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New programs to help improve foster care

Heartland for Children Calls for 80 Additional Foster Homes While Improving Child Protective Services There is no gift greater than giving one’s time to a child. For 155 local families, that means serving as a foster family to a child in need. Heartland for Children is the lead community based care agency responsible for re-designing…
Chris Hazelwood bares all

Q & A on Her Journey to Recovery from Breast Cancer Diagnosed with breast cancer on Leap Day in 2008, Mary Christine Hazelwood is a survivor. We talked with her about her journey—chemotherapy, radiation treatments, and what led her to start The Pampering Event for women with breast cancer. Central Florida Health News (CFHN): Tell…
Pop Quiz: Test your knowledge of a breast cancer self-exam

Be Confident that You Can Properly Perform a Self-Exam for Breast Cancer with this Short Pop Quiz The statistics show the proof! Performing regular self-exams on your breasts can lead to early diagnosis of breast cancer in women, according to research from John Hopkins Medical Center. So, what is part of a successful self-examination and what…

Delicious food and the diabetic’s diet

It’s in the Bag Diabetes is a group of diseases characterized by high glucose levels caused by insufficient production of insulin. That’s a fairly simple definition for a disease that is not simple to treat. In general, and that’s all we can deal with in a short article, a balanced diet is a good starting…
Body, Mind & Spirit: Giving thanks by giving back

What it Means to be a Foster Family Foster parents provide a safe, nurturing home for children to heal. While there are currently about 150 licensed foster homes in Circuit 10, which covers Polk, Highlands, and Hardee Counties, more are needed. According to Teri Saunders, CEO of Heartland for Children here in Polk County, “That…
Editor’s Dose: More than just comfort food

Reading this article on food “made with love” for the sick really brought back some memories. As a young teenager, my mother had to undergo open heart surgery twice within four years. She has a blood disorder that causes her body to produce too many of the clot-forming platelets. Adding to that complications of…