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How Bubbles Help Kids with Cleft Conditions
For thousands of children born with cleft conditions, Operation Smile provides simple, playful tools—like bubbles—to strengthen the skills they need to speak and thrive.
While a bottle of bubbles might seem out of place in a hospital setting, you might be surprised to learn that, for thousands of children around the world born with cleft lip and palate, they can be a helpful tool in comprehensive cleft care. Lilia, who was born with cleft lip and palate in 2020, is one of the many patients who received this care.
As a toddler, Lilia underwent two surgeries to treat cleft lip and palate with Operation Smile’s surgical program in Puebla, Mexico. Because of Operation Smile’s comprehensive care, it wasn’t long before her personality transformed: Lilia went from a quiet and withdrawn toddler to an exuberant, curious explorer, babbling, expressing herself with a variety of sounds, and engaging with others like any child her age.
Lilia is now a healthy five-year-old, with the same cheerful attitude and boundless energy. Her progress is the result of care at every level, from surgery to speech therapy to ongoing support at home—but it’s also evidence that small, sustained interventions throughout it all can make a meaningful difference.
Lilia at age 1, before surgery, and at age 5, 4 years post-surgery Cleft Conditions: A Global Problem
Since 1982, Operation Smile has provided cleft lip and cleft palate surgeries to more than 500,000 patients worldwide with the help of generous volunteers and donors. Cleft conditions are congenital conditions, meaning they are present at birth. With cleft lip and palate, the lip or the roof of the mouth do not form fully during fetal development. Cleft conditions put children at risk for malnutrition and poor weight gain, since their facial structure can make feeding challenging. But cleft conditions can have an enormous social impact as well: Common difficulties with speech can leave kids socially isolated and unable to meet the same developmental milestones as their peers.
Surgery is a vital step in treating cleft conditions, but it’s also just one part of a much larger solution. Organizations like Operation Smile emphasize the importance of multi-disciplinary teams that provide comprehensive, long-term care to patients across many years. This approach, which includes oral care, speech therapy, nutritional support, and psychosocial care, not only aids in physical recovery from surgery but also helps children develop the skills and confidence to eat easily, speak clearly, and engage in everyday life. This ensures that each patient receives the full range of support they need to thrive.
Marie, 11 months, with her mother at Operation Smile Madagascar before her cleft surgery (Operation Smile Photos) A Playful (and Powerful) Solution
Throughout a patient’s care, simple tools like bubbles can play a meaningful role from start to finish.
Immediately before surgery, children are often in a new and unfamiliar environment far from home, some of them experiencing a hospital setting for the first time. When care providers or loved ones blow bubbles, it’s a simple yet effective technique: Not only are the children soothed and distracted, the bubbles also help create a sense of joy and playfulness that eases their anxiety.
Milagros Rojas, a volunteer speech therapist in Peru, using bubbles in a screening with a patient. (Operation Smile Photos) In speech therapy, bubbles can take on an even more important role. Blowing bubbles requires controlled airflow, as well as the ability to form a rounded “O” shape with the lips, which are skills that children with cleft conditions may struggle to develop. Practicing these skills with bubbles allows children to gently strengthen their facial muscles, improve breath control, and support the motor skills needed for speech development. Beyond that, blowing bubbles can help kids connect with their parents or providers in a way that’s playful, comforting, and accessible even for very young patients.
Finally, bubbles often follow patients with cleft conditions home in the “smile bags” that each patient receives when the surgical procedure is finished. Smile bags, which help continue speech therapy outside of the hospital setting, can contain language enrichment booklets, a mirror, oxygen tubing, and bubbles. While regular practice with motor skills can help with physical recovery, small acts of play help as well, giving kids space to simply enjoy themselves and join in on what peers are able to do.
Bubbles at Home and Beyond
Today, because of Operation Smile’s dedication to comprehensive cleft care, Lilia is now able to make friends and speak clearly, all things that could have been difficult or impossible before. Instead of a childhood defined by limitation, Lilia—and others around the world—can look forward to a childhood filled with joy, learning, discovery, friends, and new possibilities.
CTA: Lilia’s life was changed for the better with the care she received through Operation Smile. Find out how you can make an impact in other children’s lives by visiting operationsmile.org today.
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He was a Lost Boy of Sudan. Now he’s helping others access healthcare and live their best lives.
Jany Deng never had a childhood. He was only 10 when civil war broke out in his homeland of South Sudan. Orphaned and faced with no other choice for survival, Deng had to flee the country alone, walking more than 2,000 miles towards Ethiopia. He often had nothing to eat or drink. “We have to…
Jany Deng never had a childhood.
He was only 10 when civil war broke out in his homeland of South Sudan. Orphaned and faced with no other choice for survival, Deng had to flee the country alone, walking more than 2,000 miles towards Ethiopia. He often had nothing to eat or drink. “We have to walk for a month, a day, a year, just wondering wherever we can get safety,” Deng recalls.
Months later, he reached a refugee settlement where he was able to live for several years. But in 1991, war broke out again. This time, Deng had to walk 2,500 miles towards Kenya.
Deng and the other boys he walked with became known as “The Lost Boys of Sudan” by the aid workers who helped them resettle in America.
Deng came to this country not knowing the language or the customs. It was an extreme culture shock. But thanks to his foster mother, a “remarkable and nurturing woman,” Deng learned he could expect some good from this new world, and others would be there to help him.
