JAK CHAT

F.B.O. Reyna! Written by Beth Bitner Reyna Moore is a local Racine girl who has recently been diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma, which is a rare form of bone and soft connective tissue cancer.  She has a tumor in her left hip and upper femur. The cancer has also spread to her lungs.  She has undergone 5 rounds of chemotherapy thus far and is starting her 6 th round on May 29 th . Reyna is 8 years old and a middle child in a family of four children. She has two older brothers, Alonzo who is 15 and Mario who is 13, as well as a younger sister Maria who is 7 and doubles as her best friend. Her mother Trudy is a hardworking single mom who is trying her hardest to provide the best life possible for her children. Reyna’s cancer was found after she had been complaining about her leg hurting for a couple of weeks, and it was pretty much written off as growing pains. At 8 years old, cancer is probably the furthest thing from a parent’s mind.  Read More... Trudy decided to take Reyna to the doctor a...

The (Non)Prom Mom Written by Just Add Kids Founder Paula Herrmann Ladies and gentlemen, I have arrived.  Our firstborn is a senior in high school. She's 18. My husband and I are close to completion of raising a child. This past weekend we experienced our first prom. And if you know about Racine's prom, it's more of a big deal than most. As a mom of 3 daughters, you can only imagine the firsts that we've experienced and how before each of those experiences, I'd imagine how perfect each of those firsts would be (first dance recital, first day of school, first communion, first date)  Yeah, many times, it was all about how each of the occasions made me feel...how does she look? Isn't she adorable? I'm so proud.  This time 'round, was no exception, only experienced from a distance. Because this time...mom wasn't invited. :-( Read More... I don't quite know when the "mom at an arm's length" became her posture toward me. She was and stil...

The Never-Quite-Under-Control List – Are We All On This Page? Sponsored by Next Step Goals, LLC Written by Julie O'Keeffe Henzey Make appointment, replace florescent light, fertilize plants, activate credit card, return boxes, install new battery, buy present, call mom … there are so many things on my “to do” list. What about you? With my goal coaching background, I’ve got a pretty good handle on managing my time and tasks. And still, the loyal companion of my “to do” list is a low level anxiety.  Read More... Either anxiety settles in when I do something non-work related during work hours (even though I work for myself), when I feel like everything is urgent, or when I’m still chipping away at things at 10 o’clock at night and know I should just stop. When immersed in four to five different major volunteer, work, or home projects at one time, I can feel scattered and tense. I decided to reduce my stress by transferring both my “to do” list and the framework I use for it from paper...

Born Learning Trails                                              United Way of Racine County and Leadership Racine have collaborated to implement two outdoor trails locally, on at West Park and one at North Beach Park.   After becoming a Leadership Racine community project, United Way and a group of five Leadership Racine participants began the planning process. Samantha Anderegg-Boticki from Modine Manufacturing, Stacey Malacara from Gateway Technical College, Heather Martinez from CliftonLarsonAllen, Adam Markham from ClearCom, and Christina Mueller from Racine County and team liaison, Leadership Racine alumni, Lori Castor from CNH, were in charge of researching the program, determining the locations, installing the trails and planning a community event. The team’s proposal was approved by Racine’s Parks and Recreation board and the trails were installed on Saturday, April 27, 2013 with finishing touches done on May 4, 2013. The Born Learning Trail offers activity stations with fun,...

Come Play With Us! My name is Jaime Forsythe, I am part of the Kenosha Dream Playground Project team. Maybe you have heard of us?  We are working with the city of Kenosha and the Kenosha Achievement Center to build a safe, accessible, fully inclusive playground at Kennedy Park in Kenosha. Now you might say, “Kenosha already has lots of playgrounds and of course everyone can play there!”  However, my youngest daughter, Amity, was born with Spina Bifida, a birth defect that has left her paralyzed below the hips and using a wheelchair as her main way of getting around.  So when I take her and her friends to the playground she has to either sit out or drag herself through dirty woodchips and painstakingly pull herself up stairs that were not made for her.  It can be heartbreaking to see a child not be able to play, because we know that play is the way that all children learn about and experience life. Others have said “Oh, a playground for disabled children.” Read More... Yet, the playgrou...