http://couv.com Audio and video stories from Southwest Washington. Fri, 07 Nov 2014 16:49:26 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5 Audio and video stories from Southwest Washington. Audio and video stories from Southwest Washington. no Audio and video stories from Southwest Washington. http://couv.com/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/rss_default.jpg http://couv.com/category/lifestyles/tell-me-your-story-people http://couv.com/lifestyles/people/tmys-darius http://couv.com/lifestyles/people/tmys-darius#comments Wed, 21 Sep 2011 14:00:50 +0000 COUV.COM staff http://couv.com/?p=4778 http://couv.com/lifestyles/people/tmys-darius/feed 0 1994 genocide,audio,darius safari,ed stortro,hutu,miles burnett,my story,rwanda africa,rwandan genocide,scott thompson,survivor,tell me your story Born into a large, politically connected Tutsi family, Vancouver resident Darius Safari was just a boy when the Rwandan genocide erupted over 100 horrific days in 1994. An estimated 800,000 people – mostly Tutsis – died at the hands of marauding Hutu m... Born into a large, politically connected Tutsi family, Vancouver resident Darius Safari was just a boy when the Rwandan genocide erupted over 100 horrific days in 1994. An estimated 800,000 people – mostly Tutsis – died at the hands of marauding Hutu militias. Safari and one half-sister are the only members of an extended family of 100 to have survived. “It’s 17 years ago, but it is still in my heart,” Safari said. Safari witnessed the murder of family members, but managed to elude Hutu militia by hiding in the countryside, or in the homes of sympathetic Hutus who would shelter him for a few days at a time. With the help of a family friend, also a Hutu, Safari escaped to a part of the country where it would be more difficult to discover his Tutsi identity. He lived on the streets until meeting a missionary from Uganda who took him in. Safari became a Christian, finished high school, and began serving in a ministry that helped raise sponsorships for Rwandan street children. “To me, my passion is working with kids,” he said. “I was in the same shoes with them, so I understand what they are going through. That’s why I stepped up and [said] I want to help, after understanding how Jesus did something amazing for me.” It was during this time that Safari met a Vancouver missionary named Darcee Tandy, who visited Rwanda annually over the course of three years. The couple began dating long-distance in 2008. Safari got a visa and moved to the United States in June 2010 and the couple married three month later. The Safaris now live in Vancouver with their infant daughter. Safari’s immediate goal is to build a proper memorial for his grandparents and parents in his home village in Rwanda. “I want to let my kids know what happened to their grandparents and their family,” he said. CREDITS Video shot by Ed Stortro Video edited by Miles Burnett Voice over by Scott Thompson Would you like to Tell Me Your Story? To submit your story, email me at tellmeyourstory@couv.com. Check out other stories from Clark County: Tell Me Your Story Audio and video stories from Southwest Washington. no 14:33 http://couv.com/lifestyles/people/dementia http://couv.com/lifestyles/people/dementia#comments Tue, 02 Aug 2011 16:05:03 +0000 COUV.COM staff http://couv.com/?p=2481 http://couv.com/lifestyles/people/dementia/feed 1 audio,dementia,lewey body dementia,marriage,naylene frunk,peggy leinweber,tell me your story,TMYS The first sign that something might be wrong came in the recovery room when he wasn’t waking up as expected. That’s how Peggy Leinweber recounts the beginning of her husband’s journey with Lewy body dementia and the lessons of grace she ultimately lear... The first sign that something might be wrong came in the recovery room when he wasn’t waking up as expected. That’s how Peggy Leinweber recounts the beginning of her husband’s journey with Lewy body dementia and the lessons of grace she ultimately learned. In the recovery room that day, Peggy’s husband Mick was waking up from having a deviated septum repaired - a routine surgery that has most people up and on their way in a matter of hours. But as Mick awoke from the anesthesia, he had a negative reaction to a routine medication and needed an extended recovery. Then in the weeks following the surgery, Peggy noticed Mick being less confident than his normal self. He also needed more structure in his day-to-day life. That change in personality launched a string of doctor visits and counseling sessions to identify the root of the problem. The emotional tax of chasing the elusive answer proved draining on both Peggy and Mick and also their family. As Mick’s distraction became more noticeable, he and Peggy met with doctors at Oregon Health Sciences University where Mick was finally diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, a progressive form of dementia that includes hallucinations, confusion and memory loss that can be terminal within seven years of diagnosis. Finally getting a diagnosis for Mick provided a certain calm to Peggy because it provided a reason for the previously unexplained and often frustrating behavior. In seeking and now finding that answer, Peggy says she could deal with the situation beyond being frustrated. Mick’s symptoms progressed and his inability to process information became random. Peggy says she would often need to give Mick small hints, but in tactful ways as not to promote agitation. It was important to respect him and validate him as a person. For two years Peggy watched as Mick’s condition deteriorated at home. She watched as simple mental processing became very complex for him, to the point that Mick would even have delusions of people and animals in their backyard or even a dump truck in their driveway. It became evident to Peggy that Mick’s needs for care had grown greater than she could provide within their home. So with the help of her children Peggy moved Mick into an adult family home. Mick lived in a series of three adult family homes during that time and with every move Peggy realized how important it was to know if a facility could meet the current and future needs of a resident adequately. She says it’s important to understand a patient’s needs and know how a facility can meet them at the onset of care because each time a dementia patient is moved they also experience a slight cognitive decline. Eventually, Peggy and her children decided to bring Mick home where their