Sure enough, Deng realized that whenever he needed help, there was always someone to show him the way. So he made himself a promise — when he was in a position to do so, he’d help others, too.
Today, Deng is a community leader and a social worker with Dignity Health’s CATCH program, which helps underserved, disenfranchised, and chronically ill patients access resources and take control of their physical and medical needs. Through the program, patients improve their self-sufficiency and gain social support to reduce the time they spend in emergency rooms and in-patient units, giving them an overall better quality of life.
This is where Deng puts his unique worldview to work. In his job as a CATCH social worker, his past experiences allow him to see clients in a way that other professionals may not be able to. He brings a holistic approach to his work and sees every patient as unique — with their own goals, challenges, and strengths, just like he had.
“We might not know to ask certain questions,” says Marisue Garganta, Director of Community Health Integration and Community Benefit at Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital. “Jany intuitively will know what questions to [ask].”
Deng’s a perfect fit at Dignity Health CATCH Program, which seeks to share its mission of spreading human kindness throughout its facilities and beyond.
Humans, Deng says, have a lot of needs. And those extend far beyond the medical. That’s why Dignity Health focuses on all aspects of health — from the physical to the mental to the social. Those who work there aim to provide compassionate care that bridges the gap between medical professionals and the larger community. For Deng, every interaction is a chance to inspire a patient to accept his help and pay it forward.
“I want to pass it on, and hopefully, those people that I work with and help, they can pass it on to somebody else,” he says.
To learn more about Jany Deng, check out the video below.
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Kindness costs nothing, but it can make all the difference. Here’s how.
Being kind takes so little effort. The effects, however, can be life-changing. [rebelmouse-image 19479743 dam=1 original_size=”750×500″ caption=”Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash” expand=1] Sometimes a smile can be the one thing that gets someone through their day. Sometimes receiving a friendly, quick phone call is all someone needs to make it through a hard time. If…
Being kind takes so little effort. The effects, however, can be life-changing.
[rebelmouse-image 19479743 dam=1 original_size=”750×500″ caption=”Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash” expand=1]
Sometimes a smile can be the one thing that gets someone through their day. Sometimes receiving a friendly, quick phone call is all someone needs to make it through a hard time. If you’ve ever been shown an act of kindness, you know that even the smallest things can make a difference.
Acts of kindness, however, can be as unique as people in this world, so we wanted to share some that might surprise you. We asked four people to tell us about a time that being shown kindness changed their worldview. Their answers may give you a whole new reason to be kind to the next person you see.
Writer Carol Gee was afraid and alone in the hospital when her boss showed up for her in a way she never expected.
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“I had been on my job as a university administrator for roughly six months when my husband suffered his first heart attack. Newly relocated with no family in the area, I was frightened. I felt really alone as I sat with the families in the waiting room,” explains Carol.
“Suddenly, I looked up to see my supervisor, a physician, entering the waiting room and headed my way. We waited for the doctor together. Sometimes she’d hold my hand. When the doctor came out to talk about my husband’s procedure and diagnosis, she was able to explain a lot of the medical terms and ask the doctor questions I didn’t know to ask.”
“That day, our relationship slowly changed from employer to employee to family. Her kindness made me feel less afraid and alone. And it taught me to pay that same kindness forward.”
The friendship that grew out of that event, Carol explains, has flourished for more than a decade. And it all started with a tiny act of compassion when Carol needed it most. “All she has to do is ask. I’ll always be there.”
James Marshall turned his back on his brother. When his brother didn’t do the same, it taught James an important lesson in grace.
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“I worked for my brother in his commercial cleaning business in the mid 1990’s. We were responsible for stripping, waxing and polishing the floors of a few major department stores. I had helped him part-time for years, but when I lost my day job, he took me on full time,” James writes in an email.
“Once I got involved in the day-to-day operations on a regular basis, I began making suggestions and eventually demands. When he kindly, but firmly, put his foot down and refused to change the way he did things, I quit. I left him high and dry without a replacement.”
“The economy wasn’t great and I couldn’t quickly find another job. I was out of work altogether for a few months. It was mid-February and I unexpectedly ran out of heating oil in the midst of an unusually cold winter. My brother found out about my situation. Without me even knowing or asking, he arranged to have the fuel company deliver a full tank of heating oil to my address.”
“My brother has always been a kind person, but that particular act of kindness was life-changing for me. I was accustomed to retaliation in these types of situations, or at least a good ‘I told you so.’ This was the way I behaved toward others as well, especially when I believed I was right.”
“I think about this story every time someone close to me wrongs me and then later needs something. More than two decades later, there is no doubt that my brother’s act of kindness positively impacts the way I treat others to this day.”
Volunteers helped Roxana Colorado’s mother get her high school diploma. It created a ripple effect that has improved the lives of everyone in Roxana’s family.
[rebelmouse-image 19479746 dam=1 original_size=”750×500″ caption=”Photo by Sai De Silva on Unsplash” expand=1]
“My mom went from working in a sweatshop factory to landing an office job at a real estate company,” notes Colorado. “This inspired me to pursue my education and land great corporate careers. Had it not been for her pursuit for a better life I would have never gone to college.”
“Thanks to my mom inspiring me to go to school and pursue my dreams, I have traveled around the world, lived an amazing life I would’ve never imagined, enjoyed an incredible career in corporate finance and transitioned to a career as a business strategist and philanthropist which inspires me even more everyday.”
