A Holiday Grant of Tablets for Families with a loved with Autism. Let us make it an extra special Christmas!!!

Every year, Autism Speaks does a grant for applicants that are financially disadvantaged for people with Autism. This year, they had 685 iPad Air's with Wifi to grant out to selected applicants that met the following criteria:

Eligible applicants are individuals who:
Have been diagnosed with autism by a licensed professional
Reside in the United States
Have limited income and cannot afford to purchase an iPad

The window to apply has closed already in November to apply for this grant. Those interested in next years iPad grant should register here: Autism Speaks iPad Grant Application

Also, if you would like to personally donate to this grant, you will find that option at the bottom of the main page of that link and click on the DONATE option. 

Zoey and I

Zoey as a deer at Halloween this year

Now with all of that said, many of you know that I have an amazing beautiful daughter Zoey Rae that has "Classical Autism". I've made myself apart of Autism Speaks for many years doing fundraisers and walks to continue the support of not only raising funds but providing education to those that don't know about Autism. The past three years I also began working directly with families that just obtained the diagnosis of Autism. I still remember the day I was told my daughter was autistic. All I had was this diagnosis for her and was sent out on my own to find what path I was supposed to follow. It was the longest road to walk alone. Studying this and

that, reading everything, meeting with doctors and even joined a support group. Heck I even added a major of Psychology in college to not only just understand the science, but I wanted to know how to put myself in the position to look at life the way my daughter did so one day I could hear the word Mommy. Hear and feel her say she loved me. It took a few years but I was lucky. I heard them. I felt them. So helping as many families I can so they are not walking that long road alone is just something that became necessary for me.

So Christmas is almost here and Amazon Prime is working with me with hopefully delivering Fire Tablet, 7" Display 8GB with WIFI in Blue to a lot of families for this Christmas. Tablets and iPads are often the only way some kids with Autism have the ability to even communicate. So here is where I am looking for your help and your contributions.

What I need first is families to be nominated to be in the drawing to obtain a free tablet to them. I will follow the same applicant profile that Autism Speaks uses which is placed in this blog up near the top. I would also like to add if someone is nominating a family or child on the spectrum, I would love a brief explanation on why you are choosing them and maybe even a picture? So please send all applicants and nominations to my private email: monicadiannejohnson@gmail.com. I will need contact information to get back with the drawing winners. Plus some of the information if allowed with be shared on the GoFundMe account.

https://www.gofundme.com/grant-tablets-for-autism-families


Now, the most important part is needing help with contributions. If there are those that would like to actually donate a tablet please email me as well so you may join me on gifting these families!! I have created a GoFundMe account for this fundraiser for contributors. I'm hoping to be able to serve at least ten families this year and possibly more dependent on how much is raised!

Please help be a voice for those that don't have one. 

What do you see?

It has been awhile since I have written anything.... I have let the routine of life just carry it's regular course and forgot that I actually enjoy having to say something. Sad thing is that I've been in a rut of thinking that my voice doesn't make a difference so why even bother? People will still do what they are going to do and feel the way they do. It isn't about that I want to have an influence of change. Just provide an outlook if possible to just one or two people that may have not thought to think that way.

Just the other day I was gracious enough to actually have someone influence the way I thought about something and provide such a different outlook on it that even though my first stance was to argue but reality was they were so right. So..... yes, this stubborn girl was literally thrown off of how I have viewed a part of me for so long to be. 

My life has been filled with many storms to points where I have lost everything. My heart, will-power, strength and even emotions. I don't hide from admitting where I have PTSD and severe anxiety issues that has left me in a way where I thought I was forever broken more than half of my life. Life got hard. Situations out of hand and left me powerless. With losing my mom last year the way I did has numbed me in a way that I have a hard time thinking I will never be the same. 

Things happen for a reason. Signs come out of nowhere....a song plays when I didn't think I needed to hear it and then someone says something to actually fix a part of me. A quote... any quote really allows reflection and clarity for me to remind my head that there were so many inspirational people in the world that has influenced millions by just saying or stating a sentence. 

My main work has always been pharmacy in some shape or form. Trauma, General Surgery, Drug Studies, Drug development, sales, Psychiatric care, Pain management......I could go on. With those experiences lies my development of understanding the human body and brain. The way I personally look at life. The way I study it to understand things that just don't make sense. It is my vice. As soon as a case comes my way I haven't heard or experienced or know anything about, I jump on a learning journey to know as much I can. It can be very ironic when here I deal with so many things personally.....but I avoid learning it for myself care and growth. Or I avoid listening to anything that may or may not personally help me in making myself a better person.

