<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?><!-- generator=Zoho Sites --><rss version="2.0" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"><channel><atom:link href="https://www.healnc.net/blogs/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><title>Health Empowerment Action League of North Carolina - Blog</title><description>Health Empowerment Action League of North Carolina - Blog</description><link>https://www.healnc.net/blogs</link><lastBuildDate>Tue, 16 Sep 2025 03:31:48 -0700</lastBuildDate><generator>http://zoho.com/sites/</generator><item><title><![CDATA[Measles!? Should We Be Afraid?]]></title><link>https://www.healnc.net/blogs/post/measles-should-we-be-afraid</link><description><![CDATA[<img align="left" hspace="5" src="https://www.healnc.net/images/measles-women-scratch-the-upper-arm-with-one-hand-due-to-the-numerous-red-pruritus-measles-is.webp"/>Betsy Clark, February 27, 2025: "I wrote this the beginning of last year when the yearly media buzz started. Looks like it’s time to pull it back out. It’s important to look at what we know to be true and make decisions based on facts, not on fear."]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zpcontent-container blogpost-container "><div data-element-id="elm_K0DI7m3jT5imrT3eCWY0Qw" data-element-type="section" class="zpsection "><style type="text/css"></style><div class="zpcontainer-fluid zpcontainer"><div data-element-id="elm_VQsi2Rk3TcGPVTc7CcD2zQ" data-element-type="row" class="zprow zprow-container zpalign-items- zpjustify-content- " data-equal-column=""><style type="text/css"></style><div data-element-id="elm_HV1fpAedTRi1Q7U7Auzh0w" data-element-type="column" class="zpelem-col zpcol-12 zpcol-md-12 zpcol-sm-12 zpalign-self- "><style type="text/css"></style><div data-element-id="elm_j4mMx7MWTj-2Fguw0dkoPw" data-element-type="heading" class="zpelement zpelem-heading "><style> [data-element-id="elm_j4mMx7MWTj-2Fguw0dkoPw"].zpelem-heading { border-radius:1px; } </style><h2 class="zpheading zpheading-align-center zpheading-align-mobile-center zpheading-align-tablet-center " data-editor="true"><div style="color:inherit;"><h1><span style="font-size:32px;">Measles!? Should We Be Afraid?</span></h1></div></h2></div>
<div data-element-id="elm_p3T7JF-0Cc1DoiQYHcZHSA" data-element-type="image" class="zpelement zpelem-image "><style> @media (min-width: 992px) { [data-element-id="elm_p3T7JF-0Cc1DoiQYHcZHSA"] .zpimage-container figure img { width: 509px !important ; height: 339px !important ; } } @media (max-width: 991px) and (min-width: 768px) { [data-element-id="elm_p3T7JF-0Cc1DoiQYHcZHSA"] .zpimage-container figure img { width:509px ; height:339px ; } } @media (max-width: 767px) { [data-element-id="elm_p3T7JF-0Cc1DoiQYHcZHSA"] .zpimage-container figure img { width:509px ; height:339px ; } } [data-element-id="elm_p3T7JF-0Cc1DoiQYHcZHSA"].zpelem-image { border-radius:1px; } </style><div data-caption-color="" data-size-tablet="" data-size-mobile="" data-align="center" data-tablet-image-separate="false" data-mobile-image-separate="false" class="zpimage-container zpimage-align-center zpimage-tablet-align-center zpimage-mobile-align-center zpimage-size-original zpimage-tablet-fallback-original zpimage-mobile-fallback-fit hb-lightbox " data-lightbox-options="
                type:fullscreen,
                theme:dark"><figure role="none" class="zpimage-data-ref"><span class="zpimage-anchor" role="link" tabindex="0" aria-label="Open Lightbox" style="cursor:pointer;"><picture><img class="zpimage zpimage-style-none zpimage-space-none " src="https://www.healnc.net/images/measles-women-scratch-the-upper-arm-with-one-hand-due-to-the-numerous-red-pruritus-measles-is.webp" width="509" height="339" loading="lazy" size="original" data-lightbox="true"></picture></span></figure></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_RFstILVM8NlN-lP7Jno1Tg" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style></style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left zptext-align-mobile-left zptext-align-tablet-left " data-editor="true"><p><span><span style="font-style:italic;">Betsy Clark, February 27, 2025: "I wrote this the beginning of last year when the yearly media buzz started. Looks like it’s time to pull it back out. It’s important to look at what we know to be true and make decisions based on facts, not on fear." (</span></span><span style="font-style:italic;text-align:center;">Originally posted on Feb. 19, 2024.)</span></p></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_mSoTuocYSgqpI_eWA9jsWg" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style> [data-element-id="elm_mSoTuocYSgqpI_eWA9jsWg"].zpelem-text { border-radius:1px; } </style><div class="zptext zptext-align-center zptext-align-mobile-center zptext-align-tablet-center " data-editor="true"><div><p></p><div style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-weight:700;color:inherit;">Measles In the News</span></div><span style="color:inherit;font-size:14.25pt;"><div style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:14.25pt;color:inherit;">Have you seen measles in the news with photos of miserable-looking children covered in red bumps recently? Measles was declared “eradicated” from the United States since 2000. Why is this ancient infection of past decades rearing its ugly head to haunt us once more? Should we be afraid? Are our children in danger? I thought vaccines eradicated this disease! What is happening?!</span></div></span><div style="text-align:left;"><br></div><span style="color:inherit;font-size:14.25pt;font-weight:700;"><div style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:inherit;font-size:14.25pt;">How Many Cases Each Year?</span></div></span><div style="text-align:left;color:inherit;"><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/cases-outbreaks.html" style="color:inherit;"></a><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/cases-outbreaks.html" style="color:inherit;"><span style="font-size:14.25pt;">CDC data on reported cases in the US</span></a><span style="color:inherit;font-size:14.25pt;"> show that every year there are between just over a dozen, all the way up to hundreds of cases each year in the United States (1274 cases in 2019). These cases are in people vaccinated for measles, as well as those who aren’t vaccinated for measles. Headline articles today are in a panic, using the phrase “</span><span style="color:inherit;font-size:14.25pt;font-style:italic;">nearly a dozen cases in multiple states…</span><span style="color:inherit;font-size:14.25pt;">” Well, we’re not even past the first month of the year! Oh dear, oh dear! Is it time to panic?</span><br></div>
<div style="text-align:left;color:inherit;"><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/measles/cases-outbreaks.html" style="color:inherit;"><span style="color:inherit;font-size:14.25pt;"><br></span></a></div>
<p></p><p style="color:inherit;"></p><div style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-weight:700;color:inherit;">Dr Sherri Tenpenny Weighs In</span></div><span style="font-size:14.25pt;"><div style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:inherit;font-size:14.25pt;">"</span><span style="color:inherit;font-size:14.25pt;font-style:italic;">We've got to stop calling chickenpox and measles diseases, because they're not. They're infections, and infections come and go in a week to ten days and leave behind a lifetime of immunity. A disease is something that comes and stays, and frequently can't be cured. So, when you vaccinate to avoid an infection, what you potentially are doing is causing a disease.</span><span style="color:inherit;font-size:14.25pt;">" - Dr Sherri J. Tenpenny, D. O., Board Certified in Emergency Medicine and Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine</span></div>
<div style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:inherit;font-size:14.25pt;"><br></span></div></span><p></p><span style="color:inherit;font-size:14.25pt;font-weight:700;"><div style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:inherit;font-size:14.25pt;">Did Vaccines Save Us?</span></div></span><span style="color:inherit;font-size:14.25pt;"><div style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:inherit;font-size:14.25pt;">I once thought that the incidence of infectious illness was greatly reduced and eventually eradicated by vaccination. Imagine my shock, when I saw the following chart for measles. If you chop it between 1960 and today, the slope looks a lot more impressive. But when looking at the big picture, we can’t help but ask: Is the vaccine really to be credited with the steep drop in mortality for this illness? Or could other factors have something to do with it? Looking at similar charts for other infectious illnesses shows a similar plot.</span></div></span></div>
</div></div><div data-element-id="elm_S7lJ7JYPLled-ZUKYrCbCg" data-element-type="image" class="zpelement zpelem-image "><style> @media (min-width: 992px) { [data-element-id="elm_S7lJ7JYPLled-ZUKYrCbCg"] .zpimage-container figure img { width: 960px !important ; height: 609px !important ; } } @media (max-width: 991px) and (min-width: 768px) { [data-element-id="elm_S7lJ7JYPLled-ZUKYrCbCg"] .zpimage-container figure img { width:960px ; height:609px ; } } @media (max-width: 767px) { [data-element-id="elm_S7lJ7JYPLled-ZUKYrCbCg"] .zpimage-container figure img { width:960px ; height:609px ; } } [data-element-id="elm_S7lJ7JYPLled-ZUKYrCbCg"].zpelem-image { border-radius:1px; } </style><div data-caption-color="" data-size-tablet="" data-size-mobile="" data-align="center" data-tablet-image-separate="false" data-mobile-image-separate="false" class="zpimage-container zpimage-align-center zpimage-tablet-align-center zpimage-mobile-align-center zpimage-size-original zpimage-tablet-fallback-fit zpimage-mobile-fallback-fit hb-lightbox " data-lightbox-options="
                type:fullscreen,
                theme:dark"><figure role="none" class="zpimage-data-ref"><span class="zpimage-anchor" role="link" tabindex="0" aria-label="Open Lightbox" style="cursor:pointer;"><picture><img class="zpimage zpimage-style-none zpimage-space-none " src="https://www.healnc.net/images/Measles%201.jpeg" width="960" height="609" loading="lazy" size="original" data-lightbox="true"></picture></span><figcaption class="zpimage-caption zpimage-caption-align-center"><span class="zpimage-caption-content">Above image provided from Dissolving Illusions website.</span></figcaption></figure></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_MXc7LOIaaeKggu97V06lBA" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style> [data-element-id="elm_MXc7LOIaaeKggu97V06lBA"].zpelem-text { border-radius:1px; } </style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left zptext-align-mobile-left zptext-align-tablet-left " data-editor="true"><p><span style="color:inherit;"><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-weight:700;">Are We in Danger?</span><br><span style="font-size:14.25pt;">How dangerous is measles? In 2018, during one such media push, the Facebook page for the World Health Organization listed seven possible complications that could be caused by measles. They are nothing to be taken lightly. However, in a person who is not malnourished or&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size:14.25pt;"><a href="https://www.who.int/data/nutrition/nlis/info/vitamin-a-deficiency" title="https://www.who.int/data/nutrition/nlis/info/vitamin-a-deficiency" target="_blank" rel=""><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">vitamin A deficient</span></a></span><span style="font-size:14.25pt;">, it is unlikely that contracting measles carries these complication risks. Vitamin A deficiency puts children at great risk for severe complications from many infections.</span></span><br></p></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_FjXW2UcQGTCt3Sh1F_MxiA" data-element-type="image" class="zpelement zpelem-image "><style> @media (min-width: 992px) { [data-element-id="elm_FjXW2UcQGTCt3Sh1F_MxiA"] .zpimage-container figure img { width: 447px !important ; height: 691.85px !important ; } } @media (max-width: 991px) and (min-width: 768px) { [data-element-id="elm_FjXW2UcQGTCt3Sh1F_MxiA"] .zpimage-container figure img { width:447px !important ; height:691.85px !important ; } } @media (max-width: 767px) { [data-element-id="elm_FjXW2UcQGTCt3Sh1F_MxiA"] .zpimage-container figure img { width:447px !important ; height:691.85px !important ; } } [data-element-id="elm_FjXW2UcQGTCt3Sh1F_MxiA"].zpelem-image { border-radius:1px; } </style><div data-caption-color="" data-size-tablet="" data-size-mobile="" data-align="center" data-tablet-image-separate="false" data-mobile-image-separate="false" class="zpimage-container zpimage-align-center zpimage-tablet-align-center zpimage-mobile-align-center zpimage-size-custom zpimage-tablet-fallback-custom zpimage-mobile-fallback-custom hb-lightbox " data-lightbox-options="
                type:fullscreen,
                theme:dark"><figure role="none" class="zpimage-data-ref"><span class="zpimage-anchor" role="link" tabindex="0" aria-label="Open Lightbox" style="cursor:pointer;"><picture><img class="zpimage zpimage-style-none zpimage-space-none " src="https://www.healnc.net/images/Measles%202.jpeg" width="447" height="691.85" loading="lazy" size="custom" data-lightbox="true"></picture></span><figcaption class="zpimage-caption zpimage-caption-align-center"><span class="zpimage-caption-content">Screen shot of the WHO 2018 FB post regarding measles complications</span></figcaption></figure></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_FMdEwKssrd5JjI6B_epLNw" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style> [data-element-id="elm_FMdEwKssrd5JjI6B_epLNw"].zpelem-text { border-radius:1px; } </style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left zptext-align-mobile-left zptext-align-tablet-left " data-editor="true"><p><span style="color:inherit;"><span style="font-size:14.25pt;">Just for fun, after seeing their post, I decided to look up and compare the adverse effects listed on the MMR vaccine manufacturers insert. I was not shocked to discover that&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-style:italic;">all seven</span><span style="font-size:14.25pt;"> of the possible complications from measles, including death, are listed as adverse effects from the vaccine, PLUS ALL THESE OTHERS!!! I’ve bolded a few that I find especially troubling.</span></span><br></p></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_ThbTLtaBHaMF7VNfWY52cQ" data-element-type="image" class="zpelement zpelem-image "><style> @media (min-width: 992px) { [data-element-id="elm_ThbTLtaBHaMF7VNfWY52cQ"] .zpimage-container figure img { width: 465px !important ; height: 597px !important ; } } @media (max-width: 991px) and (min-width: 768px) { [data-element-id="elm_ThbTLtaBHaMF7VNfWY52cQ"] .zpimage-container figure img { width:465px ; height:597px ; } } @media (max-width: 767px) { [data-element-id="elm_ThbTLtaBHaMF7VNfWY52cQ"] .zpimage-container figure img { width:465px ; height:597px ; } } [data-element-id="elm_ThbTLtaBHaMF7VNfWY52cQ"].zpelem-image { border-radius:1px; } </style><div data-caption-color="" data-size-tablet="" data-size-mobile="" data-align="center" data-tablet-image-separate="false" data-mobile-image-separate="false" class="zpimage-container zpimage-align-center zpimage-tablet-align-center zpimage-mobile-align-center zpimage-size-original zpimage-tablet-fallback-original zpimage-mobile-fallback-fit hb-lightbox " data-lightbox-options="
                type:fullscreen,
                theme:dark"><figure role="none" class="zpimage-data-ref"><span class="zpimage-anchor" role="link" tabindex="0" aria-label="Open Lightbox" style="cursor:pointer;"><picture><img class="zpimage zpimage-style-none zpimage-space-none " src="https://www.healnc.net/images/Measles%203.jpeg" width="465" height="597" loading="lazy" size="original" data-lightbox="true"></picture></span></figure></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_VrVSWXsK3EWIasfXKxuW-A" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style> [data-element-id="elm_VrVSWXsK3EWIasfXKxuW-A"].zpelem-text { border-radius:1px; } </style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left zptext-align-mobile-left zptext-align-tablet-left " data-editor="true"><p><span style="color:inherit;"><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-weight:700;">Vaccine Adverse Reactions</span><br><span style="font-size:14.25pt;">Adverse events that have been documented to occur after receiving the MMR vaccine: </span><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-style:italic;">- Panniculitis (inflammation of adipose/fat tissue under the skin) - Atypical MEASLES - Fever - Syncope (temporary loss of consciousness) - Headache - Dizziness - Malaise - Irritability - Vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels which can lead to restricted blood flow and damage to organs) - Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) - Diarrhea - Vomiting - Parotitis (Inflammation of a parotid gland, especially infectious parotitis aka MUMPS) - Nausea -&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;">Diabetes</span><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-style:italic;"> mellitus - Thrombocytopenia (low platelets / severe bleeding due to reduced ability to form blood clots) - Purpura (Red/purple discolored spots on the skin due to bleeding underneath the skin) - Regional lymphadenopathy (enlargement / disease of the lymph nodes) - Leukocytosis (abnormally high number of white blood cells due to inflammation from infection, tumors, or leukemia) -&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;">Anaphylaxis</span><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-style:italic;"> and anaphylactoid reactions, angioneurotic edema / peripheral or facial edema (severe swelling of the lower layer of skin and tissue just under the epidermis) and bronchial spasm in individuals with or without an allergic history. -&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;">Arthritis</span><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-style:italic;"> or Arthralgia (Arthralgia and/or arthritis, transient or chronic, and polyneuritis are features of infection with wild-type RUBELLA.) - Myalgia (muscle pain) -&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;">Encephalitis</span><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-style:italic;"> (brain inflammation) - Encephalopathy (brain disease, damage, or malfunction) - Measles inclusion body encephalitis (MIBE). Presents with seizures within one year of measles vaccination or measles infection. - Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE). SSPE is a chronic form of progressive brain inflammation caused by a persistent infection with measles virus. -&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;">Guillain-Barré Syndrome </span><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-style:italic;">(GBS). GBS is a disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks your nerves, causing weakness, severe pain, difficulty breathing, and paralysis. -&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;">Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM)</span><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-style:italic;">. ADEM is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system / widespread attack of inflammation in the brain and spinal cord. - Transverse myelitis (Inflammation of the spinal cord which causes pain, abnormal sensations, weakness, incontinence, or total paralysis.) - Febrile convulsions / seizures - Afebrile convulsions / seizures -&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;">Ataxia</span><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-style:italic;"> (loss of full control of bodily movements) - Polyneuritis (disorder of the peripheral nerves) - Polyneuropathy (degeneration / malfunction of peripheral nerves in various parts of the body at the same time) - Ocular palsies (Damage to third cranial nerve affecting eye movements, leading to strabismus and double vision) - Paresthesia (abnormal burning or prickling sensation in in various parts of the body) - Aseptic meningitis (inflammation of layers lining the brain, causing fever, headache, vomiting, persistent crying and poor eating in children, mental confusion..) - Pneumonia and pneumonitis - Sore throat, cough, rhinitis -&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;">Stevens-Johnson syndrome</span><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-style:italic;"> / Erythema multiforme (form of toxic epidermal necrolysis. A painful red or purple rash that spreads and blisters, eventually causing the top layer of the skin to die and shed. May lead to vision loss.) - Urticaria / hives - Rash / Measles-like rash - Pruritus / severe itching of the skin - Burning / stinging at injection site - Wheal and flare / allergic skin reaction - Redness - Swelling - Induration (hardening of soft tissues of the skin / loss of elasticity) - Tenderness - Vesiculation / blistering - Henoch-Schönlein purpura / Acute hemorrhagic edema of infancy (rash caused by inflammation and bleeding in small blood vessels, accompanied with swollen joints, abdominal pain, or bloody urine) - Nerve deafness / hearing loss - Otitis media (ear infection) - Retinitis (inflammation of the retina of the eye) - Optic neuritis / papillitis / retrobulbar neuritis (demyelinating inflammation of the optic nerve. Vision loss, pain with movement of the eye.) - Conjunctivitis (eye infection) - Epididymitis / Orchitis (inflammation of the testicles, characterized by pain, swelling, and burning with urination) -&nbsp;</span><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-weight:700;font-style:italic;">Death</span><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-style:italic;"> ------ </span><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-style:italic;"><a href="https://www.fda.gov/media/75191/download" title="https://www.fda.gov/media/75191/download" target="_blank" rel=""><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">MMR Vaccine Insert</span></a></span><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-style:italic;">. (Pages 6-8)</span></span><br></p><div style="color:inherit;"><p><br><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-weight:700;">Risk is Part of Life</span><br><span style="font-size:14.25pt;">Would it really be so terrible if you were to contract measles and traded a few days of discomfort for a lifetime of immunity? Or is it really better to trade a few years of immunity from the vaccine for the risk of long-term, chronic, life-altering diseases?</span></p><span style="font-size:14.25pt;">You are free to choose which list of possible complications or adverse effects you want to risk. I personally like the odds of the short list.</span></div>