“Our life changed dramatically with volunteers giving up their time to help my mom. We were able to come out of poverty because my mom had the courage to pursue a better life and seek support.”
“As a child I grew up angry because of our situation. I had little faith in people because I thought no one cared. Once I saw my mom’s life change, my entire perspective changed. It made me realize there was so much to be thankful for and that even a small act can and will make a positive impact in others lives.”
Jessica Melore only wanted to attend prom. When a medical condition made that an impossibility, her heart surgeon showed her that she wasn’t just a patient to him.
[rebelmouse-image 19479747 dam=1 original_size=”700×900″ caption=”Photo via Jessica Melore.” expand=1]
“When I was 16 years old I had a near fatal heart attack with no prior health problems,” Jessica writes in an email. “I had to live on an experimental, battery-operated heart pump because the left side of my heart was destroyed and my left leg had to be amputated because of surgery.”
“While I was waiting in hope of a heart transplant, I was able to go back to school with a prosthetic leg and big battery bag (for my heart pump) to try to reclaim my life.”
“I was really looking forward to the prom especially. Two days before, I had to be admitted to the hospital because I was dangerously anemic. I was told that if my levels didn’t recover by the morning of the prom, I’d miss it. My heart surgeon saw the night before the prom that I was distraught — not only about the possibility of not going, but because I’d missed my prom nail appointment. I was only 16, and when faced with your mortality, there are still things that make you human!”
“He called up a nurse and said they had an emergency. The next thing I knew, a nurse appeared with her ‘kit’ and gave me a french manicure in hopes that I could attend the prom the next day.”
“In that moment, they were showing me that I was a person, not just a patient. It taught me that when you show someone you care about them and have their best interests at heart – even with a simple gesture – it can make a world of difference in a person’s life.”
It may have seemed like just a make-shift manicure to anyone else, but to Jessica, the kindness her medical providers showed her meant the entire world. It made her feel like a person again.
We all have the capacity, even with tiny actions, to make someone’s life a little bit different; a little bit better. Let’s never miss an opportunity to take advantage of it.
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A husband caring for his sick wife and 3 other stories on what caregiving is really like.
Being a caregiver is one of the hardest jobs in the world. [rebelmouse-image 19397855 dam=1 original_size=”750×497″ caption=”Photo by Jaddy Liu on Unsplash” expand=1] Whether it’s your profession, calling, or you’re rising to the challenge for a loved one, there’s no denying that taking care of another person full-time is an important and often unsung job.…
Being a caregiver is one of the hardest jobs in the world.
[rebelmouse-image 19397855 dam=1 original_size=”750×497″ caption=”Photo by Jaddy Liu on Unsplash” expand=1]
Whether it’s your profession, calling, or you’re rising to the challenge for a loved one, there’s no denying that taking care of another person full-time is an important and often unsung job. The work is mainly done behind-the-scenes, and as many caregivers will take you, most people don’t take the time to ask “How are you?” or “Is there something I can do for you?” They see caregivers as unflappable. That means the humanity is sometimes a little lost.
But what’s it really like to be a full-time caregiver? That’s a question best answered by the people who’ve been there working tirelessly to make someone else’s life more manageable and all around better.
We asked four people about the challenges, the rewards, and what they’ve learned. Here’s what they want the world to know.
Taking care of her grandmother taught MaryEllen to see her family and herself in a new light.
[rebelmouse-image 19397856 dam=1 original_size=”750×500″ caption=”Photo by Damir Bosnjak on Unsplash” expand=1]
When MaryEllen was 25, her grandmother’s health began to decline. So MaryEllen moved in so she could take care of her during the day and work outside the home at night. She made sure her grandmother took her medication, drove her to appointments, cooked for her, and made sure that she stuck to her low-sodium diet.
All aspects of her caregiving job were difficult, but for MaryEllen, the hardest thing was taking care of someone who had taken care of her when she was young. “I saw her as more than just my Nana, but as the smart woman who was slowly losing her independence,” says MaryEllen.
However, MaryEllen found a great way to deal with these feelings — humor. “Nana was fond of saying inappropriate things. When it’s really hard, you just have to laugh.”
Though caring for her grandmother was tiring — even with her mother and aunts helping — it gave MaryEllen a new perspective. “Caring for someone is the hardest best thing you can do. I got to know my nana beyond her role as a mother, wife, and grandmother. I got to see my mom in a different light: as a daughter losing her mother.” And MaryEllen’s mother, MaryEllen says, started seeing her as an adult.
Most importantly, caring for her grandma gave MaryEllen strength. “I discovered a new respect for myself,” she says.
Mia is the parent of two special-needs girls. Taking care of them taught her to take care of herself, too.
[rebelmouse-image 19397857 dam=1 original_size=”750×501″ caption=”Photo by Alexander Dummer on Unsplash” expand=1]
When her twin daughters were born prematurely, Mia’s life changed forever. Her daughters, who are now two, live with cardiac and pulmonary problems. Even though all moms are expected to be on 24/7, this was something completely different.
“Caregiving is relentless and the tasks are never-ending,” writes Mia in an email. “It’s cliche to say that caregivers forget to take care of themselves but it is really true.”
