Similarities and Differences

As promised, my latest blog post will discuss some of the cultural differences and similarities in Tanzania.

Home life: What do you think of when you think of Africa? If you are like me, you probably imagine brightly colored clothing and mud huts. That is what I notice when paging through National Geographic. While the Maasai do live in huts, families also have smaller homes. Our hostess, Elisa Deo, lives in one of the nicer houses. They have three bedrooms: one for her and her husband, another room with a single bed and a third with a queen size bed and two bunk beds. They do have running water for the toilet and tub, but not the sink. 

Having a flush toilet is nice, not going to lie. While their tub does have running water, it is cold water. When I need to shower, Elisa boils a kettle of water. The water is boiling hot, and you add some of the cold water from the tub to get the perfect temperature. Then I use a small pitcher to dump the water over my body.

A bucket shower? I could never do that! Actually, the shower is quite nice. I have enough water to wash my hair, shave and wash with my body soap. I usually have enough water left over to dump over my head for one last rinsing. 

McMoody's has nothing on Elisa's home cooking

Food: All of the food I have been served is delicious, and some of it is not that different from what I normally eat. For instance, one morning for breakfast we had hard-boiled eggs, watermelon and a type of Tanzanian pancake that tasted pretty similar to a Swedish pancake. As I mentioned before, mandazi is similar to our donut balls, and our dinner last night included a lot of rice. Then there was lunch at McMoody’s. 

If you are homesick and want some food similar to home, McMoody’s has shakes, soda, burgers, pizza, fish and more. It was absolutely delicious. The shakes were quite tempting, and I had to give in. The first time I ordered a pineapple shake. The second time I indulged in the Snickers shake. Both times I left with a smile on my face. Honestly, I have been happy and satisfied with everything I have eaten here. 

Driving: Traffic in Tanzania is both safer and more dangerous than driving in the United States. How is that? Well, people normally drive pretty crazy here, and as a result, people expect it. While traveling to the school the other day, I spotted a truck decide it was his turn and pull out about three feet in front of a car driving on the road. The car anticipated it and stopped to allow him to go.

People pushing or pulling carts also share the road.

If you are on a bike or motorcycle, Tanzania is the place to be. If you are driving a car, you are expected to watch out for motorcycles. Although I have not witnessed an incident, I have heard that if you hit a bike, people will drag you out of your vehicle and beat you up. 

While Tanzania may be more safe for cyclists, it is more dangerous for walkers. Pedestrians have no rights in Tanzania. It is not the responsibility of the driver to watch out for you, it is your job to watch out for the cars. While visiting the Maasai market, I was a little slow and a car was driving out, but luckily Tom helped me along and got me out of the way in time. 

Oh, three more differences: 1) You drive on the left side of the street, oncoming traffic is on the right. 2) The steering wheel is on the right side of the car. 3) The speedometer is a little different. At one point it said we were going 90, but in the U.S. that would actually be around 60.

Believe it or not, this photo was shot at dusk through the window.

Photography: I was really looking forward to taking photos of some of the people while I am here. Unfortunately, I learned that the Maasai will get mad if they see you taking their photo, and other people will demand money if they see you taking their photo. Now, that does not mean you cannot take photos of them, it just means you have to take them on the sly. Believe it or not, many of the photos I have taken have been shot from inside the van while Deo is driving. The windows are tinted so people outside cannot see much inside, but you can take photos outside that are clear as day.

Jane Krogstad’s secret photo hideout is from the balcony by the New Life Band School office. People do not look up, so you can get some great photos. If someone does spot you, you just go hide inside the office. (;

I would have thought I would be spotted as I have my professional camera, but I must be pretty good at being inconspicuous because I have not been spotted yet.

One thing that is the same is children love posing for the camera. During my time at the New Life Band School, I loved taking pictures of the students. They would often ask to take pictures with me. When I walked to the dorms and started taking photos, the students all wanted me to take their photo. They would say "take my photo" or "Madame!" And they loved to strike a pose. The same thing happens when I take pictures of children in the U.S. They never hide from the camera. It is good to know some things are not bound by cultural differences.

