We awesome to meet 4 year old Nicholas, a type 1 diabetic who came to the Lynchburg show. The Life Rocks Foundation is going to be sending him to summer camp!
Keep on rockin’ for a cure Nicholas!
The Mia Foundation
From Deb Young:
The Mia Foundation rescues animals born with birth defects and disabilities. Our little Mia was born with a cleft palate and has inspired thousands of people from all around the world. Sadly, Mia passed away from Pneumonia on April 11th, 2012..Her legacy lives on through The Mia Foundation which was created in her honor..Mia’s purpose in this life was to give us all one..If they are born they deserve a chance to live..Please share her story and help us to continue Mia’s mission..Thank You!!
For more information:
http://www.themiafoundation.com/
http://www.facebook.com/LoveForMiaCleftPalateChihuahua
Liz’s Story: “Thank you for the inspiration”
I went to your concert at Plant City 3/9/13…you rocked! I am JD x 26 years so although I can’t relate to your exact personal struggle, I know we have some common struggles and appreciate every day life has to offer. Thank you for the inspiration and I try to live every day to its fullest, but as you know, every day is a challenge. I want to personally thank you (and wish I could at the concert) for your dedication to JDF. We saw you in Biloxi your first concert back and will not miss a concert close to me in Tampa, FL. Thank you and keep up the drive! You give me hope every day!
Lisa’s Story: Believing in herself
Story submitted by Lisa:
I am a 38 year old wife and mom of 2 children. I had an experimental pfo closure done on my heart at one of the best hospitals in Wisconsin in 2001. I had to have it done, because like you Bret I had a small stroke and this was the cause a tiny hole in my heart that they never detected. In 2006 I woke up and felt like it was hard to breath, my throat hurt, and pain in my jaw, so I immediately went to the er telling them I thought I was having an allergic reaction. Little did I know the Clip they used eroded and came through one of my valves in my heart. In Waupun Hospital I had a seizure and flat lined due to having cardiac tamponode (bleeding out of my heart it was drowning). Somehow I came to and then they sent me back to the hospital that did the surgery on Flight For Life. On the Flight I flat-lined again and came to. Then I got to the hospital and while they were doing tests it happened again so finally they decided to do open heart surgery and fixed the valve with cow skin. While in surgery they let my family know i might have major brain damage when I come to due to all the times oxygen was not getting to my Brain. However I am alive and I have no brain damage. I am a diabetic, but I take pills not insulin. This was traumatic for me, but now being 7 years later I just graduated with a Cosmetology degree Feb 26th. You have to believe in yourself, accept things you cannot change, and know what your mental and physical limits are. Believe me I know it is not easy, but you can do it if I did!
Another T1 Superhero: Callan
Submitted by: Andi
My sweet little Callan was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes on October 6, 2011. He was only 2 years old.
His only symptom was excessive urination. He was literally soaking through his diapers in minutes. I tried calling his pediatrician, and they were closed for the day. I took him to an urgent care that refused our insurance. I ALMOST waited until the next day to take him to his pediatrician. I’m so glad I didn’t!
I took him to the ER. He was running around, and playing .. like a completely normal 2 year old. The drs laughed at me for bringing him in, and told me that I was overreacting and that I should just take him home. I insisted that they do at least a blood panel to make sure everything was okay. The dr PROMISED me that it would all come back negative.
About 30 mins later, that same dr walks in and very nonchalantly says “Well, he has diabetes. His blood sugar is 1102, and he is in DKA.” They mediflighted him to a better hospital, and he was in the picu for 2 days, and we were released 2 days after that.
Since then he has had 5800 finger pokes, 2154 injections, and 100 site changes!! He rarely cries or complains. When people stare at him he speaks up and says “I have diabebes, my pancreas is broken.” He is actually proud to be Type 1!
Anna-Marie: “His support for the military touches my heart.”
