Stories that Touch your Heart
n the United States, one in every four deaths is due to cancer, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute.
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This year, it’s estimated that cancer will kill more than 600,000 Americans. That translates to about 1,650 people dying per day in 2017, according to the American Cancer Society. Cancer is the second most common cause of death in the U.S.
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Today’s episode features the second part of Lee Drewa’s story. The recovering addict shares how he got clean in treatment and has stayed clean for 12 years. Only a small percentage of those who are addicted receive treatment, and the number of Americans who die from drug overdoses continues to rise. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 64,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2016 from illicit drugs and prescription opioids (like OxyContin and Vicodin).
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Over 20 million Americans struggle with substance abuse addictions, according to “Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs and Health.” So many people have been affected by addiction, and family members often wonder why their loved one can’t stop using. On today’s episode of Stories that Touch your Heart, you’ll hear from 54-year-old recovering addict Lee Drewa. His addiction began in a common way, drinking as a teenager.
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In Wisconsin, it’s estimated that 5,685 people are homeless. In the city of Milwaukee, there are several shelters offering a safe haven from sleeping on the streets. The Milwaukee Rescue Mission is one of them.
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Most people couldn’t imagine voluntarily taking a large pay cut, and going from a position of prestige to one without. But that's what Glenn Rohde did 19 years ago. He was a chef preparing high end meals for the rich and chose to leave and serve free food to the poor.
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Meet a Milwaukee teenager who's 100% blind, but doesn't let his visual disability stop him from achieving his goals. He's a member of the National Honor Society, on his high school's wrestling team and volunteers to help others who are blind. His can-do attitude is inspirational.
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Have you ever wondered why someone would want to become a professor, or how they became so interested in a particular subject that they decided to make it their life’s work?
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Many of us have an image of homeless people in our minds. It could be the man with a cardboard sign asking for money by a freeway ramp or someone sleeping in an alley in the middle of the day. You won’t usualy hear people talking about a homeless person by name, or mentioning what a great conversation they had with a homeless man or woman that morning. Today’s episode of Stories that Touch your Heart offers a different perspective from two women who eat free Saturday breakfasts with the homeless and working poor in the basement of a church on Milwaukee’s south side. Sandra Mandell, 44,...
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Those who are struggling to buy food and pay their utilities often take advantage of several meal sites and food pantries throughout Milwaukee. Ebenezer Stone Ministries is one location that offers free meals, as well as an emergency food pantry. On a Saturday morning visit, I spoke to one man enjoying a warm meal who shared his story with me. McKinley Cullins has had some difficulties in his life, but he isn’t bitter or resentful for the circumstances. In fact, he calls himself blessed.
info_outlineThursday, October 12, was world sight day focusing attention on blindness and visual impairment. Today’s episode of Stories that Touch your Heart focuses on a Milwaukee teenager who doesn’t let blindness stop him from achieving his goals.
Before you meet him, here are a few facts on blindness: according to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, 36 million people in the world are blind. (http://atlas.iapb.org/) To be considered “legally blind,” an individual must have 20/200 vision or less, with the best possible correction. (https://nfb.org/blindness-statistics)
Carlos Garcia wasn’t born blind, but has been 100% blind since he was a toddler, when cancer (retinoblastoma) in one eye spread to the other one. He hasn't let blindness slow him down. He’s a member of the National Honor Society, on his school’s wrestling team and volunteers his time to help others who are blind. His can-do attitude is inspirational.
The following links have further information. The first is a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article on Carlos Garcia: http://www.jsonline.com/story/news/columnists/jim-stingl/2017/01/05/stingl-teen-says-dont-really-see-handicap/96154212/ The second has photos of Carlos Garcia taken by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:: http://www.jsonline.com/picture-gallery/news/columnists/jim-stingl/2017/01/05/photos-carlos-garcia-will-compete-in-academic-decathlon/96208964/