</div></div><div data-element-id="elm_0ol617LOk5lv75uuh-iZNg" data-element-type="image" class="zpelement zpelem-image "><style> @media (min-width: 992px) { [data-element-id="elm_0ol617LOk5lv75uuh-iZNg"] .zpimage-container figure img { width: 666px !important ; height: 664px !important ; } } @media (max-width: 991px) and (min-width: 768px) { [data-element-id="elm_0ol617LOk5lv75uuh-iZNg"] .zpimage-container figure img { width:666px !important ; height:664px !important ; } } @media (max-width: 767px) { [data-element-id="elm_0ol617LOk5lv75uuh-iZNg"] .zpimage-container figure img { width:666px !important ; height:664px !important ; } } [data-element-id="elm_0ol617LOk5lv75uuh-iZNg"].zpelem-image { border-radius:1px; } </style><div data-caption-color="" data-size-tablet="" data-size-mobile="" data-align="center" data-tablet-image-separate="false" data-mobile-image-separate="false" class="zpimage-container zpimage-align-center zpimage-tablet-align-center zpimage-mobile-align-center zpimage-size-custom zpimage-tablet-fallback-custom zpimage-mobile-fallback-custom hb-lightbox " data-lightbox-options="
                type:fullscreen,
                theme:dark"><figure role="none" class="zpimage-data-ref"><span class="zpimage-anchor" role="link" tabindex="0" aria-label="Open Lightbox" style="cursor:pointer;"><picture><img class="zpimage zpimage-style-none zpimage-space-none " src="https://www.healnc.net/images/Measles%204.jpeg" width="666" height="664" loading="lazy" size="custom" data-lightbox="true"></picture></span><figcaption class="zpimage-caption zpimage-caption-align-center"><span class="zpimage-caption-content">Dr Alexander Langmuir regarding the risk of contracting measles</span></figcaption></figure></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_YhLzGZyR7i11q31ftz2U8w" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style> [data-element-id="elm_YhLzGZyR7i11q31ftz2U8w"].zpelem-text { border-radius:1px; } </style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left zptext-align-mobile-left zptext-align-tablet-left " data-editor="true"><div style="color:inherit;"><p><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-weight:700;">Where Did These Outbreaks Come From?</span><br><span style="font-size:14.25pt;">Surprisingly (or not), when the specific strains from measles outbreaks are isolated and identified, many turn out to be vaccine strains. Wild-type measles is only part of the equation. In this 2017</span><span style="font-size:14.25pt;"><a href="https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jcm.01879-16">&nbsp;</a><a href="https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jcm.01879-16" title="https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jcm.01879-16" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Journal of Clinical Microbiology</a><a href="https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/jcm.01879-16">&nbsp;</a></span><span style="font-size:14.25pt;">article examining strains, almost 40% of the isolated strains in the study were identified as vaccine sequences, not wild-type measles. Because the MMR is a live-attenuated-virus vaccine, the risk of contracting the virus or transmitting it to others is present, and those with compromised immune systems should exercise caution when interacting with recently-vaccinated persons.</span><br><span style="font-size:14.25pt;">So, in some instances, are the vaccines themselves driving the outbreaks?</span></p><p><span style="font-size:14.25pt;"><br></span></p><p><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-weight:700;">How Long Are Measles Vaccines Effective?</span><br><span style="font-size:14.25pt;">Another consideration is that neutralizing antibodies from the MMR vaccine begin to wane within a few years. So, immunity from the vaccine does not last. Contracting the measles would provide a lifetime of immunity.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:14.25pt;"><br></span></p><span style="font-size:14.25pt;font-weight:700;">Measles Math</span><br><span style="font-size:14.25pt;">In the US, death from measles is extremely rare. I hate math, but I love numbers, and according to vaccine expert Dr. Paul Offit, the US mortality rate from measles is .0001667, if you contract it! This short video shows Dr. Offit saying he had the measles as a child. He has top-shelf, lifetime immunity, but vaccine recipients have an unknown waning immunity. It’s a rather educational clip, and Del Bigtree makes it especially entertaining!</span></div>
</div></div><div data-element-id="elm_DLUVkOEFZuyXYyNqiFREhg" data-element-type="video" class="zpelement zpelem-video "><style type="text/css"> [data-element-id="elm_DLUVkOEFZuyXYyNqiFREhg"].zpelem-video{ border-radius:1px; } </style><div class="zpvideo-container zpiframe-align-center zpiframe-mobile-align- zpiframe-tablet-align-"><iframe class="zpvideo " width="728" height="410" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Q38VP4Z03Jo" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_sfuHR524Gd2ZMznpOVSHNQ" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style> [data-element-id="elm_sfuHR524Gd2ZMznpOVSHNQ"].zpelem-text { border-radius:1px; } </style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left zptext-align-mobile-left zptext-align-tablet-left " data-editor="true"><div style="color:inherit;"><p style="font-size:19px;"><strong>Take Your Vitamin A<br></strong>If, by some bizarre circumstance, vaccinated or not, you or a loved one contracts measles, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/measles" title="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/measles" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">WHO recommends staying on top of hydration, and two doses of Vitamin A, 24 hours apart</a><a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/measles" rel="">.</a>&nbsp;For children, the dose is 200,000 international units (IUs). Adults would take a higher amount.</p><p style="font-size:19px;"><br></p><p style="font-size:19px;"><strong>Does Having Measles Provide Long-Term Benefits?</strong><br> On top of lifetime immunity, there is evidence that shows measles has a conditioning effect on the immune system. It’s like training for the big fight. Having had measles can reduce the likelihood of certain types of cancer and other chronic illnesses.<br><br> This image is from a 2016 FB post from Marcella Piper-Terry. She wrote, “Significant results: ‘p’ means probability. When you’re talking about probability, .05 is what is generally accepted as being statistically significant. That means that if you are looking at 100, p&lt;.05, that means that there’s a 95 percent probability that what you’re seeing is real and not by chance. When you get to p&lt;.001, that means there is a 1 in 1,000 probability that what you’re seeing is by chance. That’s really strong evidence.”</p></div>
</div></div><div data-element-id="elm_Yr0UpBMFN0C4mk659SxRcA" data-element-type="image" class="zpelement zpelem-image "><style> @media (min-width: 992px) { [data-element-id="elm_Yr0UpBMFN0C4mk659SxRcA"] .zpimage-container figure img { width: 1110px ; height: 624.38px ; } } @media (max-width: 991px) and (min-width: 768px) { [data-element-id="elm_Yr0UpBMFN0C4mk659SxRcA"] .zpimage-container figure img { width:723px ; height:406.69px ; } } @media (max-width: 767px) { [data-element-id="elm_Yr0UpBMFN0C4mk659SxRcA"] .zpimage-container figure img { width:415px ; height:233.44px ; } } [data-element-id="elm_Yr0UpBMFN0C4mk659SxRcA"].zpelem-image { border-radius:1px; } </style><div data-caption-color="" data-size-tablet="" data-size-mobile="" data-align="center" data-tablet-image-separate="false" data-mobile-image-separate="false" class="zpimage-container zpimage-align-center zpimage-tablet-align-center zpimage-mobile-align-center zpimage-size-fit zpimage-tablet-fallback-fit zpimage-mobile-fallback-fit hb-lightbox " data-lightbox-options="
                type:fullscreen,
                theme:dark"><figure role="none" class="zpimage-data-ref"><span class="zpimage-anchor" role="link" tabindex="0" aria-label="Open Lightbox" style="cursor:pointer;"><picture><img class="zpimage zpimage-style-none zpimage-space-none " src="https://www.healnc.net/images/Measles%205.jpeg" width="415" height="233.44" loading="lazy" size="fit" data-lightbox="true"></picture></span></figure></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_IZCuwAXCnKZQQrC43OUtiA" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style> [data-element-id="elm_IZCuwAXCnKZQQrC43OUtiA"].zpelem-text { border-radius:1px; } </style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left zptext-align-mobile-left zptext-align-tablet-left " data-editor="true"><p><span style="color:inherit;"><strong style="font-size:19px;">Pediatrician Advice for Children with Measles<br></strong><span style="font-size:19px;">Also, enjoy this article clip from a 1963 newspaper in which a pediatrician teaches mothers how to relieve the boredom of her child who is sick with measles. The doctor says that everyone gets the measles, which is a good thing, because it improves the immune system. That was before the medical establishment convinced everyone that measles was the deadliest disease since the dawn of mankind.</span></span><br></p></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_v0D0omlrMnAYILkakrb4LA" data-element-type="image" class="zpelement zpelem-image "><style> @media (min-width: 992px) { [data-element-id="elm_v0D0omlrMnAYILkakrb4LA"] .zpimage-container figure img { width: 550px !important ; height: 960px !important ; } } @media (max-width: 991px) and (min-width: 768px) { [data-element-id="elm_v0D0omlrMnAYILkakrb4LA"] .zpimage-container figure img { width:550px ; height:960px ; } } @media (max-width: 767px) { [data-element-id="elm_v0D0omlrMnAYILkakrb4LA"] .zpimage-container figure img { width:550px ; height:960px ; } } [data-element-id="elm_v0D0omlrMnAYILkakrb4LA"].zpelem-image { border-radius:1px; } </style><div data-caption-color="" data-size-tablet="" data-size-mobile="" data-align="center" data-tablet-image-separate="false" data-mobile-image-separate="false" class="zpimage-container zpimage-align-center zpimage-tablet-align-center zpimage-mobile-align-center zpimage-size-original zpimage-tablet-fallback-original zpimage-mobile-fallback-fit hb-lightbox " data-lightbox-options="
                type:fullscreen,
                theme:dark"><figure role="none" class="zpimage-data-ref"><span class="zpimage-anchor" role="link" tabindex="0" aria-label="Open Lightbox" style="cursor:pointer;"><picture><img class="zpimage zpimage-style-none zpimage-space-none " src="https://www.healnc.net/images/Measles%206.jpeg" width="550" height="960" loading="lazy" size="original" data-lightbox="true"></picture></span></figure></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_0aKXEmZ7pgU3lFHwkVXJ6w" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style> [data-element-id="elm_0aKXEmZ7pgU3lFHwkVXJ6w"].zpelem-text { border-radius:1px; } </style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left zptext-align-mobile-left zptext-align-tablet-left " data-editor="true"><div style="color:inherit;"><p style="font-size:19px;"><strong>Marcella Piper-Terry on Worldwide Measles<br></strong>For a thorough analysis and thought-provoking read on measles worldwide and why there seems to be a recent provocation of panic, see Marcella Piper Terry’s article&nbsp;<a href="https://marcellapiperterry.substack.com/p/measles-fact-checking-the-who" title="https://marcellapiperterry.substack.com/p/measles-fact-checking-the-who" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">MEASLES!!! Fact-checking the WHO</a>. Marcella has an amazing ability to read, understand and communicate data in a way that’s easy to grasp. She talks about primary and secondary vaccine failure, shares screenshots from the WHO and CDC, and explains why the headlines and claims need to be double-checked before we partake in blind compliance. Things aren’t always what they’re made out to be.</p><p style="font-size:19px;"><br></p><p style="font-size:19px;">Blessings and health to you, reader! Thank you for going with me on this journey of discovery.</p><p style="font-size:19px;"><br></p><p style="font-size:19px;">The Real BBC</p></div>
</div></div><div data-element-id="elm_pZI6OCZvSa2mBfzuBD3Ijw" data-element-type="button" class="zpelement zpelem-button "><style> [data-element-id="elm_pZI6OCZvSa2mBfzuBD3Ijw"].zpelem-button{ border-radius:1px; } </style><div class="zpbutton-container zpbutton-align-center zpbutton-align-mobile-center zpbutton-align-tablet-center"><style type="text/css"></style><a class="zpbutton-wrapper zpbutton zpbutton-type-primary zpbutton-size-lg zpbutton-style-none " href="https://betsyballclark.substack.com/p/measles-should-we-be-afraid" target="_blank" title="https://betsyballclark.substack.com/p/measles-should-we-be-afraid"><span class="zpbutton-content">Betsy Ball Clark's Substack</span></a></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_i0FqkzXXencwIetHqb-wdQ" data-element-type="button" class="zpelement zpelem-button "><style></style><div class="zpbutton-container zpbutton-align-center zpbutton-align-mobile-center zpbutton-align-tablet-center"><style type="text/css"></style><a class="zpbutton-wrapper zpbutton zpbutton-type-primary zpbutton-size-lg zpbutton-style-none " href="https://healthfreedominstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/Measles-Fact-Sheet.pdf" target="_blank" title="Measles Fact Sheet from Stand for Health Freedom"><span class="zpbutton-content">Measles Fact Sheet from Health Freedom Institute</span></a></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_jl1T3m_mYkTg9GB3qwQzWw" data-element-type="spacer" class="zpelement zpelem-spacer "><style> div[data-element-id="elm_jl1T3m_mYkTg9GB3qwQzWw"] div.zpspacer { height:110px; } @media (max-width: 768px) { div[data-element-id="elm_jl1T3m_mYkTg9GB3qwQzWw"] div.zpspacer { height:calc(110px / 3); } } </style><div class="zpspacer " data-height="110"></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_Ki9DiUlNWnfH1IJ2YwNieQ" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style> [data-element-id="elm_Ki9DiUlNWnfH1IJ2YwNieQ"].zpelem-text { border-radius:1px; } </style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left zptext-align-mobile-left zptext-align-tablet-left " data-editor="true"><div style="color:inherit;"><p style="margin-bottom:8pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14px;">THIS WEBSITE IS NOT INTENDED FOR PROVIDING MEDICAL ADVICE&nbsp;</span></p><span style="font-size:14px;"><div style="text-align:center;"> All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve&nbsp;as a substitute for the&nbsp;consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.&nbsp;The opinions expressed here are those of the author and not necessarily those of HEALNC. </div></span></div>
</div></div></div></div></div></div></div>]]></content:encoded><pubDate>Fri, 07 Mar 2025 17:15:00 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[We Love WNC:  News & How You Can Help]]></title><link>https://www.healnc.net/blogs/post/we-love-wnc-news-how-you-can-help</link><description><![CDATA[<img align="left" hspace="5" src="https://www.healnc.net/images/premium_photo-1661962927450-d5f7c9267ca2"/>A health freedom advocate shares her experience living and helping others in one of the devasted areas of WNC. Compare her experience with media coverage and learn how you can help.]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zpcontent-container blogpost-container "><div data-element-id="elm_Agd7T1ZzSLK3LV1yxH3uAg" data-element-type="section" class="zpsection "><style type="text/css"></style><div class="zpcontainer-fluid zpcontainer"><div data-element-id="elm_2_o0PQ6QTwiW2NtQI2Muiw" data-element-type="row" class="zprow zprow-container zpalign-items- zpjustify-content- " data-equal-column=""><style type="text/css"></style><div data-element-id="elm_NQhCSOB-SV29slTT4TtKcA" data-element-type="column" class="zpelem-col zpcol-12 zpcol-md-12 zpcol-sm-12 zpalign-self- "><style type="text/css"></style><div data-element-id="elm_r-pRMEFtT6ybVG5bFQJZjQ" data-element-type="heading" class="zpelement zpelem-heading "><style></style><h2 class="zpheading zpheading-align-center " data-editor="true"><span style="color:inherit;font-size:32px;">We Love WNC:&nbsp;News &amp; How You Can Help</span><br></h2></div>
<div data-element-id="elm_u7wQAcCGLMdFDp_xVmjHqQ" data-element-type="image" class="zpelement zpelem-image "><style> @media (min-width: 992px) { [data-element-id="elm_u7wQAcCGLMdFDp_xVmjHqQ"] .zpimage-container figure img { width: 791px !important ; height: 527px !important ; } } </style><div data-caption-color="" data-size-tablet="" data-size-mobile="" data-align="center" data-tablet-image-separate="false" data-mobile-image-separate="false" class="zpimage-container zpimage-align-center zpimage-tablet-align-center zpimage-mobile-align-center zpimage-size-custom zpimage-tablet-fallback-fit zpimage-mobile-fallback-fit hb-lightbox " data-lightbox-options="
                type:fullscreen,
                theme:dark"><figure role="none" class="zpimage-data-ref"><span class="zpimage-anchor" role="link" tabindex="0" aria-label="Open Lightbox" style="cursor:pointer;"><picture><img class="zpimage zpimage-style-none zpimage-space-none " src="https://www.healnc.net/images/premium_photo-1661962927450-d5f7c9267ca2" size="custom" data-lightbox="true"></picture></span></figure></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_JboUUd1sSdywe2YnvFj6gA" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style></style><div class="zptext zptext-align-center " data-editor="true"><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><p style="text-align:left;margin-bottom:12pt;"><span>Many of us have been heartbroken as we have witnessed the destruction and suffering that our WNC neighbors are enduring.&nbsp;We all have a desire to help in some way.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;margin-bottom:12pt;"><span>It's not too late to get involved.&nbsp;Two members of HEALNC's board have been involved in the cleanup.&nbsp;We will share one board member's perspective as a resident of WNC and other board member's perspective as a volunteer coming in from central NC.&nbsp;Throughout this article, we will post information about places where you can volunteer and donate.&nbsp;<span style="font-style:italic;">Please use your discernment and research</span> if you want to help or give.</span></p><p style="text-align:left;margin-bottom:12pt;"><span style="font-weight:700;">A WNC Health Freedom Advocate's Story </span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span>One of our own board members lives in Waynesville.&nbsp;Although her home was not damaged, many homes around her have been -- including the home of close family friends whose <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-rebuild-hope-for-the-erickson-family">home was destroyed, and they have no flood insurance</a>.</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span>&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span>Although the damage in Waynesville is less severe than in other parts of WNC, she is aware of many heartbreaking stories that she has heard through her volunteer work at Dellwood Baptist Church.&nbsp;Dellwood Baptist has been a a hub for donations and service to the community.</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span>&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span>Here are a few of the alarming stories she has shared that will illustrate the depth of the death and destruction in Waynesville alone.</span></p><ul><li><p style="text-align:left;"><span>Twelve people around Jonathan Creek, a small area of town, died in the flooding.</span></p></li><li><p style="text-align:left;"><span>A woman who came into town to check on her family discovered that 12 of her family members had perished and 8 were missing.</span></p></li><li><p style="text-align:left;"><span>A woman reported that the water went from 1 foot to 7 feet in less than 10 minutes.&nbsp;They had to escape so quickly that they couldn't save their dogs.</span></p></li></ul><p style="text-align:left;margin-bottom:12pt;text-indent:0in;"><span>&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;margin-bottom:12pt;text-indent:0in;"><span>She has also heard first-hand stories from Asheville:</span></p><ul><li><p style="text-align:left;"><span>A woman reported that her husband found 7 dead bodies in his work as a lineman.&nbsp;</span></p></li><li><p style="text-align:left;"><span>A medical professional reported that 2 bodies washed up into her yard. When she called the police, they simply asked her to send a map with a pin where the bodies were located.</span></p></li></ul><p style="text-align:left;margin-bottom:12pt;text-indent:0in;"><span>&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;margin-bottom:12pt;text-indent:0in;"><span>This board member has called our attention to the following video about even harder hit areas.&nbsp;Based on what she's seen in Waynesville, she believes that the woman in this video is accurately describing the situation.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;margin-bottom:12pt;text-indent:0in;"><span>She also says that the supplies requested in this video are consistent with the supplies that have been most needed in her work in Waynesville.</span></p><p style="text-align:left;margin-bottom:12pt;text-indent:0in;"><img src="https://www.healnc.net/Sat%20Oct%2019%202024.png" style="width:410px !important;height:671.56px !important;max-width:100% !important;"></p><p style="text-align:left;margin-bottom:12pt;text-indent:0in;"><span><a href="https://x.com/In2ThinAir/status/1845854102338593044" title="https://x.com/In2ThinAir/status/1845854102338593044" target="_blank" rel=""><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">https://x.com/In2ThinAir/status/1845854102338593044</span></a></span></p><p style="text-align:left;margin-bottom:12pt;text-indent:0in;"><span>In the above video, the speaker discusses her work in missions and dispatch for an operations team in Ashe County and Swananoa.&nbsp;She says that the news reports of approximately 200 deaths is not consistent with what she's seeing --&nbsp;they are finding bodies every day.</span></p><p style="text-align:left;margin-bottom:12pt;text-indent:0in;"><span>She reports that the needs are high.&nbsp;You might have heard that the warehouses are full.&nbsp;According to both this woman and our board member, they are indeed full.&nbsp;However, both women say that the need for supplies will persist for months, and the surplus supplies will be put to good use.</span></p><p style="text-align:left;margin-bottom:12pt;text-indent:0in;"><span>The dispatcher in the video can be reached via this <a href="https://jaksstables.com/helpwesternnc/" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">link</a> which has information about places where you can donate and sign up to volunteer.&nbsp;It also lists supply drop-off locations in Wake Forest and Wendell.