Submitted by Anna-Marie on March 26, 2013
Hello! My name is name is Ann-Marie Collins and I am currently serving in the Air Force. I have been a fan of Bret Michaels and Poison since I was in middle school. My cousin, Eddie George, who I know is looking down at me from Heaven, got me into Poison. I can remember her going to concerts and some how she would always get back stage passes to see Poison. The stories she would tell would bring a huge smile to her face. The pictures she would show me would make me feel like I was right there with her. Eddie probably had one of the biggest heart in the world. When she was younger she was paralyzed from the waist down but that did not stop her from living life and making sure that she went to every Poison concert she could.
Well a couple of Christmas’s ago I went to visit my aunt, Eddie’s mom and we got to talking about how much we missed her beautiful smiling face. I also told my aunt that because of Eddie, I am such a huge fan of Bret Michaels and Poison. She told me how Bret Michaels wrote a letter to my aunt saying how sorry he was to hear of Eddie’s passing. How many people would can you say would actually do that? I can’t think of many but it goes to show how genuine that Bret Michaels is as an person.
I feel like through Eddie that I am keeping the tradition alive. As mentioned earlier, I am currently serving in the Air Force. I am currently deployed in the Middle East but I am going to be returning home in May. As soon as I saw that Bret Michaels was playing somewhere close to me, I made sure I bought tickets for the show. His May 25th show will be my first concert I go to after returning home. In the past, I have been to many Poison concerts but never had the opportunity to meet Bret Michaels. I certainly hope that I can meet him and know why that my cousin always had such a big smile on her face when she spoke of him.
His support for the military, touches my heart. Every concert I have been to, he always thanks the military for their service and it always greatly appreciated. Thank you Bret Michaels for all your support and hopefully one day I can meet you.
Antonio is “Choosing to be Part of the Solution”
Antonio’s story from June of 2012 ~
My Diabetes Story
In November, I was diagnosed with full blown Type 2 diabetes. For those of you who don’t know what that is, it means my body does not know how to use the sugar that it body needs to run properly. I guess I should have known to be careful with my health. My dad has diabetes. That doesn’t mean I was guaranteed to get it, but my chances were better than average.
Anyhow, my doctor told me my diabetes was full blown, meaning I depend on regular insulin shots, take meds twice a day, watch my diet carefully, and exercise daily. Now these are all things I should have been doing regularly, but just didn’t. Why not, you ask? That is an excellent question. I guess I felt like there would always be time in the future.That future is now.
Having diabetes isn’t a curse. It does mean I have to be careful with myself. I have to limit the amount of sugar I eat. I need to exercise daily for 30 minutes. I have to check my blood sugars at least twice a day. I have to take insulin, the stuff your body uses to make sugar do its job, once a day. But I am healthier for it. I am losing weight. I have gone from being morbidly obese (more than 100 pounds over my ideal weight) to overweight. But that is getting better. My blood sugars are stabilized. My health is returning. As I continue to improve my health, I may eventually be able to stop taking meds and insulin. Will I be cured? No. There is no cure for diabetes – yet.
So what can happen if I ignore my diabetes? I could develop glaucoma and lose my eyesight. I could have heart problems brought on by diabetes. I could develop infections that might end in loss of life or limb. I could not live to see my children grow old. None of those options sound appealing to me.
Many people live with diabetes (up to three years before it symptoms show up in some cases). Many more people each day are diagnosed. But not much is being done in the public sector to raise the alarm. It is becoming a silent epidemic. In fact, according to American Diabetes Associated, more people die of diabetes and related complications than die of breast cancer and AIDS combined. To that end, I choose not to stay silent. I am choosing to be part of the solution.
