Laura Burk Benson

Patriot Pup has reached thousands of children in the central Florida area and now they are looking to expand across the United States. Their mission is to teach patriotism to children by sharing the Patriot Pup book series in schools, book stores, and family fun events. This December, they will be seeking corporate event sponsors to help raise funds for gifts for each Gold Star Child. This gifts will be given during a very special event in conjunction with The  Gary Sinise F oundation  Snowball Express Event. This organization is dedicated to serving the children of our fallen military heroes, surviving spouses and our Gold Star families. Every year The Gary Sinise Foundation / Snowball Express sends thousands of children of our fallen military heroes to  Walt Disney World . Patriot Pup has been invited to share during the story time event for opening ceremonies December 8th at Walt Disney Resort in Orlando. They are seeking corporate sponsorship...

Source:  National Day Calendar Additional Information:  Some day I will feel comfortable sharing my own personal battle with domestic violence - when I'm ready.  Just know that I believe you and I've been there, and I survived. NATIONAL DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH National Domestic Violence Awareness Month is an annual designation observed in October. For many, home is a place of love, warmth, and comfort. It’s somewhere that you know you will be surrounded by care and support, and a nice little break from the busyness of the real world. But for millions of others, home is anything but a sanctuary. The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that 1.3 million women and 835,000 men are victims of physical violence by a partner every year.  Every 9 seconds, a woman in the U.S. is beaten or assaulted by a current or ex-significant other. Here’s another shocking statistic: the number of U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan and Iraq between 2001 and 2012...

Prednisone Step Down Medical Information:   Prednisone / Steroids   October 26, 2018 Today we are still living at  Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) and Colin is still under the medical care and immune protocol at National Institutes of Health (NIH). The doctors have instructed me to "step down"  Colin's Prednisone (steroids) today. At the onset of his illness Colin was initially taking 125 mg of steroids!  That is a very high amount of steroids.  He began taking this high dose back in April 2017. He is down to 17.5 mg of steroids today, and believe me as I write this - we are so worried.  Each time we taper his steroids - he flares.  That may not sound like much medication, but he has been dependent on it for so long that it's extremely difficult for his body to make up the difference and recover when it's reduced. Here is some information about tapering slowly from Mayo Clinic htt...

The annual observance to mark the 35th anniversary of the October 23, 1983 Beirut Bomb Bombing will be held at the Beirut Memorial on Tuesday, October 23, 2018 at 10:30 AM. Image Source Beirut Memorial and Grove, City of Jacksonville, NC This memorial site is dedicated to all U.S. servicemen that have lost their lives in Lebanon, 241 Marines, Sailors & Soldiers, on the morning of 23 October 1983 while conducting peace-keeping operations in Beirut Lebanon.  "We could fight if we wanted to, but we didn't.  Our main mission was to protect the people of Lebanon."  Northwoods Park Middle School  shared in a presentation at school, Friday October 5, 2018.