In order to get a discount off our already low pricing, you must support one of our favorite charities. If you donate $25 to either of these charities, we will give you $50 off of your purchase. If you donate $50, you will get $100 of your purchase. Since the age of 12, Rancho Bernardo resident Tricia Chandler has experienced intermittent optic neuritis, eventually losing vision in her left eye permanently. It wasn’t until she reached age 24, and nine months after the birth of her son, Jake, that Tricia was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. “Initially I was very scared – scared of the uncertainty of what MS might take from me,” says Tricia. Within three months, Tricia was a single mother living with this unpredictable, often disabling disease. View a video about Tricia. Since her diagnosis, Tricia has experienced everything from left-sided weakness and numbness to slurred speech and bladder dysfunction. She says, “I cannot walk very far without my left leg going numb. I have cognitive dysfunction, mostly affecting my short-term memory.” For years Tricia lived with bladder retention issues, but shares, “now I have an implanted device that enables me to empty my bladder.” Tricia no longer works due to her MS and has fortunately been granted Social Security Disability Insurance. “Though I sometimes feel isolated because I’m ‘sick,’ I get support and help when I need it,” says Tricia. Tricia has utilized the chapter’s equipment resources, received grants for independence and attended several chapter programs including educational seminars for newly diagnosed individuals as well as research symposiums. “It’s important to me to support the National MS Society – they support everyone living with MS and fund research that will one day find a cure,” says Tricia who captains Walk MS Team Hope each April and has raised nearly $250,000 over the years. In the last few years Tricia has also gotten involved in Bike MS, seeking corporate sponsorship of the event, fundraising and personally riding a motorized Optibike bike 30 miles in October 2008. Tricia intends to continue her involvement in Walk MS, Bike MS and the MS Dinner Auction, held each November. Tricia is an amateur photographer who specializes in photos of Jake, newborns and families. “I volunteer at my church as a youth leader, am an MS advocate (talking with others who share my disease) and am an ambassador for my implant – sharing my experience with others.” Jake, now in high school, loves to play baseball and ride his motorcycle. Jake has always been by his mom’s side and says, “I know that Mom is a fighter and she will battle this disease until a cure is found.” Though the cause of multiple sclerosis is not known, it is a disease of the central nervous system typically diagnosed in the prime-of-life years, ages 20-50. At least two to three times more women than men are living with MS, the most common neurological disease leading to disability in young adults. To learn more about MS, Tricia, chapter programs and services, fundraising events, sponsorship/underwriting chapter activities, or to donate, email :
Operation Greyhound
http://www.operationgreyhound.com
619-588-6611
Fatasia and Cello's stories
The life of greyhounds is for the most part horrible. Not all tracks are the same but for the most part, greys are seen as a means to make money. They live in crates with concrete floors that hurt their joints and bones. Typically they are fed whatever road kill is around. They are given steroids to run faster which damages their kidneys and joints later in life. They do not socialize with other greys or humans and are only taken out of their kennels for training and racing. Then when they don't race well, the majority of them are given a bullet in the brain or starved to death and thrown in the trash. A handful are rescued and given a good home.
Fatasia was born and trained at a Yuma, AZ racetrack. She was a winner among winners. Trainers said she had such an incredible prey drive that they kept her much past the normal 1 to 2 year racing period. She raced for about 4 years and then they attempted to breed her. Of course since they filled her body full of steroids to make her race faster, she would not take. She was rescued at 6 years of age and brought to Operation Greyhound where we adopted her.
Cello was born and trained in Yuma as well. However, he was not a winner. He was then shipped to Aguas Calientes , Mexico and still continued to do poorly. Then he was adopted to a family in AZ for a year who let him outside with no attention. When we adopted him, he had a huge coat of fur (not normal for a grey) and ear infections so bad that it had eaten through his eardrums. He'd also been beaten and ignored most of his life.
Both of the pups have arthritis from the racing and steroids. Fatasia is missing a great deal of fur on her hind quarters and chest from laying on cement. Fatasia is very outgoing but it took her a year to learn about human affection. Now she is an affection booger and cannot get enough. Cello took two years to learn to trust us because of all of the abuse he has endured. Now he is happy and has even learned to play like a normal dog. Fatasia is now 11 years old and Cello is 9. They occassionlally like to run but mostly they are interested in taking naps, treats and going for walks. They do not live in the shop nor do they like the shop because of the noise. They prefer their house and we do mean "their" house. They are the 45 mile an hour couch potatoes.
By they way......they want you to buy a bed so they can have more treats!
National MS Society-Tricia Chandler
http://www.nationalmssociety.org/chapters/CAS/chapter-news/stories/tricia-chandler/index.aspx
Tricia's Story
Heather.Cavazos@MSpacific.org, visit www.MSpacific.org or call 1-800-486-6762.
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Wallbeds by Sandmar
619.631.0152
1991 Friendship Drive, Suite C
El Cajon, CA 92020
sandmarwallbeds@cox.net