During a recent rehearsal for an upcoming international webinar on Disability Advocacy Leadership, the following spontaneous conversation took place. While the US Supreme Court’s decision to strip women of the right to an abortion is not a topic on the agenda for the webinar, the issue was raised by the panelist from India, who pointed out the potential international ramifications of the court’s decision. This led to a deeper discussion about the potential impact of this decision on the rights of People with Disabilities within the United States. Did the court even consider this as they made their ruling? People in the United States now have to advocate for at least one amendment, possibly more, to effect positive change that will protect and preserve the “Land of the Free”…
While this topic is not on the agenda for the upcoming international Disability Advocacy Leadership Webinar, the video above gives a glimpse of how the panelists interact. To see, hear, and learn more, please join us next Thursday, July 7th, at 10am Eastern US time!
“Hope is not passive; hope is taking action. And hope always comes from the people”
As a result of the rise of violence from the war in Ukraine to mass shootings in schools, grocery stores, and public places across the United States, and natural disasters across the globe Episode 3 of World Disability Matters is a spontaneous conversation about how trauma from violence creates people with disabilities and adds new complexities to the lives of people with pre-existing disabilities…
On Episode 4 of World Disability Matters, my co-host & name brother from South Africa, Rotarian Jeremy Opperman, is in the hotseat talking candidly about his life adapting to vision loss and becoming an advocate for all People with Disabilities…
You can learn more about Jeremy’s Consulting & Advocacy work through his organization, Disability Desk at his website www.disabilitydesk.co.za
On Episode 5 of World Disability Matters, we speak with Rotarian Jackie Njeru from Kenya. Jackie took on the mantle of Disability Rights Advocate when she learned to speak up for her son’s needs as he lost his hearing at age 2…
Please join Jeremy Opperman and I on July 7th at 10 am for an International Webinar about Advocacy from a global Disability and Human Rights Lens, hosted by the Rotary Disability Advisors Group. My name brother and Co-Host will serve as moderator, while I have the honor of being the unofficial representative from the United States on the panel. My fellow panelists are Luis Mauch, Accessibility Advocate, Co-founder of Mais Diferenças e Ktalise Tecnologias, Brazil; Jackie Njeru, Deaf Rights Advocate, President-Elect Rotary Club of Mililani, Kenya; Nilesh Singit, Disability Rights Advocate, Consultant, and Researcher, India; & Dr. Jacqueline Wilson, Medical Advocate CEO, Overseas Medical Treatment Office, Egypt!
Watch for upcoming introductory podcasts with Luis, Jacqueline, and Nilesh, and be sure to join over zoom for the Disability Advocacy Leadership Webinar on July 7th!
Join Zoom Meeting on July 7th at 10am Eastern Time:
Yesterday, with the support of my client, Advocates Personal Care, we launched the new Disabilities & Conditions of Aging Network! A zoom-based network focused on improving the lives of People with Disabilities &/or Conditions of Aging in central Indiana and beyond, through improved consistent communication, coordination, and celebration amongst those who support these communities. Here is the recording of our first meeting.
Our next meeting will be held over zoom on Thursday, July 28th, at 9:30am and can be accessed with this link:
Today I had the honor to be the guest speaker at the May 2022 meeting of the Diversity Roundtable of Central Indiana. The topic was Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion from a Disability Lens which expands on the revelation that disabilities, which are tremendously diverse in and of themselves, do not discriminate. Disabilities cross all demographics…cultural, racial, economic, etc. People with Disabilities, when viewed as a global culture, share a history of suspicion, oppression, and injustice dating back to before we began to measure time, and makes up the largest minority in the world.
The description of the event can still be found here:
The following is just a short synopsis of the high points:
In the United States, People with Disabilities make up a quarter of the population and growing, as the overall population is aging and acquiring more disabilities every day. Globally People with Disabilities are growing at an exponential rate as people suffer physical, mental, and emotional trauma from violent events like natural disasters, school shootings, war, and so on. In Ukraine, People with Disabilities are acquiring additional disabilities while new People with Disabilities are also created around them from Russia’s violence. People with disabilities are being left behind on the evacuation trails.
