In this Spotlight On blog article, we asked Meredith Banka to talk to us about her work, her philosophy, and an amazing workshop she has coming up on October 25th.

In this Spotlight On blog article, we asked Beyond Pink Founder, Charlie Brewer to share a little bit of the history and mission of this wonderful organization with us.

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About The Wishing Star Foundation

As the Wishing Star Foundation nears its 35^thAnniversary this October 2018, we marvel at our founder, Karen Kurowski, and are inspired to continue her legacy for many years to come. Karen was a local grade school teacher. When one of her first-grade students, a little boy, became ill with cancer and eventually passed away, she was devastated, and vowed that one day she would do something for young children and families impacted by terminal illnesses. Several decades later, she cashed out her retirement, rallied members of the community to join her board, and then founded the first wish-granting organization in the state of Washington.

The Wishing Star Foundation Today

Today, Wishing Star continues to bring joy, hope, and strength to children, like the first-grade boy who inspired our existence, and we have expanded our mission to serve children with life-threatening illnesses and increased our age limits to ages three to twenty-one. In addition to granting wishes, we believe that once a child and family become part of the Wishing Star family, they are always part of the Wishing Star family. That means many things, including providing fun and meaningful events throughout the year that our kids can look forward to, to writing birthday cards to every child who has ever received a wish from us.

You Make Wishing Star Possible

Like our founder envisioned many years ago, we believe stronger than ever that Wishing Star is only possible through the power of community. Our community members are the ones that grant every child’s wish, regardless of how impossible it may seem; we wholeheartedly believe that everything is within reach because of them. It is this realization that makes us even more optimistic about Wishing Star’s next 35 years. We are truly blessed to carry on Karen Kurowski’s legacy and beyond grateful to all who have contributed to our children and mission along the way, including Randi Johnson, a beloved and valued member of Wishing Star’s Board of Directors and Executive Team.

Connect with Wishing Star Foundation

You can connect with Wishing Star via their website & Facebook too!

Dan joined the Wishing Star Foundation team in April 2016.  He has spent the past ten years in nonprofit management, most recently as the Director of Development & Communications at a large social service organization in Spokane.  Dan and his wife have been married for ten years and have three young children. He completed his undergraduate degree at Eastern Washington University and M.A. Organizational Leadership from Gonzaga University.

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Signs your child may have a vision problem

80% of a child’s learning is visual in nature. According to the American Optometric Association (AOA), one in four school children has an undiagnosed vision problem. A vision problem, such as blurry or double vision, can cause problems not only with grades but also with behavior in school, as children struggle to comprehend and absorb information that they cannot clearly see.  Many of these children are misdiagnosed with ADHD, dyslexia, learning disabilities, or various behavioral problems. Children who can see clearly perform significantly better in school than their peers who do not.

Unfortunately, not being aware that the way they see is not normal, most children do not tell us if they see blurry, double, or if words move around when they try to read. The AOA recommends that children be examined by an eye doctor, either an optometrist or an ophthalmologist, when they are 6 months old, three years old, five years old, and every year while they are in school. Of course, if you suspect your child has a vision problem, they can be brought to a qualified eye doctor at any age. It is a persistent myth that it is pointless to bring a child to the eye doctor before they know their letters or can respond to our favorite question (“Which is better – one or two?”). Even without accurate responses to our questions, eye doctors are trained to determine if a glasses prescription is necessary to help a child or a non-verbal adult.

What are some of the signs that might indicate that your child has a vision problem that would warrant an exam by an eye doctor?

Avoiding reading or using a computer because it hurts their eyes.

Constantly focusing up close, as opposed to relaxing our focusing muscles and looking far away, puts strain on those muscles. Normally, our focusing muscles can overcome this strain, and children remain symptom-free.  However, when a vision problem exists, such as blurry vision or eyes that do not like to work together as they should, that can cause the focusing system to work several times harder than it is meant to, leading to eye strain, headaches, or a general feeling of tired eyes.

Closing one eye to read or watch TV.

Closing one eye while focusing on something often indicates that the eyes are not working as the team they should be. An eye doctor can identify the problem, and determine if the condition can be treated with a pair of glasses, or if vision therapy (in which a vision therapist designs an exercise program for the eyes to strengthen weak eye muscles) will be the best solution for your child.

Frequent eye rubbing.

Many of us rub our eyes, especially if we are feeling tired or upset. However, if your child is rubbing their eyes when they are focusing on something, such as a computer, TV, or reading, that may indicate an eye alignment or a focusing problem and should be brought to an eye doctor’s attention.

A side note on eye rubbing: recent studies have linked habitual eye rubbing with the development of keratoconus later in life. Keratoconus is where the clear front part of the eye, the cornea, thins and weakens, then starts to bulge outwards, causing distorted vision that cannot be fixed with glasses. Please discourage your kids from developing an eye-rubbing habit, as it could have devastating visual consequences down the road.

