Fight to end Alzheimer’s

One in three seniors die with Alzheimer’s disease. It is imperative that we have elected officials who are working to make Alzheimer’s a national priority.

As an Alzheimer’s Association advocate, I was fortunate to meet with Rep. Jared Golden’s Office to discuss the staggering impact of Alzheimer’s on Maine and across the nation. In a meeting at his district office, my fellow advocates and I shared our own personal experience with this devastating disease. We implored Rep. Golden’s office to be a champion in Congress for the over 28,000 Mainer’s living with Alzheimer’s.

During our meeting, I shared the story of how Alzheimer’s has impacted my family, from an emotional, economic and physical standpoint. This terrible disease claimed the life of my mother in September of 2018 after a 10-year battle. As an Alzheimer’s Advocate, I want to get across to all of our elected officials the true impact on our communities and society.

Please join me in thanking Representative Golden for his support in the fight to end Alzheimer’s.

Michael Vittum

Brewer

The value of paid sick days

I work as a per-diem employee for a community-based organization supporting adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Working with this population is very rewarding and it has broadened my mind to the diverse needs of Maine’s people. At times, it is very challenging. It takes compassion, patience, and constant awareness to support the needs and safety of those I serve.

I support the paid sick days legislation, LD 369, an initiative that would provide earned paid sick leave for those employed by an employer who employs more than five employees. For if I am feeling ill, my ability to support those I serve is compromised and so is their health. Often this population is at an increased risk of becoming ill, including with influenza or pneumonia, and would need emergency care to treat their medical symptoms. Like many employees, I feel obligated to work and need the paycheck. As a per-diem employee, however, I am not currently eligible for earned paid sick leave.

As a master of social work student, I recognize paid as a proactive strategy to improving the health of Maine’s people. I hope the state legislature will support the initiative.

Mary Moynihan

Old Town

Abortion is a personal choice

This “abortion provider appreciation day,” I was thankful for abortion providers — not only for the necessary and safe service they provide — but because they could save my life one day.

First, I’d like to emphasize that abortion is a personal choice and that someone simply not wanting to continue a pregnancy is perfectly valid.

When someone has received an abortion due to medical necessity, they often feel obligated to justify the choice they made to anyone curious. Medical necessity can range from obvious examples like ectopic pregnancy to more case-by-case situations like mental health concerns.

The common thread with every case? If it’s not your abortion, it’s not your business.

As I said before, an abortion provider could save my life one day. For private health reasons, I am not capable of carrying a pregnancy to term. If I were to become pregnant, obtaining a safe and legal abortion would be vital to my quality of life and the continuation of it.

This is why I support LD 820 and the Mabel Wadsworth Center, so those who need or want abortion care can obtain it safely and with compassion.

Hannah Ruhlin

Bangor