If we focus on building a world that is inclusive of People with Disabilities, we foster opportunities for connection amongst a naturally diverse population. We create environments where People with Disabilities are able to adapt to their medical challenges through the use of assistive technology and reasonable accommodations and are not disabled by a society that isn’t designed for them. If we foster inclusive communities then we promote equity by ensuring that people with disabilities are not only welcome at the table but are in an equitable position to lead the table.
Due to a technical difficulty, we were only able to capture about 25 minutes of the presentation on video. Unfortunately, this did not include the portion of the presentation that covered my origin and journey as a Person with a Disability. We did send out the presentation in PDF form afterwards, but this does not include the videos that I built into the presentation to demonstrate both how my legs work and what can be achieved when you stop saying “I can’t” or listening to the people who say, “you can’t” and start asking “how can I…”? So, I’ve posted them here:
To see the final 25 minute segment of todays presentation, which includes some valuable information and resources, watch this video:
The next episode of the Podcast Word Disability Matters is now available. The podcast, which is offered by the Rotary Disability Advisers Group, is hosted by Rotarians Jeremy Opperman, South Africa and me, Jeremy Warriner, USA. This episode features an interview with District Governor Elect, D 7190 Denise DiNoto. She was the first wheelchair using student to complete the Rotary Youth Exchanged program when she was in Australia. She discusses accessibility and inclusion for People with Disabilities. She also believes that Rotary should only award grants to programs that include accessibility and inclusion. Please listen to the full episode here… https://www.buzzsprout.com/1977572/10584924
I’m thrilled to be both the first guest and co-host for the new podcast, World Disability Matters! This is a project associated with the Rotary Disability Advisors Group, an international group of diverse people committed to improving access and growing equity for people with disabilities at an international level. It’s an honor to work on this podcast with my “name brother” Jeremy Opperman from South Africa, and Ken Masson from Columbia (previously of Massachusetts), fellow Rotarians and members of the Rotary Club of World Disability Advocates. I’m proud to share our first episode with you. Please listen to the podcast here:
I’m thrilled to have an article published on the Indiana Disability Justice Website! Did you know that people with disabilities and conditions of aging are among the most vulnerable populations to both domestic and sexual violence? Please click the link below to read my article about how Supported Independence for people with Disabilities and Conditions of Aging can help prevent domestic violence…
As I mentioned in my last blog post, Walking Spirit has begun working with a new client, Advocates Home Health Care. Part of the joy of providing Outreach Consulting and Support services is the thrill that comes from working with organizations whose mission aligns with Walking Spirit’s! Advocates mission is to improve the quality of life of their clients by providing high-quality services, understanding, and respect for their wishes and personalities, helping them to remain in the comfort of their own home. Supporting the independence of people with disabilities, which includes conditions of aging, is an integral part of Walking Spirit’s mission.
Advocates Home Health Care and Advocates Personal Care are providing a wide range of services under both Skilled Care and Personal Care. They are a small multi-cultural team including nurses, physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, aides, and caregivers. While Skilled Care focuses on in home services provided by licensed medical professionals with an intent to treat or manage an illness, injury, or medical condition, Personal Care is supportive care that does not involve medical skill and is therefore provided by “non-skilled” Caregivers. Caregivers from Advocates Personal Care provide valuable services including social interaction, help with household chores, and assistance with “activities of daily living”. Advocates Home Health Care works with most insurance providers, private pay consumers, and Medicare & Medicaid. Advocates Personal Care is able to employ family, friends, and community members as Caregivers and is actively hiring.
Some examples of the types of services provided by Caregivers are meal planning & preparation, laundry & light housekeeping, limited shopping & errands, transportation, mobility assistance, help with dressing & hygiene, medication & appointment reminders, etc. When I read that list, I immediately think of my grandpa and all the years that my mom spent providing that level of care for him. First in his own home, as his conditions of aging began to limit his independence, and even after he moved into an assisted living facility; mom provided a lot of the personal support that went above and beyond what his assisted living facility would do.
In order to provide this level of support, mom had to adjust her work schedule, including reducing her paid work hours as needed. She did this out of love because it was the right thing to do to support her dad. How many families are in this kind of situation? How many people wind up in nursing homes because their family can’t take the time off work to provide the support they need to remain as independent as possible?