Frequently sitting too close to the TV or holding a book too closely.

While most children occasionally sit too close to the TV or hold a book up to their face, if your child makes a habit of doing so, this may be a sign they are nearsighted, or their vision is clearer up close and blurry far away. It is a myth, however, that sitting too close to the TV will ruin your eyes.

Losing one’s place while reading, or needing to use a finger to read.

When children first start to read and are sounding out letters, it is normal for them to use a finger to help guide them in keeping their place. However, eventually they should be able to read without using their finger or losing their place. Skipping words or lines, or repeating lines, can also indicate a vision problem that should be addressed by an eye doctor.

Squinting, or tilting the head to see the board better in class.

Nowadays, teachers are trained to watch for this behavior in class, and to recommend that the child’s parents schedule an eye exam for the student. While waiting for the eye exam to be performed, it may help to move the student to the front of the classroom.

We hope that this article provides some useful information for you and your family. If you have any concerns about your child’s vision, please do not hesitate to bring them to an eye doctor for an evaluation. If no glasses are needed and the eyes are working well, you will have the comfort of knowing that your child is visually prepared for the challenges school will present. If there is a vision problem, getting it corrected early will provide your child the highest quality of life in their journey through school and beyond.

Michelle Darnell is an eye doctor at Lilac Family Eye Care in Liberty Lake. She specializes in contact lenses, medical eye exams, and visually-related headaches in both children and adults. Dr. Darnell enjoys working closely with kids and young adults and helping them to fully experience their world with clear, crisp vision. She feels that it is very important that her patients understand any conditions that affect their eyes, and always takes the time to explain any pertinent findings at the end of her exams, as well as to answer any questions.

You can connect with Lilac Family Eye Care via LinkedIn & Facebook too!

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I’M GOING TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR MEDICARE!  NOW, WHAT??

Medicare can be confusing.  In the months leading up to Medicare eligibility, most people are inundated with Medicare information from various companies.   So much information that it confuses the majority of the people receiving it.  There are choices to make and timeframes to adhere to.  Choosing poorly can mean inadequate coverage or a higher cost than necessary.  Missing a timeframe can possibly result in late enrollment penalties or insufficient coverage until the following year.  People are so often scared of new things or things that are government regulated.  How do you know if you have done everything you need to do?

My name is Mindy Erdman and I am a Medicare Specialist here in Spokane.   I am here to help make the transition into Medicare less scary.  I’m here to answer questions and help you choose the path that is right for you.  I will help you make sure you have done all of the things you need to do.  I also assist my clients with applying for Medicaid and Extra Help for prescriptions, if they qualify.   I am appointed with all of the healthcare companies I can be so that I can help find the plan that is best for each individual person.

My services are free and I can meet at my office or even come to your home if you are more comfortable with that.

Please call or email me if you would like to meet.  I’m here to help!

Mindy Erdman

LJE Insurance LLC

509-220-1109

Erdman.mindy@gmail.com

Contact Lilac City Law

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When you or someone you love has been wrongfully injured it can be overwhelming—managing medical bills, dealing with insurance companies, applying for benefits, or knowing what the next step is. This can be especially daunting if the injuries involved have resulted in permanent disability or death.

GLP, our attorneys, and our staff, are dedicated to providing care and support to each client during what can sometimes be the most difficult months or years of their lives. We are passionate about providing skillful advocacy for our clients in order to help them recover financially while they recover physically.

“I understand the importance of advocating for those that are unable to advocate for themselves.”

–Janelle M. Carney, Managing Partner for the Spokane and Tri-Cities offices of GLP–

Through commitment, creativity, compassion, and collaboration, we are with our clients from injury to recovery.

Deciding to hire an attorney can provide multiple benefits including:

• getting medical bills paid for upfront and faster;
• attorneys handle all paperwork and the multiple harassing phone calls from the multiple insurance companies;
• allows for early investigation, some evidence can be forever lost if you don’t hire an attorney upfront;
• helps obtain better case value and resolution;
• allows for immediate Personal Injury Protection benefits to get the treatment needed;
• helps ensure access to medical treatment;
• reduces stress;
• allows focus to be on recovery; and
• allows for proper evaluation for pain and suffering damages.

We have an expansive list of areas of practice that include serious automobile collisions, motorcycle accidents, bicycle accidents, nursing home abuse and neglect, construction accident, maritime injuries and injuries at sea, aviation accidents and wrongful death claims.

It is important to know what your options are. Contact our office for a complimentary consultation to determine whether hiring an attorney is the right choice for you and your family.

Contact GLP Personal Injury Attorneys

If you have been involved in a lawsuit for a personal injury, it’s possible that you may need, desire, or even be required to set up a trust, special needs trust, Will, or other estate planning tools for your award.

Contact Lilac City Law to set-up your estate plan today.