YAP Blog - Youth Advisory Program!

Summertime '09!

Summer is here!

Well, summer is supposed to be here but it just doesn’t want to stop raining in Boston. Aside from that, summer is considered the “fun” season; time for you to hang out with friends, go to the mall, go on vacation, etc. But I also understand that summer time can be a little stressful as well because of all of the activities you are involved with on a daily basis. For example, I am a peer leader for the Center, but I am also a member of the Crimson Summer Academy program at Harvard University. There, I take classes for which I have A LOT of homework. For example, in the expository writing class I am taking, I have an essay or at least a draft due every week for the next seven weeks. I have to take time out of my summer to go to class, and do homework (which by the way are all very time consuming). But at the same time, I make the effort to hang out with my friends and have fun.

Whether you are in a program like CSA, Upward Bound, or maybe even summer school it’s important to be able to learn how to manage your time so that you can have a productive yet fun summer. Plus, learning the skill of multi-tasking can only help you. Have a great summer, and stay safe!

-Erica

 

Frowns, Cries, Tears - a poem

Frowns, cries, tears
Memories that can’t be erased with the years
Hearts with scars that can never be healed
because a persons lips are forever sealed

The frowns of friends
cries of mothers
tears of sisters and brothers

All of which have scars
scars that can’t be healed
because again… how can you forget
something that made you so upset

How can you forget that
someone you loved is gone
that you’ll never hear their voice
and that you’ll never see them again
because their time in this world is done
So as days, weeks, months and years go by
you will always remember this last goodbye

A last goodbye that was probably unexpected
and therefore you are greatly affected
A last goodbye that was engraved in the center of your heart
just like when you hit the bull’s eye with a dart

People do come and go
but that’s there to show
that when you love someone
tell them and hold on to them tight
because it might be their last night

And yes it’s true
they will go to the Promised Land
where everything is all bliss
No more tears and pain
No more suffering in vain

As they let go of your hand
and enter a world of happiness
they’ll never forget you and
from above they will always be with you

And when you are upset
remember and don’t forget that your memories
will always be in your heart
and spiritually y’all will never be apart

-Erica

 

Think Before You Ink

Last week, eighteen year old Kimberley Vlaminck sued her tattoo artist after receiving fifty-six stars tattooed on her face. Kimberely, who insists on having asked for just three stars, claims to have fallen asleep while being tattooed, waking up with much more than she bargained for. While this must have been a scary experience for the young girl, there are a few parts of the story that are unclear. How can someone sleep through the pain of a tattoo on a very sensitive part of their body? And on their face? Maybe Kimberley made a spontaneous, uninformed choice when she asked for her tattoos and wasn’t ready for the consequences. It’s important to remember that getting a tattoo is a serious decision that should be well thought out and discussed with your family. Tattoos are permanent, and can cost up to thousands of dollars to remove. If this is what happened to Kimberley, it’s understandable that she may be regretting her decision now. As of now, the tattoo artist has agreed to pay for half the cost of laser tattoo removal, but even that will leave scars.

 

-Julie, CYWH Summer Writing Intern

 

 

Let’s talk about … Texts???

It’s Ty!

 

So, there is a big controversy going on about sexting. I know many of you have heard about it either on the news or from your friends. But for those of you who don’t know, sexting is when you send sexually explicit pictures of yourself or someone else, via text message. Some people are doing this to gain attention from boys, or because they find it “sexy”. Whatever the reason may be, sexting is not cute, and if it gets in the wrong hands, your once private pictures may be available for the world to see. If you are under 18 and send inappropriate pics of yourself, you and whoever views them are violating the law. Taking and sending nude photographs of minors is considered "child pornography" and sending inappropriate pics is considered "pornographic production and distribution" which is a felony. So, have respect for yourself and don't get involved with sexting and if someone says, "send me a picture of your _____"(what your mama gave you), ignore them or tell them that you respect your body much more than that AND besides you're not looking to get arrested for pornography distribution. Remember, if any inappropriate pictures are sent to your phone, delete them immediately.

 

-Ty

 

 

JoJo visits the CYWH!!

Today at the Center we had a celebrity appearance. R&B singer JoJo spent the morning at Children's Hospital Boston. After her tour of the main hospital, her final stop was the CYWH. She came into the center with a big smile and great energy. I showed her around the Center and we chatted about her new CD that should be released sometime this year. Amanda and I took a few photos with her, and she signed autographs. JoJo was curious about the youth advisory program, and what my role is here at Children's, and the CYWH. She was a very sweet, down to earth young woman (who also happens to make awesome music). Make sure you support her and buy her new CD when it comes out. JoJo is a wonderful example and role model for young women. She is continuing to strive for even more success in the music industry, and we wish her the best of luck!

Thank You JoJo!

*Nisi

Farewell from Hieu

Dear Blog,

My experience here at Children's Hospital Boston has been great. I love the people here and everything about the job- from the health tables to the TAC meetings.

