Research Reveals 4 Common Misconceptions

The idea of a happy and meaningful life has become unnecessarily complicated in some circles, says author and certified positive psychology coach Lynda Wallace, who left a high-powered executive career with Johnson & Johnson to pursue her real passion - helping individuals and groups achieve greater happiness and success.

"Happiness has been appropriately cited as a goal in political debates on issues from taxation to the social safety net to marriage equality, but the debate is often confused," says Wallace, author of "A Short Course in Happiness: Practical Steps to a Happier Life," which topped Amazon's Self-Help Best Seller list.

"Some people claim that happiness is all in your DNA or bank account. The truth is that happiness is largely a matter of everyday choices and actions. There are straightforward, well-researched and effective things every one of us can do to create greater happiness in our lives and in the lives of those we care about."

The essential elements of a happy life are not mysterious, she says.

Research shows that the happiest people do four basic things that make the difference: they focus on what is good and positive in their lives; cope effectively with life's inevitable challenges; develop strong relationships; and pursue meaningful goals.

"We can all become happier by putting our efforts into these areas," Wallace says.

One of the first steps we can take is to get past some of the common misperceptions about happiness that can stand in our way. Wallace offers these four examples.

• Misconception #1: Happiness is about getting the big things right. It's natural to think that if we were suddenly rich, beautiful and living on the beach somewhere, we'd be happy. But that type of good fortune turns out to have a surprisingly small impact on happiness. The happiest people are most often not those in the most enviable circumstances, but those who cultivate positive emotional outlooks and actions. So how can we do it? "Take concrete steps to practice optimism, gratitude, kindness and self-compassion in your everyday life," says Wallace. "The cumulative effect of those everyday choices can have a tremendous impact on how you experience your life."

• Misconception #2: Happy people suppress negative emotions. Happy people actually experience sadness, grief, worry and other so-called negative emotions nearly as frequently as unhappy people do. The difference is what happens when those feelings occur. Happier people are generally able to experience negative feelings without losing hope for the future. "They give themselves permission to feel sad, angry, or lonely, but they remain confident that things will get better. As a result, their sadness progresses into hope and action rather than regressing into anxiety and despair."

• Misconception #3: Pursuing happiness is self-centered. The strongest of all conclusions drawn by researchers into emotional well-being is that our happiness is determined more by our relationships with other people than by any other single factor. The happiest people build their lives around good, trusting relationships. "If other priorities are getting in the way of your relationships," says Wallace, "take steps to shift the balance back to where it will really make a difference."

• Misconception #4: I'll be happy when I achieve my goals. Have you ever noticed that when someone wins the Super Bowl or an Academy Award, or when you achieve a long-sought ambition, that wonderful sense of accomplishment and happiness seems to fade faster than you'd expect? "That's just the way our brains work," says Wallace. "Committed goal pursuit is one of the keys to a happy life, but most of the happiness we get from striving for goals comes while we're making progress toward them, not after we achieve them. That's why it's so important that we choose goals that are in synch with what we love and value, and that we make a conscious effort to enjoy them along the way."

About Lynda Wallace

After twenty years as a highly successful executive with Johnson & Johnson, where she was responsible for a $1B portfolio of businesses including Band-Aid, Neosporin and Purell, Lynda Wallace chose to change careers to pursue her passion. She now helps individuals and groups apply proven insights and techniques to achieve greater happiness and success in their lives, families, careers, and businesses. Lynda holds an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and is a certified positive psychology coach. She is also a sought-after speaker and the author of the #1 Amazon Self-Help Best Seller "A Short Course in Happiness: Practical Steps to a Happier Life." More information is available at her website: www.lyndawallace.com.

Sign up for an event near you!

 

 

Dear Friend,

I lost my son Jeremy to prostate cancer at the young age of 36, and you can be certain that ending this horrible disease that takes the lives of nearly 240,000 men every year is a cause very close to my heart.

ZERO has formed the largest men's health event series in the nation as a part of their mission to end prostate cancer. More than 60 events nationwide have been united under the same banner for this one cause. I participate and raise funds so that no one else has to lose a son, father, husband, brother or friend to this painful and debilitating killer of men.

