A child cannot speak.  Her internal core isn’t strong enough to support that basic function.

 

A few months later, she’s a regular chatter box.

 

An adult cannot walk.  A few months later, he’s ambling about (with the help of a cane).

 

It happens everyday at a stable in Brush Prairie Washington.  The Healing Winds stables help people with disabilities through horseback riding.  The activity is an incredible core workout and, with the help of trained professionals, it’s a proven rehab technique.

 

The Healing Winds people have been at this for twenty years with countless success stories.  But they need more volunteers to keep it going.  For more info, check out their website.

For those of us in Portland, a medical emergency is a terrifying thought … but we know that if we are ever in need of that kind of help, there are several hospitals, ambulances and EMTs a few minutes away. 

But what if they weren’t?  Imagine you lived in one of the more rural pockets of the state and needed medical help fast. 

It turns out that most rural medical emergency staff are volunteers who have to pay for their own training.  And with the current economic crunch, those volunteers are being squeezed tighter than ever.

The Apple  A Day campaign is hoping to change that.  They’re asking donors kick in $365 a piece (or a buck a day . . . roughly the cost of one piece of fruit) to offer scholarships and stipends to these wonderful volunteers.

As the economy continues to hit the snooze alarm, we here at GNPDX like to highlight businesses that are doing well in Portlandia.  You don’t get much better than New Cascadia Traditional.

It started as a once a week stand at one of the Portland farmer’s markets a few years.  Then, they added a second farmers market.  Then a kiosk in north west PDX.  Now, a full service coffee shop in SE with plans to start wholesale operations soon.

Nifty, huh?

Even cooler, New Cascadia’s products are all gluten free so completely safe for anyone with a wheat allergy (there’s some vegan fare to be had as well).

Not to be biased, the GNPDX has had the chance to sample their treats and believes that the cupcakes served at NCT are better than anyone in town.  Period.

Don’t believe us?  Check it out for yourself at the GRAND OPENING Friday from 8-5.  Details are here.

Instead of running, a group of hungry diners will be doing their part in the fight against breast cancer by sitting down at a table for a lovely meal in North Portland.

It’s a fundraiser at the Lincoln Restaurant.  Owner and Maitre D Chris Welch spoke with GNPDX about the effort.  He says a very close friend runs in the Race for the Cure every year and is battling cancer herself.  Rather than make their standard, personal donation, Welch and crew decided to let their customers get in on the act by donating 10% of the take tonight to the race.

He won’t guess how much they’re going to raise but he says they have fingers crossed that it tops the $500 mark.  Reservations are available.  For more info check out their website.

Massage Envy stores across the US are donating part of their proceeds to fight Breast Cancer next week.  $10 per hour appointment on Tuesday the 15th which will total between $250 and 500,00.

All the money spent at local stores will STAY at Portland facilities.  Appts are booking fast so call now to sign up.

There will be a lot of red around the Rose Quarter September 13th and it has NOTHING to do with the Trail Blazers.  It’s the annual STEP OUT walk to fight diabetes.  So far organizers have about 1,000 people signed up and expect to raise $200K at the event.  Walks are planned all over the country.

For more info visit the American Diabetes Association here.

Here at the GNPDX Fitness Desk (which occasionally doubles as the GNPDX Science Desk, the GNPDX Sports Desk, the GNPDX Food and Wine Desk, the GNPDX Editorial Desk and the GNPDX Lunch Table), we love stories of people finding unique ways to get in shape (mainly because it motivates us to drop the doughnuts and sweat a little bit).
And, as a policy, we at GNPDX in general love stories of people pursuing their dreams and, at the same time, helping others.
That’s why we tip our collective Good News Caps to Daniel Iverson.
At one point, Iverson was spending 16 hour days, training clients one-on-one at a corporate chain. It’s work he loved and still misses, but he felt as though he was limited in exactly how big of a difference he could make. Even if he booked every hour of his day, that’s only 16 people. He wanted bigger, better and more helpful.
So, after hearing about the Adventure Boot Camp concept, he decided to give it a shot. Starting with about 10 members, his practice has exploded to over 100 clients training under his watchful eye every day.
He credits the explosive success with the special format. Rather than training by yourself in a gym with weights and treadmills, he takes small groups out into nature where they work with obstacle courses, park benches and their own body weight to get incredible results.
Add to it a friendly, supportive atmosphere from your fellow Boot Campmates and it’s a recipe for pure success.
While business is booming, Iverson does have spots available and can accomodate nearly any age and fitness level. For more info, check out his website, PortlandBootCamp.COM (sorry, having issues with the software this morning and can’t make the hyperlink).

For about fifty years, Bob Friedler could hear everything clear as a bell.  Then, things started to fade.  He would have to stare at someone if they were speaking because if they were off to the side, he couldn’t pick up their words.  In public, he’d miss things going on around him.  He even started reading lips.

“Finally, my wife said, you’re DEAF!  You’re going to the audiologist,” says Friedler.

At The Oregon Clinic, doctor’s set Friedler up with a top-of-the-line, digital hearing aid.  Invisible unless you stare directly into his ear canal.  And man is it effective.

“It was a little disconcerting at first.  I was hearing things I hadn’t heard in years and my brain had to get used to it.”

If you’re concerned about your own hearing, or the hearing of a loved one, you’ll want to visit the Oregon Clinic ( 9155 SW Barnes Rd, Portland, Oregon 97225 ) free open house this week.  It’s a 9-5 event through the 28th of August but evening appointments are available by request.  Call 503-935-8100 for more info.

Fundraiser’s will go under the razor in Vancouver this weekend.  It’s a St Baldrick’s event . . .  donors chip in and sponsor volunteers who shave their heads . . . all the money goes to cancer research.

 

This weekend’s event has a bit of a bittersweet twist.  The man who kickstarted the planning is Sam Marks, a high school junior who was recently diagnosed with cancer.  He lost his own battle in July.  The event is going forward in his honor.  For more info, go here.

The fight against Breast Cancer has a new ally in Clark County.  The Southwest Washington Medical Center unveils the Kearney Breast Center today.

GNPDX spoke with Ken Cole at the center and he says there are two key factors they wanted when they set about building the 12,000 sq ft facility:

Top of the line equipment.  Check.  One of their machines is so state of the art, the FDA hasn’t even finished the approval process (don’t worry, they won’t use it until it gets the formal thumbs up).

Soothing atmosphere.  Check.  Cole says they put in great  attention to make sure the facility would ease anxiety that comes with treatment.

And if you’re wondering what the community thinks, you can ask the 1,000 people who helped raise $4 million to get the doors open.  Talk about grassroots.

The Kearney Center is open to anyone in the area, Oregon and Washington, and is designed to serve a woman’s needs for an entire lifetime.  For more info, go here.