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;margin-bottom:12pt;text-indent:0in;"><span>&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;margin-bottom:12pt;"><span style="font-weight:700;">Samaritan's Purse -- Asheville, Burnsville, Boone</span></p><p style="text-align:left;margin-bottom:12pt;"><span>Another HEALNC board member volunteered with Samaritan's Purse.&nbsp;They have a strong infrastructure in place for volunteers and will continue serving WNC for the months ahead.</span></p><p style="text-align:left;margin-bottom:12pt;"><span>Volunteers are placed on teams and sent into the community to meet the current needs.&nbsp;Our board member was tasked with cleaning yard debris for homeowners.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span>When you fill out your application, they will accommodate for any physical limitations.&nbsp;All help is appreciated.&nbsp;You can sign up for a day assignment or an extended assignment of a minimum of three days, which includes lodging and food.</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span>&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span>Samaritan's Purse:</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><a href="https://www.samaritanspurse.org/our-ministry/donate-online/"><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Give</span></a><span>&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><a href="https://spvolunteer.org"><span><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Volunteer</span></span></a></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span>&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-weight:700;">Other Places to Get Involved and/or Donate:</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span>&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><a href="https://convoyofhope.org/disaster-services/hurricane-helene-24/"><span><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Convoy of Hope</span></span></a></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span>&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><a href="https://brcowboychurch.org/disaster-relief"><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Blue Ridge Cowboy Church</span></a><span> in Fairview </span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span>They are providing hot meals for people and also have a place for donation and distribution of needs for affected people in the community. </span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span>Check their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/Tz9gUUEy5v4Gx1CG/" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Facebook page</a> to learn current needs if you want to take donations.</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:inherit;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><a href="https://www.operation-airdrop.com"><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Operation Airdrop</span></a><span> - Civilian pilots making drops in affected areas. </span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span>&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><a href="https://unitedcajunnavy.org"><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">The United Cajun Navy</span></a><span>&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span>&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><a href="https://pinnaclesar.org"><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Cajun Navy 2016</span></a><span> -- Find updates on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/Ls6pHKpFAn6TprBr/" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Facebook</a>&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span>&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DA4HyhCPDXC/"><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">@Reverence.Farms (Instagram)</span></a><span> is a local N.C. family farm that is helping,</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span>Their non profit and their 501c3 arm is <a href="https://www.knowingloveministries.org" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">@knowinglove</a>. </span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span>100% of donations go to supplies and trip expenses. No staff. <a href="https://subsplash.com/u/-9FNQ4W/give" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Donations</a> can be tax-deductible.</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span>&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-weight:700;">Sources Found on Facebook:</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span>&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span>There are also some Facebook pages where daily needs are posted from various sources.&nbsp;The Facebook pages are a helpful way to keep up with the constantly changing needs in WNC. As progress is made and the weather changes, daily needs also change. </span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span>&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/g/XrPBWTPAryhR7td9/"><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">North Carolina Disaster Relief - RDU to WNC</span></a></p><p style="text-align:left;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/g/ktW9aCsTfhmCNTLe/"><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">WNC Mission Trips</span></a></p><p style="text-align:left;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/share/hURxicCnH7Ex9zGH/"><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">North Carolina News</span></a></p></div>
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</div></div></div></div></div></div>]]></content:encoded><pubDate>Sat, 19 Oct 2024 09:33:31 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Pregnancy and Covid Vaccines: What You Should Know]]></title><link>https://www.healnc.net/blogs/post/pregnancy-and-covid-vaccines-what-you-should-know</link><description><![CDATA[<img align="left" hspace="5" src="https://www.healnc.net/images/premium_photo-1661767951134-41eb8e35d3d3"/>Naomi Wolf's organization's research into the Pfizer documents reveals that despite our government's reassurances, pregnant women were not included in phases 1, 2 or 3 of the Pfizer Covid-19 trials. Here is the safety data that has been revealed.]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zpcontent-container blogpost-container "><div data-element-id="elm_8nST8h4QRf2TdpNgG7diwg" data-element-type="section" class="zpsection "><style type="text/css"></style><div class="zpcontainer-fluid zpcontainer"><div data-element-id="elm_YfL3uFdBTrqPLpHl18z1nw" data-element-type="row" class="zprow zprow-container zpalign-items- zpjustify-content- " data-equal-column=""><style type="text/css"></style><div data-element-id="elm_ecFXanRPRpyxsJQMqBP3cg" data-element-type="column" class="zpelem-col zpcol-12 zpcol-md-12 zpcol-sm-12 zpalign-self- "><style type="text/css"></style><div data-element-id="elm_PQ1Ht3GySPa2vkmSZp1seA" data-element-type="heading" class="zpelement zpelem-heading "><style></style><h2 class="zpheading zpheading-align-center " data-editor="true">Pregnancy and Covid Vaccines: What You Should Know</h2></div>
<div data-element-id="elm_V69hRZWuZotAyDrPnxKwew" data-element-type="image" class="zpelement zpelem-image "><style> @media (min-width: 992px) { [data-element-id="elm_V69hRZWuZotAyDrPnxKwew"] .zpimage-container figure img { width: 831px !important ; height: 554px !important ; } } </style><div data-caption-color="" data-size-tablet="" data-size-mobile="" data-align="center" data-tablet-image-separate="false" data-mobile-image-separate="false" class="zpimage-container zpimage-align-center zpimage-tablet-align-center zpimage-mobile-align-center zpimage-size-custom zpimage-tablet-fallback-fit zpimage-mobile-fallback-fit hb-lightbox " data-lightbox-options="
                type:fullscreen,
                theme:dark"><figure role="none" class="zpimage-data-ref"><span class="zpimage-anchor" role="link" tabindex="0" aria-label="Open Lightbox" style="cursor:pointer;"><picture><img class="zpimage zpimage-style-none zpimage-space-none " src="https://www.healnc.net/images/premium_photo-1661767951134-41eb8e35d3d3" size="custom" data-lightbox="true"></picture></span></figure></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_oM2OCrucSVyhdc4wkPT7aw" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style></style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left " data-editor="true"><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><p><span style="font-size:18px;">It was the late 1980s, and I was pregnant with my daughter. My husband and I were excited about the future with our growing family. Upon my first maternity visit, in addition to other information, the doctor gave me instructions to be wary of taking any medications. I wasn’t taking prescription medications; however, my doctor also warned me about over-the-counter medications. She said that I should not even take acetaminophen (Tylenol) unless I really needed it. I was very careful to follow her instructions, wishing to give my baby the best chance of being born healthy. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">In 2021, it was my turn to support my daughter who was having her first baby. I was happy to attend those first appointments with her eagerly sharing in this special time. Her pregnancy was advancing normally, and all systems were go. Then, during one of her appointments, the physician’s assistant (PA) said something that almost made me fall off my chair. She told my daughter that it was now time to give her some vaccines to immunize her developing fetus. Giving vaccines to a developing fetus, I had never heard of this, and it sounded strange. The PA explained that the nurse would give the shots in my daughter’s arm muscle so the vaccines would go through her blood stream, cross the placenta, and enter her baby’s blood stream through the umbilical cord.&nbsp;She would be receiving the Tdap vaccine and the Covid-19 vaccine. My daughter and I looked at each other in shock. This was a far cry from the advice several decades earlier not to take a Tylenol unless you absolutely must. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">When my daughter refused the vaccines because the Covid-19 vaccine was new and untested on pregnant women, the physician’s assistant said something that made us extremely concerned about her knowledge base.&nbsp;She said that the Covid-19 vaccine was just a weakened virus in some salt water and nothing to be alarmed about.&nbsp;She did not even know the brand she was promoting was in fact new and experimental mRNA technology which did not have final approval by the FDA at the time and had not been tested on pregnant women. She had no idea about mRNA technology or its mechanism of action in the body. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">Needless to say, I was alarmed.&nbsp;This new technology was far from a weakened virus in sterile salt water. In addition, my daughter had been fully vaccinated as a child. My husband and I had dutifully followed the doctor’s orders without question back then. We didn’t do our own research, because we fully believed after eleven years of education and years of practice in the field, the pediatricians had completed thorough research on the medications they were ordering, including any vaccines.&nbsp;We trusted them completely. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">I was shocked that a health care practitioner was recommending my daughter take a new technology not tested for safety on pregnant women and their developing babies. In the past, obstetricians didn’t want their patients to even take a Tylenol or cold medication, and suddenly, they were recommending a new experimental technology for pregnant women whose age group has a very low chance of death from Covid-19.&nbsp;This made no sense.&nbsp;There was no research regarding the effects on the developing baby before and after birth when my daughter was pregnant in 2021. Therefore, I continued to complete my own research on the subject, and what I discovered was alarming. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">In 2022, more research data became available, and I searched for a source that was not supported by money from pharmaceutical companies and had no conflicts of interest with the World Health Organization (WHO) that developed guidelines with the stated intention of fully controlling all pandemics for member nations. These guidelines remove the national sovereignty of these countries to address pandemics within their own borders.&nbsp;Thus far, these guidelines have been voted down by the member nations (VOA, 2024). These developments made me even more concerned about the direction the WHO was taking. However, I found the reliable source I was looking for. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">Naomi Wolf (2022) gathered a number of medical and health professionals and scientists who volunteered to review Pfizer’s own documents regarding what they discovered about pregnancy and the Covid vaccine.&nbsp;The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) did not want this data revealed for 75 years. A Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request was made, and a judge ordered the documents released. It was discovered that pregnant women had not been included in phases 1, 2 or 3 of the Pfizer Covid-19 trials. However, when the Covid-19 vaccine became available, they were recommended to receive it anyway.&nbsp;Below is what the safety data revealed when collected on women pregnant and nursing after being given mRNA Covid-19 vaccines.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;"><br></span></p><p style="margin-left:0.5in;"><span style="font-size:18px;">The FDA requires Pfizer to collect any publicly available data on adverse events related to vaccination once it goes to market. Confidential document (5.3.6 Cumulative Analysis of Post-authorization Adverse Event Reports) contains case reports for the first 68 days of vaccine rollout (from 12/20/2020 to 2/28/2021). The section covering pregnancy and lactation on pages 12-13, reveals that 20% of the 413 reported cases of adverse events were “serious.” These included 25 miscarriages, 5 fetal deaths as well as uterine contractions during pregnancy, preterm deliveries, premature rupture of membranes, and fetal growth restriction. Also included were serious and less serious adverse side effects of breast-fed babies that included infantile vomiting, fever, rash, agitation, and allergy to the vaccine. There were also 6 cases of women having adverse events who received COVID-19 vaccine while breast feeding; some of these include paresis (partial paralysis), suppressed lactation, breast pain, migraines, and breast milk discoloration. Pfizer’s response to the above alarming data was, “There were no safety signals that emerge from the review of these cases of use in pregnancy and while breast feeding” (DailyClout, 2022). </span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">Even after this data was released, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) continues to encourage vaccination for pregnant women. The CDC (2024) website states, “There is limited information available about the safety of the COVID-19 vaccines for people who are pregnant, however, based on how these vaccines work in the body, experts believe they are unlikely to pose risk for pregnant people.”&nbsp;This is not the most reassuring statement I have ever read about a new medical product being given to pregnant women and their developing babies. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">Any physicians taking a stand against pregnant women, or anyone for that matter, receiving the Covid vaccine may have had their hospital admitting privileges and even their license to practice threatened. The most courageous physicians had their licenses removed by their state medical boards, and they are fighting to have them reinstated.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">I searched professional academic literature for recent research, and it is full of conflicts of interests with the scientists involved with the CDC or the WHO (Pub Med, 2022).&nbsp;In addition, many research studies have funding from pharmaceutical companies.&nbsp;Even some physicians I talked with did not know the top position at the CDC is politically appointed by the President. The leader in the top position at the CDC is very influential in setting policy for the entire government agency. Currently, the US is the largest donor to the WHO (2024) with Bill Gates’ foundation being the second largest donor. Mr. Gates’ foundation (2024) has serious investments in virus technology as well as vaccine development. Please educate your health care practitioners. Many do not know and are not educated in their medical school or by their professional organization regarding these issues. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">Pfizer’s own evidence proves the potential safety risks of pregnant women receiving mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (DailyClout, 2022). We live in an age when profits are sometimes placed over safety. However, we also live in a time when access to information and knowledge is greater than it’s been in recorded history. Censorship is a constant threat from leaders and governments who do not want people to do their own research.&nbsp;It’s important to take advantage of this time to check the accuracy of what we’re being told by public health officials, scientists, and practitioners alike. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">We must be our own health advocates when traversing the medical world by completing our own research of the evidence. This includes considering where the evidence is coming from and who is paying for it. My biostatistics professor in college clearly demonstrated to our class how easy it is to lie and mislead the public using statistics. We must support policies and laws that identify the wolves in sheep’s clothing and get the wolves out of the chicken pen. Then, we must hold these wolves accountable for their actions that have harmed people. And, if this means liquidating their assets to help those they have harmed, it’s been done before. They should no longer be allowed to hide behind a law that lets them say, "You can’t sue us no matter the destruction we have caused." The people must take a stand! </span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">Having worked in the medical and health world for many years, I know that the vast majority of professionals who have devoted their lives to this field are good people who have care and compassion for their patients and truly want to “do no harm.”&nbsp;We must support them as well, as they were on the frontlines of this pandemic battle, being told the same information as the rest of us, and when they balked, physicians had their licenses threatened and some removed, and the nurses had their jobs threatened and many were fired. Too many nurses were pulled from the bedside of their very ill patients during a nursing shortage and perp-walked out the front door of their hospitals by security guards like a common criminal because they refused to comply with the Covid-19 injection mandates after completing their own research. Last but not least, pay close attention to your gut feelings. If something doesn’t feel right, it may not be right. When in doubt, check it out!&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;font-weight:700;">References:</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. (2024). <span style="font-style:italic;">Committed grants</span>. <a href="https://www.gatesfoundation.org/about/committed-grants?q=Covid%20virus&amp;topic=Vaccine%20Development"><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Committed Grants | Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation</span></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">CDC. (2024). <span style="font-style:italic;">CDC recommendations before, during and after pregnancy. </span><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines-pregnancy/recommended-vaccines/index.html"><span style="font-style:italic;text-decoration-line:underline;">Vaccine Recommendations Before, During, and After Pregnancy | Pregnancy &amp; Vaccines | CDC</span></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;"> DailyClout. (2022). <span style="font-style:italic;">COVID-19 vaccines &amp; pregnancy: Risky business. </span><a href="https://dailyclout.io/covid-19-vaccines-pregnancy-risky-business/"><span style="font-style:italic;text-decoration-line:underline;">Report 07: COVID-19 Vaccines and Pregnancy: Risky Business - DailyClout</span></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">PubMed. (2022).&nbsp;Efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36473651/"><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Efficacy and safety of COVID-19 vaccines - PubMed (nih.gov)</span></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">Voice of America (VOA). 2024.<span style="font-style:italic;"> WHO negotiators fail to draft pandemic treaty</span>. <a href="https://www.voanews.com/a/who-negotiators-fail-to-draft-pandemic-treaty-/7626586.html"><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">WHO negotiators fail to draft pandemic treaty (voanews.com)</span></a></span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">WHO. (2024).<span style="font-style:italic;"> Top contributors. </span><a href="https://www.who.int/about/funding/contributors"><span style="font-style:italic;text-decoration-line:underline;">Our contributors (who.int)</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12pt;font-style:italic;"><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;font-size:18px;">.</span>&nbsp;</span></p></div>
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</div><div data-element-id="elm_a3wBLOwQDID59E4_YuOFxw" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style></style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left " data-editor="true"><div style="color:inherit;"><p style="margin-bottom:8pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14px;">THIS WEBSITE IS NOT INTENDED FOR PROVIDING MEDICAL ADVICE&nbsp;</span></p><span style="font-size:14px;"><div style="text-align:center;"> All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve&nbsp;as a substitute for the&nbsp;consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.&nbsp;The opinions expressed here are those of the author and not necessarily those of HEALNC. </div></span></div>
