Outside!

Mark and Julie a Change of Scenery!  Adults Need Fun Too!

Next week, be prepared for a new type of adventure involving penguins to get our kids and families, active, happy and healthy.  Who wouldn't want to share that?

Happy HeartBeats Why and How?

So, What are Happy HeartBeats?

A means for you to experience and engage with life in a positive way.  It decreases anxiety, leaving YOU happier and healthier.  Increase your quality of life. It's simple and free!

Activities for Happy HeartBeats:
*  Walking
*  Play Board Games
*  Family Night
*  Watch Your Favorite Movie
*  Listen to Music
*  Meditate
*  Pray
*  Eat Healthy
*  Walking your dog, take care of a baby (any activities caring for others you double your Happy HeartBeats because you are responsible for someone else's happiness!)
*  Enjoy the night sky
*  Enjoy the sunrise with cup of coffee
*  Hold hands with someone you love
*  Kiss in the rain
*  Whatever activity makes YOU happy and feel positive

Enjoy those activities that make you feel like you are in another world.  Scientific data supports that over time your heart beat will regulate to a more consistent pulse, and you will naturally find yourself doing those activities with repetition, inherently enjoying the activites which may have once seemed forced.  Happiness starts with YOU!  Once you experience joy that makes your soul dance with excitement and delight you will want to share that with others in need.

How Does Happy HeartBeats Work?

Estimate how many times your heart beats per minute.  For simplicity sake, let's say that your heart beats 100x/min x 60 min ( of activity) = 6,000 Happy HeartBeats.  How exciting, you just did an hour of activity that benefits you directly.  Endorphins are released in your brain and you feel, well, happy!  Now click on http://www.gtwyh.org/rileyurology/grouphome.asp where you login in the upper right hand corner (where the red banner is) and it says, "Are you a member yet?"  and "Login." You do not enter any personal data at all.  Just enter the Username and Password.

Username:  on
Password:   tap

This gives you access to the Happy HeartBeats Counter for Riley Kids Urology.  Here is where your Happy HeartBeats from doing a positive activity can help someone else.  Enter the number you "earned" and deposit it into the "bank" of Happy HeartBeats for Riley Kids Urology.  This number indicates how many positive activities were completed to share happiness and well being with those who need it most - our kids. 

Why Riley Urology?

Riley Hospital for Children has a World Renowned Urology Department.  It is the single most efficiently and effectively run clinic at the hospital and is serving as a model for all other clinics hospital wide.  Show them how much EVERYONE cares by sharing your daily Happy HeartBeats. The clinic over flowing with compassionate care givers and immense medical expertise needs our help to save kids.  "They" say, you can tell a lot about a society by how they treat their children.  Let's go down in history as a society who cares deeply, from the heart, for our kids.  Connect emotionally through sharing your Happy HeartBeats to show the kids, families, and medical staff they are not forgotten. Share your love to uplift those facing major battles every minute.  Riley Urology changes and saves lives.  Let's hold their hands and help them continue to do what they do.

Remember it's simple go to http://www.gtwyh.org/rileyurology/grouphome.asp The Happy HeartBeats Counter ™ for Riley Kids Urology.  Log in at the top in the red banner where it says, "Are you a Member?" and  "Login."  Click Login.

Username:  on
Password:   tap

Start today and donate 10000 Happy HeartBeats each day to empower those who need you! You make the difference.

What if I want to do more in conjuction with my Happy HeartBeats?

To continue building State of the Art treatments in Pediatric Urology including Oncology donate now at http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/HappyJulieHemker/juliehemkersfundraisingpage.  With a compassionate heart filled, giving of any level helps Riley Urology obtain goals to increase their scope of treatments and expand research to develop new life saving procedures. 

So many lives have been changed and saved because of Riley Urology including my own life.  Riley Urology needs the emotional support from all of us and financial support to continue to soar as the Best!!