Portrait of a true survivor…The Missy Jenkins Story

Jenkins

On December 1st 1997, Freshman Michael Carneal walked into the lobby of Heath High School in West Paducah, Kentucky and began shooting. Three students were killed and five were injured. Missy Jenkins was one of those injured students. At the age of fifteen she was left paralyzed from the chest down. Now given the circumstances she could be granted the right to be bitter, resentful even, however this was not her choice and her story is not one of self pity but self empowerment. The events of that day were certainly life changing but in a positive and inspiring way. Read on and discover how … [Read more...]

May 2012 Letter from the Editor

family health

Wow!  The school year is already winding down, summer is around the corner, and we’re honoring several important causes this month!  May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, Mental Health Month, and Arthritis Month.  Do one of these focuses resonate more with you? As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Registered Play Therapist, I encourage you to keep a comprehensive wide-lens view of health.  If we sit on the couch all day watching TV, eating fast food, scarcely exercising, having little family involvement/ communication, our mental health will no doubt be affected.  Feeling … [Read more...]

Week 11 2012

waist measuring tape

Cheryl continues to do what I tell her to do (brave soul)! She’s lost 2 more pounds and is now wearing XS scrubs at work. <she works in a doctor’s office> So that tells me her body composition is definitely changing and continuing to change in the right direction—healthier! I’m so proud of her for everything she’s experienced so far not just physically – but emotionally! She’s truly realizing that getting healthier isn’t just about the body – it’s about the mind and spirit too. Almost everything has to change, for everything to change—permanently! I’m going to mix up her weight routines … [Read more...]

Week 10

Cheryl-wk-8

The week following our last blog was so “ho-hum” for Cheryl that I opted not to blog for week 9. I felt awkward about it as it wasn’t initially “our pact”…she succeeded once more with her workouts and even forwarded me a picture which I’ve included. I was happy to see---a happier Cheryl! By that I mean, well…can’t YOU tell?? She’s got this sassy, confident smile about her and she’s proudly sporting more fitted gym attire and looking more toned and leaner all over! Out of curiosity I had her do her measurements, in spite of the fact the scale wasn’t creeping down at a speed of lightening … [Read more...]