LiFELiNE FOUNDATiON SUPPORT TEAM iNC.

On April 5, 2009 Lifeline Foundation Support Team, Inc held a Medical and Wellness Outreach for the Community Health Workers of Muntinlupa City, at the Alabang Barangay Hall, Liwasan ng mga Bayani Park.

At Lifeline Foundation, we believe in giving back. We found out that the more than 500 Community Health Workers do not receive a salary, but are only given an allowance. These brave men and women do not only bring medical assistance to the sick and indigent in their communities, but also disseminate information about health matters—going house to house in the different barangays of Muntinlupa.

Our dedicated team of doctors, nurses, soccer dads and moms, call center agents, graphic artists, engineers, accountants, students and other volunteers facilitated medical check-ups and the dispensing of medicines and vitamins to these health workers and their families.

Doctors Mark Cellona, a urologist, and Dr Lynn Marcelo, an Obstetrician-Gynecologist, also conducted seminars on reproductive health, focusing on the prevention and early detection of prostate and cervical cancers, and teaching the community workers how to take care of themselves and enjoy the benefits of healthy living. They provided specialized consultations for the health workers with questions pertinent to reproductive health.

Lifeline’s commitment to our nation’s workers does not begin and end with a one-time visit. We do not believe in giving superficial assistance, then walking away feeling better about having done a good deed. We are committed to the general betterment of people’s lives. After each mission, we partner with the Health Center of the communities that we visit, to endorse patients that need additional medical attention, to ensure that they get on a path to wellness.

In August of 2008, Mike Matias, a 27 year old employee of a graphics and design company in BF Paranaque, experienced a sudden stroke that left him paralyzed on the right side of his body. Once a productive young man who was helping support his mother and siblings, he became an invalid who could barely walk. It must be difficult for an independent young man to have to depend on others for his needs.

Like many young men, Mike paid very little attention to his health, and abused his body through excessive drinking and smoking and a lifestyle of staying up till the wee hours before going to work early the next day. Mike realized that his careless and wasteful living was one of the contributing factors for him to suffer a stroke at a very early age and wants to correct his mistakes and be a useful member of society once more.

This is where Lifeline stepped in. We believe this young man deserves a second chance at gaining back a productive life. We learned that through rehab and physical therapy sessions, he can get back the use of his right arm and leg.

Through the course of his physical examinations, we also learned that Mike is suffering from Type 3 Tuberculosis, which means that TB is active in his body. We at Lifeline are making sure that his tuberculosis is treated as well.

Won’t you join us in helping this promising young man get his life back together again? If you want to give toward Mike’s treatment and rehabilitation, please contact us at 632.772.0429 or email us at info

Annabelle Roque, a 45-year old housewife, was diagnosed to have stage 3B cervical cancer during her check-up at Parañaque Medical Hospital last July 2007. It started out with a series of bleeding, pain during intercourse, recurring migraines, and her feeling tired most of the time.

Since September 2007 up until March 2008, Annabelle has gone through 6 sessions of low dosage chemotherapy, 34 sessions of radiation therapy, and a one-time bracky therapy wherein she stayed in the hospital for three days under the care of Dr. Aleli David de Castro. All of her family’s savings have been exhausted for her treatments.

Lifeline Foundation is committed to empower people’s lives, and has committed to see Annabelle through this. Since April 2008, Lifeline Foundation has covered for her high dosage therapy which costs around Php32,000 per session. She needs a total of 6 sessions to complete this round. She is scheduled to have her 4^th session in July.

Be a part of the change in someone else’s life. Contact us to find out how you can be part of the solution for Annabelle. You may also deposit at any Banco De Oro branch under Lifeline Foundation Inc. (account number 1478001071).

Here are some excerpts from June 17 in Lifeline’s latest Self-Empowerment Seminar:

SAY THIS OUT LOUD: NICE IS BAD FOR MY HEALTH.

Shocking to say in our “must-please-everyone” culture where one is expected to not rock the boat and just bottle in the pain, anger, disappointment, you name it. YOU MUST BECOME AUTHENTIC. Let those feelings show.

Anger that is never expressed becomes depression.

Positive (+) signs in our lives:

• Pain
• Anger
• Frustration

Take notice of these feelings – they are warning signs for you to do something! Those negative feelings make way to bring out the positive. Don’t try to reason away the feelings or bottle them up, just like poison stuck in your body, it’ll hurt you – emotionally and even physically.

Express those feelings – write them down or go into a room where you feel safe to shout and fully express yourself, turn up the TV or radio if you need to. Imagine those same situations/people, you were betrayed or hurt by and fully express your anger and pain – say what you want to say (How dare you do that to me?!), get it out of your system.

You can’t move on in life without forgiving the person who hurt you, but you need to forgive for YOUR OWN SAKE, not for the other person and their feelings. You forgive because you’ve got a life to live.

You can’t forgive until…

1. You feel the depth of the pain, disappointment, betrayal – go to those feelings, face them, get them out of your system.

2. Once you’re done, once you’re bigger than the other person/situation – forgive, walk away and move on.

My pain, my anger, my frustration is a gift to me. I will not be afraid of those feelings.

We all deserve to be respected and treated right – believe that right and make it yours or else you’ll end up abused.

SAY THESE POINTS OUT LOUD –

AFFIRMATIONS OF MY BASIC RIGHTS:

• Nobody has the right to know my mind or my business or to tell me what to think, what to feel or what to do.
• I have a right to my own thoughts, feelings, values and beliefs.
• What I share with others about matters that concern me is determined by what feels right to me - not what they want.
• If people are abusive or disrespectful to me, I have a right to tell them so, to ask them to stop and to avoid them.
• I don’t have to be nice to people who aren’t nice to me.
• I don’t need abuse or to be disrespected.
• I have a need and right to love myself, respect myself and to stand up for myself.
• I have a right to be who I am and to harmlessly live my own life regardless of whether others don’t like it.
• I don’t have to feel guilty for not behaving as others might want me to or for not giving other what they expect of me.
• I accept myself just as I am in the moment with whatever thoughts and feelings I have.
• I accept my right to my imperfection and shortcomings and don’t feel guilty for not being perfect.
• I believe that we should do unto others as we would have them do unto us - to be treated with love and respect.
• I believe that if I am true to myself and live by the highest truth I know, that things will turn out for the best in the long run.
• I don’t have to feel guilty for not behaving as others might want me to or for not giving other what they expect of me.
• I accept myself just as I am in the moment with whatever thoughts and feelings I have.
• I accept my right to my imperfection and shortcomings and don’t feel guilty for not being perfect.
• I believe that we should do unto others as we would have them do unto us - to be treated with love and respect.
• I believe that if I am true to myself and live by the highest truth I know, that things will turn out for the best in the long run.

You need to set boundaries for yourself – communicating clearly what you will do and are prepared to do because of the other’s bad behavior (If you…, I will…)

This is a process of you defining yourself and taking control of your life – not making it a threat or being manipulative. This is you owning your choices and why you choose what you choose.

I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR MY OWN HAPPINESS. No one can take better care of me than ME.

Set those boundaries, but only when you are ready to follow them through.

ASK WHAT YOU WANT. BEGIN TO TRUST YOURSELF.