The new event series is called the ZERO Prostate Cancer Challenge (ZPCC) and is comprised of run/walks, golf tournaments and teams in major endurance competitions. The ZPCC, managed by ZERO - The End of Prostate Cancer, raises awareness and funds to save lives from the most commonly diagnosed non-skin cancer among American men.

The ZERO Prostate Cancer Challenge event series is broken down into: ZERO Prostate Cancer Run (or walk), ZERO Prostate Cancer Golf and ZERO Prostate Cancer Endurance. Whether you're a triathlete, avid golfer or just like to take a leisurely stroll around the block, there is a way for you to get involved in a city near you.

Thousands are making a choice for a healthy lifestyle by walking, running, cycling and playing golf to help end prostate cancer. Please join me and take the challenge by signing up for an event near you! Since one of every six American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, one life you save may be your own or that of someone you love.

Click here to find a ZERO Prostate Cancer Run event near you.

Click here to find a ZERO Prostate Cancer Golf event near you.

Click here to find a ZERO Prostate Cancer Endurance event near you.

Be well,

Sherry Galloway

Board Member, ZERO - The End of Prostate Cancer

P.S. If you can't make it out for an event near you, please considering sponsoring an athlete or team, like Team Jeremy. Every gift brings us closer to a cure!

In observance of National Infertility Week we will be discussing endometriosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOs), within the framework of Chinese Medicine and the high success rate that we see in these cases compared to conventional medicine.

On April 23rd the focus will be on endometriosis, and April 24th will emphasize PCOs.  Both seminars take place between 6pm and 7:30pm, and are hosted by Moline Chiropractic clinic and Healing Lotus Acupuncture at 4300 12th Avenue, Moline, IL.

Seats fill - up fast, so please sign - up today! You can reserve a seat by calling (309) 764.4753 or sending an email to healinglotustcm@gmail.com

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Thursday, April 18, 2013

Grassley, Cassidy Seek Answers from Georgia Hospital on Discount Drug Program

WASHINGTON - Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Rep. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana today asked a Georgia hospital for details of its use of a federal discount prescription drug program, known as 340B.  They wrote to the Columbus Regional Healthcare System after a hospital executive said during a public interview that the hospital does not receive a "windfall of profits" from participating in the program and puts the proceeds into the hospital.

"When I looked at three North Carolina hospitals' use of this program, the numbers showed the hospitals were reaping sizeable 340B discounts on drugs and then upselling them to fully insured patients to maximize their spread," Grassley said.  "If 'non-profit' hospitals are essentially profiting from the 340B program without passing those savings to their patients, then the 340B program is not functioning as intended.  Our inquiry into the Georgia hospital will help us continue to examine hospitals' use of the 340B program."

Cassidy said, "As a physician who has spent 20 years caring for the uninsured, I recognize the value and importance of the 340B drug discount program. Given this importance, we must be sure that its good work is not threatened by those who misuse. Our common goal must be better care for those who are less fortunate."

The 340B program requires drug manufacturers to give deep discounts on certain outpatient drugs to hospitals that serve large numbers of uninsured and under-insured patients.  Grassley and Cassidy are among the members of Congress who are concerned that hospitals increasingly appear to be making sizeable profits from the program at the expense of Medicare, Medicaid and private health insurance.  The federal Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) conducted poor oversight of the program for a long period but is beginning to exert more scrutiny under pressure from Congress.

The Grassley-Cassidy letter to Columbus Regional Healthcare System is available here.

A Grassley letter to HRSA earlier this month citing the three N.C. hospitals is available here.

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He Lists 3 Major Consequences for Sufferers

There are at least two aspects of a misdiagnosis that can cause patients harm, says Dr. Steven Hotze.

"First, it means you are not being treated for what's actually causing illness; second, a misdiagnosis can lead to inappropriate treatments and medicines with side effects that can cause you harm," says Dr. Hotze, founder of the Hotze Health & Wellness Center, (www.hotzehwc.com), and author of "Hormones, Health, and Happiness."

"But there's a quality of life issue that's important as well. Many of my patients are women at or near middle age, and they often suffer from a multitude of symptoms including fatigue, low body temperature, brain fog, weight gain, loss of libido, hair loss and depression. Too often, they're told by their physician that 'nothing is wrong.' "

Women are more apt than men to pay attention to their bodies - and they're right for doing so, he says. A women's body includes a much more complex hormonal balancing act, with dramatic swings involved in the menstrual cycle.