The students love picture time!

Clothing: I am falling in love with the Tanzanian fashions. Everything is so bright and colorful. On my first full day here, we went to the Maasai market, and I purchased a black kanga with teal and pink flowers. Although we have not had time to go to the Arusha market yet, I am looking forward to discovering more of the hand-crafted beauty that I see everywhere I go. Last night during dinner, I heard a comment from one of my fellow travelers that people in the United States always worry about everything matching, whereas in Tanzania people just pile it on, and there is always a lot of bright colors. I never really thought about it, but it is true. When I think of my own wardrobe, my jewelry and shoes are designed to complement whatever outfit I have on. And I have never seen anyone in the United States dress as colorfully as in Tanzania. 

A boy reverently prays while singing

Another major difference: In the United States, it seems like beauty is associated with sex appeal. Women dress very skimpily. The shorts keep getting shorter and the tops show off a woman’s assets. As a result, it seems like there is a lack of respect for women. Since coming to Tanzania, I have not seen a woman in a dress or skirt shorter than their knees. They are a testament to the fact that beauty is more than skin deep, it radiates from the inside. 

Singing: While at the New Life Band School on Friday, I heard something beautiful: singing. I wandered down a couple classrooms and found about 40-50 students singing. They were praising God at the top of their lungs, and it was breathtaking. When I attended the Edgerton High School graduation earlier this month, they had roughly the same size group singing, and their volume was about half of this group. It was music to my ears to hear the heartbeat of Africa from such amazing, strong and hopeful youth.

Serving at the New Life Band School...and making new friends!

The past couple days have been very busy. I get up in the morning, have some breakfast, take a quick bucket shower and get changed. Around 9:30-9:45 a.m. we load into Deo’s van and make the drive to the New Life Band School.

Yesterday (June 26) we began the process of putting up a couple new whiteboards in the school. We have this amazing paint that can transform brick walls into usable whiteboards. 

We did have some trouble today (June 27) because we did not have primer to put over the first layer, and the paint was not working over just the first layer. By applying about five layers of paint, it got to a point where it just might work. But then one area developed a bubble that popped. 

The whiteboards are a great help to the school. The paint was donated by 360 degree coating. It is a huge blessing because it lasts much longer than the whiteboard the New Life Band purchased last year.

Trish Helland and Kaity Klemp painting

The white board cost 500,000 shillings (a little more than $300 US) and after one year, it is badly deteriorated. There are holes in the board from where they had to nail it to the wall. The corners of the board are curling and it is wearing off from the back, which is just thing cardboard covering a metal frame. In comparison, Hope 2 Others put up 7 whiteboards in 2011, and they are still working amazingly well.

I was also able to meet with many of the students, and had a great time. One student, Anna, asked to comb my hair, and when she was finished, I had a splendid hairstyle. She is one of the girls in Leah Narans’ Medical Sciences and Lab Skills class, and I agreed to let her attempt to draw my blood. She did an excellent job and successfully drew a vial of blood.

Another girl, Evelyn, drew my blood today. I called her Dr. Evelyn and had to take a picture with her. 

Dr. Evelyn draws my blood.

After I was finished getting my blood drawn, I heard the most amazing and beautiful sound. A couple classrooms down, probably 40-50 students had crammed in a room and were singing. I managed to shoot a couple minutes of video of one of their songs. Internet is kind of slow over here, so I am not sure I will be able to upload it until I return, but I will give it my best shot.

The students absolutely loved my phone and camera, scrolling through my many photos, and even trying to take a few themselves. Esther, another student, asked me to show her how to take pictures on my Canon. I showed her the basics and she went around and took photos of her classmates. She did a great job for a beginner. 

Students singing at the school

As it turned out, one of the students at the school was also named Rachel, and I insisted on getting a picture with her (Rachel meets Rachel!).