</div></div></div></div></div></div></div>]]></content:encoded><pubDate>Sat, 19 Oct 2024 09:04:01 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[14-Year-Old Forced to Get Pfizer Shot Should Be Allowed to Sue Board of Education, CHD Tells N.C. Supreme Court]]></title><link>https://www.healnc.net/blogs/post/14-year-old-forced-to-get-pfizer-shot-should-be-allowed-to-sue-board-of-education-chd-tells-n.c.-sup</link><description><![CDATA[<img align="left" hspace="5" src="https://www.healnc.net/images/14yo teen sue.jpg"/>Children’s Health Defense filed an amicus brief urging the North Carolina Supreme Court to overturn the dismissal of a case involving Tanner Smith, a 14-year-old who was given the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine against his will and without his parents’ consent.]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zpcontent-container blogpost-container "><div data-element-id="elm_Wy8Pw9RYQJuhmq_vUEIf0Q" data-element-type="section" class="zpsection "><style type="text/css"></style><div class="zpcontainer-fluid zpcontainer"><div data-element-id="elm_bvGv1-IFRrqUDoDCit4Y2Q" data-element-type="row" class="zprow zprow-container zpalign-items- zpjustify-content- " data-equal-column=""><style type="text/css"></style><div data-element-id="elm_7JAPIOarRuW30XEbFDcevg" data-element-type="column" class="zpelem-col zpcol-12 zpcol-md-12 zpcol-sm-12 zpalign-self- "><style type="text/css"></style><div data-element-id="elm_Tx7YCT29Sge-KLwRzwN3uQ" data-element-type="heading" class="zpelement zpelem-heading "><style></style><h2 class="zpheading zpheading-align-center " data-editor="true"><span style="color:inherit;"><span style="font-size:32px;">14-Year-Old Forced to Get Pfizer Shot Should Be Allowed to Sue Board of Education, CHD Tells N.C. Supreme Court</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><br></h2></div>
<div data-element-id="elm_Jktg0WTdKiag6O0tTET13g" data-element-type="image" class="zpelement zpelem-image "><style> @media (min-width: 992px) { [data-element-id="elm_Jktg0WTdKiag6O0tTET13g"] .zpimage-container figure img { width: 635px !important ; height: 691px !important ; } } </style><div data-caption-color="" data-size-tablet="" data-size-mobile="" data-align="center" data-tablet-image-separate="false" data-mobile-image-separate="false" class="zpimage-container zpimage-align-center zpimage-tablet-align-center zpimage-mobile-align-center zpimage-size-custom zpimage-tablet-fallback-fit zpimage-mobile-fallback-fit hb-lightbox " data-lightbox-options="
                type:fullscreen,
                theme:dark"><figure role="none" class="zpimage-data-ref"><span class="zpimage-anchor" role="link" tabindex="0" aria-label="Open Lightbox" style="cursor:pointer;"><picture><img class="zpimage zpimage-style-none zpimage-space-none " src="https://www.healnc.net/images/14yo%20teen%20sue.jpg" size="custom" data-lightbox="true"></picture></span></figure></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_2Ncx2l73FYTWFBQpy8TQaA" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style></style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left " data-editor="true"><div style="color:inherit;"><div><div> by&nbsp;<a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/authors/suzanne-burdick-ph-d/" title="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/authors/suzanne-burdick-ph-d/" target="_blank" rel=""><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Suzanne Burdick, Ph.D.</span></a></div>
</div><div style="font-size:14px;font-weight:600;"> July 30, 2024 </div></div></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_VF2LY_GxRAVYWdz9pUUf5Q" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style></style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left " data-editor="true"><div style="color:inherit;"><p><span><a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/tanner-smith-teenager-forced-covid-vaccination-pfizer-lawsuit/" title="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/tanner-smith-teenager-forced-covid-vaccination-pfizer-lawsuit/" target="_blank" rel=""><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">This article was originally published by The Defender</span></a> — Children’s Health Defense’s News &amp; Views Website.</span></p></div>
</div></div><div data-element-id="elm_zfHok3J6oyE_moi5r4UB8Q" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style></style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left " data-editor="true"><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span>Children’s Health Defense (CHD) today filed an&nbsp;<a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/wp-content/uploads/Final-7.30.24-CHD-Amicus-Brief_Redacted.pdf" title="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/wp-content/uploads/Final-7.30.24-CHD-Amicus-Brief_Redacted.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">amicus brief</a>&nbsp;urging the North Carolina Supreme Court to overturn the dismissal of a case involving a&nbsp;<a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/teenager-covid-vaccine-without-parental-consent-north-carolina-supreme-court/" title="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/teenager-covid-vaccine-without-parental-consent-north-carolina-supreme-court/" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">14-year-old boy</a>&nbsp;who was given the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine against his will and without his parents’ consent.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span>In August 2022, Emily Happel and her teenage son, Tanner Smith, sued the Guilford County Board of Education and Old North State Medical Society after Smith was given a dose of the Pfizer&nbsp;<a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/unsafe-and-ineffective-film-exposes-pharma-media-lies-safety-covid-shots/" title="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/unsafe-and-ineffective-film-exposes-pharma-media-lies-safety-covid-shots/" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">COVID-19 vaccine</a>&nbsp;— which at the time was available only under<a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/chd-lawsuit-supreme-court-fda-emergency-covid-vaccines-kids/">&nbsp;</a><a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/chd-lawsuit-supreme-court-fda-emergency-covid-vaccines-kids/" title="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/chd-lawsuit-supreme-court-fda-emergency-covid-vaccines-kids/" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">emergency use authorization</a>&nbsp;(EUA) — by clinic workers at a school vaccination site. The vaccine was administered in August 2021.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span style="font-size:18px;">Smith and Happel alleged battery, violation of a North Carolina statute prohibiting vaccination with EUA products without parental consent, and constitutional violations.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span>The trial court&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24475246-dismissal-in-happel-case" title="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24475246-dismissal-in-happel-case" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">dismissed the case</a>&nbsp;in February 2023 on several grounds, including that the defendants are immune under the federal Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act, or&nbsp;<a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/prep-act-covid-vaccine-injury-liability/" title="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/prep-act-covid-vaccine-injury-liability/" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">PREP Act</a>, and that relevant state laws are&nbsp;<a href="https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/R45825.pdf" title="https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/R45825.pdf" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">preempted</a>&nbsp;by the PREP Act.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span>In March 2024, the&nbsp;<a href="https://appellate.nccourts.org/opinions/?c=2&amp;pdf=43095" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">North Carolina Court of Appeals</a>&nbsp;affirmed the trial court’s dismissal of the lawsuit.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span></span></p><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span>After Happel and Smith petitioned the&nbsp;<a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/teenager-covid-vaccine-without-parental-consent-north-carolina-supreme-court/" title="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/teenager-covid-vaccine-without-parental-consent-north-carolina-supreme-court/" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">North Carolina Supreme Court</a>, the court agreed on May 23 to hear arguments about whether the PREP Act protects the defendants from liability and suit and preempts North Carolina’s laws governing the plaintiffs’ claims. A hearing has yet to be scheduled.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;font-size:16px;"><a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/"><span style="font-size:18px;">CHD</span></a><span style="font-size:18px;">’s amicus brief argues that the lower courts were wrong to interpret the PREP Act as they did because the&nbsp;<a href="https://constitution.congress.gov/">U.S. Constitution</a>&nbsp;does not give Congress authority to nullify state laws governing the in-state activities that gave rise to the plaintiffs’ claims. The brief states:</span></p></div>
</div></div></div><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border:none;padding:0px;"><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span style="font-size:18px;">“The lower courts wrongly interpreted PREP as nullifying the North Carolina common, statutory, and constitutional law that would otherwise govern those activities and provide a basis for relief to the Plaintiffs, including laws concerning battery, parental rights, bodily autonomy, and informed consent.”</span></p></div>
</div></div></div></blockquote><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span style="font-size:18px;">An amicus brief is filed by non-parties to a litigation to provide information that has a bearing on the issues and assist the court in reaching the correct decision. It comes from the Latin term “amicus curiae,” which means “friend of the court.”</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span>Risa Evans, the CHD attorney who wrote the brief, told&nbsp;<a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/" title="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">The Defender</a>&nbsp;she thinks it’s wrong to leave parents with no legal recourse after a child is injected with an EUA product over the child’s express objection and without parental consent.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span style="font-size:18px;">“Parents must have a way to hold the wrongdoers accountable,” Evans said. “I hope the North Carolina Supreme Court agrees that the U.S. Constitution prohibits this result.”</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;font-size:16px;"><span style="font-size:18px;"><a href="https://walkerkiger.com/" title="https://walkerkiger.com/" target="_blank" rel=""><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Steven Walker</span></a></span><span style="font-size:18px;">, attorney for the plaintiffs, told The Defender the case is important “because it impacts the ability of parents to direct the medical care that their child receives.”</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span style="font-size:18px;">Walker said:</span></p></div>
</div></div></div><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border:none;padding:0px;"><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span style="font-size:18px;">“We hope that the Court will determine that Congress did not close the courthouse doors to parents who are attempting to direct the medical care that their child receives. We simply want the Supreme Court of North Carolina to give us our day in court where we can present our case fully.”</span></p></div>
</div></div></div></blockquote><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span style="font-size:18px;">Walker said the case is also important because “it impacts the ability of a child — who was 14 at the time — to reject an injection that he did not want to receive.”</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span style="font-size:18px;"></span></p><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><p style="margin-bottom:20px;font-size:16px;"><strong><span style="font-size:18px;">PREP Act doesn’t nullify state laws referenced in the case</span></strong></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span style="font-size:18px;">CHD’s amicus brief highlighted the legal argument behind why the lower courts were wrong to say that the PREP Act nullified North Carolina laws relevant to Happel and Smith’s case.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span>According to CHD’s brief, federal law reigns supreme “only where the Constitution empowers the Federal Government to act, and Congress can permissibly nullify state law only through statutes enacted pursuant to an&nbsp;<a href="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S8-1/ALDE_00000259/" title="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI-S8-1/ALDE_00000259/" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">enumerated power</a>.”</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span>“Enumerated powers” are the powers granted to Congress by the Constitution, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/enumerated_powers" title="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/enumerated_powers" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute</a>.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span>The brief argues that the specific enumerated power that Congress relied on when it passed the PREP Act — called “<a href="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF11971" title="https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/IF/IF11971" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Commerce Clause</a>” power — does not give the federal government authority to nullify the state laws that govern the claims in the case.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span style="font-size:18px;">That’s because the underlying activity — in this case, the vaccination of a minor with an EUA product over his objection and without his parents’ consent — was not “commercial” or “economic” and had virtually no effect on interstate commerce.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span style="font-size:18px;">Evans said, “Accordingly, as applied by the lower courts, the PREP Act ‘exceeds Congress’ enumerated powers.’”</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span style="font-size:18px;">The brief also urges the North Carolina Supreme Court to instruct the lower courts to adopt a “narrower reading” of the PREP Act’s immunity and preemption provisions, “a reading that enforces constitutional limits on the exercise of federal power.”</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span style="font-size:18px;">CHD isn’t the first or only organization to argue that the PREP Act is unconstitutional.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span style="font-size:18px;">When the PREP Act was passed back in 2005, several members of Congress voiced concerns about its constitutionality, according to legislative history cited in CHD’s amicus brief.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span>Since then, these concerns have been echoed in lawsuits brought in&nbsp;<a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/wp-content/uploads/LA-PREP-case.pdf" title="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/wp-content/uploads/LA-PREP-case.pdf" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Louisiana</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/wp-content/uploads/TX-PREP-case.pdf" title="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/wp-content/uploads/TX-PREP-case.pdf" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Texas</a>&nbsp;by people injured by COVID-19 vaccines.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span>Last month,&nbsp;<a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/lawsuit-vaccine-injured-strike-down-unconstitutional-prep-act/" title="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/lawsuit-vaccine-injured-strike-down-unconstitutional-prep-act/" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Moms for America and individual plaintiffs</a>&nbsp;who were injured by a COVID-19 vaccine, or whose loved one was injured or killed by a COVID-19 vaccine, sued several U.S. government agencies, alleging the PREP Act violates the U.S. Constitution and the<a href="https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-administrative-procedure-act">&nbsp;</a><a href="https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-administrative-procedure-act" title="https://www.epa.gov/laws-regulations/summary-administrative-procedure-act" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Administrative Procedure Act</a>, which governs how federal agencies develop and issue regulations.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span>Attorney&nbsp;<a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/authors/ray-l-flores-ii-esq/" title="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/authors/ray-l-flores-ii-esq/" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Ray Flores</a>, senior outside counsel for CHD who has&nbsp;<a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/george-watts-jr-pfizer-covid-vaccine-injury/" title="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/george-watts-jr-pfizer-covid-vaccine-injury/" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">filed a separate suit</a><a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/george-watts-jr-pfizer-covid-vaccine-injury/">&nbsp;</a>challenging the PREP Act, told The Defender, “At bottom, PREP is an amplified product liability statute that many courts have interpreted as being all-encompassing. To me, battery of a minor must be a separate issue outside of PREP.”</span></p></div>
</div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div data-element-id="elm_n7dZhx4-bJE64WTOIs9t2w" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style></style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left " data-editor="true"><div style="color:inherit;"><p><span><a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/tanner-smith-teenager-forced-covid-vaccination-pfizer-lawsuit/" title="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/tanner-smith-teenager-forced-covid-vaccination-pfizer-lawsuit/" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">This article was originally published by The Defender</a> — Children’s Health Defense’s News &amp; Views Website under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Please consider <a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/about-us/sign-up/" title="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/about-us/sign-up/" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">subscribing to The Defender</a> or <a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/about-us/donate/" title="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/about-us/donate/" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">donating to Children’s Health Defense</a>.</span></p></div>
</div></div></div></div></div></div></div>]]></content:encoded><pubDate>Sat, 21 Sep 2024 16:52:00 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[How to Explain to Family and Friends WHY Minor Consent Matters]]></title><link>https://www.healnc.net/blogs/post/how-to-explain-to-family-and-friends-why-minor-consent-matters</link><description><![CDATA[<img align="left" hspace="5" src="https://www.healnc.net/images/group-of-young-adults-having-a-bible-study.webp"/>Most NC parents are blissfully unaware of NC's minor consent law, which attorneys say is one of the worst in the country. Here's a resource you can share to help friends and family keep their children safe.]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zpcontent-container blogpost-container "><div data-element-id="elm_aWTQOvkbQKOv9b14L-1xzw" data-element-type="section" class="zpsection "><style type="text/css"></style><div class="zpcontainer-fluid zpcontainer"><div data-element-id="elm_zGNiP0p-Rlqn8PLoJovBPQ" data-element-type="row" class="zprow zprow-container zpalign-items- zpjustify-content- " data-equal-column=""><style type="text/css"></style><div data-element-id="elm_o91byK5vTPyHgqcuTcF4ew" data-element-type="column" class="zpelem-col zpcol-12 zpcol-md-12 zpcol-sm-12 zpalign-self- "><style type="text/css"></style><div data-element-id="elm_6UMOfx2dRbW7rfxbIdCgiQ" data-element-type="heading" class="zpelement zpelem-heading "><style></style><h2 class="zpheading zpheading-align-center " data-editor="true"><span style="font-size:36px;"><span style="color:inherit;">How to Explain</span></span><span style="font-size:36px;">&nbsp;to Family and Friends&nbsp;</span><span style="color:inherit;font-size:36px;">WHY Minor Consent Matters</span><br></h2></div>
<div data-element-id="elm_wM20v6uvOGZb--gINR7hxg" data-element-type="image" class="zpelement zpelem-image "><style> @media (min-width: 992px) { [data-element-id="elm_wM20v6uvOGZb--gINR7hxg"] .zpimage-container figure img { width: 612px !important ; height: 408px !important ; } } </style><div data-caption-color="" data-size-tablet="" data-size-mobile="" data-align="center" data-tablet-image-separate="false" data-mobile-image-separate="false" class="zpimage-container zpimage-align-center zpimage-tablet-align-center zpimage-mobile-align-center zpimage-size-original zpimage-tablet-fallback-fit zpimage-mobile-fallback-fit hb-lightbox " data-lightbox-options="
                type:fullscreen,