While Mia believes that the caregiving she does has endowed her with leadership skills that help her advocate for both herself and her children, she stresses that in order to be effective, she needs to practice self-care.
“Make a special effort to do something just for you and hold onto that for dear life,” she writes. “This can be a hobby or a career — it’s so important that you have an outlet that has little to do with your caregiving responsibilities.”
That means going above and beyond to protect her energy as much as possible. Mia stresses getting enough sleep (a priority that often gets overlooked), eating good, healthy food, and moving around. But perhaps most importantly, she says you shouldn’t be afraid to lean on your support network.
“Be fastidious in caregiving for yourself and it will reap rewards in your ability to care for others,” she notes.
Taking care of her step-father taught Nora about a strength she didn’t know she had.
[rebelmouse-image 19397858 dam=1 original_size=”750×500″ caption=”Photo by Yannis A on Unsplash” expand=1]
Nora became the primary caregiver for her step-father, Antonio, after he suffered a stroke in 2016. It was a role she hadn’t planned to take on, so at first she struggled in ways she’d never known before.
“I remember the first holiday when I was left alone at home with him and my mom, I would cry over everything,” writes Nora in an email. She’d been given crash courses in how to feed and clean her step-dad when he’d left the hospital, but she was in such a state of shock that she couldn’t remember any of it.
“I felt like I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders.”
Caring for her parent meant Nora had to choose between helping him and taking on other work. While she and her mother have additional caregivers helping them, Nora bears much of the responsibility. She cooks for her step-dad, keeps him company, and makes sure that he’s safe and comfortable. Unsurprisingly, she sometimes experiences a great deal of stress and burnout. However, after two years into it, she’s also thriving.
“I’ve stopped struggling with all the new information I’ve had to take in: I can change diapers, I can clean a person, I can do many things that never in my life I thought I could do,” says Nora. “I appreciate how grateful my stepdad is for my work, however hard and frustrating some days are.”
If there’s one thing Nora wants others to know about the difficult job that so many do around the world it’s that caregivers need support, too. Sometimes just a “thanks” can help.
“If you know a caregiver, ask them how they are, because it can be a really hard, thankless, and lonely job,” she says. “Give praise, thank caregivers, and most of all, think about the fact that maybe one day you will need people who care for you as well. It is more common than what you believe.”
Ben saw his role as a full-time caregiver as “bad casting” at first. Now he knows that “love conquers all.”
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In 2015, Ben took his wife to the ER after she complained of severe abdominal pain. Tests revealed that she had an inoperable abdominal tumor. While aggressive therapy ultimately destroyed the tumor, that wasn’t the end of Elizabeth’s health problems. Right when she started feeling good again, she developed a back problem that’s left her immobilized ever since. Treatment hasn’t helped.
“I often have to help her get out of a chair and walk her to wherever she needs to go, and be ready twenty-four hours a day,” writes Ben in an email. “Until a few months ago, Elizabeth couldn’t even lie in bed — she had to sleep in her leather chair.”
While both Ben and his wife are confident she’ll get better, for now, she depends on him to get through the day. The couple has been together for 50 years, but Ben’s found that his new role has taught him some important life lessons.
“The real stuff I’ve learned and continue to learn is about myself. My selfishness and ability to shut out another’s discomfort when I want to are taking some big hits,” he writes. “When I say that Elizabeth is the center of my life it is simply a statement of fact.”
“I have to do nearly everything. This is exhausting but one does what is necessary, lazy and selfish or not. Caregiving to a beloved who is incapacitated is a real act of selfless love”
Ben has some advice for anyone who finds themselves in the position of becoming a primary caregiver to your partner: “Remember all your spouse means to you, all she/he has done for you and how much you have benefited from the relationship. You will be a better person from the experience.”
No two caregivers do the same job. Each of their stories are unique. It’s important to realize, though, that no matter the details, the work these people do is always invaluable.
Provide care around the clock is not easy, but as these stories illustrate, realizing the difference you’re making in someone else’s life is worth the challenge.
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Human trafficking is a global crisis. Dignity Health is innovating how it’s fought.
Human trafficking is one of the most devastating human rights crises the world faces today. [rebelmouse-image 19534804 dam=”1″ original_size=”750×542″ caption=”All pictures courtesy of Dignity Health.” expand=1] According to the International Labour Organization, more than 40 million people are victims of human trafficking around the world. And more than three quarters of these victims are women…
Human trafficking is one of the most devastating human rights crises the world faces today.
[rebelmouse-image 19534804 dam=”1″ original_size=”750×542″ caption=”All pictures courtesy of Dignity Health.” expand=1]
According to the International Labour Organization, more than 40 million people are victims of human trafficking around the world. And more than three quarters of these victims are women and children who are forced into labor in many different industries — including sex work.
Tragically, this crisis may only be getting worse. Human trafficking is a lucrative business, bringing in more than $150 billion in profits annually. While organizations worldwide are working to end this pandemic, they’ll only be successful with the help of people who know what human trafficking is and what to do if they suspect someone’s fallen victim to it.
Unfortunately, many of us don’t know how to spot the signs of human trafficking. And yes, this includes doctors.
Though victims of human trafficking often require medical attention and seek aid at their local hospital, health professionals aren’t always aware that their patients may be dealing with trauma beyond their physical injuries.
As a result, many victims are discharged without being offered the support and services they so desperately need.