I also think about my dad who spent time providing companionship, safety, and support to a friend with ALS. As ALS gradually took David’s physical independence from him, my dad and several other members of their community volunteered their time to be present for him during the hours that his wife was at work. This gave David the safety and security of having someone present should he need something that he couldn’t address on his own and empowered him to remain in his own home while his wife was working. It also provided him with one of the most vital aspects of the human condition, social interaction and companionship, while also providing respite for his wife.
My family was lucky, my sister and I were adults before my grandpa’s conditions of aging reached a point where he needed our mom to drive him to medical appointments and support his independence with household chores, organization, and other activities of daily living that were difficult, or even potentially dangerous for him. My mom was in a position to manage her work schedule and take time off as needed and the loss of income was something that my parents could sacrifice without impacting their cost of living. Other families are not necessarily in a position to make that adjustment as easily, and many give up without even exploring their options.
David and his wife had a community of people who loved him and were happy to support them in any way possible to empower David’s ability to independently enjoy his quality of life even as ALS gradually and aggressively restricted his control over his own body. It didn’t hurt that he was a pleasure to be around, with a sharp sense of humor and generosity with his scotch! Other people who experience debilitating disabilities are not as lucky to have the communal support system that David had. Many of these people wind up in short staffed and over-crowded nursing homes or trapped in their own home with minimal social support. The lack of social support can frequently be more disabling than the disability itself.
Advocates Home Health Care has specifically retained Walking Spirit’s Outreach and Support services to find people who are already eligible for services under the Medicaid Waiver, or who might be but have not explored their options. (Many people are not aware of the services provided under the Medicaid Waiver, and there are many misconceptions about Medicaid, the Medicaid Waiver, and what is required for eligibility). As an approved Medicaid Waiver services provider, Advocates Personal Care is able to employ family members and members of the community as “non-skilled” Caregivers. This provides an opportunity for people to get paid for work that they may already be doing for their loved ones, while also providing some relief to those who suffer or fear a financial loss for doing the right thing.
By becoming a Caregiver with Advocates Personal Care, people who are providing personal care to family and community members can get paid $12 an hour for work they are already doing. Under this program, consumers can have multiple paid Caregivers for up to 40 hours of care per week. The benefit to the consumer is that Advocates Home Health Care provides oversight to ensure that they are receiving the services and care that they need. Advocates Home Health Care is also a valuable resource in the event that a consumer needs Skilled Care to maintain their independence in the home.
Advocates can help connect families who qualify for Medicaid with the resources to apply for the Medicaid Waiver. If you’re unsure if you qualify for Medicaid or the Medicaid Waiver, Advocates can help you answer those questions. In addition, if someone is hired by Advocates Personal Care as a Caregiver and would like to learn the skills required to work for Advocates Skilled Care as a licensed Home Health Aide or a Home Care Assistant, which earns higher pay, Advocates can provide that training.
Advocates Home Health Care was founded by Inna Pecar and Steve Pecar after they experienced great difficulty finding appropriate care for Inna’s father, who experienced dementia in addition to other health conditions. Their story is both beautiful and inspiring and it is an honor to be working with them! If you or a loved one needs help maintaining health and independence in the home, Advocates Home Health Care is the company to choose, as they grew out of that very need. The founders know what it’s like to face that struggle and what questions need to be asked to secure appropriate care while preserving the dignity and independence of the consumer. Please watch the short video below to hear Inna tell Advocates Home Health Care’s story in her own words.
Feel free to ask questions in the comment section; I will try to respond to comments within 48 hours. If you would like to learn more about the supported independence, home health care, and employment opportunities provided by Advocates Home Health Care, please email me at [email protected] or you can call Advocates directly at (317)580-0700.
Did you know that there is an International Day for People with Disabilities? I didn’t. Not until this year, though I have been a part of the community of people with disabilities for over 16 years now. Yet, the annual observance of the day was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1992…just two years after the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law. The purpose of the day is to promote the rights and well-being of people with disabilities in all spheres of developing society and to increase awareness of the situations of people with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic, and cultural life. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s theme for this year’s day is “Building Back Better: Toward a Disability-Inclusive, Accessible and Sustainable Post-COVID-19 World”.
My awareness of the international community of people with disabilities began to awaken this past year, during the pandemic, when I responded to a request on LinkedIn from a Rotary Club that was putting together a committee of people with disabilities to help them be more welcoming and inclusive as an organization. The response was overwhelming, and soon an international discussion about disabilities began to take place on weekly zoom meetings. At a global level we are experiencing the impact of the pandemic on the human rights of people with disabilities, especially in regard to inclusion and accessibility.