                theme:dark"><figure role="none" class="zpimage-data-ref"><span class="zpimage-anchor" role="link" tabindex="0" aria-label="Open Lightbox" style="cursor:pointer;"><picture><img class="zpimage zpimage-style-none zpimage-space-none " src="https://www.healnc.net/images/group-of-young-adults-having-a-bible-study.webp" size="original" data-lightbox="true"></picture></span></figure></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_-3BAYHA5SouV1utx2UYX3A" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style></style><div class="zptext zptext-align-center " data-editor="true"><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><p style="text-align:left;margin-bottom:12pt;"><span style="font-size:18px;">HEALNC sponsored a Zoom call featuring Children's Health Defense Attorney Justine Tanguay on August 14, 2024.&nbsp;The Zoom call, open to the public, highlighted our concerns about NC's alarming minor consent law.</span></p><p style="text-align:left;margin-bottom:12pt;"><span style="color:inherit;font-weight:700;">WHY SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED ABOUT NORTH CAROLINA’S MINOR CONSENT LAW? </span><span style="color:inherit;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;margin-bottom:12pt;"><span style="font-size:18px;"><span style="font-weight:700;">NC’s Law is one of the worst in the country.&nbsp;</span>According to lawyer Justine Tanguay, "NC has one of the most dangerous minor consent laws in the country."</span></p><p style="text-align:left;margin-bottom:12pt;"><span style="font-size:18px;"><span style="font-weight:700;">Children of any age can consent to controversial therapies. </span> Minors ages 0-17 in NC can consent to medical services for prevention/treatment of infectious disease (including vaccination), pregnancy, drug and alcohol issues, and emotional disturbance without parental knowledge or consent. </span></p><p style="text-align:left;margin-bottom:12pt;"><span style="font-size:18px;"><span style="font-weight:700;">Parents are being shut out of decision-making about their child’s health care. </span>NC parents’ healthcare decisions are being overturned because of this law.&nbsp;For example, one mother was told that a facility would not perform a drug test on her 12-year-old daughter who appeared high because, "By law, we are unable to do anything without [your daughter's] consent."</span></p><p style="text-align:left;margin-bottom:12pt;"><span style="font-size:18px;"><span style="font-weight:700;">Parents are being denied access to their child’s medical records. </span> NC's large hospital systems are preventing parents from seeing their child’s medical records beginning at age 12.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;margin-bottom:12pt;"><span style="font-size:18px;"><span style="font-weight:700;">Doctors can override a parents’ decision.&nbsp;</span>Doctors can override a parents' medical decision if the doctor believes a delay in treatment would "endanger the life or seriously worsen the physical condition."&nbsp;The physician simply has to get a second opinion from a fellow physician.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;margin-bottom:12pt;"><span style="font-weight:700;">Many NC children have easy access to medical treatment via school.</span>&nbsp;This law dovetails with the explosion of the <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/prominent-philanthropists-invest-23-million-in-school-based-health-alliance-to-advance-health-equity-302024684.html" title="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/prominent-philanthropists-invest-23-million-in-school-based-health-alliance-to-advance-health-equity-302024684.html" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Gates/Bezos</a> and government funded School Based Health Centers (SBHC) that give children easy access to controversial medical treatments while at school without needing the parent’s consent.&nbsp;Children can consent to treatments in SBHCs without the parent even knowing a treatment was received.</p><p style="text-align:left;margin-bottom:12pt;"><span style="font-weight:700;color:inherit;">The HEALNC/CHD Call To Action</span></p><span style="font-size:18px;"><div style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:inherit;">We are working hard to overturn NC's alarming law.&nbsp;However, we need broad public support to demonstrate to lawmakers that citizens want change, and most North Carolinians have no idea that their children are vulnerable.&nbsp;This is where you come in.&nbsp;Can you share this information with people in your circles (book club, Sunday School class, homeschool groups, etc.)?&nbsp;Here is a 1-page pdf you can distribute far and wide. Click the button to download it to your computer.</span></div></span></div>
</div></div></div><div data-element-id="elm_d_Wh_HkqRb2F3iU1c6o_KA" data-element-type="button" class="zpelement zpelem-button "><style></style><div class="zpbutton-container zpbutton-align-center "><style type="text/css"></style><a class="zpbutton-wrapper zpbutton zpbutton-type-primary zpbutton-size-lg zpbutton-style-none " href="https://workdrive.zohoexternal.com/external/ed973bdce8a945eb473ce5406826474037c9f29969ec7eac5a167f99ae0ec802/download" target="_blank" title="https://workdrive.zohoexternal.com/external/ed973bdce8a945eb473ce5406826474037c9f29969ec7eac5a167f99ae0ec802/download"><span class="zpbutton-content">Minor Consent pdf</span></a></div>
</div></div></div></div></div></div>]]></content:encoded><pubDate>Sat, 21 Sep 2024 16:25:09 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Forgiveness After Covid: Steps for Forgiving Those Involved]]></title><link>https://www.healnc.net/blogs/post/forgiveness-after-covid-steps-for-forgiving-those-involved</link><description><![CDATA[<img align="left" hspace="5" src="https://www.healnc.net/images/forgiveness-1767432_1280.jpg"/>The dangerous protocols put in place during Covid not only caused tremendous loss of life, they caused the loss of many people's jobs and destroyed their trust in authority. In the 3rd article of our Forgiveness Series, learn the steps of forgiveness that one nurse took to regain her livelihood.]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zpcontent-container blogpost-container "><div data-element-id="elm_8ot2Z8MrQt2tk_v8p8UtVg" data-element-type="section" class="zpsection "><style type="text/css"></style><div class="zpcontainer-fluid zpcontainer"><div data-element-id="elm_11_t4jFaR4OQPBu1r9agIg" data-element-type="row" class="zprow zprow-container zpalign-items- zpjustify-content- " data-equal-column=""><style type="text/css"></style><div data-element-id="elm_mXNdpiqQTsWMilsuoo80hQ" data-element-type="column" class="zpelem-col zpcol-12 zpcol-md-12 zpcol-sm-12 zpalign-self- "><style type="text/css"></style><div data-element-id="elm_p10dPuF7Ree7aRGE2IWIvw" data-element-type="heading" class="zpelement zpelem-heading "><style></style><h2 class="zpheading zpheading-align-center " data-editor="true"><div style="color:inherit;"><p style="margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:32px;">Forgiveness After Covid: Steps for Forgiving Those Involved</span></p></div></h2></div>
<div data-element-id="elm_cawMyp-Sg2d2Vl3XMCeT_Q" data-element-type="image" class="zpelement zpelem-image "><style> @media (min-width: 992px) { [data-element-id="elm_cawMyp-Sg2d2Vl3XMCeT_Q"] .zpimage-container figure img { width: 743px !important ; height: 557px !important ; } } </style><div data-caption-color="" data-size-tablet="" data-size-mobile="" data-align="center" data-tablet-image-separate="false" data-mobile-image-separate="false" class="zpimage-container zpimage-align-center zpimage-tablet-align-center zpimage-mobile-align-center zpimage-size-custom zpimage-tablet-fallback-fit zpimage-mobile-fallback-fit hb-lightbox " data-lightbox-options="
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                theme:dark"><figure role="none" class="zpimage-data-ref"><span class="zpimage-anchor" role="link" tabindex="0" aria-label="Open Lightbox" style="cursor:pointer;"><picture><img class="zpimage zpimage-style-none zpimage-space-none " src="https://www.healnc.net/images/forgiveness-1767432_1280.jpg" size="custom" data-lightbox="true"></picture></span></figure></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_-BffDhXZR4d3DeseuL5Ebw" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style></style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left " data-editor="true"><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><p style="text-align:center;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span style="font-size:18px;font-style:italic;">by Connie Domino, BSN, MPH, RN</span></p><span style="font-size:18px;font-style:italic;"><div style="text-align:center;"><span style="color:inherit;">HEALNC columnist Connie Domino is an author, life coach, public health educator, registered nurse, trainer and speaker. Her book is The Law of Forgiveness:&nbsp;Tap into the Positive Power of Forgiveness—and Attract Good Things to Your Life (Berkley Books, an imprint of Penguin and Putnam). She lives in Raleigh, NC with her husband and two cats. You can find her at&nbsp;</span><a href="http://conniedomino.com/" style="font-size:18px;"><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">conniedomino.com</span></a><span style="color:inherit;">.</span></div></span></div>
</div></div></div><div data-element-id="elm_PYUU1ysLTnq3K6IyP-CDlA" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style></style><div class="zptext zptext-align-center " data-editor="true"><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;font-style:italic;"><br></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;font-style:italic;">Note to the reader: I would suggest you read the forgiveness articles in the last two HEALNC blog. They explain guidelines&nbsp;for forgiveness and ten people and/or places you should forgive now. This article is the third in the forgiveness series that teaches you “how to” forgive.</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="text-indent:0.5in;color:inherit;"><br></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="text-indent:0.5in;color:inherit;">I’ll never forget the urgency that came across a text I received in 2020. It was a young nurse that I knew, and she sounded frantic, even in a text.&nbsp;She remembered me from years earlier when I taught at the nursing school she attended.&nbsp;I was surprised to hear from her as she was smart, but not always the most studious, and there were days I wondered if she would make it through the program. However, she did make it&nbsp;and here she was taking a very brave stance on the frontlines of a very confusing, very tough time during a pandemic we were all struggling to understand. She said, “Please help me understand this, I work at a skilled nursing facility (nursing home) and half my patients have died. They are asking me to go part-time as there are not enough residents left to require my full-time work. I am very upset.”&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="text-indent:0.5in;color:inherit;"><br></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="text-indent:0.5in;color:inherit;">I called her to better understand. This is news I had never heard before. It sounded strange and in normal times&nbsp;health officials would have&nbsp;investigated right away. I asked her if she had any idea what had caused this many resident deaths at once. Each flu season many elderly die in our country, but not half the residents&nbsp;in a skilled nursing facility, not even close to that. &nbsp;Hospitals generally try and keep flu patients from being admitted if they can be treated at home, because of the risk imposed to surgery patients and others with compromised immune systems. However, the year 2020 was different, because a flu pandemic with a novel strain we had not seen before was especially hitting hard in the U.S. and other Western nations. It was a very difficult and confusing time.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="text-indent:0.5in;color:inherit;"><br></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="text-indent:0.5in;color:inherit;">My former student&nbsp;continued by explaining that patients with Covid had been discharged from the hospital to the&nbsp;skilled nursing facility&nbsp;where she worked as a nurse infecting the residents who lived there. I had heard about this happening in another state but was surprised to hear of it happening in my state.&nbsp; I asked whether her administration or the companies who owned the home could step in and ask that these infected clients be kept in the hospital longer. I thought perhaps special accommodations could be made in&nbsp;hospital units&nbsp;better equipped to care for these clients, like negative pressure rooms for airborne precautions, filtering the infected air outside of&nbsp;the hospital and specialized UV lights to sterilize a room when an infected patient was discharged. &nbsp;&nbsp;She said her skilled nursing facility was not allowed to turn these Covid infected patients away.</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:inherit;"><br></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:inherit;">I will avoid making assumptions as it was a very difficult time and the medical community had never experienced anything remotely like this in our lifetimes, not on this scale. It took time to establish facilities that were especially dedicated to caring for Covid patients.&nbsp;However, I wondered if there could have been other&nbsp;arrangements made at the time because skilled nursing facilities are generally not equipped with&nbsp;special accommodations like those mentioned above&nbsp;to care for residents with a deadly airborne communicable disease especially being admitted from the outside to their facilities.</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="text-indent:0.5in;color:inherit;"><br></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="text-indent:0.5in;color:inherit;">I realized the immediate need in front of me was to help this young nurse&nbsp;who was grieving the loss of half her residents and the loss of half her wages she needed to support herself and her family. I told her about&nbsp;forgiveness and described how&nbsp;this simple technique had helped a lot of people I had worked with in healing as well as meeting other life goals. Her immediate goal was to obtain a full-time job with benefits, making more than enough money to&nbsp;meet her family needs. However, there was not a specific person that she knew to forgive as these decisions were made at a federal and state level.</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp; </span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">Below is information I shared with this nurse and with all my coaching clients regarding how to forgive. You can use these guidelines to forgive individuals or groups. Sometimes decisions are made, and a person doesn’t know an individual to forgive because a decision has been made by a government, federal or state agency, organizations,&nbsp;corporations or by a group of religious leaders. In cases like this, I suggest taking the following simple steps on how to forgive. </span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;font-weight:700;"><br></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;font-weight:700;">Simple Steps You Can Take to Forgive</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="text-indent:0.5in;color:inherit;"><br></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="text-indent:0.5in;color:inherit;">First, settle yourself in a comfortable chair or place where you will not be disturbed while you complete this forgiveness technique. You do not need to contact anyone. This can be done in the privacy and comfort of your own home. Settle any pets or children you may have and turn off any electronic equipment that may disturb you. Then, visualize in your mind’s eye a group of people sitting at a conference table or in nature, whatever works for you. This group will represent the people you are forgiving. If you have trouble visualizing in your mind’s eye, find a picture online of a group that represents them. Once you can see them in your mind’s eye,&nbsp;visualize them as they would look if they had made the most wise, healthy and appropriate decisions treating people fairly, compassionately, ethically, and morally. &nbsp;If you use a picture, use a picture of people&nbsp;that best shows these positive attributes and virtues listed.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:inherit;text-indent:0.5in;"><br></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:inherit;text-indent:0.5in;">Then say a simple forgiveness&nbsp;statement to them. Christians have asked if they can say they forgive people through the Grace of God and Jesus.&nbsp;I tell them that is fine if they also sincerely forgive the people themselves. You may wish to say something like this below directed at the people you wish to forgive.</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;font-style:italic;"><br></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;font-style:italic;">(Through the grace of Jesus/God), I forgive you completely and freely, I release you and let you go. So far as I’m concerned, the incident(s) that happened between us is finished forever, I wish the best for you. I wish for you your highest good. I am free and you are free and all again is well between us. Peace be with you. </span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;"><br></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">Now, visualize the people you are forgiving accepting your forgiveness.</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="text-indent:0.5in;color:inherit;"><br></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="text-indent:0.5in;color:inherit;">Once this young nurse had forgiven the people who made the decision that led to half the residents in her nursing home dying, and her hours and pay being cut in half, she applied for and received a new nursing job that better met her needs and goals.</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:inherit;text-indent:0.5in;"><br></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:inherit;text-indent:0.5in;">Many people have used these exact words to forgive and experienced positive results. Once the lack of forgiveness was no longer burdening them, they found their prayers were answered and they met life goals more quickly and easier. &nbsp;I don’t suggest changing the words, but if you do change them, avoid words&nbsp;to justify your anger and/or disappointment. For example, avoid a sentence such as, “I forgive you for not being the leaders I wanted you to be.”&nbsp;Avoid negative words like “not” and “want.”&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="text-indent:0.5in;color:inherit;"><br></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="text-indent:0.5in;color:inherit;">You can use this same statement to forgive any person living or deceased or any group. How do you know you need to forgive? Any person or group that makes you feel hurt and/or resentment when you think of them needs your forgiveness. Make a list of the people from the sandbox through today that you need to forgive. You can also forgive yourself. Then, set a time each day to work through your list. Say the forgiveness statement written above for each person separately, unless there is a specific group, then say the forgiveness statement for each&nbsp;group.</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="text-indent:0.5in;color:inherit;"><br></span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="text-indent:0.5in;color:inherit;">Follow the same guidelines as above, settling in a comfortable, undisturbed place and bring each person to your mind’s eye looking as if they treated you like they should have. If you cannot visualize them, visualize a balloon representing them. Visualize them accepting your forgiveness. Forgiveness does not mean how they treated you was justified. It is not a weak strategy you use for other people. It frees you from the burden that lack of forgiveness can become blocking your life desires. It’s the best, most positive action you can take for yourself and others. Forgiveness is freeing, can bring mental, emotional and physical healing and can help you meet your life’s dreams and goals.&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;text-indent:0.5in;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">By: Connie Domino, BSN, MPH, RN</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">ConnieDomino.com&nbsp;</span></p></div>
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</div><div data-element-id="elm_R1U8GSeSsrwK9kEJ469vzw" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style> [data-element-id="elm_R1U8GSeSsrwK9kEJ469vzw"].zpelem-text { border-radius:1px; } </style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left " data-editor="true"><div style="color:inherit;"><p style="margin-bottom:8pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14px;">THIS WEBSITE IS NOT INTENDED FOR PROVIDING MEDICAL ADVICE&nbsp;</span></p><span style="font-size:14px;"><div style="text-align:center;"> All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve&nbsp;as a substitute for the&nbsp;consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.&nbsp;The opinions expressed here are those of the author and not necessarily those of HEALNC. </div></span></div>
</div></div></div></div></div></div></div>]]></content:encoded><pubDate>Sat, 21 Sep 2024 15:25:23 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Fasting: A Way to Hack Our Modern Day Food System]]></title><link>https://www.healnc.net/blogs/post/fasting-a-way-to-hack-our-modern-day-food-system</link><description><![CDATA[<img align="left" hspace="5" src="https://www.healnc.net/images/fasting.png"/>“Diet is one of the most powerful levers we have to manipulate our body’s physiology.” - Jethro Hu, MD, co-director of Neuro-Oncology at Cedars-Sinai.]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zpcontent-container blogpost-container "><div data-element-id="elm_GYF_EmEORP67hk9jv6SF4g" data-element-type="section" class="zpsection "><style type="text/css"></style><div class="zpcontainer-fluid zpcontainer"><div data-element-id="elm_H3mlnCxSR0qcoBwz3We6qg" data-element-type="row" class="zprow zprow-container zpalign-items- zpjustify-content- " data-equal-column=""><style type="text/css"></style><div data-element-id="elm_nKFCgY4rRMmqSripg1nVLA" data-element-type="column" class="zpelem-col zpcol-12 zpcol-md-12 zpcol-sm-12 zpalign-self- "><style type="text/css"></style><div data-element-id="elm_Xh0MVVM6RYCGSXq1K5zOdg" data-element-type="heading" class="zpelement zpelem-heading "><style></style><h2 class="zpheading zpheading-align-center " data-editor="true"><div style="color:inherit;"><p><span style="font-size:32px;">Fasting: A Way to Hack Our Modern Day Food System</span></p></div></h2></div>
<div data-element-id="elm_mUejGTy-FoHnNPCbQfvoZg" data-element-type="image" class="zpelement zpelem-image "><style> @media (min-width: 992px) { [data-element-id="elm_mUejGTy-FoHnNPCbQfvoZg"] .zpimage-container figure img { width: 707px !important ; height: 730px !important ; } } </style><div data-caption-color="" data-size-tablet="" data-size-mobile="" data-align="center" data-tablet-image-separate="false" data-mobile-image-separate="false" class="zpimage-container zpimage-align-center zpimage-tablet-align-center zpimage-mobile-align-center zpimage-size-custom zpimage-tablet-fallback-fit zpimage-mobile-fallback-fit hb-lightbox " data-lightbox-options="
                type:fullscreen,
                theme:dark"><figure role="none" class="zpimage-data-ref"><span class="zpimage-anchor" role="link" tabindex="0" aria-label="Open Lightbox" style="cursor:pointer;"><picture><img class="zpimage zpimage-style-none zpimage-space-none " src="https://www.healnc.net/images/fasting.png" size="custom" data-lightbox="true"></picture></span></figure></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_0xzoNVo4BUR9b_hpXclMXA" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style> [data-element-id="elm_0xzoNVo4BUR9b_hpXclMXA"].zpelem-text { border-radius:1px; } </style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left " data-editor="true"><div style="color:inherit;"><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-style:italic;">By Sharyn Fuller, www.HEALNC.net columnist</span></p></div>