When my camera was returned to me, the other students clamored for me to take their picture. They loved posing for the camera. At one point, I had about three students all asking to have their picture taken. I was torn on who to take first, and one of the students yelled “Madame” to get her picture taken. Before I knew it, the van with the rest of the people in my group was driving down the road. The students are like “Bye” and I said goodbye to them and hurried over to the van. When I got in, Trish was like, “We were going to drive to the end of the road.” Such nice groupmates. (;

Rachel meets Rachel

After our third day working at the school, we stopped by the food market in Arusha. Jane Krogstad was determined that we should pick up chocolate sauce and bananas and have a banana split for dessert. We not only picked up bananas and chocolate sauce, but oranges and avocadoes for fresh juice (Elisa Deo makes AMAZING juice!). 

Right now, Jane Krogstad and Kaity Klemp are enjoying a fun game of UNO with Elisa’s boys, Dennis and David. Although Trish Helland misses her grandbabies, she has decided the boys are going to be her “African grandbabies.” 

We should be going back to the New Life Band School tomorrow, and at some point in the next couple days, checking out the Arusha market for jewelry, cloth, carvings and more. I am very excited to go shopping! Also, our fearless leader, Karen Klemp, and fellow nurse Amy Martin should be joining us tomorrow. Finally, our group will be complete!

In the past couple days, I have noticed some cultural similarities, and many differences. Check back tomorrow if you are curious. And if you want to know right away about new postings, follow my blog!

Spending some time with the New Life Band School students.

Day 1: New Life Band School and the Maasai market

My first day in Tanzania is over, and I am glad it was not super busy. We arrived at Kilimanjaro Airport very early in the morning on Wednesday, and then it was an hour drive to Elisa and Deo’s house. There were some delicious snacks waiting for us, then it was time to go to bed...at 4 a.m. I slept until noon, I was so exhausted. 

I share a room with Kaity Klemp, Greta Duerst and Trish Helland. There is one queen size bed and two bunk beds. Guess which one I claimed? That is right, the top bunk. (: 

Elisa had the beds all ready for us. Not only were the sheets made, but she had sprinkled rose petals on all the beds. I never had that before, it was very beautiful. After climbing in bed, I pulled down the mosquito netting. It drapes around all edges of the bed. It reminded me of those curtains that sometimes surround a 4-poster bed. 

When I finally woke up, there was just enough time to grab a bucket shower and a couple mandazi (the Tanzanian version of donuts) and a glass of orange juice. The bucket shower was actually not bad. They heat up water in a large kettle and pour some in a bucket. Then you add cold water from their tub until it is just the right temperature. They have a tiny pail you can use to dip into the bucket and dump water over your head and on your body. There was more than enough water for my to rinse off with soap and water and wash my hair. It also helped that I picked up leave-in conditioner before my trip. One less thing to wash out.

A Tanzanian student practices drawing my blood

At 12:30 we climbed into their van and made the 20-minute trek to the New Life Band School, where Leah Narans was teaching Introduction to Medical Sciences and Lab Skills. They were in the last week of classes and were learning how to draw blood. After welcoming us and giving me a hug, she asked if I had good veins. Apparently the Tanzanian students have small veins and are deeper in their arms, which makes it harder to draw blood. Her own arms showed the markings of multiple blood draws. So I agreed and sat down in the hot seat. 

The student who was going to draw my blood tapped one of my veins which was closer to the surface. But Leah showed her one to the right of it. She told the student that while she could not see it, it was a larger vein with less chance to miss, she just had to feel for it. She put the strap on my arm (fairly tight, but that was OK), swabbed my arm and prepared to draw the blood. I am not going to lie, I was a little nervous having a student draw my blood, but having Leah there watching made me feel better. I knew she would make sure it was done right. Unfortunately the student did not go deep enough to hit the vein, so she did not draw any blood, but it was a good try. I will be going back today and maybe she can give it another shot.

A Massai woman sells beautiful kangas

After our time at the school, we went to the Massai market. It is only held on Wednesdays so this was my only time to go as I will be climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro next week. We did draw some stares, but I kind of expected that, we were the only white people in the market. We saw handmade signs, beading and jewelry and food when entering. Trish wanted to get some tomatoes, and was very frustrated when she was told no. They did not know if the food was safe, and if it was washed with their water, we could get very sick.