Often, the women who come to him with that litany of symptoms do have a medical issue: hypothyroidism. Hotze calls it a "hidden epidemic" because it is so frequently un- or misdiagnosed.

The condition means the thyroid is not producing enough thyroid hormone, which affects hormone regulation. Hypothyroidism affects women seven times more frequently than men, Dr. Hotze says.

He reviews three ways in which a missed hypothyroidism diagnosis can affect a patient's life:

•  Living with unrelieved symptoms. When a person experiences the constellation of symptoms associated with hypothyroidism and is told by multiple doctors that it's  "just a normal part of aging," the future can seem bleak. Many physicians will order blood work and tell the patient she's fine because the results are "normal." However, 95 percent of people tested for hypothyroidism fall within a range considered normal. Also, keep in mind that two different labs testing identical blood samples can provide different results.

•  Prescribed unnecessary medication with undesirable side effects. Wellbutrin, Lexapro, Paxil, Effexor, Zoloft and Fluoxetine - these are just some of the antidepressants that one in four women take, according to a recent report from MedCo. One in 10 Americans, or 30 million people, are taking pills to fight depression, and 30 percent of the women aged 35 to 60 who are taking them are doing so because of misdiagnosed hypothyroidism. Antidepressants can have numerous side effects, from nausea and irritability to sexual dysfunction and homicidal or suicidal thoughts.

•  Uncomfortable, unhealthy physical changes. Untreated hypothyroidism  causes weight gain, which can further affect a person's emotional health. The weight gain comes with all the risks any excessive weight brings, from diabetes to heart disease.

"It has long been a cliché in our society that 'pills are not often the answer for our mental and physical wellbeing,' yet pharmaceutical companies continue to dominate treatment in our country," Dr. Hotze says. "Hormone replacement therapy, as long as bioidentical hormones are used, has been proven to be a healthy and effective treatment for women suffering hypothyroidism."

The distinction between synthetic and bioidentical hormones is important, he says; the latter have the same molecular structure as the hormones that are found naturally in the body, which means bioidentical hormone treatments cannot hurt patients. Counterfeit hormones - those that do not perfectly match the molecular structure of hormones in one's body - can be dangerous, he says.

"Hypothyroidism and aging share an important common denominator - diminished or faulty hormone production -- so it's easy to see how doctors can miss a diagnosis," Hotze says. "But that makes it all the more important for physicians to listen to their patients, and that takes time. Hormone replacement therapy using bioidentical hormones help patients who are suffering extreme symptoms in both cases."

About Steven F. Hotze, MD

Dr. Steven Hotze is the founder and CEO of the Hotze Health & Wellness Center in Houston, Texas. He's a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy and the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, and is the former president of the Pan American Allergy Society. He earned his medical degree from the University of Texas. Dr. Hotze and his wife of 44 years have eight children and 16 grandchildren.

Psychiatrist Shares 4 Ways Sports-Obsessed
Families Can Affect Young Athletes

They're called student-athletes, but many youth advocates - including psychiatrist Gary Malone, are concerned that the emphasis is on "athlete."

"Anyone who follows sports knows that college-level and professional recruiters are looking at recruits - children - at increasingly younger ages, and it's not because they want to ensure these athletic students get a well-rounded education," says Malone,  a distinguished fellow in the American Psychiatric Association, and coauthor with his sister Susan Mary Malone of "What's Wrong with My Family?" (www.whatswrongwithmyfamily.com).

"In my home state, Texas, a new high school football stadium is opening that cost $60 million dollars and seats 18,000. That's all funded at public expense. We constantly read of districts across the country cutting academic and arts programs and teachers' salaries due to budget shortfalls. How can this make sense?"

As a high-performing student-athlete throughout his own high school and college years, Malone says he appreciates the benefits of extracurricular programs.

"But the NCAA.'s own 2011 survey found that, by a wide margin, men's basketball and football players are much more concerned about their performance on the field than in the classroom," he says.