</div></div><div data-element-id="elm_iRK6IPb_TleiRVZZukCnbQ" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style> [data-element-id="elm_iRK6IPb_TleiRVZZukCnbQ"].zpelem-text { line-height:0px; } [data-element-id="elm_iRK6IPb_TleiRVZZukCnbQ"].zpelem-text :is(h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6){ line-height:0px; } </style><div class="zptext zptext-align-center " data-editor="true"><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;line-height:2;"><div style="color:inherit;line-height:2;"><div style="color:inherit;line-height:2;"><p style="text-align:center;margin-bottom:8pt;"><span><span style="font-weight:700;">If the fish tank is dirty, you clean the tank – you don’t </span><span style="font-weight:700;font-style:italic;">drug the fish.</span></span></p><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">It is easy to forget that three meals a day is a relatively new concept. Mankind, as we know it today, has existed for approximately 300,000 years, and&nbsp;often experienced extended periods of time when food of any kind was <span style="font-style:italic;">totally</span> unavailable. </span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">As our species evolved, it seems likely that the humans who procreated were the ones who managed to eat the highest calorie foods whenever&nbsp;it was available,&nbsp;in order to make it through&nbsp;a famine. They survived by eating <span style="font-style:italic;">whatever</span> they could <span style="font-style:italic;">whenever</span> they could. As a result, over the millennia&nbsp;this behavior was programmed into our DNA.</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">How has the human body adapted to the current day and age when food is not only easily accessible, cheap, and designed to be extremely palatable, but highly processed, causing it to have minimal nutrition? And how has mankind adapted to the endocrine disrupting additives such as plastics, fertilizers, chemicals, and insecticides, and to the <span style="font-style:italic;">poor quality</span> meat, eggs, dairy and fish&nbsp;produced by factory farming? Compounded with a much more sedentary lifestyle than ever before in human history? </span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">It appears&nbsp;that the human body has <span style="font-style:italic;">not</span> adapted, since we are currently experiencing a crisis of epidemic proportions. Apparently,&nbsp;most people still eat high calorie food whenever it is available – but it is ALWAYS available. And there are no longer any famines (at least not in developed countries).</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">Prior to the 1970s, obesity was a relatively rare condition. Now 70% of Americans are overweight (40% globally), with over <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/23/norc-share-americans-obesity">42%</a> of American adults in the obese category. And by the year 2035,&nbsp;predictions are the global obesity rate will be over <span style="font-style:italic;">50</span>%.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">There have recently been articles&nbsp;suggesting&nbsp;<a href="https://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/everything-you-know-about-obesity-is-wrong/" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">obesity is not a problem</a> because it’s “not necessarily unhealthy.” They claim our <span style="font-style:italic;">perception</span> of what the human body should look like needs to change,<span style="font-style:italic;">&nbsp;</span>and call for a “new paradigm,” despite <a href="https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/calorie-restriction-humans-builds-strong-muscle-stimulates-healthy-aging-genes" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">evidence</a> for calorie restriction.</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">It has long <a href="https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/adult-overweight-obesity/health-risks" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">been recognized</a> that obesity is associated with hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, stroke, and other conditions that all lead to premature death. Heart disease, cancer, and diabetes – the top three causes of death in the US – were rare or unknown to prehistoric ancestors (who were never obese) and may have emerged due to an evolutionary mismatch between modern day lifestyles and ancient environments.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">Despite the&nbsp;attempts to normalize obesity,&nbsp;most overweight people still want to be slender, and a drug long used to control Type 2 Diabetes,&nbsp;Ozempic, is now being touted by the pharmaceutical industry as a weight loss drug, even recommended for <span style="font-style:italic;">children</span>. But while its popularity has soared in America,&nbsp;amassing huge profits for a&nbsp;<a href="https://rooseveltinstitute.org/2019/05/22/capturing-the-government-big-pharmas-take-over-of-policymaking/" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">corrupted</a> industry, it is extremely expensive, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-long-do-you-have-to-take-ozempic-probably-forever-2023-6" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">must be taken for life</a> to keep working, and like all drugs&nbsp;is being shown to have negative side effects. <span style="font-style:italic;">Dozens</span> of Ozempic <a href="https://www.drugwatch.com/legal/ozempic-lawsuit/" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">lawsuits</a>&nbsp;have already been filed. </span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">But here is the good news – more and more evidence suggests there is a solution to not only weight loss&nbsp;but also to&nbsp;chronic disease, and it’s&nbsp;not only safe&nbsp;(for most people)&nbsp;but&nbsp;<span style="font-style:italic;">free</span>. Fasting.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">Everyone fasts during sleep, hence the term “break<span style="font-style:italic;">fast.</span>” But fasting overnight may not be long enough to maintain optimal health and longevity. The desire to eat high calorie foods is still programmed into our biology,&nbsp;thus we are eating fattening,&nbsp;poor quality food&nbsp;<span style="font-style:italic;">all</span> the time.</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;">The <a href="https://allthatsinteresting.com/angus-barbieri" title="https://allthatsinteresting.com/angus-barbieri" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">longest fast ever recorded</a> took place in Scotland from 1965 to 1966, when a morbidly obese man water fasted for over one year,&nbsp;losing 276 pounds with no health problems. He maintained the loss, gaining back only 16 pounds over the next 25 years.&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">This indicates&nbsp;that long term fasting can not only be safe but effective against obesity.&nbsp;But does fasting have an effect on any other health problems? And if so, how and why?</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">Hippocrates – long considered the father of modern-day medicine – advocated fasting as a healing approach, claiming that it starved disease. </span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">But does it really do that? What exactly happens when one goes a certain amount of time without any food?</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">Every tissue and organ is made up of cells,&nbsp;considered the “building blocks” of the human body, and when a cell is deprived of nutrition, it is forced to go into “survival mode.”&nbsp; It&nbsp;then basically “eats” itself to survive.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">Scientists have discovered that fasting causes the cell to rid itself of nonfunctional parts that take up space (and slow performance) and to&nbsp;destroy pathogens that may be damaging it (like viruses and bacteria).&nbsp; The cell actually ‘recycles’ unneeded or damaged parts of itself to provide energy for its survival, and during this time also creates <span style="font-style:italic;">new</span>, <span style="font-style:italic;">fully</span>&nbsp;<span style="font-style:italic;">functioning</span> parts. This biological process is called “<a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/24058-autophagy"><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">autophagy</span>.</a>” </span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><a href="https://www.cedars-sinai.org/discoveries/fasting-as-next-step-in-cancer-treatment.html"><span style="font-size:18px;text-decoration-line:underline;">Researchers</span></a><span style="font-size:18px;"> at Cedar Sinai Cancer are going as far as predicting that because of autophagy, fasting will be the next step in cancer treatment. Considering that over 611,000 cancer deaths are expected in the United States in <a href="https://www.cancer.org/research/acs-research-news/facts-and-figures-2024.html" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">2024</a>, that is good news indeed!</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">Stephen Freedland, MD, the director of the&nbsp;Center for Integrated Research in Cancer and Lifestyle&nbsp;at&nbsp;Cedars-Sinai&nbsp;Cancer, explains that fasting behaves in a way not unlike chemotherapy, in the sense that it directly <span style="font-style:italic;">targets</span> cancers cells for destruction.</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">“I liken it to bears and hummingbirds,” <a href="https://www.cedars-sinai.org/discoveries/fasting-as-next-step-in-cancer-treatment.html" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Freedland explained</a>. “In the absence of food, bears hibernate. But hummingbirds, like tumor cells, can’t hibernate—and they’ll die without food.”</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">Since fasting causes healthy cells to go into “hiding,” leaving only the cancer cells exposed, fasting in <a href="https://jeccr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13046-019-1189-9" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">addition</a> to&nbsp;chemotherapy&nbsp;is being considered for cancer patients, especially those with very aggressive tumors. </span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">Studies are&nbsp;also showing that long-term fasting may be one of the most potent non-pharmacological interventions for the prevention and management of chronic diseases. A <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2024/03/240301134649.htm" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">British study</a> in March 2024 not only demonstrated evidence of health benefits beyond weight loss, but also that positive changes seemed to occur after only three days without food.</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">Autophagy can be triggered by other things besides fasting, including exercising, calorie restriction, and eliminating all carbohydrates. <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health-news/fasting-like-diet-reduced-prediabetes-markers-and-signs-of-aging-by-2-5-years%23Can-you-really-de-age-yourself-by-fasting?" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Fasting mimicking diets</a> and <a href="https://www.inverse.com/article/45257-intermittent-fasting-backers-want-to-stop-aging-with-caloric-restriction" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">intermittent fasting</a> studies have even been shown to have anti-aging effects, since as the body ages autophagy decreases.</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">Enthusiasm for fasting is growing and growing. There are now clinics around the world that offer supervised long term fasting, such as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healthpromoting.com/water-only-fasting" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">TrueNorth</a> in Santa Rosa California, and two <a href="https://www.buchinger-wilhelmi.com/en/" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Buchinger Wilhelmi</a> clinics in Germany. Supervised fasting can now even be done <a href="https://www.fastingescape.com/" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">remotely</a>. </span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">Do you <span style="font-style:italic;">have</span> to fast to lose weight or to be healthy? No, there are other ways to shed pounds safely and to maintain good health. Michael Pollan, author of, “<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Omnivore%27s_Dilemma"><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">The Omnivore’s Dilemma</span></a>,”&nbsp;advises this - “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">However, it is exciting to know that with a little effort such a simple practice can&nbsp;not only reduce obesity but&nbsp;repair damage caused by a less than perfect diet. Perhaps instead of pretending obesity is normal and should be embraced, a regimen of <span style="font-style:italic;">fasting</span>&nbsp;could be considered <span style="font-style:italic;">the</span>&nbsp;<span style="font-style:italic;">new paradigm</span>?</span></p></div>
</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div data-element-id="elm_K9iprTKRnILwGHHu00Lplg" data-element-type="spacer" class="zpelement zpelem-spacer "><style> div[data-element-id="elm_K9iprTKRnILwGHHu00Lplg"] div.zpspacer { height:110px; } @media (max-width: 768px) { div[data-element-id="elm_K9iprTKRnILwGHHu00Lplg"] div.zpspacer { height:calc(110px / 3); } } </style><div class="zpspacer " data-height="110"></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_q2xEVhNfW-PnAUbA1XFp2w" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style> [data-element-id="elm_q2xEVhNfW-PnAUbA1XFp2w"].zpelem-text { border-radius:1px; } </style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left " data-editor="true"><div style="color:inherit;"><p style="margin-bottom:8pt;text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14px;">THIS WEBSITE IS NOT INTENDED FOR PROVIDING MEDICAL ADVICE&nbsp;</span></p><span style="font-size:14px;"><div style="text-align:center;"> All information, content, and material of this website is for informational purposes only and are not intended to serve&nbsp;as a substitute for the&nbsp;consultation, diagnosis, and/or medical treatment of a qualified physician or healthcare provider.&nbsp;The opinions expressed here are those of the author and not necessarily those of HEALNC. </div></span></div>
</div></div></div></div></div></div></div>]]></content:encoded><pubDate>Sat, 21 Sep 2024 15:16:00 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Pfizer Deploys Mobile ‘School of Science’ to Teach Kids the ABCs of Pandemics and Vaccines  ]]></title><link>https://www.healnc.net/blogs/post/pfizer-deploys-mobile-school-of-science-to-teach-kids-the-abcs-of-pandemics-and-vaccines</link><description><![CDATA[<img align="left" hspace="5" src="https://www.healnc.net/images/pexels-photo-8923370.jpeg"/>Students enter the Pfizer trailer for an “escape-room-like” experience, working with Pfizer employees on a pandemic tabletop exercise ending in how to make a vaccine to distribute globally. “It just feels so wrong,” one critic — a teacher — told The Defender.]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zpcontent-container blogpost-container "><div data-element-id="elm_YHddFk_ST1q_CjJ1Gzcf6g" data-element-type="section" class="zpsection "><style type="text/css"></style><div class="zpcontainer-fluid zpcontainer"><div data-element-id="elm_ZFEccLccRe6lp6ltgRBAuA" data-element-type="row" class="zprow zprow-container zpalign-items- zpjustify-content- " data-equal-column=""><style type="text/css"></style><div data-element-id="elm_4Bk77yYOTDyRFt7-hhkwAg" data-element-type="column" class="zpelem-col zpcol-12 zpcol-md-12 zpcol-sm-12 zpalign-self- "><style type="text/css"></style><div data-element-id="elm_aImGTGwNSQSdMJNa6Ccb_Q" data-element-type="heading" class="zpelement zpelem-heading "><style></style><h2 class="zpheading zpheading-align-center " data-editor="true"><span style="color:inherit;"><span style="font-size:32px;">Pfizer Deploys Mobile ‘School of Science’ to Teach Kids the ABCs of Pandemics and Vaccines</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><br></h2></div>
<div data-element-id="elm_LUSSdtwCC8vhecwKK1jbaA" data-element-type="image" class="zpelement zpelem-image "><style> @media (min-width: 992px) { [data-element-id="elm_LUSSdtwCC8vhecwKK1jbaA"] .zpimage-container figure img { width: 1110px ; height: 740.00px ; } } </style><div data-caption-color="" data-size-tablet="" data-size-mobile="" data-align="center" data-tablet-image-separate="false" data-mobile-image-separate="false" class="zpimage-container zpimage-align-center zpimage-tablet-align-center zpimage-mobile-align-center zpimage-size-fit zpimage-tablet-fallback-fit zpimage-mobile-fallback-fit hb-lightbox " data-lightbox-options="
                type:fullscreen,
                theme:dark"><figure role="none" class="zpimage-data-ref"><span class="zpimage-anchor" role="link" tabindex="0" aria-label="Open Lightbox" style="cursor:pointer;"><picture><img class="zpimage zpimage-style-none zpimage-space-none " src="https://www.healnc.net/images/pexels-photo-8923370.jpeg" size="fit" data-lightbox="true"></picture></span></figure></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_Pkeur_EYN8MMqo021GUQ1g" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style></style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left " data-editor="true"><div style="color:inherit;"><div> by&nbsp;<a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/authors/brenda-baletti/"><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Brenda Baletti, Ph.D</span>.</a></div>
<div style="font-size:14px;font-weight:600;"> September 6, 2024 </div></div></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_Of142IKvaiB0csx3wmMpIw" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style></style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left " data-editor="true"><p><span style="color:inherit;font-size:18px;"><a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/pfizer-mobile-school-of-science-teach-kids-pandemics-vaccines/" title="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/pfizer-mobile-school-of-science-teach-kids-pandemics-vaccines/" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">This article was originally published by The Defender</a> — Children’s Health Defense’s News &amp; Views Website.</span><br></p></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_CXbhXUSzovtnvqgste3sOg" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style></style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left " data-editor="true"><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><p style="margin-bottom:20px;font-size:16px;"><a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender_category/big-pharma/"><span style="font-size:18px;text-decoration-line:underline;">Pharmaceutical giant</span></a><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;Pfizer is crossing the country with a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pfizerplus.com/si/articles/article-pfizer-school-of-science-mobile-experience.aspx" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">mobile science</a>&nbsp;“escape room” — complete with a robotic dog — to provide students in rural communities with a “science-based learning experience.”</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span style="font-size:18px;">In the process, students are “exposed to a multi-national company” and they get to meet Pfizer employees.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span style="font-size:18px;">In its promotional video for the “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&amp;v=z5z2Xpdp_UI"><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">School of Science Mobile Experience</span></a><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">,</span>” students in rural Sanford, North Carolina, are greeted by a Pfizer robot dog, which makes several appearances during their field trip.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span style="font-size:18px;">Students enter the Pfizer mobile trailer for a “fantastic, interactive, escape-room-like experience,” where they work with Pfizer employees to solve a mystery about a pandemic outbreak that starts with people showing up in doctor’s offices with scaly, lizard-like skin.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span style="font-size:18px;">As they move through the&nbsp;<a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/news/what-we-can-learn-from-a-pandemic-tabletop-exercise/" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">pandemic tabletop exercise</a>, proceeding through different rooms in the trailer, the children learn different lessons. They learn about antigens in one room, about vaccine manufacturing in another, and more.</span></p><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span style="font-size:18px;">In the end, the students “successfully produced a remedy that will be distributed around the world” — reminiscent of Pfizer’s own production of the&nbsp;<a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender_category/covid/" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">COVID-19</a><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">&nbsp;</span><a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender_category/toxic-exposures/" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">vaccines</a>.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span>“This is not your typical science class,” a Pfizer spokesperson says, closing out&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&amp;v=z5z2Xpdp_UI" target="_blank" rel=""><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">the video</span></a>.</span></p></div>