As we got deeper into the market, we saw the beautiful cloth for kangas. It was hard picking one, but I eventually settled on a black one with yellow and pink flowers. I also picked up two gorgeous head scarves, a brown one for myself and a black one for a gift.

The Massai want to charge us more because we are white, but I used one of our guides, Tom, to make my purchases. Instead of paying 10,000 shillings (about $6) for my kanga, it was 8,000 ($5). And instead of paying 7,000 shillings for two scarves, I got both of them for 5,000 (a little more than $3). I took a loan from the bank of Rick and Leah since I have not had a chance to exchange any of my money yet. I am hoping to go today. I am also very excited to go to the market in Arusha and to Nickson’s village. I must find a statue of a mother and baby for my mother. I was told that I could probably find one in Nickson’s village. I am really hoping so since that will be in the last days of my trip.

It sounds like I might be helping make white boards at the school today. Well, time to get my bucket shower and have some breakfast. Elisa has made some delicious waffles. Asante! (Thank you in Swahili) 

We have touched down!

While I was a little peeved that the airport does not provide free Wi-Fi, the service aboard Turkish Airlines was excellent.

We enjoyed delicious four-course meals, including dinner (even though we left around 10:30 at night) and breakfast in the morning. They also provided ear buds for each of us, we each had our own television, a blanket, slippers and travel pillow. In addition, we also received a small bag with a toothbrush, toothpaste, lip balm, ear plugs and socks...and no, I did not fly first/business class. It made the 10-hour flight quite enjoyable, and I did wind up sleeping for about 6-7 hours of the flight.

Our group outside Kilimanjaro Airport. 

We arrived in Istanbul at 5:05 p.m., with boarding for our connecting flight scheduled to begin at 5:15 p.m. Luckily, our plane was running late. We managed to get through security and to our connecting gate by 5:45 p.m., and our plane had not yet arrived. I enjoyed the extra down time.

From there, it was another 8 hours to Kilimanjaro Airport. Again, we had a delicious meal (grilled salmon). I spent the first few hours watching episodes of The Mentalist and Bones, as well as a couple movies.

When we finally touched down in Tanzania it was around 1 a.m. My mom made me promise to call when I got down. Although I do not yet have a SIM card that will allow me to text and call, James allowed me to use him. The connection was a little spotty, but at least my mom knows I arrived safe.

When we arrived at Elisa and Deo's house, we were greeted very warmly, with hugs, smiles...and snacks. Never mind that we got to their place around 2:30 in the morning. Elisa had mandazi (similar to our donut balls, but a little larger), chips (fries), and bread. What I thought was just too adorable is Elisa had baked bread in the shape of a teddy bear. It was almost too cute to cut!

Mandazi...way better than donut balls

I am going to spend the next week serving needy families, helping at the New Life Band School, and hopefully doing a little shopping. I am looking forward to doing a home visit. While I am excited, I expect I will feel some sort of culture shock. Right now I only know Hello in Swahili (Jambo!) but I will be purchasing an English-Swahili book to help me communicate. Most people here know at least a little English, and our host families can help translate (and bargain at the market!)

I will post when I can as Internet connection allows. Until next time!

Departing for Tanzania!

And...I’m off!

Where to, you may be wondering. Well, for those of you who don’t know (and let’s face it, I’ve been talking about it non-stop for a while now), I am leaving for three weeks to participate in and cover a medical and educational mission to Tanzania in Africa.

In March 2013, I signed on as the social media/web manager for a non-profit, Hope 2 Others. Since then, I have added Public Relations Director and Fundraising Coordinator to the list. Since I started volunteering, Hope 2 Others Founder Karen Klemp has talked about having me come on a trip. Long story short, I have been planning this trip for 15 months now.