Through this, I have begun to see the community of people with disabilities in a different light. When I lost my legs in a vehicle fire, I became an amputee and a burn survivor. Sixteen years ago, I found myself embraced first by the burn survivor community, then, in time, through advocacy efforts I became connected with the amputee community. For years I viewed disabilities as their own separate groups of people with their own unique challenges. As it is with individuals living in a shared household, there absolutely is that aspect, but we are also part of a larger family of diverse disabilities.
Through my experiences over the past year, I have begun to recognize that every person with a disability, whether they are born with disabilities or acquire them through the trauma of life and aging, are part of a global culture that has a shared history dating back to before we began to measure time. Though that shared history is one largely of oppression and ostracization, civil rights movements and progressive legislation in many countries has opened the door to the beginnings of an inclusive world where people with disabilities are represented in leadership. That said, there are still cultures where a disability is seen as the result of some supernatural curse or punishment from God for some misperceived sin in this life or a previous one. There is still a lot of work to do, at home and abroad.
Disabilities are part of the human condition and where once upon a time they were used to separate us, I believe we are now moving into a time where growing understanding and inclusion will show how our various disabilities and our individual approach to addressing them can truly unify us. It has been an honor to be a part of the Rotary Disability Advisory Group and to connect with other people with disabilities around the world. As we began the international discussion about disability awareness and inclusion, we became aware of how important the ongoing conversation is. In record time, the group developed the first virtual international Rotary Club of World Disability Advocates, of which I am proud to be one of the Charter Members. Disability Rights are truly a matter of Human Rights, and that’s the mission of this international club.
It is through this organization that I learned of the International Day of People with Disability, which was last Friday. It was my intent to publish this post last week, on the actual day, but Covid intervened, and instead I found myself sitting in a car outside the hospital while my beloved wife was receiving a monoclonal antibody infusion to help her fight off the infection and prevent more severe symptoms than what she was already experiencing. I even brought my laptop so I could work on this post while I waited, but the battery decided that I wouldn’t get any work done that afternoon. I couldn’t go in because I was still in my own quarantine and recovering from my own Covid case, which presented on the day before Thanksgiving, leading to a complete change in holiday plans for four different households. Irena, my stepson Cameron, and I enjoyed a 23lb turkey originally meant to serve up to16 people! (By the way, we both received our second dose of the Pfizer vaccine in mid-April but had not had an opportunity to get our boosters yet, so these are breakthrough cases. My stepson, who has quarantined with us, received his original vaccine doses later in the year and the efficacy of his vaccine seems to remain strong, as he has not contracted the virus).
Over the weekend we were focused on our mutual recovery, rather than work, and I didn’t have a chance to write about the International Day of People with Disability earlier this week because, I’m proud to announce that Walking Spirit has taken on a new client! I have been retained by Advocate’s Home Health Care, an approved Medicaid Waiver service provider, to provide outreach services on their behalf. They have specifically asked me to find people who are currently providing volunteer non-skilled care to family or community members whom either are currently or may be eligible for services under the Medicaid Waiver. If the person they are providing care for is eligible, then Advocate’s Home Health Care is able to pay their care provider, or providers, $12 an hour for up to 40 hours a week. They are also able to provide training to non-skilled care providers if they are interested in becoming a skilled Home Health Aide, which can earn higher pay. If you know anyone who has decided to sacrifice work hours to provide care for a family member or friend experiencing a disability or conditions of aging, please send them my way, as we may be able to help.
Learning more about Medicaid, the Medicaid Waiver, and researching the best organizations to reach out to for Advocate’s has been the focus of my time this week. As a result, I thought the opportune time for the post about the International Day of People with Disability had passed. It was a subject that I would revisit in a year, and that just didn’t sit right with me. Then, late last night, through the Rotary Club, I received a link to a YouTube video that made this post all the more relevant. Because of the delay in writing this post, I’m thrilled to share with you one of the events that occurred last week in honor of the International Day of People with Disability!