</div></div></div></div></div><div data-element-id="elm_HXoXzpoqnCHapBeRP5FZdg" data-element-type="codeSnippet" class="zpelement zpelem-codesnippet "><div class="zpsnippet-container"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Through Pfizer School of Science Mobile Experience, we aim to bring the wonders of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/STEM?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#STEM</a> to life. Discover how our interactive experience is helping inspire the next generation of scientists and manufacturers: <a href="https://t.co/HBLRYMaq3N">https://t.co/HBLRYMaq3N</a> 🚀🔬 <a href="https://t.co/Z2PiPpHiSc">pic.twitter.com/Z2PiPpHiSc</a></p><p>— Pfizer Inc. (@pfizer) <a href="https://twitter.com/pfizer/status/1824446115321713119?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 16, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_Vf6cneLYjGQPB-D63UmTKA" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style></style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left " data-editor="true"><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span>North Carolina mother Beth Secosky told&nbsp;<a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/" title="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">The Defender</a>&nbsp;she wouldn’t want Pfizer teaching science to her children or anyone’s children.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span>“<a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-largest-health-care-fraud-settlement-its-history" title="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-largest-health-care-fraud-settlement-its-history" target="_blank" rel=""><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Pfizer has paid billions in penalties</span></a>&nbsp;for false claims and safety violations,” she said. “Why would schools invite a corporation that is notorious for putting profits over people to teach their children ‘<a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/pharma-industrial-complex-owns-science/" title="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/pharma-industrial-complex-owns-science/" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">science</a>’?”</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span>Michael Kane, New York City educator and founder of&nbsp;<a href="https://teachersforchoice.substack.com/" title="https://teachersforchoice.substack.com/" target="_blank" rel=""><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Teachers for Choice</span></a>&nbsp;told The Defender he was struck by the fact that the experience would highlight antigens and manufacturing as part of science education for young people.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span style="font-size:18px;">“It’s definitely crossing a line from education to directly marketing or promoting their products to kids,” he said. “It just feels so wrong.”</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span style="font-size:18px;">The hands-on learning modality is great for kids learning, Kane added, but even in the short video, it’s clear this is just an attempt to promote their vaccines. “It kind of blows me away.”</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span>The robotic dog was especially concerning, Kane said.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/nypd-spot-boston-dynamics-robot-dog/" title="https://www.wired.com/story/nypd-spot-boston-dynamics-robot-dog/" target="_blank" rel=""><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Police departments</span></a><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">&nbsp;</span>across the country and the&nbsp;<a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender_category/global-threats/" title="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender_category/global-threats/" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">world</a>&nbsp;have controversially begun deploying&nbsp;<a href="https://undark.org/2023/09/04/robot-police-dogs/" title="https://undark.org/2023/09/04/robot-police-dogs/" target="_blank" rel=""><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">robot dogs</span></a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender_category/censorship-surveillance/" title="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender_category/censorship-surveillance/" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">surveil</a>&nbsp;citizens with cameras, sensors and microphones and militaries are starting to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/let-slip-the-robot-dogs-of-war/" title="https://www.wired.com/story/let-slip-the-robot-dogs-of-war/" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">weaponize</a><a href="https://www.wired.com/story/let-slip-the-robot-dogs-of-war/" title="https://www.wired.com/story/let-slip-the-robot-dogs-of-war/" target="_blank" rel=""><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;"> them</span></a>&nbsp;for military applications by mounting them with machine guns.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span style="font-size:18px;">“They are bringing these dogs to the kids in such a disarming way — showing how cute this robotic dog is when it looks precisely like the dogs that they’re putting out into police departments and into the military,” he said. “That is very frightening in terms of what they’re programming these children to be used to and to think is cool, and to think is normal.”</span></p><p style="margin-bottom:20px;"><span>The video was released a couple of weeks ago. The comment function for the video on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/%40pfizer" title="https://www.youtube.com/@pfizer" target="_blank" rel=""><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Pfizer’s YouTube channel</span></a>&nbsp;is turned off, so viewers have not been able to share their thoughts.</span></p></div>
</div></div></div><div data-element-id="elm_lqM0lVyGr_LHpC-k0o9UEw" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style></style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left " data-editor="true"><p><span style="color:inherit;"><a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/pfizer-mobile-school-of-science-teach-kids-pandemics-vaccines/" title="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/pfizer-mobile-school-of-science-teach-kids-pandemics-vaccines/" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">This art</a><a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/pfizer-mobile-school-of-science-teach-kids-pandemics-vaccines/" title="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/pfizer-mobile-school-of-science-teach-kids-pandemics-vaccines/" target="_blank" rel=""><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">icle was originally published by The Defender</span></a> — Children’s Health Defense’s News &amp; Views Website under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Please consider <a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/about-us/sign-up/" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">subscribing to The Defender</a> or <a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/about-us/donate/" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">donating to Children’s Health Defense</a>.</span><br></p></div>
</div></div></div></div></div></div>]]></content:encoded><pubDate>Sat, 21 Sep 2024 14:33:00 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Medical Industry and NC Legislators Collude to Give Pharma Direct Access to Our Children]]></title><link>https://www.healnc.net/blogs/post/medical-industry-and-nc-legislators-collude-to-give-pharma-direct-access-to-our-children</link><description><![CDATA[<img align="left" hspace="5" src="https://www.healnc.net/images/Pill Moneyroll.png"/>Ever wonder how the medical industry influences health freedom in NC? In working to overturn NC's dangerous child consent law, one of the worst in the country, we have had a glimpse into how the sausage is made. Learn what we're up against and how you can help.]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zpcontent-container blogpost-container "><div data-element-id="elm_Qony0-ZsTwmSO8FrCi7xHA" data-element-type="section" class="zpsection "><style type="text/css"></style><div class="zpcontainer-fluid zpcontainer"><div data-element-id="elm_CnTQYp_-Ry2_2qzS2eX7ng" data-element-type="row" class="zprow zprow-container zpalign-items- zpjustify-content- " data-equal-column=""><style type="text/css"></style><div data-element-id="elm_8AUDXSeCSL65fhAi-Jskow" data-element-type="column" class="zpelem-col zpcol-12 zpcol-md-12 zpcol-sm-12 zpalign-self- "><style type="text/css"></style><div data-element-id="elm_xk26IlmjzqLyI-g0zi-Ncw" data-element-type="image" class="zpelement zpelem-image "><style> @media (min-width: 992px) { [data-element-id="elm_xk26IlmjzqLyI-g0zi-Ncw"] .zpimage-container figure img { width: 464px !important ; height: 650px !important ; } } </style><div data-caption-color="" data-size-tablet="" data-size-mobile="" data-align="center" data-tablet-image-separate="false" data-mobile-image-separate="false" class="zpimage-container zpimage-align-center zpimage-tablet-align-center zpimage-mobile-align-center zpimage-size-custom zpimage-tablet-fallback-fit zpimage-mobile-fallback-fit hb-lightbox " data-lightbox-options="
                type:fullscreen,
                theme:dark"><figure role="none" class="zpimage-data-ref"><span class="zpimage-anchor" role="link" tabindex="0" aria-label="Open Lightbox" style="cursor:pointer;"><picture><img class="zpimage zpimage-style-none zpimage-space-none " src="https://www.healnc.net/images/Pill%20Moneyroll.png" size="custom" data-lightbox="true"></picture></span></figure></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_oYglDmHzQGGYoGUZnfjL-g" data-element-type="heading" class="zpelement zpelem-heading "><style></style><h2 class="zpheading zpheading-align-center " data-editor="true"><div style="color:inherit;"><h1><span style="font-size:32px;">Medical Industry and NC Legislators Collude to Give Pharma Direct Access to Our Children</span></h1></div></h2></div>
<div data-element-id="elm_lYI48vwHJagx1N7vwOTzsw" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style></style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left " data-editor="true"><p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-style:italic;">by HEALNC</span></p></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_sUmfVYupR0GAkMDKnKRbkg" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style></style><div class="zptext zptext-align-center " data-editor="true"><div><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><span>Last month, we wrote about <a href="https://www.healnc.net/blogs/post/lawyers-warn-parents-about-nc-s-dangerous-child-consent-law" title="https://www.healnc.net/blogs/post/lawyers-warn-parents-about-nc-s-dangerous-child-consent-law" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">NC having one of the most dangerous minor consent laws in the country</a>.&nbsp;Attorneys see this law as a ticking time bomb because the schools and large medical centers are beginning to take advantage of this open-ended law.&nbsp;In fact, many children are being harmed – and all of our children are at risk.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">The following article outlines our experience in working to overturn this concerning law and how the medical industry is using two Republican legislators to increase pharma's direct access to our children.</span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">In June, the NC Health Coalition met with some legislators we had identified as those who would be receptive to our concerns. Our hope was that these legislators would embrace a common sense approach to removing a dangerous loophole in the Parent's Bill of Rights.&nbsp;That loophole allows a child <span style="font-weight:700;">of any age to consent to medical treatment</span>.&nbsp;However, almost immediately, we sensed an undertow of resistance to our suggested remedy, even though it is backed by medical facts and current research. </span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">Our concern focused on what sounded like influence from external forces that superseded parental rights and overrode the welfare of children, possibly that of the medical industrial complex.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;font-weight:700;">Meeting Summary</span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">In mid-May, members of the Coalition held a briefing with some of our most trusted legislators to discuss the loophole in The Parents' Bill of Rights (PBR).&nbsp;We knew they had voted for the PBR.&nbsp;However, we were uncertain that they were aware of the loophole that contained a little-known NC law allowing children ages 0-17 to consent to vaccines and other controversial therapies.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">They were shocked to learn that the medical part of the bill, on which they worked so hard, had become useless.&nbsp;To date, no one has been able to determine how this carve-out (being called a loophole) was left in the bill.&nbsp;But these legislators immediately went into action to have it removed. </span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><br></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">Amending the bill was going to be a relatively simple process, which required a vote by committee chairs.&nbsp;Initially, it seemed to be working as most legislators were in favor of the fix.&nbsp;Then we learned that Rep. Dr. Kristin Baker, a chair of the health committee and child psychiatrist, acted behind the scenes (the public doesn’t have access to this process) to stop the bill from being corrected.</span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><br></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">Immediately, physicians and other leadership of the NC Health Coalition, including the Policy Director of North Carolina Physicians for Freedom (NCPFF) Dianna Lightfoot, scheduled a meeting with Rep. Baker to weigh in and secure her support for correcting the bill.</span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">The day of the meeting, we learned that Rep. Baker had also invited a freshman legislator, Rep. Dr. Tim Reeder, even though he is not a chair on the health committee.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><br></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;font-weight:700;">Rep. Dr. Reeder’s Position on Child/Minor Consent </span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">We were concerned because Dr. Reeder, a Pitt County Republican Representative, has strong connections within the medical establishment that are opposed to parental consent on many critical health issues.&nbsp;Reeder is the former president of the board of the NC Medical Society, and is currently serving as the past-president of the NC Medical Society Foundation.&nbsp;The Foundation is the legislative advocacy arm of the Medical Society, <span style="font-style:italic;">meaning they work to influence the law. </span></span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><span>The NC Medical Society website boasts&nbsp;a <a href="https://ncmedsoc.org/policy-manual-topic/minors-consent-for-certain-medical-health-services/" title="https://ncmedsoc.org/policy-manual-topic/minors-consent-for-certain-medical-health-services/" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">resolution in support of minors consenting to “certain medical health services”</a>&nbsp;which, interestingly, is almost verbatim the same as a core section of NC's troubling law:</span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><img src="https://www.healnc.net/Sun%20Aug%2018%202024.png" style="width:754.51px !important;height:316px !important;max-width:100% !important;"></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><span>The N.C. Medical Society has made significant donations to Dr. Reeder, <a href="https://www.carolinajournal.com/follow-the-money-the-save-act/" title="https://www.carolinajournal.com/follow-the-money-the-save-act/" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">contributing over $300,000</a> in support of his campaign.&nbsp;Of course, the general public would assume that the Medical Society advocates and supports best practices regarding the health and well-being of NC children and families.&nbsp;They have access to the same current data, research (and common sense) NCPFF used to confirm that a minor’s brain development renders them unable to provide&nbsp;true informed consent.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><br></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><span>Parental involvement is essential to a child's growth and development according to multiple studies, including the&nbsp;<a href="https://cass.independent-review.uk/home/publications/final-report/" title="https://cass.independent-review.uk/home/publications/final-report/" target="_blank" rel="">“</a><a href="https://cass.independent-review.uk/home/publications/final-report/" title="https://cass.independent-review.uk/home/publications/final-report/" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Cass Review</a><a href="https://cass.independent-review.uk/home/publications/final-report/" title="https://cass.independent-review.uk/home/publications/final-report/" target="_blank" rel="">,”</a>&nbsp;as well as recommendations on protecting the health of children from&nbsp;the <a href="https://acpeds.org/about" title="https://acpeds.org/about" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">American College of Pediatricians</a> and <a href="https://www.edfirstnc.org/post/busted-ecu-confirms-child-sex-reassignment-clinic-while-politicians-deny" title="https://www.edfirstnc.org/post/busted-ecu-confirms-child-sex-reassignment-clinic-while-politicians-deny" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Doctors Protecting Children</a>.&nbsp;But it appears from our conversation with Dr. Reeder, that in many cases, he supports child autonomy over parental guidance.</span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><br></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><span>Rep. Reeder is a physician at Eastern Carolina University's Brody School of Medicine, and as a candidate, <a href="https://www.edfirstnc.org/post/video-republican-denies-ecu-has-a-pediatric-gender-clinic-while-the-school-advertises-the-service" title="https://www.edfirstnc.org/post/video-republican-denies-ecu-has-a-pediatric-gender-clinic-while-the-school-advertises-the-service" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">he denied to voters the existence of ECU's pediatric LGBTQ+ Clinic</a>.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.edfirstnc.org/post/east-carolina-medical-school-partners-with-schools-to-market-pediatric-gender-clinic"></a> In reality, the clinic advertises gender affirming care <a href="https://www.piratemedia1.com/theeastcarolinian/article_2d6b0606-baa3-11ec-95a0-0fd07e756910.html" title="https://www.piratemedia1.com/theeastcarolinian/article_2d6b0606-baa3-11ec-95a0-0fd07e756910.html" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">for ages 4 and older</a><a href="https://www.piratemedia1.com/theeastcarolinian/article_2d6b0606-baa3-11ec-95a0-0fd07e756910.html">.</a>&nbsp;They clearly reported the services in their newspaper, The <a href="https://www.piratemedia1.com/theeastcarolinian/article_2d6b0606-baa3-11ec-95a0-0fd07e756910.html" title="https://www.piratemedia1.com/theeastcarolinian/article_2d6b0606-baa3-11ec-95a0-0fd07e756910.html" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">East Carolinian</a>.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><br></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;font-weight:700;">NC Health Coalition’s Meeting with Rep. Drs. Baker and Reeder</span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><br></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;">Dianna Lightfoot, Director of NC Physicians For Freedom (NCPFF), arranged and led the meeting that included physicians and leaders of other state-based organizations.&nbsp;She has a long career in health policy.&nbsp;Prior to joining NCPFF, she was a White House appointee as Senior Policy Advisor for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Global Health.&nbsp;Other experts at the meeting included two physicians and a nurse. </span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><br></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:18px;font-weight:700;">Meeting Summary According to One of the Attendees</span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;margin-left:0.5in;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;margin-left:0.5in;"><span style="font-style:italic;color:inherit;">The Coalition had requested the meeting with Dr. Kristen Baker because we understood that she was the key to correcting this loophole. Several physicians and I were granted that meeting.</span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;margin-left:0.5in;"><span style="color:inherit;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;margin-left:0.5in;"><span style="color:inherit;font-style:italic;">Just before the meeting began, Rep. Baker said she had invited Dr. Reeder.&nbsp;The meeting began with the Coalition stating our reason for requesting the meeting, and that each organization represented strongly supported the Parent's Bill of Rights.&nbsp;We emphasized&nbsp;</span><span style="color:inherit;font-style:italic;">our collective position is that it is a parent’s right and responsibility to protect the health and well-being of their children. Unfortunately, after the PBR passed, we learned that a loophole in the bill largely negated the bill’s purpose. In fact, it violates the rights of parents to protect the health and well-being of their children.</span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;margin-left:0.5in;"><span style="color:inherit;font-style:italic;"><br></span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;margin-left:0.5in;"><span style="color:inherit;font-style:italic;">Initially, Doctors Reeder and Baker focused the conversation on parental access to a child’s electronic medical records; we agreed that was part of the larger problem. That is, that parents are being blocked from providing critical information and decision-making control regarding their children's health.&nbsp;Equally dangerous is the fact that parents are also blocked from access to their child's medical records, including treatments and prescriptions.</span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;margin-left:0.5in;"><span style="color:inherit;font-style:italic;"><br></span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;margin-left:0.5in;"><span style="color:inherit;font-style:italic;">Dr. Baker said, "Oh, we've had many groups here expressing concerns about this from every end of the spectrum, we even met with a group that thought parents should have no right to provide healthcare input at all!&nbsp;Then there are others who were concerned about specific aspects of the law."</span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;margin-left:0.5in;"><span style="color:inherit;font-style:italic;"><br></span></p><p style="color:inherit;text-align:left;margin-left:0.5in;"><span style="color:inherit;font-style:italic;">We continued reiterating our concern that this loophole violates the Constitutional rights of parents to protect their children. It also violates the tenants of true informed consent, and it creates barriers of mistrust and dishonesty between doctors and parents, creating a truly unhealthy environment for families.</span></p></div>
<blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border:none;padding:0px;"><div style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-style:italic;"><br></span></div>