The day is finally here. I am actually typing this from O’Hare International Airport in Chicago, Ill. It has been a crazy and hectic whirlwind between trying to write about 10 stories in advance for my newspaper (in addition to the regular workload) in the past two and a half weeks; helping kick off the Climb for a Cause fundraiser; finding time with my boyfriend; and making sure I have everything I need and getting it packed. The past 72 hours have been crazy, with my working basically around the clock to get everything together.

And yet, a few things got left behind. My contact case, for one; my razor; and the special freeze-proof water bottle that I purchased yesterday for my ascent up Mt. Kilimanjaro. Oh well, life goes on. I’ll improvise. The important this is I have all my medications, right? Check. 

I’m currently waiting to board. We got through in about an hour, and I have a 3 hour wait. But since airlines are hell-bent on milking every last cent out of their patrons, you won’t be reading this until after the fact. I just can’t bring myself to pay $5 for internet for 90 minutes. No free WI-FI for you, our paying customers!

I am a little concerned that my carry-on will be a little too big. My climbing backpack is serving as my carry-on, and with my dad’s sleeping bag inside, it is a little...bulgy. When in doubt, smoosh it down! Right? Right?! I am also allowed a purse, and well...my purple Thirty-One purse will have to do. It is more like a tote bag, but really...us women need our space. Keep your fingers crossed everything goes off without a hitch. 

Jane Krogstad and I, on the first plane to Istanbul.

There is a group of 28 on our flight headed for Kenya to build a church. Right now, some of the female members of the group are doing what I assume is either yoga, a dance routine or perhaps some post-supper stretch near the gate. 

I’ve been a little cranky today (lack of sleep will do that to a person), but am really excited to make my first (and hopefully not last) trip to Africa. Climbing the Roof of Africa will be an adventure, and I am so grateful to everyone who has supported me on this trip. 

My parents have been incredibly supportive and have sponsored a portion of my trip and also helped provide me with climbing gear and clothes. My grandparents on my mother’s side and my Aunt Joan and Uncle Ned have also been kind enough to donate to my trip, and I have received close to $400 in sponsorships for my climb. That is amazing! Every cent will be used to bring health, healing and hope to the people of Tanzania through the building of the first Hope 2 Others Medical Center in Kisongo, Tanzania!

In a matter of a few hours, I will be lifting up, up, up into the air for the first leg of my 18-hour journey. It looks like it will be about 10 hours from Chicago to Istanbul, Turkey (also an amazing city!), and from there another 8 hours to Kilimanjaro Airport in Tanzania! I will be touching down in Tanzania around 1 a.m. on Wednesday, June 25. For those of you back in the states, that will be approximately 5 p.m. on Tuesday, June 24.

Up, up, and away...to Tanzania!

Release the Feast: The 30-Hour Famine Challenge

On Friday, March 21 and Saturday, March 22, Edgerton youth and community members participated in the 30-Hour Famine, an event designed to raise awareness about world hunger and funds for World Vision. Since I have never known what it is like to go hungry, I decided it would be interesting and eye-opening to participate as well. Although the students are starting their famine after lunch on Friday, I decided to begin in the morning.

Friday, March 21

8 a.m. Begin 30-Hour Famine, no breakfast

8:15 a.m. Show up at Edgerton School District to discuss the Common Core Standards with District Administrator Dennis Pauli

8:50 a.m. Interview over. Leaving Pauli's office, I spot a bowl of chocolate pieces for visitors on the receptionist's desk. Without thinking, I unwrap and pop a Dove chocolate piece in my mouth. This intentional not eating is going to be tougher than I thought.

9 a.m. Begin 30-Hour Famine again. Thank God I was not even an hour in.

10:30 a.m. Stomach is grumbling. “I want an apple with peanut butter!” it demands. “Well, tough. Get used to no food until 3 p.m. tomorrow,” I tell it. This is not going to be easy. I take a few swigs of water in an attempt to placate my grumbling stomach. Not sure it bought it.

11:45 a.m. I show up to my chiropractic appointment in Janesville. I get seen around noon. After doing some spinal alignments, my chiropractor starts standing the table back up. I had apparently taken my feet off the stand and start falling off the table while it is in motion, to both my chiropractor's and my own amusement. “I'm falling,” I yell as I kick my feet. Apparently I am going silly from hunger.