Please enjoy this inclusive dance presentation, which includes an associate of the Rotary Club of World Disability Advocates, from Uganda…
This year, Survival Day began at 1:45am when a searing phantom pain disrupted my precious sleep. Awareness dawned before physical reaction and I was able to clamp down on the rising scream before it erupted into the night. Irena still slept beside me. I propped myself up on an elbow, wondering if that was just a single pain, or the beginning of an onslaught.
Within seconds a follow up pain, more intense than the first, burned through the space where my lower left leg should be. I buried my face in my pillow hoping to muffle the moan that was escaping my clenched jaw. When it passed, I took off my cpap nasal mask and gulped down some water and two Percocets before the next pain hit. This would be an onslaught.
Irena is always aware when I suffer through a night like this, but I still try my best not to wake her. An onslaught of phantom pains will be random and intense, and tends to stretch out over a long period of time. If it was just one or two minor pains I would stay in bed and try to find what ever nerve is causing the attack to massage it away…sometimes that works…but when it’s going to be bad I need to leave the room and give my wife a chance to sleep through what remains of the night. The next wave of phantoms began their assault as I reached for my robe (Jedi…bathrobe).
Unseen flames licked at my phantom feet as I pulled my robe around me. The Force was not dispelling this phantom menace; in fact, it was paralyzing. I collapsed on the end of the bed, breathing heavily, unable to form a coherent thought much less transfer safely and quietly to my wheelchair. Fifteen minutes of continuous phantom burning later, my breathing had intensified enough to rouse Irena from her sleep. She placed a gentle hand on my back and asked if I had taken the Percocet, as she knows I resist turning to the narcotics as much as possible in an effort to avoid addiction.
“I’ve already taken all I can.” I reply through clenched teeth. Moments later, the pain subsides enough that I can transfer to my chair and leave the room. I tell Irena that I love her, and to try to get back to sleep, as I leave. I go to the garage and watch the nocturnal activity of our quiet street from the open garage door, mindful of our neighbors as I still try to control the urge to release the pain in the loudest screams possible. This is not how I wanted to begin my Survival Day.
It has become a holiday for me, like a birthday of sorts, as it is the anniversary of the day that I didn’t die. That’s actually minimizing all of the days following the car accident that I also didn’t die; the weeks spent in a medically induced coma until my body was strong enough, and my injuries healed enough, for me to begin to return to the world of the living. But October 22nd, 2005 was the date of the event that started me down this path. In the early days this was a day that loomed over me while I fell into depression and aggravation as the date drew closer, but in time it became a day that I look forward to. A day of introspection, a day of reflection, and a day of survival.
Looking back on this past year, that survival has become all the more precious. There has been a great deal of loss this past year. We have lost family, friends, family of friends, members of our congregation and community, and even a beloved pet whose presence somehow made dealing with all of the other losses more bearable. Covid stole my friend Scott from us right after I had to put my 21 year old cat to sleep; the first pet who came to live with me after I lost my legs. Hobbs’ absence somehow made the loss of Scott Isenhart all the more unbearable. Something I am still struggling with.
This past year has also been a year of discovery for me. Through both my outreach consulting work for a local non-profit, and my step-son’s high school athletic career I rediscovered skills that I had long since thought lost or inaccessible to me due to my disability. (People often ask how long it takes to adapt to acquiring a physical disability. Well, as of today we’re sixteen years down the road and my family and I are still learning new things. I say “we” because my family acquired my disability right along with me). In the course of my outreach consulting work I connected with a virtual exercise club whose workouts reminded me of the types of warm up exercises we did when I was a teenage kid taking Karate lessons.
I earned my first black belt in Shorei Goju-Ryu when I was sixteen years old; I earned my second black belt before I graduated from high school. At the age of 46, there aren’t many left in my life who were present to witness those achievements. When I lost my legs due to burns sustained in a car accident caused by a teenage driver, I felt like all of the time and effort that I put into those two black belts was a waste of my youth. As I began learning to use prosthetics during that first year after the accident though, I realized how much I was actually drawing on the body awareness that I had developed through the effort earning those two black belts to now adapt to walking with artificial legs. The time spent in my youth was still useful, vital, in fact, to my adaptation but I was certain I would never again practice Shorei Goju-Ryu.
Through connecting with that virtual exercise club I wound up helping one of their members, a young woman with Downs Syndrome who lives in Georgia, to complete her senior project on martial arts. For the authenticity of her video project I ordered a new Gi (karate uniform) and belt that fit around my body…a body that seems to have expanded considerably since I was 18. I drew some of the young man I once was back into present day to demonstrate punches and count in Okinawan, but truly performing the martial art was still a thing of the past.