Dignity Health is at the forefront of changing this narrative. The medical services company is employing survivors of human trafficking to advocate for those that need help.
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“Survivors now know that the hospital is a safe place,” says Christine Cesa, a survivor advocate with the Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking.
Cesa works at Dignity Health’s California Medical Center twice a week educating staff members and providing support to fellow survivors.
As a survivor of human trafficking herself, Cesa is uniquely qualified to support people who are victims of human trafficking. And her connection with patients is the first step towards healing.
“The patients respond to me because I come at them with a lot of empathy, care and concern,” she says.
“Dignity Health values survivors,” says Holly Smith Gibb, the program director of Dignity Health’s Human Trafficking Response, who’s also a survivor.
“If there was a survivor who was part of the law enforcement and healthcare team that was trying to connect with me it would have made all the difference.”
But employing survivors is just one part of Dignity Health’s commitment to stopping human trafficking.
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Since 2014, the company has worked tirelessly to ensure that no victim of trafficking is overlooked at their facilities.
From providing more training to medical center staff to adding procedures that make it easier for all medical staff to identify and report human trafficking to employing survivors like Cesa, Dignity Health is fighting human trafficking on an individual, community, and systemic level.
It’s a model that’s working well, so the company hopes that it will soon be put to use in hospitals throughout the nation.
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Advocates like Cesa are transforming the way that medical professionals view and respond to human trafficking.
At the medical center where Cesca is employed, the staff is more attuned to what their patients are going through, more eager to help them escape dangerous situations and empower them to embark on safe, happy lives.
And being an advocate has given Cesa a greater sense of purpose, because she can see the impact she’s having on patients. She’s grateful to be able to use her difficult experiences to help others every day.
“Even though there are hard, emotional days…I go home and feel like, I don’t ever want to stop doing this. ‘Cause we’re helping people,” she says.
Learn more about Cesa’s work and Dignity Health’s human trafficking initiatives in the video below.
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How practicing kindness could make your life so much better.
The first time most of us learned about the importance of being kind was back in preschool, so let’s travel back there (in our minds). Perhaps it was while you were sitting on your nap mat watching an episode of “Mr. Rogers”? Or maybe it was after you decided to share the Lego set you…
The first time most of us learned about the importance of being kind was back in preschool, so let’s travel back there (in our minds).
Perhaps it was while you were sitting on your nap mat watching an episode of “Mr. Rogers”? Or maybe it was after you decided to share the Lego set you were working on with a friend? The particular setting doesn’t matter; what does matter is that you were developing the fundamental building blocks to make the world a better place. All it took was a little thoughtfulness.
And remember how great it made you feel when you were commended for helping another kid out? That sense of pride probably made your entire week. Even though you were just a little kid, you were making an impact. And it wasn’t even hard.
So what happened?
You’re certainly not an unkind person, but somewhere between nap time, graduating from college, and working on your career, you’ve probably spent a little less time reaching out and giving back. Even though you always mean to get into volunteering on the weekends, sometimes it’s just hard to wake up before 10 after a long week.
But you should know, being kind isn’t just about helping other people — it can also make you healthier, stronger, and even help you live longer.
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Your parents, teachers and yes, even Mr. Rogers weren’t just encouraging you to be kind to make the world better — they were looking out for you, too.
Research has shown that teaching kids the power of kindness activates the joy centers of their brains, which decreases stress and helps them feel more connected to the world around them. Even more importantly, it fosters a sense of gratitude which allows kids to feel good about themselves and what they’ve done.
As an adult, you get just as many benefits. For instance, practicing kindness towards both yourself and others can lower blood pressure. It can also help you live a stronger, happier and longer life.
“Practicing kindness allows us to move into the present moment and connect with other humans, which reminds others, and ourselves, that we aren’t alone,” writes Lisa Olivera, an Oakland, CA-based psychotherapist, in an email.
“By practicing kindness, we create a more supportive, safe, and nourishing world around and within us. It benefits not only those we practice it towards, but also ourselves in so many ways.”
And being kind isn’t time-consuming. We can all fit it into our schedules.
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While you may think that giving back to the people around you requires a huge effort, kindness isn’t a competition or a race. Try starting small — it could be something as simple as smiling to someone you see walking towards you. Even that makes a difference.
Or better yet, try saying ‘hello’ to people you meet, walk past, and interact with. “When we make genuine connections with fellow humans, no matter how brief, we leave a lasting impact,” notes Olivera. “We also foster a sense of community and connectedness in our daily lives by intentionally interacting kindly with those around us, which benefits our overall well-being.”
And what’s even more impactful than talking? Listening. “Truly listening is one of the most kind things we can do for someone,” continues Olivera. “Attention is one of the greatest forms of generosity, as Simone Weil so poignantly states. When we offer someone our attention and actively listen, we create a space for them to feel heard and seen, which is one of the most kind and healing acts we can possibly offer.”
You can also take on a task that you know isn’t pleasant for someone. Notice that a neighbor hasn’t been able to get their trash out to the curb? Help them. Have a friend who might need a ride to the store? Offer them one. Someone in your family too tired or too stressed to do the dishes? Tag in and help out. While these task may be almost nothing to you, Olivera points out that even the tiniest gesture can be meaningful when you do it with kind intentions.