“Superhero” Khaliq’s Zest for Life
Khaliq
My son Khaliq was diagnosed April 9, 2013 just a few days shy of his 8th birthday. He had been sick for several days with what we thought was a common stomach bug. You see he has three other brothers so when one gets sick… They all get sick. After over 48 hours of watching my son continue to get sick and get weaker and weaker we decided a trip to the pediatrician was our next move. From that moment on our lives will never be quite the same. My son was rushed from the doctors office to the ER at a neighboring hospital and then forwarded yet again to University of Virginia hospital where he was diagnosed and admitted into the pediatric ICU with diabetic keto-acidosis. We spent the next week and a half caught up in a whirl wind of chaos. As a mother I think I ran through every emotion in the book on a daily basis. First sadness and fear followed by anger and confusion. We are three weeks young into our new life style and life continues to throw us curve balls. We can’t get his BG’s regulated, we are fighting with our insurance about NOT wanting to cover his supplies and meds, and our bodies are severely sleep deprived and tired. Through it all my son has been my inspiration. I look at him and his tiny little body and wonder how he does it. He has such a zest for life. He runs and plays and never even acts as if he has a care in the world with the exception of one constant question…. He wants to be a professional athlete and he keeps asking over and over if he is still going to be able to play ball when he grows up. Although I sleep no more because I am watching HIS chest rise and fall as I pray over his sick little body, I know that he is strong and a fighter. Khaliq continues to participate in his Competition Hip Hop group and he plays football and basketball as well. My son is smart, lovable and determined that Type 1 Diabetes WILL NOT defeat us. He is truly my Superhero in an 8 year old body <3
Khristi
No Kid Hungry Campaign
Hey all,
It’s team member Christine again with a short follow up to my blog from the other day about the causes I personally support.
Team No Kid Hungry and the No Kid Hungry campaign have designated today as recruiting day.
If you are interested in taking the pledge to end hunger in America, please visit: http://www.nokidhungry.org/page/team / http://www.nokidhungry.org
Share this message with anyone who wants to make a difference.
Also, our next Team Bret Michaels member to share their causes with you is Janna, look for her blog this month. Don’t forget you can learn about many of the causes that Bret supports right here on TeamBretMichaels.com, as well as on LifeRocksFoundation.org and BretMichaels.com.
Thank you!
~Christine
Team Bret Michaels
Follow me on Twitter @crissypie
Follow me on Facebook: CreativelyMusical
Most importantly for everything Bret Michaels: BretMichaels.com
NOTE: This is a cause supported personally by an individual team member or guest blogger. Causes and charities mentioned in these personal blogs may or may not receive direct help from Bret Michaels or the Life Rocks Foundation. Please conduct your own research before participating or donating to any cause or charity.
New features on TeamBretMichaels and more
Hey everyone,
My name is Christine, PoisonCris to the longtime fans or CrissyPie to those who follow me on Twitter. As a member of Team BMB and Team Bret Michaels for the last fifteen years I have learned so much about Bret Michaels and the person he is. He’s more than just a rock star, entertainer or just a businessman. He is all of those things combined and a whole lot more.
This site, TeamBretMichaels.com is meant to focus on that more part. It’s about all the causes he supports and issues that he wants to raise awareness about. It’s about finding cures and connecting people with other people and being an inspiration for everyone. It’s also about promoting a healthy lifestyle, an active lifestyle and being an example of living life to the fullest.
The many causes Bret supports include diabetes, heart disease, childhood cancer, adult cancers, military charities and pet charities. There are, of course, many more organizations and causes that Bret Michaels and the Life Rocks Foundation have helped and will continue to help. We get thousands of charity requests, big and small, every month. We can’t always participate or oblige every request. TeamBretMichaels.com was created, in part, to help spread the word about those many charitable fundraisers and events, and we are working sharing the information with all of our readers.
Currently we share your stories of hope and encouragement, living life to the fullest and stories from some of the people that we have directly helped. The community calendar page will be debuting soon to share your activities and events surrounding causes such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease, autism, and other community events that promote health and wellness. Be sure to check back soon for more information on submitting your event†.