People like me that have gone through severe bouts of depression or their anxiety gets out of control, hearing an other's thoughts is really hard to absorb. As I said prior, I was lucky enough to have someone come at me with an explanation and thought process that not only did I absorb.....but it reached internally in ways that has fully taken over a dark cloud I have carried and actually allows me to reflect in a beautiful manner.

I've said I've been broken. The pieces of me that once was, may be allowed to be glued back together but the scars of the break will remain. I still believe that. But instead of thinking that I'm damaged forever, I've been given a different outlook that I just have to share:

"Stop seeing yourself as broken and start seeing yourself as priceless art. Art takes a certain appreciation. An understanding of process and vision. An empathy for heartbeats in a brush stroke and the emotion in specific colors. Most don't look hard enough or put the thought and effort into. That is their problem."

So just with those words, that feeling of never being good enough has altered in a way that I never thought it could. It has influenced me in a way that I still can't even think of the right adjectives to describe what it has done for my self reflection.

That is the thing though....I look hard for scientific evidence and then nothing that has to do with anything that I study and work breaks through. With me, this proves that just one voice if heard by the right person it can change your entire world.


"A mirror gives you just a reflection of what you want to see, a person can allow you to see more than you ever could." -M.D. Johnson

Kasich vs Mental Health. Educate yourself before you vote.

Primary elections are being held now for many political offices. My state, Ohio, aka the heart of our Nation and with our motto: "With God All Things Are Possible" stands as the state to win over as the final key to name a new President.

So why am I'm sharing information on a election on a Health Blog? Because.....I'm here to inform you of things you may not be aware of in the world of your health and health of others around you and this election today in Ohio, this information is beyond crucial for you know if you haven't done the research.

I'm not at all using this as a platform to say hey, go vote for this person or that person and not this person. This is just some education that you may not even thought to look into. I do have a personal story to share which lead me to do even more research but I think especially today it is crucial for you to know
Ohio Governor Kasich has been in office here for quite some time. He has done a lot for our state. There is a lot of good there. He has been one of the very few Governor's to provide not only a finished and timely budget for our state but a balanced one every year since being in office. That in itself is an impressive feet due to the rest of our nation struggle to meet this goal. Unless you are personally affected by this, you wouldn't think to look into really what he does with each budget. Well.....I looked. I saw where the money has went and where it was taken from to create that balance for the State of Ohio from his political and personal standing.

I was lucky enough to be invited to a private event where Kasich was at a few years ago under representation of the Licking County Sheriff's Office on behalf of my mother. She knew I had to attend because I needed to talk to him. I did. with his political posse behind him and taking pictures and drinking champagne, he greeted all of his guests and spoke with us. After introducing myself I didn't hesitate on getting straight to the point. My question was, "Why is it that every single time you have provided a finished budget for our state have you pretty much demolished and removed almost all the aid for the mental health program?'......his response: "We shouldn’t use society funds for individual needs.”

This response has stayed with me. It hits me personally due to having a special needs child and my constant fight to get aid, research and assistance to help make her grow. Some people are born with a mental illness. Other's obtain mental illness due to life situations and circumstances, environmental changes, military allegiances, etc.
Mental illness isn't just one specific category. It has a range. A spectrum. It affects everyone differently. EVERYONE. So for Kasich to say this is an individual issue and not one as a society, his view is a Black/White one. Having this stand on this view affects every single issue we have as a Nation. If you don't understand the spectrum of mental health then how can you help with Gun Control in the right way? Refugees? Women's Rights's? Terrorists??? You can't. Our military serve our country and because of what they do on behalf of our country they see things, do things and deal with things that create many medical problems for them but the biggest issue is PTSD. Guess what? PTSD is a mental health disorder.

So please tell me again how is it a man that is striving to hold the most powerful position in our Nation, Our Society, say and prove over and over that mental health isn't an issue for him to even care about be able to take that position??? You can't.

You can take a look for yourselves at the budgets and his standings on this issue. Its all there in black and white with his signature and him standing behind it.

Ohio is the key state. Allowing him to win this primary, my state? This is more than a primary. We determine who takes that office. So don't just go vote today to vote. Voting is a right and it is up to you to use that right to vote with as much education and knowledge you can have.

Mental health affects us all. So With God all things are possible. It is possible to have more research and cures and ailments for mental health. We won't get that with Kasich. Just because he is Ohio's governor do not allow him to win this state. Don't take my word for it either. Look for yourself.