Be aware of how those around you are feeling, and respond accordingly. One of the best ways to give back is to look around you and notice others, and take an interest in their lives. Participate in their joys, lend an ear for their sorrows, ask your friends and neighbors how they’re doing in a way that communicates that you’re truly interested, not just asking to be polite. This, Olivera writes, offers both a chance for connection and allows others to feel seen.
Kindness may be easy to give, but turning it into a habit is a journey that starts with your well-being.
[rebelmouse-image 19397529 dam=1 original_size=”750×816″ caption=”Photo by Hian Oliveira on Unsplash.” expand=1]
You have to work on being kind to make a meaningful change. But you can’t be kind to others if you’re not kind to you. So start by being gentle with yourself first. Being kind to you will make it easier to do the same for others.
“When we fill ourselves up with kindness and self-compassion, our lens of the world changes,” writes Olivera. “We can more easily offer empathy and compassion to others.”
“When we show up fully for ourselves, showing up for others becomes a natural and important part of living and being in the world.”
Being kind is so simple, which is why kids often do it best. If we can all try to channel that altruistic impulse we had down pat as kids everyday, the impact we could make on the world would be extraordinary.
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Helping the elderly doesn’t have to be hard. Here are 5 ideas you may not have considered.
Being a caretaker for an elderly loved one is a full-time job. It’s tough. It’s rewarding. It’s life-changing. So let’s take a second to give it up for all the people who are taking care of their elderly loved ones and friends today. The happiness and love these caregivers bring to the lives of the…
Being a caretaker for an elderly loved one is a full-time job. It’s tough. It’s rewarding. It’s life-changing.
So let’s take a second to give it up for all the people who are taking care of their elderly loved ones and friends today.
The happiness and love these caregivers bring to the lives of the elderly can’t be overstated. But it’s not just transformative for the senior who’s getting the help that they need — it impacts the caregiver’s lives in a big way as well.
Unfortunately, however, there are many seniors who aren’t lucky enough to have that compassion in their lives.
As life expectancy continues to rise, many of us can look forward to living well into our 80s, but that can also lead to new stresses, especially for those who don’t have loved ones around to help when everyday tasks become difficult.
For example, what happens to the senior who doesn’t have children to take care of them? Or perhaps their spouse who carried out most of the day-to-day chores suddenly passes away? That’s why it’s important for community members not to forget the senior citizens who might need a little help, kindness, compassion and emotional support.
You may have already thought about wanting to lend a hand to the aging population, but perhaps you don’t know where to start. You might also be familiar with the hard work caregivers do, and feel like you’re not exactly cut out for something like that.
Here’s some good news though: despite what you might think, you do have what it takes to help. And you don’t have to be a full-time caregiver in order to make a real change in a senior’s life.
Here are just five ways that you can give back to your elders and enrich your own life as well.
You can help the elderly with their groceries. Photo from Pixabay 1. Volunteer in your community, even if it’s unstructured.
No matter where you live, there are senior citizens who need your help. A great way to get started giving back is to simply be mindful of opportunities that appear in the moment. Do you see an elderly person struggling to get their groceries to the door? Ask if you can help. Is there someone in your building who may be delighted by a short visit or an invitation for a walk? Spend some time with them. Offer to mow their lawn or water their plants. See if they need some help washing the car. Make and share a meal with them.
It’s often hard for older people to ask for help themselves. But if you just show up and say, “I’m here if you need me,” it takes the onus off of them. Even something as small as giving an elderly person a ride to the store or bringing a them their mail makes an impact.
Volunteers share time and tutor how to use technology. Photo from Burst taken by Nicole De Khors 2. Spend time at a senior center or a care home.
Did you know that many folks who live in senior care facilities have very few visitors? In fact, recent research suggests that approximately 6o percent of residents may have no visitors at all. The reasons why are far too many to enumerate here, but the reality is that the seniors who live in such residences may feel lonely or out of place, which can certainly take a toll on both their mental and physical health.
That’s where you come in.
Most senior living facilities welcome volunteers. And there are so many things you can do, though just spending time with residents is an excellent first step.
Do you have a skill that you could teach or a service you could offer? You can turn a few hours a week into an experience that both you and the seniors you bond with will remember forever. In Raleigh, North Carolina, for example, a group called Senior TechEd teaches the elderly how to master the latest technology.
If you’re frustrated by the fact that your own grandparents didn’t get how to use a smartphone before you came along with a tutorial, consider reaching out to a care facility to see if you can provide the same service to other seniors in the area. Not only will they thank you for it, they’ll probably stop using “lol” to mean “lots of love.”
3. Support your elders by listening to them. You might learn a thing or two.
It may feel like people who are older don’t have to worry about the same things you do. But once you hit retirement, life isn’t just a pleasant existence of taking walks, watching TV, and getting the best deals at restaurants. Older folks worry about the same things anyone under the age of 65 do — money, friendships, the stress of day-to-day life. They just might not have anyone to discuss their concerns with.
One way to help is by looking for opportunities to be that obliging ear for them. Believe it or not, there are actually organizations, like The Friendship Line at The Institute on Aging in San Francisco, that help you do just that. The program connects volunteers with seniors who need someone to talk to. In some cases, these volunteers may be the senior’s only point of social contact, so the service they provide is invaluable.
You don’t have to live in San Francisco or even be a member of an organization like The Friendship Line to help, though. Consider doing your own outreach. There’s likely a senior in your community who would love to hear from you. Pick up the phone, dial their number, and ask how they’re really doing. You might be surprised by the bond that forms out of it.