daughter became Mick’s primary caregiver. That time was filled with love and support from Peggy, and all four of the children, to provide their husband and father with the best care possible until his death at age 61. Four years prior to his death, Mick, Peggy and their children had met as a family to discuss his end of life options. Peggy says the family met with a nurse, a pastor, and an ethics professor to help them process what the family wanted for Mick as the end of his life drew nearer. They discussed practical concerns like feeding tubes and IVs with a primary goal of Mick's comfort. During the meeting the pastor asked, "Are we extending life or prolonging death?" What that did for Peggy was help address what the family thought it wanted and what was actually appropriate for Mick. Mick has been gone for nearly two years, and although the experience of his illness was difficult and painful, Peggy says she believes there are purposes beyond the struggle and that experiences are meant to build people, not destroy people. She's become an advocate for people who can't speak for themselves and welcomes questions from families going through similar experiences. Audio and video stories from Southwest Washington. no 30:45 http://couv.com/lifestyles/people/shared-blessings http://couv.com/lifestyles/people/shared-blessings#comments Fri, 29 Jul 2011 13:00:11 +0000 COUV.COM staff http://couv.com/?p=2772 http://couv.com/lifestyles/people/shared-blessings/feed 0 audio,evan newman,faith,Gambia,manuela bah,missionary,romania,sol bah,tell me your story,TMYS Sulayman "Sol" Bah, a former Muslim, came from Gambia in West Africa 21 years ago as a student. His intent was to live the American dream, make a lot of money and eventually return to Gambia a wealthy man driving a Mercedes and living in a two-story ho... Sulayman "Sol" Bah, a former Muslim, came from Gambia in West Africa 21 years ago as a student. His intent was to live the American dream, make a lot of money and eventually return to Gambia a wealthy man driving a Mercedes and living in a two-story house. His plans changed after meeting his wife Manuela. After agreeing to go to church with her, Sol’s life changed dramatically. He became a Christian. He no longer wanted to go back to Gambia with a display of his wealth - he wanted to go back to help the impoverished. The couple founded Shared Blessings, a ministry based in Vancouver that offers support to the people of Gambia. Manuela is originally from Romania, but came to the U.S. 20 years ago. She and her family came to the states as political and religious refugees while Romania was still a Communist country. She came here for religious freedom. She says she was “overwhelmed” by the experience of religious freedom, most notably on July 4th, after only a few >months in the States she heard an entire crowd singing "God Bless America." Her response was, “Out in the open, in the park? People are singing about God?” It took a while for her to get used to the idea, growing up in a country where God couldn’t be discussed freely. "It’s truly a country of opportunity, a county of freedom,” she said.  “We are so grateful to be American citizens.” Each year, Sol and Manuela travel back to Gambia to run their primary school, Emmanuel Mission Center. The school now has a staff of 14 and teaches 270 children, many of who would not have an opportunity to go to school otherwise. CREDITS Audio produced by Evan Newman Audio and video stories from Southwest Washington. no http://couv.com/lifestyles/people/tyler-presnell http://couv.com/lifestyles/people/tyler-presnell#comments Tue, 12 Jul 2011 14:30:39 +0000 COUV.COM staff http://couv.com/?p=1894 http://couv.com/lifestyles/people/tyler-presnell/feed 0 http://couv.com/lifestyles/people/pat-johnson http://couv.com/lifestyles/people/pat-johnson#comments Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:30:34 +0000 COUV.COM staff http://couv.com/?p=1743 http://couv.com/lifestyles/people/pat-johnson/feed 0 adoption,audio,cystic fibrosis,faith,Ministry 911,naylene frunk,Pat Johnson,prayer,tell me your story Pat Johnson helps people to create and grow nonprofit organizations as the founder and executive director of Ministry 911, and her journey to this point has been anything but ordinary. - As a child her home was plagued with dysfunction and alcohol. Pat Johnson helps people to create and grow nonprofit organizations as the founder and executive director of Ministry 911, and her journey to this point has been anything but ordinary. As a child her home was plagued with dysfunction and alcohol. It was such a stressful environment that by age 14, Johnson’s single mother asked her to find another place to live. That moment began a journey for Johnson that she says is not her own, but is a path guided by God. After meeting a pastor and his wife who became the grandparents she never had, Johnson went to a Bible camp where she met her future husband. Their first two children died in utero. Johnson later gave birth to a son who survived the pregnancy but was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. As the couple dealt with a new reality of caring for their ill son, Johnson says she never thought to ask God for a healthy child because she knew God would give her and her husband the children they were meant to have. In time the family welcomed an adopted daughter to the mix and to this day Johnson becomes emotional when talking about the joy the adoption brought to the family. Shortly after the adoption, Johnson once again became pregnant and gave birth to a daughter, April, who was also diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. Johnson says her children lived on prayer and through that the family enjoyed 16 years with April and more than 30 years with their son. From reconciling with her own mother to a chance meeting with a neighbor who had been praying for Johnson for 23 years, prayer has been a key component to Johnson’s faith. In that faith she is steadfast and says she has more joy than she knows what to do with. Find a local cystic fibrosis chapter Washington Oregon Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Accredited Care Centers Washington Oregon Cystic Fibrosis Basic Research Center (no link) University of Washington School of Medicine Director: E. Peter Greenberg, Ph.D., professor and chairman Health Sciences Building, G328, Box 357242, 1959 Pacific Street, NE, Seattle, WA 98195-7242 Audio and video stories from Southwest Washington. no 20:39