Malone reviews how the imbalance favoring athletic pursuits can damage student-athletes and the family unit:

• Life beyond sports: Only 3 percent of high school athletes will go on to compete in college; less than 1 percent of college athletes turn pro, where the average career is three years with risk of permanent injury, including brain damage, for football players. Even if they're among the successful elite, wealth management is likely to be a major problem; some studies show that up to 78 percent of NFL players go broke after three years of retirement. Is this the best future for a child?

• Misplaced parental priorities: A parent's obsession with a child's success in sports can be extremely damaging to a child, to the extent of bordering on abuse. Parents who look to their children to provide them with the validation, status or other unfulfilled needs don't have their child's best interests at heart. Parents who tend to be domineering can be especially dangerous in the face of an athletic success obsession.

• Siblings left behind: When the family values one child's athletic prowess over the talents and gifts displayed by his or her siblings, the latter children risk growing up without a sense of personal identity, which leads to co-dependency problems in adulthood.

• Pressured to play: Especially in the South, but throughout the entire United States, football is huge. Basketball dominates inner cities and regions like Indiana; wrestling is big in the Midwest and parts of the Northeast, and hockey might be the focus for children throughout Northeast and upper Midwest. Children, especially boys, may feel obliged or pressured to play a particular sport even if they have no talent or interest in it to the detriment of other talents that might have been developed.

"Athletics can be extremely beneficial to a young person's life, but I think we have our priorities backwards," Malone says. "Imagine how much better off our country might be if, instead of football, we were obsessed with our children's performance in science and math."

About Dr. Gary Malone, M.D. & Susan Mary Malone

Dr. Gary Malone is an Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Texas Southwestern and a teaching analyst at the Dallas Psychoanalytic Institute. He is a distinguished fellow in the American Psychiatric Association with board certifications in general and addiction psychiatry. He has worked in hospitals and private practices for more than 30 years. Dr. Malone is director of Adult Chemical Dependency Services at Millwood Hospital in Arlington, Texas.

Award-winning writer and editor Susan Mary Malone is the author of the novel, "By the Book," and three nonfiction books, including "Five Keys for Understanding Men: A Women's Guide." More than 40 of the book projects she has edited were purchased by traditional publishing houses. She is Dr. Malone's sister
By Senator Tom Harkin

In emotional testimony before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee last week, Carroll native Stacy Cook described her experience battling breast cancer and having to pay out-of-pocket for services when she was denied health care coverage.

The testimony came during a hearing I convened to examine progress at the state and federal levels in creating health insurance exchanges authorized by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and to review the new consumer protections that will begin in 2014. Having worked to help craft the law, I wanted to hear firsthand how these changes will impact consumers.

Cook was first diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2004, when she was 28 years old.  At the time, she was fortunate to have adequate health insurance through her job to receive the care that she needed.    But in March of 2012, after moving to Arizona, the cancer reappeared.   She underwent a mastectomy only to discover her insurance would not cover the procedure or the chemotherapy treatments she would need.  Further, the insurance would pay for only five doctor visits a year.

It was only after friends and family intervened that she was able to afford three of the six chemotherapy treatments that were recommended by her oncologist.

Cook's growing medical bills left her unable to pay her rent in Arizona, forcing her to move back in with her family.  After she moved back to Iowa, she continued her search for health insurance coverage.  Sadly, she has been denied coverage and is continuing to pay out-of-pocket for care.

"Unfortunately, I am now $40,000 in debt because of my medical bills, and I feel that I will likely need to file bankruptcy in 2013," she described to the HELP Committee.

As a result of the Affordable Care Act, as of January 1st of next year insurance companies cannot discriminate against Americans with preexisting conditions, or charge higher premiums based on health status or gender, and their ability to raise premiums based on age will be limited.

"I now have peace of mind knowing that, in 2014, I will no longer be denied coverage because of my pre-existing condition - cancer," Cook continued.  "Having access to affordable insurance coverage and quality medical care will give me a better peace of mind for the future. My future is much brighter today than before the enactment of the Affordable Care Act, and for that I am very grateful."

It is testimony like Stacy's that make this fight so personal, so important to increasing access to quality, affordable health care in our country.  It was stories like hers that inspired the debate when we were crafting this law and will lead to the progress when the full benefits of this law are realized next year.