I’ve worked here for the entire school year and it’s been fun. We’ve all shared a lot of laughs and every day has been enjoyable. What I enjoyed the most was the tables. I really liked how every month there would be a new topic to learn about, and although I had to do a lot of research, it was really worth it. I learned a lot and was able to put my knowledge to good use. I created handouts and informational flyers that people could take with them so that they could learn for themselves.  I only wish I could still come here and do them – FOREVER.

Unfortunately, I can’t. Life goes on I suppose, and things change. I will miss my fellow Peer Leaders who have made this experience especially fun for me. Tynaya, Dennisse (Nisi), and Erica really make me laugh, and always manage to brighten things up whenever it’s gloomy. Its been a huge learning experience that I will truly never forget. So, to everyone here at Children's Hospital, and to everyone that reads our blog, thank you for your support, and farewell.

-Hieu

Graduation!

As high school students, especially as seniors we look forward to our graduation day. We are tired of waking up early EVERY morning and basically tired of the same routine - same school, same classes, same people; it gets boring after awhile. We all can’t wait to graduate from high school and finally enjoy the college life. But, I feel like even though we wait for our graduation day with such excitement we are kind of sad when it actually arrives. The thought of high school finally being over, and moving away from some of your friends and family can be kind of frightening. For those going far it is probably going to be very exciting (no more parents telling you what to do because now you are on your own), but also hard. Being on your own not only means making your own choices such as getting to stay out all night and party - it also means doing everything that your parents used to do for you. You will now be responsible for cooking your own food, doing your own laundry, and maybe even paying your own bills.

Unlike some other high school graduates, I am staying close to home and I still feel like this transition is going to be hard. I now realize that I am going to be forced to step out of my comfort zone. I won’t be surrounded by my family and friends, and I will have to start making new friends and building new relationships. It is also going to be hard because I am accustomed to having everything done for me. I always have a good home-cooked meal and my laundry is always done for me. Even though I’m somewhat scared I am also excited for what the future holds for me. I know that it’s time for me to grow up and break away from my parents, meet new people and have fun. As an only child, I know that it is going to be extremely hard for my parents to let go. Even though I am going to be staying in the area, we all know that it is not going to be the same. After having me by their side for eighteen years they will no longer see me everyday or have authority over everything I do. I graduated on Sunday, June 7th and it finally hit me. High School is over. I definitely cried and they were both tears of sorrow and joy because I knew that I was not going to be as close to some people anymore. But, I was also proud of my classmates and myself. We made it! It took many years for us to get to this point but we did it.

Congratulations to the class of 2009!

*Erica

Teen Dating & Violence

It's Ty,

So we all know about the whole situation with the pop superstars Chris Brown and Rihanna. Regardless of what the tabloids may say, domestic violence is not okay and it should not be condoned in any way, shape, or form. Nobody deserves to be verbally or physically abused. In a survey conducted by channel 4 news, most teens said that it was Rihanna’s fault that she was hit, and that she must have provoked him. This just shows that teens are trying to find excuses for teen dating violence. But, the reality is, there are NO excuses!

If you are in a relationship where you feel unsafe or threatened, get out of it immediately, do not stick around. And for all my boys, putting your hands on a female does not make you “cool”, nor does it make you a man. So if you feel like you are about to say or do something that may be harmful to your significant other, walk away and cool off, and realize the mistake that you are about to make. Just like Chris Brown, you will never be able to fully live this down. The same goes for the ladies as well. Though it may sound weird, women can be just as abusive as men can.

If you have any questions about safety in your relationship, visit our guide online at: youngwomenshealth.org/safety_in_relat.html.

-Ty

Tables, Tables, Tables!

Hello Blog,

One of the things I do here at the hospital is hold information tables on the different health topics each month. They can be about almost anything as long as it relates to medical or health issues. For example, a few tables that I’ve done in the past were about:

• Donating Blood
• Nutrition and Fitness
• Dangers of Smoking
• Teen Pregnancy and Awareness

It’s pretty fun doing these tables, seeing as how I get a lot of freedom to distribute information that I think is important to the everyday teenager. Of course all the information at the tables is reliable- it comes from university websites, health related organizations, youngmenshealthsite.org, and youngwomenshealth.org, just to mention a few. I also get information from the professionals that work here at the hospital too.

Having these tables is pretty important because sometimes it can be pretty difficult to see the difference between what health information is true, and what is false. Things you hear from friends, see on a website, or read in a magazine can be misleading and/or incorrect. I work to make sure that the information at the tables is reliable and easy to understand. I enjoy making these tables and think that they’re really important for the everyday teen. Be sure to look out for me when I'm staffing a table outside the Adolescent Clinic!

-Hieu

Shannon's Blog

Hey readers! We know of an awesome, soon-to-be 9th-grader, Shannon, who has her own blog about living life as a teen with a serious health condition called pulmonary hypertension, and also just living life as a teen in general. She has a great attitude about her illness, her friends, sports, and dealing with all the many things that come up in her life.

Check out Shannon's blog here!  And if you are a college-bound teen with a chronic illness, we have resources for you here on youngwomenshealth.org, about how to structure your life to take good care of your health while you're at school.

 - Freedom