Category: Inspiration Station

Provided by Meredith Flory   Author Angela Marshall is an Augusta native using her unique experiences as a teen mother, ex-NFL wife and businesswoman to inspire adults and youth through writing and speaking.  Several years ago the author left the corporate world to pursue a passion for telling stories and mentoring others, and her influence is being felt in our community and beyond. When asked about the courage to change her career course, she reflected on the impact of her mother’s cervical cancer diagnosis and eventual passing: “I watched her transition from living a life of fulfillment and freedom...

Provided by Family Features   More than 10,000 babies are born each day in the United States. Where they are born and where they live during the first years of their lives can make a difference in their chances for strong starts. Science shows that human brains grow faster between the ages of 0-3 than at any later point in people’s lives, forming more than one million neural connections every second. Nurturing relationships, early learning experiences and good health and nutrition influence all areas of a child’s development, setting a strong foundation for the rest of his or her...

By Meredith Flory   A Mother’s Rest is a certified 501c3 that operates out of Maryland, planning retreats for “extra needs” families across the United States, and these events have ties to our area.  Founder Andrea Faris Roberts explains that A Mother’s Rest is a “health initiative” for the caretakers of children that require extra care; this might be special needs children, children with long term illnesses, or children that have experienced trauma or behavioral issues, like many in foster situations.  As a mother of teenage son with Down Syndrome, ADHD, and SPD, she recognized that her and other...

By Josh Heath   Patients at the Children’s Hospital of Georgia are sometimes greeted by unusual employees: Golden Retrievers named Casey and Nugget. Macie Meeks and Harleigh Smith, Child Life Specialists, use the dogs to help patients adjust to a hospital stay, which can be a scary experience for anyone, especially children. Casey and Nugget perform a variety of important services, including comforting patients during medical procedures, providing an incentive for them to participate in physical and occupational therapy after an injury or surgery, and distracting them from the stress of illness. For example, Nugget, who started at the...

By Meredith Flory   Mandy Lee is a Child Life Specialist at the Children’s Hospital of Georgia, a job you may not have heard of but one that is vitally important to our community, particularly for families whose child is admitted to the hospital.  Dealing with an illness or injury can be scary and life changing for anyone but for a child those feelings may be amplified.  Lee shared that child life specialists work in a variety of ways, “with the entire family” to help prepare and support childhood hospital stays. She explains that Child Life Specialists have bachelor’s...