Another fun section of TeamBretMichaels.com is for kids, camp counselors and teachers, and families to help us spread the messages and goals of Team Bret Michaels and the Bret Michaels Life Rocks Foundation. There’s a section called “Flat Bret” and you can print out Bret, cut him out and take him with you to camp, on vacation or even to walks and events for the causes you support. We’ll share your “Flat Bret” adventures with our TeamBretMichaels.com readers. You can print it out and color it and the awareness bracelets to match your cause or event. Information about “Flat Bret” and submitting your photos is available at TeamBretMichaels.com in the menu bar under “Flat Bret.”
Thank you all for reading the stories and sharing your stories so far at TeamBretMichaels.com, we have many, many more stories to share and with your help we are working to build a site for everyone to not only share, but help make a difference in someone’s life.
On a personal note, aside from the causes listed above, there is one cause that means a whole lot to me personally and this time of year reinvigorates my desire to fight for this cause. April is Parkinson’s Awareness month. April has become a bittersweet month for me. Six years ago my Dad passed away. April is also my birthday month. My birthday is April 5 and in 2007 on April 20, my Dad passed away – hence the bittersweet feelings when my birthday rolls around mostly because the last email I got from my Dad was asking if I got my birthday care package. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about him. In his last years he dealt with increasing tremors due to Parkinson’s disease. It didn’t slow him down too much, finding ways of keeping busy with woodcrafting after he retired. He didn’t give up on living even as the disease progressed further. I wish a cure could have kept him here on earth, but I know that I can make a difference by raising awareness and hopefully helping to find a cure in the near future. With Parkinson’s there is much more than just taking medicine or getting check-ups, there is the care involved by family and loved ones, whose life is affected as well. My Mom was my Dad’s caregiver. She’s a role model, she’ always keeps moving and always has something going on.
In honor of my Dad I set up a Memorial Fund page at Parkinson.org as one of the ways I am helping to find a cure and raise awareness. It’s my story to share with the world that someone I love and miss dearly was taken by a disease that I want cured. It’s my tribute to my Dad, and my Mom, too.
In addition to the National Parkinson’s Foundation, there is the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research. As with all causes there are a variety of charities to help fund research and help make a difference in the life of someone affected by Parkinson’s disease.
You can make a difference in the life of someone by sharing information and resources with everyone you know. No matter what your personal cause – diabetes, childhood cancer, Parkinson’s – the small part you can play in the big picture will make a difference.
There is one more cause that I support; it is the No Kid Hungry campaign. Ending childhood hunger in America is important to the future of this great nation and to ourselves. This campaign is an effort to make sure that no child goes without food and gets a healthy start in life. There are many ways to help and it includes going out to eat at participating restaurants in September or host a bake sale. Check out their web site for more ways that you can help.
Thank you all for sharing your stories, photos and inspiration with all of us at Team Bret Michaels. We are united in raising awareness, not matter what our personal cause may be.
For more information:
National Parkinson’s Foundation – http://www.parkinson.org
Herman M Ellis Jr. Memorial Page – http://www3.parkinson.org/goto/HermanMEllis
Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research – http://www.michaeljfox.org
No Kid Hungry – http://www.nokidhungry.org
Bret Michaels Life Rocks Foundation – http://www.liferocksfoundation.org
Team Bret Michaels – http://www.teambretmichaels.com
Donate to the Life Rocks Foundation – http://www.crowdrise.com/bretmichaelsliferocks
You can follow me on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Instagram and keep up all I do with Bret and learn a little about me, too. 
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CreativelyMusical
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/crissypie @crissypie
Tumblr: http://crissypie.tumblr.com
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/crissypie1971 @crissypie1971
For Everything Bret Michaels:
http://www.bretmichaels.com (links to official social media pages are found here, too)
http://www.teambretmichaels.com
http://www.shopbretmichaels.com
†More information about the community calendar will be coming soon. We will review all submissions as best we can, however, it is up to you to verify the information we are passing along. Before donating to any cause you should be sure that it is legitimate and do your own research. As with all content, stories and information posted on TeamBretMichaels.com, we are not offering advice or endorsing any person or event – just sharing information. Before participating or donating to any event/person, it is important that you do your own research to make sure that it meets your expectations and that it is a legitimate charity or cause.