If you have a story about how the Affordable Care Act will help you or your family, please share it via my website at http://www.harkin.senate.gov/.

A PDF version of this article is available by clicking here.

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Oncologist Offers 7 Tips for Increasing Awareness

Not too long ago - just after World War II - few people in the United States brushed their teeth with any regularity. Now, the mere thought of going an entire day or night without brushing one's teeth is simply out of the question for most.

Hopefully, someday in the near future, a similar attitude will prevail regarding mental well-being, says Dr. Matt Mumber, an oncologist and author of "Sustainable Wellness: An Integrative Approach to Transform Your Mind, Body, and Spirit," (www.sustainablewellnessonline.com), coauthored by Yoga therapist Heather Reed.

"Human happiness and well-being are rudderless without awareness, which I define as the quality of paying attention to what's going on in the present moment from an inquisitive, nonjudgmental and focused perspective," he says.

An easy way to think of optimal wellbeing might be to envision a three-legged stool, says Reed.

"The three legs include physical activity, nutrition and that underappreciated component missing from too many Americans' lives - stress management, or a healthy mental state," she says.

After checking off a healthy diet and exercise from the list, how does one go about ensuring a healthy mind? Mumber and Reed say the key is mindfulness, which they define as paying attention on purpose, non-judgmentally and as though your life depended on it. Framed another way, mindfulness means focusing on something without trying to change it, like the sky holding passing clouds without clinging to them.

They describe the states necessary for attaining mindfulness:

• Beginner's mind is the ability to see things with new eyes. The Bible warns against putting new wine in old wine skins - doing so risks tainting the new stock. A beginner's mind opens people to the world of possibilities that exist in the present moment. That does not mean throwing away good ideas from the past; rather, it means to entertain new ideas with a truly open sensibility.

• Trust: Believe in your authority to know your own body, thoughts and feelings. We need to have the confidence necessary to trust that our thoughts and feelings at any given moment have value.

• Non-judging is the ability to see things for what they are, to hold an open and neutral place for whatever comes up within and around you, without thinking of anything as categorically better or worse than anything else.

• Patience is a willingness to continue with the process of paying attention on purpose even when it appears that no progress is being made. Learning and growing through mindful practice happens with time, and we can't force the outcome.

• Acceptance refers to allowing whatever comes up in the moment to be held in our field of awareness. This is not the same as giving up or being passive; acceptance is merely acknowledgement.

• Letting go is refusing to attach to specific thoughts, feelings or behaviors. This can feel like losing something, but every time we let go, we open ourselves to something new and, potentially, deeper.

• Non-striving: In our goal-oriented society, this may seem counterintuitive. However, non-striving refers only to practicing mindfulness without expectation of some future goal or dream, which helps us better live in the now.

"By having our three-legged stool firmly planted in awareness, we can drop into what we typically call a sense of spiritual wellbeing,' says Mumber.

About Matt Mumber, MD & Heather Reed

Matt Mumber, MD, is a practicing board-certified radiation oncologist with the Harbin Clinic in Rome, Ga. He completed his radiation oncology residency at Wake Forest University Bowman Gray School of Medicine and graduated from the Associate Fellowship Program in Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona. Dr. Mumber is past president of the Georgia Society of Clinical Oncology. He founded Cancer Navigators Inc, a non-profit organization offering cancer patients access to nurse navigation, social services and educational programs to support and augment the clinical care they receive. Dr. Mumber received the Hamilton Jordan Founders Award for involvement in statewide oncology activities and in 2008 he was named a Health Care Hero by Georgia Trend magazine.

Heather Reed has been teaching Yoga since 1996. She expresses an integrative, adaptive approach and specializes in using Yoga and meditation techniques for people living with cancer, post-polio syndrome and other chronic illnesses. Heather received an Experienced Teacher Certification from Esther Myers Yoga Teacher Training Program and has had extensive training with senior staff of the Commonweal Cancer Help program and Dr. Dean Ornish's Program for Reversing Heart Disease. She developed Yoga classes for cancer patients at The Wellness Community, Atlanta. Since 2008, she has been Yoga teacher and co-facilitator for the Residential Retreat Program for Cancer Navigators of Rome, Ga.

Rock Island, IL -Christian Care, a local nonprofit charity that provides shelter for homeless men and for women and children who have experienced domestic violence, now offers a support group called Understanding Suicide: ASAP (Awareness, Support, Action, Prevention). The group has been formed to serve individuals who have contemplated or attempted suicide, those coping with the suicide of a loved one and those concerned about a loved one.

The Understanding Suicide group will meet the first and third Wednesday of every month from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Christian Care's Rescue Mission located at 2209 3rd Ave in Rock Island. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 17 th at 4:00 p.m. Although a mental health professional will facilitate the group, this is not a therapy group.

The group's goal is to provide education, resources, support and an opportunity to share and process thoughts and feelings related to suicide. Participants will be able to share experiences related to suicide, learn suicide's warning signs, understand the process for helping at-risk individuals, and provide information and knowledge about preventing suicide. For more information about this group, call Sharon De Frieze at (309) 737-4658 or visit Christian Care's website at www.christiancareqc.org. For those in danger, call Christian Care's Crisis Hotline at (309) 788-2273.

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PEORIA,Ill. (April 15, 2013) – May 8 is World Red Cross Day, and the American Red Cross encourages eligible individuals to celebrate by donating lifesaving blood in their communities. The need is constant, and all blood types are needed, especially O negative, B negative and A negative.

For more than 130 years, the Red Cross has been dedicated to helping people in communities large and small across the U.S. It is the only humanitarian services organization that provides blood services, serves as the emergency communication link between military personnel and their families, offers health and safety training and responds to disasters of all types and sizes.

Join the Red Cross family this month and make an appointment to give blood in honor of World Red Cross Day at redcrossblood.org.

World Red Cross Day

World Red Cross Day is celebrated every year on May 8, the birthday of Henry Dunant, who officially founded the International Red Cross & Red Crescent Movement nearly 100 years ago. The holiday recognizes worldwide efforts to advocate for the relief of human suffering, whether from disease, disaster, war or famine.

Upcoming blood donation opportunities:

Carroll County
May 8 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at West Carroll High School, 500 Cragmoor Drive in Savanna, Ill.

Clinton County
May 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Ashford University Calling Center, 1310 19th Ave. North in Clinton, Iowa

Henry County
May 2 from 12-6 p.m. at First United Methodist Church South Campus Building, 302 N. State St. in Geneseo, Ill.
May 8 from 1:15-5:15 p.m. at First Christian Church, 105 Dwight St. in Kewanee, Ill.
May 9 from 2-6 p.m. at St. John's Vianney Church, 313 S. West St. in Cambridge, Ill.

Mercer County
May 2 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sherrard High School, 4701 176th in Sherrard, Ill.

Whiteside County
May 1 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Fulton High School, 1207 12th St. in Fulton, Ill.
May 1 from 2-6 p.m. at American Red Cross, 112 W. Second St. in Rock Falls, Ill.
May 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Army National Guard, 716 Sixth Ave. in Rock Falls, Ill.
May 6 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Prophetstown High School, 310 Riverside in Prophetstown, Ill.
May 7 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Erie High School, 435 Sixth Ave. in Erie, Ill.
May 7 from 8-11 a.m. at River Bend Senior Center, 912 Fourth St. in Fulton, Ill.
May 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at American Red Cross, 112 W. Second St. in Rock Falls, Ill.
May 9 from 3-8 p.m. at Tampico United Methodist Church, 202 Lincoln Ave. in Tampico, Ill.
May 13 from 4:30-7:30 p.m. at Montmorency School, 9415 Hoover Road in Rock Falls, Ill.
May 14 from 1-5:15 p.m. at River Bend Senior Center, 912 Fourth St. in Fulton, Ill.
May 15 from 2-6 p.m. at American Red Cross, 112 W. Second St. in Rock Falls, Ill.

The need is constant. The gratification is instant. Give blood.™

How to donate blood
Simply call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) or visit redcrossblood.org to make an
appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for
patients. A blood donor card or driver's license or two other forms of identification are required
at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh
at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school
students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and
weight requirements.

About the American Red Cross
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters;
supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides
international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red
Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the
American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or join
our blog at http://blog.redcross.org.

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