VAUGHN........PG 8
Vol 23, No. 4 • August 2023
WALLACE.......PG 9
News You Can Use
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A Success Story: Local mom turned struggles and setbacks into triumph Chyritha and her mother opted By Sabrina Bates for a shared-custody situation to Chyritha Ratliff-Shinault, affecallow her mother to help get Jazz to tionately known as "Chee Chee" by and from treatments at LeBonheur her friends and family, has seen her Children's Medical Hospital in share of life lessons. As a Certified Memphis. Nursing Assistant for 30 years of She had already been a CNA her life, she had long dreamed of and said it was difficult to sit back furthering her certification in the and watch the medical professionfield of caregiving as a nurse. Her als without interference. story is filled with highs and lows "Watching your child suffer and and eventually triumph, as she there is nothing you can do about it worked hard to be able to now is the worst feeling," Chyritha "choose" to work two jobs. shared. She watched with an "eagle It was not unusual to see this eye" as the team at LeBonheur had mom working three jobs over the to break his immune system down last three decades to make ends and build it back. Jazz had to learn meet. Chyritha said in high school, to walk and write again. He even she aspired to be a physical therahad to learn to retrain his bladder pist for the NBA or NFL. as a result of the neurological dam"I wanted to make that big age. With the help of therapist money and I love sports," she Mike Bell, who provided aquatic recalled. After getting married and therapy for Jazz at the pool in having two children, life took her Corinth, he is now a happy, healthy down a different path. In 1999, she 31-year-old and Staff Sergeant in went back to school at Itawamba the United States Marine Corps. Community College (ICC) to get "With God, they saved my her grade point average up to be Chyritha Ratliff-Shinault child. I will be forever grateful to all of able to pursue an RN degree. Her testthem. When they released Jazz, they ing was one of many challenges in life. She missed the mark by two-tenths of a point. That was in 2000. Three gave him a caterpillar that they had signed. He still has it today," Chyritha recalled. years later, she lost her husband and father of her two kids. In 2005, she went back to school to try to enhance her nursing cerNot long after, her son Jazz was diagnosed with Guillain-Barre tification once again. She was shooting for the Licensed Practical Syndrome, a rare neurological disorder where the immune system Nurse certification. Another test saw her miss it by only one point. attacks the nervous system. Jazz was only nine years old. "I was devastated. But my two prayer warriors - my mom and my sister - kept reminding me that I was just delayed, not denied in God's Return Address: P.O. Box 1292 Corinth, MS 38835 plan," Chyritha shared. As her sons grew older and had their sights set on post-secondary education, she picked up three jobs to help them get through school. In the meantime, she was also taking classes at ICC to earn an associate's degree. Her hard work and determination paid off. POSTAL PATRON She and her two oldest sons graduated within one day of each other, all three earning their associate's degrees the same weekend. She see SHINAULT on pg 4
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Caregiving: Self-care isn't selfish By Sabrina Bates This month's local spotlights seem to have a resounding theme as the people featured share a common bond. They are caregivers. From caring for local youth, the elderly and family members, these women take their generous spirit and pour into others daily. How is it that they manage to take care of themselves and others? They will say it takes a balance and meeting their own needs adequately to be in the best position to support others. According to the AARP, there are approximately 470,000 unpaid caregivers in Mississippi. More than half of those caregivers are women. Information from the Centers for Disease Control shows that nearly one-third of those provide care for more than 20 hours each week. When looking at the number of people in the state who do fill the role of caregiving, 36 percent are taking care of a parent or parent-in-law. Across the nation, there is an estimated 42 million people who are caring for someone over the age of 50. To balance the demands of caregiving and care for oneself - the CDC notes, "self-care isn't selfish." "To continue being a good caregiver, you need to take care of yourself. One way you can do that is to
make sure you have consistent breaks from your caregiving responsibilities. This is called respite. Short breaks can be a key part of maintaining your own health," the CDC notes. Respite care allows a caregiver to take some much-needed time off. Some agencies can offer a break for caregivers, along with family and friends. Many Areas on Aging and Disability offer respite-care services, some at little to no cost. For caregivers, it is recommended that they let their own doctors know they are fulfilling that role. Sometimes, anxiety and depression may be associated with the demands of caregiving. Doctors may even be able to "prescribe" respite care through Medicare's PACE program. The CDC also notes the importance of caregivers not neglecting their own personal health, as nearly two out of five suffer from at least two chronic health conditions. The Mississippi Family Caregiver Support Program works in partnership with the 10 Area Agencies on Aging and local community service providers to provide five basic services for family caregivers, including: • Information to caresee CAREGIVING on pg 4