Families

Emory to host seminar on bipolar disorder

Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Friday, March 29th, 2013, 11:14am

Emory to host seminar on bipolar disorder

ATLANTA -- Emory University will host a seminar for people whose loved ones suffer from bipolar disorder.

The event will take place Wednesday, Apr. 3 at 6:30 p.m. at Emory's Briarcliff Campus. It is free and open to the public.

Panelists include Dr. Jeffrey Rakofsky, a psychiatrist with Emory's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; Dr. Nadine Kaslow, an Emory psychologist and president-elect of the American Psychological Association; and Yvonne DeBellotte, mother of a child with bipolar disorder.

The discussion is sponsored by the Sean Costello Memorial Fund for Bipolar Research and Emory's Mood and Anxieties Disorder Program.

The seminar will be held at 1256 Briarcliff Road, Building A, in the third floor auditorium.

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The Autism Gap: The fight for insurance

Submitted by Jaye Watson, 11Alive Reporter

Tuesday, February 19th, 2013, 2:39pm

ATLANTA -- Eight year old Ava Bullard is playing with her sisters, riding their bikes on their long country driveway. It is a simple act that defies those who said she would never talk, those who said she wouldn't function in the real world.

Ava was not a typical baby, or toddler.

Her mother Anna says, "You couldn't interact with her."

MORE | Complete coverage of The Autism Gap

Ava did not play with toys. Did not speak. Could not dress herself. Did not interact with her parents or sisters. Slept two hours a night. She was in her own world.

Anna says, "It's like she looked straight through me. She would just...it's like you weren't there, if you were in the room with her."

Anna Bullard took Ava from doctor to doctor for months. One doctor told the family Ava was 'just weird.'

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Chick-fil-A Daddy-Daughter Date Night returns in 2013

Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2013, 11:34am

Chick-fil-A Daddy-Daughter Date Night returns in 2013

ATLANTA -- Chick-fil-A's wildly popular Daddy-Daughter Date Night will return in February.

More than 100 Atlanta- and Athens-area Chick-fil-A restaurants will host the event on Saturday, Feb. 2 from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Every couple in attendance will receive an activity sheet with conversation topics and a booklet called "Continuing the Conversation," which gives the dads and daughters suggestions for getting to know each other better.

"One of Chick-fil-A's goals is to promote community connections and enrich the lives of everyone we serve," Chick-fil-A area marketing director Robin Lomax said in a statement. "We understand the importance of father-daughter relationships and want to encourage dads to take a break from busy schedules, enjoy their daughters' company over a meal and have fun."

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Hundreds attend AKA peace rally

Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Monday, January 21st, 2013, 10:02am

ATLANTA -- More than 200 metro Atlanta middle school students attended a peace rally and workshop hosted by Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. over the weekend.

The rally was a kickoff for 40 Days of Peace, which begins Monday. 40 Days of Peace is a commitment to kindness and service that encourages young people to follow in the footsteps of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

At Saturday's rally, speakers encouraged attendees to stop bullying and stay out of gangs. Police officers gave a presentation on how to interact with law enforcement.

A concurrent workshop for the parents in attendance focused on implementing strategies to keep children safe and on the right track in life.

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'Who Cares' inspires; brings to stage troubling youth realities

Submitted by Arit Essien, 11Alive Contributing Blogger

Monday, January 21st, 2013, 8:48am

'Who Cares' inspires; brings to stage troubling youth realities

"How do we evoke change if our methodology remains the same"?

That is the question that for years plagued Sherrell Anderson; a part of the driving force behind her creation of the nonprofit, Teens: What's the Rush, Inc. (TWTR).

But on Jan. 12, 2011, Anderson says that she was given the assignment from God, and from there on delved into laying the framework for TWTR. She set aside her own troubling memories of childhood sexual abuse, to begin serving hundreds of teens across the state.

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AKA holding peace rally for middle school students

Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Monday, January 7th, 2013, 10:28am

AKA holding peace rally for middle school students

ATLANTA -- Members of metro Atlanta's chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority will hold a peace rally and workshop for middle school students over the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday weekend.

The event will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 19 at the Ivy Community Center in southwest Atlanta. It is part of the 40 Days of Peace project, which aims to spread service and kindness through the country.

The peace rally and workshop will aim to teach young people about Dr. King's mission, and to raise awareness of crime and crime prevention strategies. Law enforcement members will also give an interactive presentation to encourage children to stamp out gangs and bullying.

Middle school students from several metro Atlanta counties -- Cobb, Cherokee, Clayton, Coweta, DeKalb, Douglas, Fayette, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Hall, Henry, Paulding and Rockdale -- are expected to participate.

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Olympic swimmer to visit Egleston

Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Friday, November 30th, 2012, 9:46am

ATLANTA -- Four-time Olympic medalist Kaitlin Sandeno has joined forces with the Jessie Rees Foundation to spread holiday cheer to the young patients at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston.

Sandeno will be at the DeKalb County children's hospital from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Friday. She will help distribute Holiday JoyJars to kids fighting cancer.

Holiday JoyJars are the brainchild of Erik Rees, CEO of the Jessie Rees Foundation. Rees' daughter Jessie founded the charity before passing away from brain cancer in January. Each JoyJar contains up to 20 new, age-appropriate toys.

"Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston provides courageous kids with cancer with groundbreaking care and healing," Rees said in a statement. "They embody Jessie's motto, 'Never Ever Give Up,' and we are honored to distribute Holiday JoyJars with Kaitlin there."

UPS and Anthem Blue Cross of California are sponsoring Rees and Sandeno's visit to the hospital.

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