Around the time that I completed my virtual work with the high school senior in Georgia, my youngest step-son, Cade, qualified for the National High School Track Meet in Pole Vaulting. Not only did this create an opportunity for Cade to have a rare end cap achievement for his senior year of high school, but it also, quite literally, flung him off the top of a pole into his college career at UIndy! Regardless of my disabilities…and I have acquired more than just one as a result of that car accident 16 years ago…Irena and I were not going to miss the opportunity to watch our son compete at Nationals, which was held in Eugene, Oregon. So, with barely three weeks notice, we had to figure out how to get me, and all of the equipment that has to travel with me because of my amputations, and sleep apnea, etc, across country on short notice without going broke.
The answer, of course, was to face another one of those activities that I had long ago told myself I would never be able to really enjoy again because of my disability. Camping. In this case, driving across country, pitching a tent on the ground each night, sleeping in a sleeping bag on an air mattress, cooking over an open fire, camping.
It was absolutely wonderful! At Theodore Roosevelt National Park we fell asleep with a clear sky full of shooting stars over our heads, and woke up with buffalo eating their breakfast in a field less than 50 yards from us. We discovered that I can still camp, and that with the right equipment (for example, the off-road wheels that accessABILITY recently purchased on my behalf…I would have been far more mobile if I’d had those on the trip) it will be even easier.
We also discovered that you can buy a set of hand controls that you can temporarily install yourself into most vehicles, for less than $160 on Amazon. You need to know how to use them, of course, but they are very secure, functional, and can be installed or removed in under ten minutes. Sixteen years ago, when I was trying to return to my old career managing the operations at the Walden Inn and Conference Center on DePauw University’s campus, I went through Indiana Vocational Rehabilitation Services to have a set of hand controls permanently installed in my Honda Civic (new at the time), so that I could drive to and from work independently. It took a year and a half from the time I made the appointment to the day that the hand controls were installed. Indiana paid a little over $1000 for the hand controls and professional installation. It cost us $150 and took one day of shipping to add hand controls to Irena’s Santa Fe.
The year of discovery didn’t stop there. Shortly after we returned from our travels I received a message from the Sensei (Teacher) who worked with me the most when I was learning Karate. His schedule had opened up and he was ready to re-start my training in Shorei Goju-Ryu if I was still interested. (I had reached out to him over the summer before I had agreed to work with the young woman from Georgia on my own, but he had not been available). Rather than approaching it as if I were a new student, for the last month we have been working to modify the martial art to my “new” physical form. So, tomorrow, the day after my 16th Survival Day, I will have my third Karate lesson in almost 30 years!
This is new territory for my Sensei and I. We’re certain that I cannot be the first bi-lateral amputee to attempt this, but I’ve checked with the manufacturer of my Power Knees, Ossur, and their representative said that he is unaware of any Power Knee users who are actually utilizing them in martial arts. We’ve decided to approach my training by focusing on Kata (form) first. First walking the pattern of the Kata without worrying about strikes, kicks, or even stances (some of the mechanics of which are simply not possible with my prostetic legs), and then rolling through the pattern in the wheelchair. As the patterns unlocked memories covered with 30 years of cerebral dust, we gradually began adding in the strikes and approaching the stances as closely as my legs would allow.
After our first session I immediately called my Prosthetist because I had over rotated my right “ankle” and the foot was not snapping back into proper position without manual manipulation. After a diagnostic visit he determined that both “ankles” (each 7 years old) were worn out. New “ankles” have been ordered, but the old ones still provide enough stability for me to practice. Please watch the videos below to see both of our current modifications of Pinan Shodan, the first Kata in the Shorei Goju-Ryu style of Karate.
Tomorrow we will begin modifying Pinan Nidan. I wonder what new discoveries will unfold in my seventeenth year as a double amputee and burn survivor?
Feel free to ask questions, and please let me know your thoughts in the comments section. I will try to respond to comments at least once a week. If you wish to contact me directly, or would like to learn more about me, I can be reached through walkingspirit.org. Please visit and share https://gofund.me/b689d4ee to support the family of my friend Scott Isenhart, who still need our help.