12:45 p.m. I stop by Piggly Wiggly in Edgerton to pick up a carton of orange juice and a carton of banana orange pineapple juice. I am finding that the juice does more to sate my hunger than water, although both are equally important. I find myself wondering briefly if I should not attempt that high school challenge: drinking a gallon of milk. I have heard it expands the stomach lining, which is why people get sick if they do it. But how many are on a famine? Hmmm...

1:20 p.m. My, the banana orange pineapple juice is delicious. I just drank half my water bottle in the past 10 minutes. Now off to the EPAC to get photos of a school concert. Another interview scheduled for 3 p.m. today, and at some point I will have to pick up the African Hope pendants from Forever Yours Jewelry in Sun Prairie. This is quite a busy day and weekend to be fasting.

4:30 p.m. I have learned that the busier I am, the less aware I am of the hunger. Also, juice helps a lot more than water. Drinking water leaves my stomach grumbling while juice does more to quench the hunger.

5:30 p.m. Want to know a real challenge? Try going into a grocery store to pick up a non-food item while partaking in a famine. The smell of chicken that lingered on the air outside Copps in Sun Prairie just about broke me. But I managed to pick up what I needed while resisting the sights of fruit, pastries and other baked and fried goods.

8 p.m. Finally arrived back at my parents’ house in Antigo.

9:15-11 p.m. Watched Herbie: The Love Bug with my parents. I am not normally a movie and snack girl, but popcorn would have been just great. (Sigh)

Midnight: Bedtime!

Saturday, March 22

8 a.m. Wake up, have a breakfast of kiwi juice. It is actually quite good. Despite not having any substantial food, I feel less hungry now than yesterday. It is like my body is adjusting to not eating. It was like that my senior year of high school as well. I only fed it every 16-26 hours, so it adjusted to my eating schedule. Luckily I only have a few more hours left, and things to keep me busy in the meantime.

11 a.m. Leave for the US Cellular store to update my phone. I made sure to fill my water bottle with some more juice before leaving.

1:30 p.m. Return to my parents’ house from town. Only an hour and a half left! I am drinking less juice and water than I did yesterday. Again, I think my body is adjusting to not eating food because I have not heard my tummy grumbling lately and I do not really feel hungry anymore. Of course, I have also not gone running during this famine either. The story might be quite different if I kept up my physical fitness routine.

2 p.m. Here is hoping that the last of the banana orange pineapple juice will coincide with the end of my famine. Only an hour left. I plan to break my famine with two rice patties topped with almond butter. Supper will be pasta with alfredo sauce and chicken. I can hardly wait...

3 p.m. Famine finally over! I think the last 45 minutes was the hardest, probably because I was acutely aware of the hunger in my belly and the fact I was almost done. Rice patties and almond butter never tasted so good.... 

In conclusion: I must admit, the 30-Hour Famine was not easy. Although my body adjusted to the not eating, my famine was actually a little longer than 30 hours. On Thursday, March 20 at approximately 9 p.m. I finished eating supper - a whole pizza. Although I started my famine at 9 a.m. the next day, I did not eat breakfast beforehand, too busy. So aside from the little Dove chocolate slipup - and let’s face it, that is a tiny blip in the whole thing - I went without food from 9 p.m. Thursday to 3 p.m. on Saturday. So closer to 42 hours, or almost two days. How did I fare? I lost about 3 lbs. That being said, I would not advise this as a weight loss plan ladies.

So the grumbling stomach that occurred around noon on Friday was because aside from the singular Dove chocolate, I had not eaten anything in about 15 hours. Could I have lasted longer without food? Probably, but it is not advised. We need food and nutrition to sustain everything we do on a daily basis, whether it is walking the dog, cooking supper, working or running 5 miles. I am one of the lucky ones: I have never had to go hungry. My parents worked hard to provide me with a good life, and as an adult, I work hard to pay my bills. Not everyone has that luxury though.