Taking a senior out for a nice nature walk. Photo from Burst taken by Avelino Calvary Martinez 4. Seniors love having fun. Join them.
Kindness is important, but so is fun. Sometimes, we forget that older people like doing fun things just as much as anyone else. Sure, they may not be able to ride as many roller coasters (so maybe put the Six Flags excursion on hold), but if you’re thinking of volunteering, don’t mistake “helping” for “just sitting there quietly and doing nothing except drinking tea.”
Here are some other, less traditional ideas: organize a nature walk for the seniors at a local center, lead a 45-minute-dance club for seniors once a week, teach a craft class, or start a drama group or book club. Whatever your passion is in life, why not see if you could turn it into an opportunity to brighten the lives of the seniors in your community? (Except if your passion is riding rollercoasters. The inner ear isn’t what it used to be at 70!)
Opportunity to bring in the right kind of chill and safe pets. Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@jamie452?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Jamie Street</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/?utm_source=RebelMouse&utm_medium=referral">Unsplash</a> 5. Send in the animals (but only the chill, safe ones)!
Did you know that animals can help reduce stress? Just stroking the soft fur of a dog, cat or even guinea pig can make people feel a little bit better. Not every senior citizen can take care of a pet full-time, but that doesn’t mean that they can’t or shouldn’t enjoy the benefits that being with one provides. In fact, some care facilities have joined forces with local animal organizations to connect seniors with valuable animal time. Not only can this help seniors feel more connected, it allows those who have a hard time interacting with people experience an important bond.
If this sounds up your ally, see if you can bring some animals to seniors who live in a local facility. Do you have an chill animal of your own? Call up one of the local organizations that help seniors and arrange for some time for your pet to visit (but make sure it’s okay with the facility first).
Many of us believe that for kindness to be effective, it has to be all sacrifice and grand gestures.
But that’s not true at all. Spend a few minutes a day or an hour a week helping the people around you. It can be as little a gesture as just say “hi,” to your elderly neighbor when they go out to water their garden. The act may be small — the difference you’ll be making won’t be.
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He had to operate to save an orangutan’s life. The catch? He’d never done it before.
When Daniel the orangutan arrived at the Phoenix Zoo in Arizona, he was in rough shape. He was suffering from a respiratory disease, which, just like in humans, can worsen and even lead to death when untreated. The stakes were high, especially considering that orangutans are a highly endangered species. And respiratory illnesses can be…
When Daniel the orangutan arrived at the Phoenix Zoo in Arizona, he was in rough shape.
He was suffering from a respiratory disease, which, just like in humans, can worsen and even lead to death when untreated.
The stakes were high, especially considering that orangutans are a highly endangered species. And respiratory illnesses can be even more dangerous for orangutans which have an inflatable air sac that can be vulnerable when it becomes infected. Located in their throats, these air sacs are helpful in allowing orangutans to sustain the loud calls they’re known for by creating a chamber for the sound to resonate within, but these air sacs are also prone to infection.
Dr. Gary West, executive vice president of animal health and collections at the Phoenix Zoo, was hopeful that cleaning the site of the infection would be enough for Daniel. But it wasn’t.
The infection returned, and West quickly realized Daniel would need a sinus surgery if he had any shot at recovering. But that surgery required expertise that West didn’t have. So they called in Dr. David Simms, an ENT specialist with Dignity Health, to perform the surgery.
There was just one problem: Simms had never operated on an orangutan before.
Humans and orangutans are pretty similar, but they’re obviously not the same. This didn’t intimidate Simms, though, who was excited to apply what he knew about humans to a different species. When Simms saw how badly Daniel needed the procedure, he was even more determined.
“I knew that I could help him,” he explains. “I really didn’t think twice.”
Simms was relieved that Dignity Health, a health provider based in San Francisco, encouraged him to do the procedure and helped to plan it even though Daniel wasn’t a human patient. With the right team behind him, Simms was confident he could perform the surgery.
Simms got to work. He started by studying up on orangutan anatomy before surgery.
He took CT scans so he could take a close look at the differences between a human’s sinuses and an orangutan’s. He even had a 3D replica of Daniel’s skull printed to practice on before the actual surgery.
Being able to practice ahead of time was especially important because Daniel was already at a higher risk for complications because of the underlying air sac infection.
Luckily for Daniel, all the work paid off. The surgery went off without a hitch.
Almost immediately afterward, it was clear it’d been a success. Daniel’s eyes were brighter, and his appetite was bigger.
“He wanted to eat everything in sight,” says Mary Yoder, primate manager at the Phoenix Zoo. “He was back to his old self.”
Daniel was doing extraordinarily well after the surgery, and his recovery offers hope for other primates who face the same challenges.
Many orangutans like Daniel deal with respiratory disease. Because they are on the brink of extinction, surgeries like these can make or break the survival of an entire species. When experts like Simms step in, they’re not saving only a single orangutan — they’re helping in conservation efforts to ensure orangutans survive well into the future.
Simms is hopeful this surgery will offer a model on which future surgeries can be based, helping all sorts of primates live longer, happier lives.
As for Daniel, the Phoenix Zoo hopes he’ll find a mate, have a family, and enjoy a long life ahead of him, free of the disease that once held him back.
