Foundations

Connect Magazine has met some pretty amazing folks in the past couple years – and there are foundations that we support and you will read about in EVERY issue of Colorado Connect Magazine.

If you have a Foundation that needs support – please send a full description of Foundation – mission statement – and all details to: CoConnectMe@mail.com

Please be sure to put “Foundation inquiry” in the subject line of your e-mail.  _____________________________________________________________  

I am Bill Smith     

I am Bill Smith

Bill Smith is a 17-year-old high school student. He suffers from a rare condition called Myloclonus Diaphragmatic Flutter. This condition causes his upper body to go into convulsions. Without treatment, the convulsions can last as long as 48 hours. After a year spent in hospitals and dreading each doctor visit, he and his family finally gave in to the advice of two nationally recognized hospitals and agreed to try medical marijuana. 

Hi, I’m Chaz – a.k.a. Bill Smith.

I am speaking out for the kids that can’t speak out for themselves for whatever the reason is. I’m starting the Bill Smith fund for kids that CANNOT get the meds in the place where we spend a lot of our time: schools. My school wouldn’t let me come back after taking my meds (MMJ), the way the school talked to my dad and me was not right.

I wasn’t asking to smoke cannabis in the bathroom, I just wanted to eat my medibles so I can go back to class so I can get through to go to college. These kids are going to have a hard time just getting into a school that is close to their house so they can take their meds.

Who is looking out for the kids? It is the few of us that are out there have no help.

Everyone says “help the kids,” “look out for your kids.” But when we find a medicine that works our parents are bad people and we should be punished.

That is how they make me feel.

I’m starting this fund for the Bill Smith kids: myself and other children who are legal medical cannabis patients. Our parents have chosen a healthier form of medicine. I’m not going down to the corner and buying a bag off a drug dealer. I go to a legal dispensary which sells my medicine and has record of it.

I believe that marijuana is not a negative drug ‘cuz to me it’s the healthy plant.

The money we get is not going towards the 2012 total legalization, this is just for the kids.

We need to help our next generation

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The Cash Hyde Foundation   

Meet Cashy Hyde and his Father Mike. Cashy has the unfortunate honor of being Montana’s youngest medical cannabis patient. I say unfortunate – because that precious baby you see right there was dying of Stage IV brain Cancer in a Utah hospital in the Fall of 2010.

Cannabis saved his life – and Cashy is Cancer Free today.

PLEASE be sure to visit their website and see the amazing videos of Cashy….and be sure to bring a Kleenex. It’s very touching. The Hyde family are close friends of mine – and have done advocacy work in Colorado – and across the nation. I encourage you to support them helping children across the US who may have cancer. These folks are very compassionate – and professionals in the industry.

They have to be – children’s lives depend on it.

Also – be sure to see if there are Reggae Runners in a Cancer ward for children near you. If not – be sure the Hydes know so they can fix that problem! Every lil Cancer kid needs a Reggae Runner!

They have some really snazzy wrist bands too…..and all proceeds go to benefit children.

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The Unconventional Foundation for Autism    

Mieko & Joey

My name is Mieko Hester Perez.

A decade ago, I was an ambitious college student and mother-to-be working in law firms and attorney services companies. However, in 2001, my life would change forever. My son Joey was diagnosed with Autism. My career and education were put on hold.

For the past decade, I’ve been on a trying, inspirational, and loving journey with my 10-year-old son Joey. Joey was diagnosed with Autism at the age of 16 months. At the age of nine, Joey’s Autism intensified. Additionally, his organ’s began to experience high levels of toxicity due to combinations of 13 different prescription drugs. Joey refused to eat, and his weight dropped to a dangerously low 46 pounds. Ultimately, his doctors gave him 6 months to live. I was devastated.

Initially, all I could do was hold on to him tightly, and pray for a breakthrough. According to Joey’s doctor, our best hope was the continued trials of new combinations and dosage variations of his many prescription drugs. I knew…..

This was not the answer.

I began to conduct my own investigation and quickly found myself reading compelling medical marijuana research. Thankfully, Joey and I lived in California, which passed the Compassionate Use Act in 1996. Under this law, and in consultation with Joey’s psychiatrist, I received a recommendation for medical cannabis for Joey. In no uncertain terms, marijuana has saved my son’s life. In fact, the results are astounding.

Although Medical Marijuana is not known to be a cure for Autism, it has been proven to facilitate life for my son, and has ushered him into his most progressive developmental period of his life. Today, at age 12, Joey is flourishing with new communicative expressions, he’s gained over 40 lbs., he’s happier, healthier, better behaved & is more productive than ever. His performance at school is quite literally through the roof. His body is no longer overcome by synthetic drugs, and I am very pleased to report that Joey is only required to take three prescription drugs now.

Deep within my soul, I feel so blessed to have Joey as my son. Joey’s condition has provided us with an opportunity to be a part of a noble cause far greater than ourselves.