After participating in the 30-Hour Famine - and there were times I was not sure I was going to make it - I have an ever greater appreciation for people living in poverty and in developing countries. Growing up, I was used to eating three square meals a day, including a home-cooked dinner or leftovers every night.

Aside from dealing with anorexia my senior year of high school, where I ate every 16-26 hours while being a 3-sport/year-round athlete, I have never had to worry about a grumbling stomach, and I have never wondered where my next meal was coming from, or when.

The experience has made me even more determined to help Hope 2 Others ministries in Tanzania, to give to people who have far less than I do. We complain about not having enough money, but the truth is, we do live like kings.

This summer, I will be traveling to Tanzania with Hope 2 Others. While there, we will be climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro to raise funds for a medical center we are building in Kisongo, Tanzania; doing home visits to give food and supplies to needy families; and teaching newborn resuscitation (I personally will not do that, but the medical professionals with us will).

I am blessed to be a part of an organization dedicated to helping and enriching the lives of others. To find out more, visit www.bringinghope2others.com.

Lily's Luau and Epilepsy Research

Aloha everyone!

That is Hello in Hawaiian! I attended Lily's Luau in Madison this past Saturday, and what a blast it was! Memorial Union South was decorated to the nines, with inflatable flamingos, a couple tiki bars, island décor, and not to mention, piles of savory coconut shrimp!

I was absolutely blown away by how beautiful the event was, and how many people and businesses came together to donate raffle prizes, services and money to the event every year. I did not count, but it looked like there was more than 100 silent auction items this year.

A new fundraising campaign – The Neuron Project – was also unveiled. In a unique and beautiful combination of art and science, which is made possible thanks to a generous donation by The Boldt Company. The Neuron Project will be installed at the Wisconsin Institute for Medical Research. Small, medium and large neurons will line the hallway at the institute.

The Neuron Project combines art and science to raise funds for epilepsy research

Sponsorships are available in three neuron sizes: small, medium and large. I agreed to sponsor a small neuron for $1,000. Mine was not the only hand that shot up for a sponsorship, there were a number of other people who agreed as well. Just today, I heard from Lily's Luau founder Anne Giroux that ALL the small neuron sponsorships have been sold! What wonderful news!

There are still medium neurons available for $5,000 and large ones available for $10,000. I believe three medium neuron sponsorships were made at the luau, and one woman made a generous donation to sponsors a large one!

Oh, and did I mention, that whether you sponsor a small, medium, or large neuron, 100 percent of the proceeds will be used to fund epilepsy research at UW-Madison. You might be wondering if you read that sentence correctly: yes, you did. EVERY PENNY will be used to further epilepsy research.

Is $5,000 or $10,000 a lot of money? Yes, it is. But you know what, you can pay it over multiple years, and YOU choose how long. For example, $1,000 is a lot for me, a single person, a one-paycheck household. But I opted to sponsor my neuron over two years. That equates to $42 a month, which I CAN do. And the medium neurons are actually ideal for group donations, while the large ones are targeted more toward businesses and organizations.

Although Lily's Luau is a relatively new non-profit, I am blown away at the generosity that has poured in from people wanting to help find a cure for epilepsy! And as someone who was diagnosed with epilepsy at a young age (3 years), I can appreciate all the hard work that they are putting in.

                 Reporters have to hang together: Me (far right) with Sarah Carlson (far left) and the                            WISC-TV 3 news team, including Susan Siman (to my left).

I had a sleep-deprived EEG yesterday (Jan. 29, 2014) and am awaiting results. My neurologist, Dr. Rama Maganti, thinks I am a good candidate to go off my medication, and that I might possibly have outgrown my epilepsy. I am trying not to get too excited – it is quite difficult – but I am praying for good news when the results come in.

If you would like to learn more about the epilepsy research being done at the UW-Madison, or are interested in purchasing a neuron, please contact lilysfund@gmail.com. They also have awesome T-shirts for sale that say “The War Against Epilepsy Will Be Waged in Coconut Bras.” I love mine!