Facing homelessness and battling PTSD, adverse experiences, and disability, US Navy veteran Olivia Zavala Carridine was struggling. She found a lifeline in Grace After Fire. Olivia, a mother of four in San Antonio, got pivotal support from the women veteran’s organization – which aims to provide women the resources and tools to succeed in her community, work, and home after leaving the military. “[Grace After Fire] has empowered me to believe that I shouldn't be ashamed of my story,” she said. “I have a sisterhood with women that I didn't have many times with my sisters serving alongside me.” Olivia got back on her feet with the help of Grace After Fire – and she’s not the only one.
Grace After Fire Origins
Some wars take place on a battlefield, ...
It wasn’t too long ago that COVID-19 threw life into chaos.
Businesses shut their doors. Food and supplies ran low. We were separated from our loved ones and trapped indoors. Hospitals dealt with rising demand. Lives were lost.
Years have passed since the pandemic and we’ve tried to distance ourselves from a time when distillers halted production to make hand sanitizer, grocery stores had lanes, and smiles were hidden behind masks.
However, some are still living with a constant reminder of that time.
For those with Long COVID-19, time hasn’t healed the wounds of the past as they still try to recover from the physical, mental, and emotional traumas of the condition.
That’s why Health Confianza — a Bexar County health literacy initiative housed at The University of Texas ...
Of course, no one wants to hear they have cancer. But if you or someone in your familia has a brain tumor, it is natural to wonder what life will look like. This is what we call “quality of life” (QoL), or an individual’s sense of well-being and ability to enjoy and participate in life. “For those living with a brain tumor, QoL may encompass a wide range of physical, psychosocial, and emotional concerns stemming from loss of functionality and changes in personality,” according to the National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS). From rehabilitation to mental health to return-to-work resources, let’s dive deeper into QoL and what it means for someone with a brain tumor. Access this resource in Spanish!
Facing a Brain Tumor Diagnosis
A brain tumor or other cancer ...
For the last several years, the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) All of Us Research Program has endeavored to collect the health data of over 1 million Americans to ensure healthcare works for all of us. Are they close to 1 million participants? How has it helped boost research? Let’s look at five notable milestones the program has reached in its mission to build a health data network that looks like all of us. 1. Increasing the Variety in Research Participation With help from local community partnerships, including UT Health San Antonio, across the country, over 790,000 people nationwide have decided to join the program’s expansive and inclusive research network, the program announced in a recent news release. In addition, over 540,000 participants ...
Many Latino children have pressing mental health needs but are not getting adequate mental health care, studies have shown. COVID-19 didn’t help, either. The pandemic heightened social isolation, dependence on smartphones and social media, and mental health issues among young people. Meanwhile, opportunities declined for physical activity – a proven method for treating disorders such as depression and anxiety. Loss of physical activity can harm physical, emotional, social, and mental health. This is why a PhD student at Michigan State University is offering a free online program geared to increasing physical activity to improve mental health in Latino children between the ages of 7 and 11.
About the Physical Activity Program
The program is part of a ...
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is taking another step forward in its campaign against “forever chemicals,” also known as perfluorinated and polyfluorinated alkyl substances (PFAS).
On April 10, 2024, the EPA announced its final ruling on the first-ever PFAS drinking water standard in the country.
The EPA ruled in favor of the legally enforceable standard that limits PFAS, which has been linked to adverse health effects such as impacts to a baby's development and increased cancer risk, in drinking water.
The final ruling on the matter comes nearly a year after closing public comment on the issue, which garnered 121,969 comments — 832 of them from Salud America! members who submitted a model comment in support of the regulation.
Read all comments. PFAS Drinking Water ...
As technology has evolved, so has the way we receive, view, and disseminate information. With the invention of the smart phone and devices like tablets, access to the outside world can be done with the touch of a button. But, as convenient as it is to unlock a phone and type something into the search engine or open an app is, we can’t help but wonder what kind of effect staring at a screen for hours on end is having on our health? The average American between the ages of 16 and 64 spends over seven hours a day online, according to an article by AllConnect. This amount of time is well over the two-hour recommended screen time for adults.
Screen Time by the Numbers
65.7% of the world population is online. During the third quarter of 2023, people spent an ...
From what you wear and sit on to the ingredients found in products you use to clean your home; chemicals are all around us. For example, a range of “forever chemicals” – known as per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – are found in many industrial and consumer products, such as paints, fire-fighting foam, metal plating, and cleaning agents. PFAS have been linked to major health problems in humans and animals, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). That’s why the EPA is proposing to add several PFAS chemicals to its hazardous waste management list under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act regulations, in an effort to protect “communities and drinking water supplies” near hazardous waste facilities. Before any action is ...
The 2024 calendar year marks a potential turning point in the federal government as the presidential election is set to take center stage in November.
Latino voters could help decide the outcome.
Of the over 246 million Americans projected to be registered to vote in 2024, 36.2 million are Latino, according to data published by Pew Research Center. That’s a 3.9 million increase from the last presidential election.
The recent rise in projected voter registration means that Latinos will have a 14.71% say in what happens in the upcoming election.
So, what’s on the mind of the Latino voter?
To answer, Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors partnered with UnidosUS and BSP Research to survey 1,500 Latino parents with children 5-years-old and younger to understand the issues driving them to the ...
