My Turnaround Story - Helping Children
Hi. My name is Jessica Felton. In September of 2011, I developed a fever
that I couldn't shake for several weeks.
Although my doctors tested me for many things, nothing was coming back
positive. Once it impacted my breathing,
I was rushed to the emergency room for further testing. I wound up being hospitalized for 19 days, 11
of which were spent in Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). Every specialist imaginable came to see me
as it was unclear as to the cause of my fever and labored breathing. I was on oxygen support up until the day
before I was discharged. Ultimately it
was determined that I had an extreme allergic reaction to an anti-biotic I was
taking and that led to a systemic breakdown in my body that made me vulnerable
to viral & bacterial infections that landed in my lungs.
While I always knew how
important my family and friends were, this experience gave me an even great
appreciation for them and showed me how precious life is. It taught me so much about what is really
meaningful in life and to try really hard not to sweat the small stuff.
To show my appreciation
for my full recovery, I decided to write a book called, My Turnaround. It is my hopes that I will be able to help
other children and families know what to expect should they ever find
themselves in a similar situation as me.
It can be a very scary experience for the patient and just as bad for
their family and friends as they helplessly watch their loved one so sick. I pray everyone in a similar situation has as
much love and support as I had to help them in their turnaround story.
As people purchase My
Turnaround book*, I will deliver the books to children in local
hospitals to educate them on what to expect during their hospital stay. I will use the proceeds from book sales to support
local hospitals and organizations that help children in need.
My first initiative with
funds from my book sales will be to make a difference in the lives of
malnourished children. On August 17th,
I will be traveling to Malawi, Africa to spend time with children living in
orphanages. I will have the opportunity to deliver food to these orphans via "Nourish
the Children"**, and to spend time with the family I plan to support
via the School of Agriculture for Family
Independence (SAFI)***. SAFI is focused on helping the
people of Malawi learn better agricultural techniques to provide for
themselves, their families and people in their communities for generations to
come. Each year, 30-40 families are sponsored
by generous donors to live at SAFI and learn these life-preserving skills. I
will need to raise $3600 to sponsor a family and achieve my goal.
Because you followed my
personal turnaround story I wanted to share my goal with you and ask for your
support. With your help, we will be able to help nourish many children's minds
and hungry tummies with donations of books and food. We will also be able to change the lives of
a family and their local village for generations to come through the SAFI
program.
Please consider being a supporter at any of the
above levels. See below for information
on each project.
If you would prefer to
write a check, please make your check out to "Love Carol Foundation" and send to 62 Weston
Road, Westport, CT 06880. We will add
your donation total to this page.
*My Turnaround book
shares my actual hospital experience written from the perspective of a 5th
grader and will be delivered to a child in a hospital with your name inscribed as
the donor. An $18 donation will also be
made to an organization that supports children in your honor. (Cost of printing
each book is $7.)
**Nourish The Children - Since its launch in 2002, Nourish the Children
(NTC) has provided more than 300,000,000 meals to malnourished children around
the world. Every six seconds a child
dies from malnutrition. For $22 you can
feed one child for a full month.
***Mtalimanja Village was
built with funds from the Nu Skin Force for Good Foundation and dedicated in
2007. The village is home to the School
of Agriculture for Family Independence (SAFI) and is focused on helping the
people of Malawi learn better agricultural techniques to provide for themselves
and their families. Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world and one
in three people in Malawi is threatened by hunger every day. The majority of
the people are farmers and live on less than one dollar a day.
The foundation, in partnership with local non-profit organizations and
civic groups, built an actual village at Mtalimanja to house 30-40 farmers and
their families while they are educated in fish farming, drip irrigation,
sustainable farming, forest conservation, tree farming, animal husbandry,
nutrition and other subjects. Husbands and wives attend classes together and
children are sent to primary school.
Families attending SAFI spend their second year of study back at home
and continue to learn through an extension program. They implement their new
skills and teach these principles to others, including their children, to
ensure that the ideals of self-sufficiency will last for generations. The village has thrived during the past three
years as residents have learned proper farming and irrigation techniques they
will now use when teaching in their own villages. Now, more than 150 people have been educated
at SAFI and have returned to their homes to teach others. Student crops yields
have increased by an average of 700%.
For $3600 one can sponsor a family to live and be educated at SAFI for
the year with another year of training in their own village. I am extremely
excited to raise the appropriate funds to change the lives of not just the
family I support at SAFI, but all the people in their village they will then
teach the skills they learned throughout the year. This program is so significant because it's
not just about giving handouts, it's about giving people knowledge, skills and
hope. It's a real opportunity to become self-reliant and help others to do the
same.
With Love,
Jessica
