Health Matters
June 2018 Newsletter
Advocacy is crucial for those who are affected by a chronic disease, disability or end-of-life issue. Nearly all of the Community Health Charities of Nebraska (CHC-NE) member charities make advocacy a priority, as these efforts raise awareness and provide education; help increase and pass legislation that supports those with a chronic disease and their families; and help increase funding for vital medical research projects that are working for better treatment options and ultimately a cure.
 
For agencies such as the Alzheimer’s Association Nebraska Chapter, advocacy is especially important, as Alzheimer's is one of the most underfunded chronic health conditions, said Sharon Stephens, Executive Director for the Alzheimer’s Association Nebraska Chapter. “While there has been significant growth in funding for Alzheimer's disease research, we are still behind.” Read more here.

Advocacy efforts have always been crucial for JDRF International – Heartland Chapter. In fact, it’s because of the grassroots efforts of those affected by type 1 diabetes (T1D) that JDRF was created in 1970. To this day, the commitment and passion of JDRF volunteers help move the needle of the agency’s mission forward. Read more here.
Download our advocacy resource guide here .
Medical Research Update
Immunotherapy Treatment Continues to Progress
The idea of immunotherapy might sound familiar to you, as we discussed it previously in our March 2017 Health Matters newsletter. The approach uses genetic engineering to reprogram the patient’s own immune T cells to find and kill cancer cells. These engineered T cells persist in the patient’s blood stream, continuing on as a living drug. Early last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah®) its second approval to treat patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) whose cancer had worsened or returned despite two or more earlier treatments.
Story of Caring
Julie and Kyle’s son Kolter sometimes goes by the name Houdini, which is a nickname he earned during his many hospital stays and because of his successful escapes from the crib, his IVs, his diaper, his braces and more. “He’s even escaped the house to explore the world two times,” Julie said. Kolter also loves popsicles and cats, especially his cat, whose name is Popsicle.

Kolter was born with bi-lateral hearing loss, so he wears hearing aids daily and has cognitive and developmental delays. He had a g-button for more than half of his life, but they were recently able to remove it, and he had surgery to close the button site. And in 2015, he was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy.
Do you Know the Cost?
The average cost of a normal pregnancy is $4,000, but what's the average cost for a pre-term baby?
A. $10,000-$25,000 B. $30,000-$50,000
C. $55,000-$1 million
See the answer here.
Become an MS Advocate
Do you want to make a difference for those affected by MS? Become an activist here.
Allergies Getting you Down?
With the weather turning warmer, it's likely your allergies are impacting you, as pollen, as well as air pollution and temperature changes, can make your symptoms worse. Here are some ways to keep their effects at bay and your symptoms under control.
Summer Salad
Keep your kitchen cool on a hot day by making this easy summer salad.
It's Easy to Support CHC-NE!
It's easy to support the health charities you care about! 
  • Participate in a workplace giving campaign in Omaha, Lincoln or Greater Nebraska. If your workplace doesn't currently support a campaign, contact us to see how to start one.
  • Use this AmazonSmile link when shopping to support Community Health Charities of Nebraska with your purchases.
  • Remember CHC-NE in your planned giving.
  • Make a donation through our web site and give the gift of health! We appreciate your support!
Find us Online!
Visit www.chcne.org for our calendar of events , keep up on the latest news during the month and learn more about our 22 member charities . To learn more about us, access our annual report here .