Check out the slides from our Advocating for Others Webinar. Get conversation-starters for your community and see what resources our panelists Marla and Janeen recommend to new parent caregivers.

1. Health Activists:
Advocating for Others
Webinar
Featuring:
Marla Murasko, Special Needs Health Activist
Janeen Zumerling, Food Allergy Health Activist
and Amanda Dolan of WEGO Health

2. Housekeeping Items
We’ve got some discussion
points that Marla and Janeen will be
covering, but if you have comments,
please share them in the chat window!
You don’t need a microphone to
participate. Just listen through your
computer speakers!
And just as a reminder, Q&A can be sent
through the “Questions” field in the
webinar software or using Twitter. The
Twitter hashtag for tonight’s webinar is:
#wegowebinar

3. Advocating… for Others
Health Activists are living testament to
empowerment – journeying from self-
education, perseverance, to sharing and
empowering others.
Health Activist caregivers and parents have
so much in common with e-patients, but
also have many unique challenges.
Today let’s hear the stories of two
empowered Health Activists who advocate
for the health of their children and raise
awareness for health conditions that have
come into their families’ lives.

4. All About…
Marla
Marla Murasko is a mom, wife, entrepreneur, advocate and first-time author of
her book entitled “Jacob’s Journal – My Journey Home.” She is the owner of
Marla Murasko Enterprises, Inc. a business support services company. President
and Founder of SpecialMoms Entrepreneur Club an online community for
mothers of special needs children who want to pursue a dream of becoming an
entrepreneur. Her greatest joy is her son Jacob who was diagnosed at birth with
Down Syndrome. She is a proud mother of a child with special needs. You can
find Marla at http://specialmompreneurs.com or on Facebook
www.facebook.com/specialmoms.

5. All About…
Janeen
Janeen Zumerling is a Health Community Manager, Blogger and Food Allergy
Advocate. She can be found blogging at: Our Story: The Good, the Bad, and
the Food Allergies (www.zumfamily.blogspot.com) and at Mom's Food Allergy
Diner (www.foodallergycooking.blogspot.com). A former Sales and Marketing
Representative, Janeen is currently a stay at home mom and lives in Ohio
with her husband and two young sons one of whom has multiple life
threatening food allergies and asthma.

6. The Beginning…

7. Educating Yourself
 What sparked your self-education?
 What tips do you have for others who are
facing the diagnosis of a loved one?
 How can others self-educate?

8. What does empowerment look like?
 When have you felt empowered?
 How is it different to be empowered as a caregiver?
 What advice do you have for other parents and
caregivers empower themselves as care-takers?

9. From empowered carer to active advocate.
 What sparked your advocacy?
 How can other carers become
advocates for their loved ones
and the conditions in their lives?
Photo credit: Chris Humphreys http://www.photo-seminars.com/Seminars/wildlife/wildlife.html

10. Taking on the world outside.
As a carer, you know you’re most
in control when you’re in the
comforts of your home. But when
you leave that space and take on
the world outside and face the
public – how does your caregiving
change?

11. Challenges.
Parenting is one of the hardest jobs there is – how does
caring for your child and his or her health condition
impact your parenting. What are the toughest parts?
How do you address these struggles?

12. Putting on your oxygen mask first.
Caregiving can be one of the most
taxing experiences there is – how
do you manage to keep yourself
healthy and get help when you
need it?

13. Raising Awareness.
Where does awareness start?
How has online community helped
you?
What suggestions do you have for
other carers raising awareness?

14. Resources!
Congenital Heart Defect Resources:
American Heart Association
http://www.heart.org/
Mended Little Hearts
http://mendedhearts.org/
The Congenital Heart Information Network
http://tchin.org/

15. Resources!
Down Syndrome Resources:
National Down Syndrome Society
http://www.ndss.org/
National Down Syndrome Congress
http://www.ndsccenter.org/
Down Syndrome Research Foundation
http://dsrf.org/
Special Advocacy Information:
Wrightslaw
http://www.wrightslaw.com/

16. Resources!
Food Allergy Resources:
Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network
http://www.foodallergy.org/
Kids With Food Allergies
http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/
Allergy Kids
http://www.allergykids.com/
Baby Center Food Allergy Board
http://community.babycenter.com/groups/a1025165/old_bbc_food
_allergy_support_group
Epi Pen (Dey Pharmaceuticals)
http://www.epipen.com/

17. Resources!
Asthma & Allergy Resources:
Baby Center Asthma and Allergy Board
http://community.babycenter.com/groups/a30615/asthma_and_allergies
Asthma Allergies Children
http://www.asthmaallergieschildren.com/
Allergic Girl (Please Don't Pass The Nuts Blog)
http://www.allergicgirl.blogspot.com/
Allergy Mom's
http://allergymoms.com/
Allergic Child
http://www.allergicchild.com/
Loudoun Allergy Network
http://www.loudounallergynetwork.org/
#foodallergy

18. Q&A

19. Thank you!
Marla Janeen
@specialmoms @chupieandjsmama
specialmompreneurs.com http://www.zumfamily.blogspot.com
http://marlamurasko.com http://foodallergycooking.blogspot.com
facebook.com/specialmoms facebook.com/janeen.albertszumerling

20. Thanks for listening in to our conversation tonight! For
more information on caregiving, parent advocacy, and
Health Activism – check out the WEGO Health Blog
Blog.WEGOHealth.com
Start a conversation in our
Children’s Health and Parenting Group