<div><span style="color:inherit;font-size:18px;font-style:italic;"><div style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:inherit;">Our medical team pointed out the medically accurate, scientifically provable facts about the brain development of children. One of those facts is a child's lack of understanding about long-term consequences and that they certainly do not understand clinical terms and information.&nbsp;Allowing a child to make those decisions is, on its face, very wrong and unhealthy.</span></div>
<div style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:inherit;"><br></span></div><div style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:inherit;">They argued for an age “continuum for more mature children” who should be allowed to consent to prescriptions and medical treatments (that could impact their long-term&nbsp;health). When asked who had the knowledge and ability to make such arbitrary decisions about someone else's child, there was no reply.</span></div>
<div style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:inherit;"><br></span></div><div style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:inherit;">They would not acknowledge that at the bare minimum, 18 is the age of consent for almost everything country-wide (voting, purchasing alcohol, even tattooing). Instead, Dr. Reeder asserted that many states were bringing down the age of consent for issues like contraception, STD treatment, and emotional disturbance.&nbsp;One of our experts corrected Dr. Reeder, explaining that many states are in fact revising minor consent laws after seeing the negative consequences, including new data and research (cited above) proving that it is illogical, irrational and dangerous to suggest a child can provide true informed consent.&nbsp;</span></div>
<div style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:inherit;"><br></span></div><div style="text-align:left;"><div><span style="color:inherit;">Furthermore, there is increasing concern from the medical community about the growing number of lawsuits resulting from psychological and physical damage done to children who have received prescriptions such as anti-anxiety medications and contraceptives without parental knowledge.&nbsp;We noted that as physicians, they must know that all anti-depressants carry a </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7031767/" title="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7031767/" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Black Box warning</a><span style="color:inherit;"> (can cause suicidal ideation for those under 18 ).&nbsp;Again, there was no reply. In fact, much of our conversation at that point was steered toward contraception and STD treatment.</span></div>
</div><div style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:inherit;"><br></span></div>
<div style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:inherit;">Every time we brought up concerns and issues with similar laws in other states, Dr. Baker continued to refer to Dr. Reeder as the person who would be the expert on that. "He would know more about that than I do," she said repeatedly.&nbsp;</span></div>
<div style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:inherit;"><br></span></div><div style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:inherit;">Hiding prescriptions and treatment for STD's and pregnancy prevention are of great concern to the Coalition.&nbsp;However, of greater concern is the Grand Canyon loophole of emotional disturbance--this term can include anything.&nbsp;However, when that giant void for parental knowledge and consent was discussed, there was no argument from either doctors Reeder or Baker that we could consider medically logical or factual.&nbsp;</span></div>
<div style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:inherit;"><br></span></div><div style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:inherit;">These representatives' focus was also on child abuse.&nbsp;Our response: the Parental Bill of Rights should not be about potential child abuse by parents or adult guardians.&nbsp;There are already strong laws which exist to protect children from abuse.&nbsp;Most parents are not abusive, and focusing on extreme cases makes for bad law and policy.&nbsp;Regardless, potential abuse seemed to be their main reason for refusing rights to most North Carolina parents.</span></div>
<div style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:inherit;"><br></span></div><div style="text-align:left;"><span style="color:inherit;">In this atmosphere of clearly differing positions, Dr. Baker said they were willing to continue the conversation and that they appreciated how many groups were concerned about this. The Coalition responded by asking if there is this much concern among so many groups, including medical experts, why are we this close to the end of the session with no definitive response or </span><span style="color:inherit;">correction?&nbsp;Unfortunately, that was the end of the meeting.</span></div></span></div>
</blockquote><div><p style="margin-left:0.5in;"></p></div><div><p></p></div><div><p style="margin-left:0.5in;"></p></div>
<div><p></p></div><div><p style="margin-left:0.5in;"></p></div><div><p></p></div>
<div><p style="text-align:left;color:inherit;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;color:inherit;"><span style="font-size:18px;">The 2024 session is coming to a close, and thanks to Drs. Reeder and Baker, there has been no progress in eliminating this harmful law. We are working on a bill to overturn the law in the 2025 session, which starts in late January.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;color:inherit;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;color:inherit;"><span style="font-size:18px;">The medical industrial complex, with the help of the NC Medical Society and Dr. Reeder, is a formidable opponent. However, there is power in numbers!&nbsp;We all need to work together to educate the public and our many friendly legislators that this issue is critical.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:left;color:inherit;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><span style="color:inherit;font-size:18px;"><div style="text-align:left;"><div><span style="color:inherit;">If you would like to partner with HEALNC to overturn this dangerous law, please complete <a href="https://survey.zohopublic.com/zs/DZ0Uzt" title="https://survey.zohopublic.com/zs/DZ0Uzt" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">this survey</a> and let us know your areas of interest.</span></div>
</div></span></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>]]></content:encoded><pubDate>Sun, 18 Aug 2024 20:31:17 -0500</pubDate></item><item><title><![CDATA[Back to School: Landmines to Watch For]]></title><link>https://www.healnc.net/blogs/post/back-to-school-landmines-to-watch-for</link><description><![CDATA[<img align="left" hspace="5" src="https://www.healnc.net/images/multiethnic-mixed-race-pupils-classmates-schoolchildren-students-standing-in-line-waiting-for.webp"/>A new school year is upon us. Each new year brings more concerns about government overreach and a reminder for parents to be vigilant in protecting their children. We provide you with warnings on what is happening in the schools and tips on what you can do to ensure your children remain safe.]]></description><content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="zpcontent-container blogpost-container "><div data-element-id="elm_4WOcB1lRTJabygModYOjvw" data-element-type="section" class="zpsection "><style type="text/css"></style><div class="zpcontainer-fluid zpcontainer"><div data-element-id="elm_HRalvaHzQ3KE5_FKrN8YyA" data-element-type="row" class="zprow zprow-container zpalign-items- zpjustify-content- " data-equal-column=""><style type="text/css"></style><div data-element-id="elm_VAwnLcZuTGe5v26NJXNvMQ" data-element-type="column" class="zpelem-col zpcol-12 zpcol-md-12 zpcol-sm-12 zpalign-self- "><style type="text/css"></style><div data-element-id="elm_NO8WqkoHTbmgHNYvEWYm5g" data-element-type="heading" class="zpelement zpelem-heading "><style></style><h2 class="zpheading zpheading-align-center " data-editor="true"><div style="color:inherit;"><h1><span style="font-size:32px;">Back to School: Landmines to Watch For</span></h1></div></h2></div>
<div data-element-id="elm_jut_X4lqhUkcrtLByvGsig" data-element-type="image" class="zpelement zpelem-image "><style> @media (min-width: 992px) { [data-element-id="elm_jut_X4lqhUkcrtLByvGsig"] .zpimage-container figure img { width: 612px !important ; height: 408px !important ; } } </style><div data-caption-color="" data-size-tablet="" data-size-mobile="" data-align="center" data-tablet-image-separate="false" data-mobile-image-separate="false" class="zpimage-container zpimage-align-center zpimage-tablet-align-center zpimage-mobile-align-center zpimage-size-original zpimage-tablet-fallback-fit zpimage-mobile-fallback-fit hb-lightbox " data-lightbox-options="
                type:fullscreen,
                theme:dark"><figure role="none" class="zpimage-data-ref"><span class="zpimage-anchor" role="link" tabindex="0" aria-label="Open Lightbox" style="cursor:pointer;"><picture><img class="zpimage zpimage-style-none zpimage-space-none " src="https://www.healnc.net/images/multiethnic-mixed-race-pupils-classmates-schoolchildren-students-standing-in-line-waiting-for.webp" size="original" data-lightbox="true"></picture></span></figure></div>
</div><div data-element-id="elm_ZTO_nbtTR5WhNE39Kz0RiQ" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style></style><div class="zptext zptext-align-center " data-editor="true"><div style="color:inherit;"><p style="margin-bottom:12pt;"><span style="font-style:italic;">by HEALNC with contributions from <a href="https://standforhealthfreedom.com/" title="https://standforhealthfreedom.com/" target="_blank" rel=""><span style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Stand For Health Freedom</span></a></span></p></div>
</div></div><div data-element-id="elm_Fha0NkE4RrBaLDtPYsduWQ" data-element-type="text" class="zpelement zpelem-text "><style></style><div class="zptext zptext-align-left " data-editor="true"><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><p><span style="font-size:18px;">A new school year is upon us. Each new year brings more concerns about government overreach and a reminder for parents to be extra vigilant in protecting their children.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">We wanted to provide you with some warnings on what is happening in the schools this year and tips on what you can do to ensure your children remain safe.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span><span style="font-weight:bold;">1) </span><span style="font-weight:700;">No shots, no school is not true</span>.&nbsp;One of the biggest misconceptions that continues to confuse parents is that vaccines are mandatory to attend school.&nbsp;All NC public schools must accept a religious or medical exemption.&nbsp;Visit <a href="https://www.healnc.net/nc-vaccine-exemptions" title="https://www.healnc.net/nc-vaccine-exemptions" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">HEALNC's website</a> to learn more and to download a sample religious exemption.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">2) </span><span style="font-weight:700;">Children are being surveyed and assessed for non-academic purposes.&nbsp;</span>Did you know that our children are increasingly subjected to surveys during school hours? And the information being collected is not directly related to their education, but instead features questions about their mental health as well as their home life and their belief systems. The mental health information is being used to move more children into profitable psychiatric drugs.&nbsp;In addition, because of the U.N. agenda to make schools a "community home," many parents rightly object to questions about their personal life. It is the role of parents, not the school, to shape a child’s moral and/or religious beliefs.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">According to journalist Alex Newman, schools around the country are asking young children questions that might be construed as grooming because they normalize certain behaviors.&nbsp;Some of the questions that have been reported are:</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;"><br></span></p></div>
</div><blockquote style="margin:0px 0px 0px 40px;border:none;padding:0px;"><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><p style="margin-bottom:9.75pt;"><span style="font-size:18px;">1) How many sexual partners have you had?&nbsp;1, 5, 10, more than 20?</span></p></div>
</div><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><p style="margin-bottom:9.75pt;"><span style="font-size:18px;">2) How many drugs have you taken?</span></p></div>
</div><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><p><span style="font-size:18px;">3) How many alcoholic beverages do your parents drink?</span></p></div>
</div></blockquote><div style="color:inherit;"><div style="color:inherit;"><p><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">Privacy is the underpinning of individual liberty. Surveys and health care without parents present are detrimental to your family’s privacy. Have a conversation with your child about being aware of service providers and outside educators at school. Wise parents are telling their children to opt out of any surveys or health assessments and to let them know if anyone asks personal questions or talks to them about their emotions or health.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span><span style="font-weight:700;">3) Minors can say "yes" to medical treatment without your knowledge.&nbsp;</span>In NC, a child of any age can consent to a range of controversial therapies such as vaccines, birth control, psychiatric drugs, and "gender affirming" counseling without parental knowledge or consent.&nbsp;Check out our <a href="https://www.healnc.net/blogs/post/lawyers-warn-parents-about-nc-s-dangerous-child-consent-law" title="https://www.healnc.net/blogs/post/lawyers-warn-parents-about-nc-s-dangerous-child-consent-law" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">recent article</a> about NC's shocking minor consent law, which is considered one of the worst in the country.</span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:18px;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">4)</span><span style="font-weight:700;">School Based Health Centers are being implemented across North Carolina.</span></span></p><p><span>There is an alarming movement afoot in public education, the establishment of School Based Health Centers (SBHC).&nbsp;<a href="https://ncsbha.org/" title="https://ncsbha.org/" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">SBHCs are a partnership</a>&nbsp;between public schools and local healthcare organizations to offer care that includes <span style="font-weight:700;">but is not limited</span> to primary care, mental health, oral health, and vision services.&nbsp;A copy of the SBHC contract can be obtained by calling your local school administration office.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>There are approximately 90 SBHCs currently in North Carolina. North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) reports that in July 2024 it received a <a href="https://www.ncdhhs.gov/news/press-releases/2024/07/18/ncdhhs-awarded-25-million-expand-school-based-health-services" title="https://www.ncdhhs.gov/news/press-releases/2024/07/18/ncdhhs-awarded-25-million-expand-school-based-health-services" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">$2.5 million grant</a>&nbsp;from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services to expand its School Based Health Center services.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>Attorney Nicole Johnson, co-director of the<a href="https://www.gcvcadvocates.org/"></a><a href="https://www.gcvcadvocates.org/" title="https://www.gcvcadvocates.org/" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Georgia Coalition for Vaccine Choice</a>, is sounding the alarm on these health centers, warning parents that they may have <a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/school-based-health-centers-vaccines-mental-health-counseling/" title="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/school-based-health-centers-vaccines-mental-health-counseling/" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">no insight into the medical&nbsp;and behavioral services</a> that their children could receive at their school.&nbsp;In addition, NC-based attorney <a href="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/school-based-health-centers-vaccines-mental-health-counseling/" title="https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/school-based-health-centers-vaccines-mental-health-counseling/" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">Justine Tanguay</a> warns that parents may be providing their consent for these services without understanding what they are signing.&nbsp;She said, "This year, many schools will be sending home blanket consent-to-treat forms for parents to sign." These forms are not for basic treatments by a school nurse.</span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">Cyndi O’Brien, former K-12 Counselor, Teacher, and Whistleblower, corroborates Tanguay's warning.&nbsp;She attended a US Department of Health and Human Services sponsored webinar on School Based Health Alliances Community Schools, and consent forms were addressed.&nbsp;According to the information provided in the webinar, parents sign only one consent form at the beginning of the year that gives the centers permission to administer any health services to their children for the rest of the year.&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">SBHCs may actually be a Trojan Horse for medical tyranny. </span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span>In her podcast&nbsp;<a href="https://x.com/ObrienCynd72601/status/1793081011125039274" title="https://x.com/ObrienCynd72601/status/1793081011125039274" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">episode</a> titled, "Are Community Schools the Back Door to Community Health," Cyndi highlights alarming information she learned during the webinar:&nbsp;</span></p><p><span><br></span></p><ul><li><p><span style="font-size:18px;">49 states already have SBHCs. They start small, but the aim is to make them fully functioning health centers.&nbsp;California and Washington already have fully-functioning centers.</span></p></li><li><p><span style="font-size:18px;">All centers offer well-child exams, immunizations, dental and optometry services, and behavioral health services.</span></p></li><li><p><span style="font-size:18px;">There was an emphasis in the webinar on STD testing, which prompted Cyndi to do additional research.&nbsp;She discovered that these health clinics offer reproductive services, gynecological exams, gender affirming care, pregnancy testing, and contraception.</span></p></li><li><p><span style="font-size:18px;">For students who attend schools without health centers, there is sometimes transportation provided during the school days to take students to schools that have health centers.</span></p></li><li><p><span style="font-size:18px;">Telehealth will be a service provided, especially for behavioral health and primary care and for those who don't have health centers at their schools.</span></p></li><li><p><span style="font-size:18px;">Centers have begun creating contracts with pediatricians so that children can be seen at the clinic and then told to follow up with their pediatrician. </span></p></li><li><p><span style="font-size:18px;">Webinar hosts emphasized how to obtain and retain buy-in for the creation of these centers.&nbsp;He said that upper level staff must be contacted and met with often. People running the centers should attend faculty and staff meetings. </span></p></li></ul><p><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p><span style="font-size:18px;">In addition to these disturbing facts, Cyndi reveals that Melinda Gates and Mackenzie Scott have contributed $25 million to SBHCs.&nbsp;Other funders of these health clinics include Big Pharma, Walgreens, the CDC, Planned Parenthood, and the National Teachers Union.&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:18px;">&nbsp;</span></p><p style="text-align:justify;"><span style="font-size:18px;">North Carolina parents, as you send your children back to school this year, here are some ways to protect you and your children from this terrible agenda:</span></p><ol><li><p><span style="font-size:18px;">Call your local school BEFORE you sign any consent papers for your children to receive treatment to find out if your school offers this service. You may also request a copy of the contract your school has with the local healthcare organization. </span></p></li><li><p><span>As mentioned above, keep in mind that because of NC's extreme minor consent law,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.healnc.net/blogs/post/lawyers-warn-parents-about-nc-s-dangerous-child-consent-law" title="https://www.healnc.net/blogs/post/lawyers-warn-parents-about-nc-s-dangerous-child-consent-law" target="_blank" rel="" style="text-decoration-line:underline;">your child can legally consent</a> to vaccines and other controversial therapies without your knowledge or consent.&nbsp;Teach your child</span><span style="color:inherit;">&nbsp;</span><span style="color:inherit;">to</span><span style="color:inherit;">&nbsp;never accept medical treatments without you present.&nbsp;The only exceptions are having a temperature taken and receiving adhesive bandages.</span></p></li><li><p><span style="font-size:18px;">Read everything that comes home in your child’s homework folder and paperwork. </span></p></li><li><p><span style="font-size:18px;">Let your voice be heard by emailing or calling your state and local officials, as well as school officials, to let them know you object to the School Based Health Centers.</span></p></li><li><p><span style="font-size:18px;">Stay in constant contact with your school board and other school officials regarding your concerns about the School Based Health Centers. </span></p></li><li><p><span style="font-size:18px;">Have frequent, candid, and open conversations with your children. </span></p></li><li><p><span style="font-size:18px;">Read the fine print on all forms you are asked to sign.&nbsp;</span></p></li><li><p><span style="font-size:18px;">Even if you homeschool, stay vigilant about situations where your child is vulnerable, such as emergency rooms or with family members who do not share your views on health care.</span></p></li></ol><div><br></div><span style="font-size:18px;">We must all join together to protect our children at this critical time! And if you can, consider pulling your child out of public education.&nbsp;</span></div>
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