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One woman’s journey coping with unseen pain may change how the world sees disabilities.
When Annie Segarra goes about her daily life, it’s not immediately obvious she’s in pain 24/7. Since she’s so used to living with discomfort, she’s able to walk around for a few minutes, but any longer than that, and she has to sit down and rest. However, the fact that she’s not always in a…
When Annie Segarra goes about her daily life, it’s not immediately obvious she’s in pain 24/7.
Since she’s so used to living with discomfort, she’s able to walk around for a few minutes, but any longer than that, and she has to sit down and rest. However, the fact that she’s not always in a wheelchair makes many passersby question wether or not she really has a disability and often results in judging looks and harsh words.
“They can’t see that you’re in pain because you look ‘just fine,’” Segarra explains.
Segarra has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), which is a rare connective tissue disorder that affects collagen in the body and causes joints to stretch farther than normal. While that may sound like some sort of superpower, it’s anything but, and it’s also just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the symptoms that people who have it experience.
Since collagen runs through the entire body, EDS acts as an umbrella for a seemingly endless list of disorders, including poor vision, chronic fatigue, and joint pain. It’s also likely connected to postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), which causes a person’s blood pressure to drop and heart rate to spike upon standing.
Segarra lives with all these symptoms and many others, but more often than not, they are invisible to the outside eye.
The discomfort and anxiety that accompanies this is enough of a strain, but when you tack on doctors and everyone else not believing you’re in pain, everything’s amplified.
“It feels like being at the bottom of a well shouting up and there’s nobody there,” Segarra says.
What’s worse, a large part of why she went undiagnosed for so long was because doctors continued to downplay and dismiss her symptoms and self-diagnoses.
Segarra actually started having symptoms as early as infancy, but she didn’t realize they might be connected until she reached her early 20s.
She was working two jobs and taking care of her sister who has autism when she started experiencing severe pain in her feet while standing. One of her jobs at the time was as hostess at a restaurant, so she was confronted with that pain quite often, but she thought it might just be an intolerance to wearing heels.
When it got to the point where she could barely stand at all, she went to a see a podiatrist. He took an X-ray of her feet while she was standing, and it looked like she had flat feet. He assumed that was the root of her pain, so he prescribed orthotics. (Later Segarra would learn that people with EDS often appear to have flat feet because of how their hyperactive joints react to weight.)
After orthotics did nothing to help, the doctor suggested creating arches in her feet surgically. Not knowing what else to do, Segarra agreed.
The surgery left her in an unimaginable amount of distress and unable to walk for close to a year. But it also ultimately led to her diagnosis.
Segarra learned she was strangely immune to anesthesia — another EDS-related symptom. After six months in a wheelchair caused extreme back pain, she got an MRI that showed something unusual: She appeared to have dislocated joints all over her body.
By that time, she’d been documenting her journey with chronic pain via a video blog for about two years and was regularly communicating with other chronically ill and disabled people online. When she described her symptoms, EDS had kept coming up. However, every doctor she mentioned it to dismissed it until the moment she broke down in front of her spine specialist.
At that point, she had been managing escalating symptoms on her own for over a decade, and every time she tried to get answers from a doctor, they either had no advice or mocked her for self-diagnosing such a rare disorder. She was scared and exhausted and had finally had enough.
Thankfully, a doctor (who happened to be a woman) came in at that moment and really listened to what Segarra had to say. The doctor admitted to not knowing about EDS, but after looking it up on her phone, she turned to the primary specialist and said, “She could have this.”
That was the tipping point. From there, Segarra was referred to a geneticist who recommended a chromosome blood test to find the genetic variant for EDS. Six months later, she had an official diagnosis.
After all that, Segarra still calls herself lucky because her diagnosis only took three years to get. Many people with similar “invisible” disorders aren’t so fortunate.
The experience set her on a mission to change the misconceptions surrounding disabilities and educate others about the many ways one can be impaired.
Ever since middle school, Segarra’s been an activist for one cause or another. As a queer Latinx woman, she always had a lot to fight for, but after experiencing years of blatant disregard for her disability, this fight reinvigorated the rest.
“Becoming disabled made me look at my activism real hard,” Segarra says.
She uses her skills as a performer and storyteller to give a face and voice to her illness. On her YouTube channel, she confronts the prejudice people with less visible disabilities face on a daily basis.
Segarra has firsthand experience being called a faker simply because people don’t realize that some disabilities don’t require people to use an assisting device like a wheelchair all the time.
She also explores how having a disability affects things like body positivity and being in the LGBTQ community.
Unsurprisingly, Segarra’s passion and strength is affecting a growing number of followers, but she knows there’s still much more work to be done.
Right now, there’s hardly any representation of people like her in media, which makes it easy for the world to remain ignorant about them. For example, Segarra had a heck of a time finding a character to be for Halloween because people with disabilities barely exist in pop culture.
But her activism is slowly but surely changing peoples’ perceptions. She says she gets lots of comments like, “Thank you for saying this because I was one of those assholes who thought like this.”
She’s also helping people who are still searching for a diagnosis realize they’re not alone on their journey.
Segarra hopes that one day, no one will be discounted for having a less visible disability. However, for that to happen, we have to learn to quell their snap judgements, and that starts with admitting we don’t know what all disabilities look like.
Learn more about how to spot disabilities (spoiler alert, you can’t) here:
