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August 6, 2008

Super Stella Deserves a Digable Walker!

Filed under: — admin @ 4:05 am

 “It’s been a long time, I shouldn’t have left you…without a dope beat to step to…”

                                                                                                    -Eric B and Rakim

P-NUT ALERT!

This pint-sized peanut of a pumpkin’s name is Stella.  I was recently lucky enough to find some fantastic photos of Stella and her walker taken by her professional photog Mom, (and fellow native Midwesterner), Sarah.  (Check out Sarah’s lovely pictures on flickr:   http://www.flickr.com/photos/sweetiepeatie/ ).  Sarah has graciously given me permission to use photos of little Stella because she agrees that Stella deserves better.  (I have zero photography or photoshop capabilities, so please pardon the grainy nature and poor crop job of the above photo.  I was trying to adjust it so that Stella was larger than life, and obviously failed miserably!  The way-better original photo can be found on Sarah’s flickr page.)

Seriously.  Look at her sweet face and her grin!  Her smiling eyes shine as brightly as the bold colors on her shawl.  Stella is indeed picture-perfect in every way, but her walking aid leaves her looking less “sunny”, and less “able” than she really is!  Stella’s walker should be totally pimped out with bright colors, fun textures, and it should even play music, or light-up or something!  Imagine what her beaming face would look like if she could sport an attention-grabbing, sassier walker.  The possibilities for aesthetic improvement are endless, I say! 

There is no question that Stella is my new, little “mini-muse” in my continued quest to change an entire industry.  Seeing her picture has re-awakened much of the passion that I had lost since I started out with this lofty goal a year or two ago.   I am determined to find more creative ways to access funding for my various projects related to creating more digable devices.  Stella deserves as least as much, don’tcha think?

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Well, y’all–I’m officially back, so check the blog often, and keep an eye out for a new page on this site that I’ll be adding soon. The new page will feature pictures/videos of people, assistive devices, and whatever else I think you’d enjoy visually checking out.  I don’t have a name for the page yet, but I’ll let you know when it’s up, mmmmkay?  (I’m nixing the current ”forum” page, ’cause it gets used so infrequently…)

Missed you all, and I’m stoked about being back with a renewed sense of purpose and vision.  There’s nothing quite like an image of a happy munchkin like little Stella to keep directing me towards my goals and dreams. 

As always, I welcome your comments, questions and whatever else you’d like to share.  It’s good to be back!

May 20, 2008

Great “New-2-U” site finds: Medgadget and PediaPals!

Filed under: — admin @ 7:53 am

Sooooooooooooo…it’s ‘been a long time since my last post–I know, I know! I haven’t been exactly meaning to be so distant, but have just not made it top priority to write here. Also, I know the site needs updating…serious updating, so I’ll try to get in touch with my super-duper webmaster sista, Felicia of Felicia Designs here in Albuquerque; (a link to her site can be found on this site’s “links” page!)

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Most Digable Site I've found in Awhile...

I cannot believe it took me this long to come across this website, and I feel quite embarrassed about not having found it sooner. In any case, I love the fact that you can search the archives by specialty, i.e. “pediatrics” or “geriatrics” or “rehab,” etc. They don’t have an “aesthetics” section yet, but I’m working on coming up with some ideas so that they will have no choice but to add one soon! Check out their site–you’ll definitely dig it. I found particular interest in this story from 2006 whose study suggests what we all already know–sassying up a medical device is beneficial to the user! The University of New Mexico School of Medicine (UNM Rocks!) research study found that using cute, colorful needles significantly reduces the level of stress in patients. In fact, UNM professor Dr. Wilmer Sibbitt, Jr. says that “it is likely that decorating a medical device is a neurophysiologic intervention, resulting in stimulation of brain areas NOT usually associated with fear, anxiety and aversion.”

Hallelujah! We know, We know!

http://www.medgadget.com/archives/2006/08/cute_needles_a.html

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In related news, I want to share with you an uber-diggable company that seems to truly understand the important relationship between aesthetics and user response: PediaPals!

PediaPals

Please, please visit this site! The wonderful folks behind the Minnesota-based company design, manufacture, and market fun, friendly and cute medical equipment and supplies. I may try to get in touch with PediaPals to see if we can work together to not only make pediatric medical products more fun and appealing, but also mobility assistive devices like the ones I’ve talked about on this site! It seems that more and more companies are helping erase the fear and stigma that surrounds so much of the medical (mobility) products available today:

http://www.pediapals.com/AboutUs.htm

April 14, 2008

Your Mission: Go See “Young at Heart!”

Filed under: — admin @ 5:14 am

Virgin in Red

Isn’t this a wonderous picture? A local photographer who calls herself “nicholsphotos” http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicholsphotos/ on www.flickr.com just posted this on the Duke City Fix website, following her recent visit to the newly opened Center for Action and Contemplation. (http://www.cacradicalgrace.org/) in Albuquerque’s South Valley. I just want to remember to share with you all some of the fantastic sights of New Mexico now and again. I try to not take for granted all the great stuff that happens here, not to mention that we have the best weather in the US AND sunny skies year-round.

It has been not quite a month since my last post, and so many things have happened since my last update. First off, I want to acknowledge a very special gentleman and his family from Farmington, NM (they requested I not use their names–very humble folks…) who found my misplaced wallet and were tireless in their search to return it safely to me. I won’t get into the long-winded details of it all, but my faith in humankind was certainly redeemed when I received the phone call informing me that my wallet was on it’s way back to me in Albuquerque. HOLY MOSES and Great Odin’s Raven! Nothing was missing–NADA. Just know that there are still really kind, wonderful people in this nation. I will not soon forget this upright gesture, no sireee.

HUGE Felicitaciones to my best NM gal pal, Melissa, who delivered a precious baby girl on April 11th. I had a chance to hold the little miracle, named Madeline Bryce. She is truly perfect in every way, and I look forward to watching her grow up.

No news to share (YET) on my plan to take my IDEA BUENA to the big wigs. I have been doing research, though, and plan to get a letter out to the product development people within said company this week. Will be sure to keep y’all posted, as this will begin to change the face of the assistive devices industry for those of us as interested in (even more so?) form as we are in function. In short–VIVA LA REVOLUCION! Sorry I am being so clandestine about this thing. I promise I’ll be able to reveal what I’m working on shortly.

In regards to the title of this post, I want to share with you a trailer of a movie I’m hoping comes here to my own little town very soon. As a Gerontologist, I am always psyched by/ fascinated with anything cool and forward-minded happening in the field of aging. This movie looks like a hoot, and you’ve got to dig hip, healthy seniors singing rock songs. Seriously.

Best to you all until next post. Hugs and lilac bloom kisses…Sarah

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