Dr. Graham has been saved since 1996 and has been a Pediatric Lung Specialist since 1986. Eight years ago one when of his patients died from asthma he saw how important it is to be educated about this condition, and so Not One More Life was birthed. The last few years has brought about national expansion, including cities like Detroit, St. Louis, Norwalk, and now Dix Hills, NY. By the end of 2011 he plans expand this list to twenty cities. Most programs are done in the community, and this is the first time the church is being used for health screenings.
A major part of Saturday’s event was training the medical professionals who would perform the screenings. A training was held over dinner on Friday night, June 19, 2009, to teach the model and specifics to over fifty volunteers from Upper Room and other local churches. “This team is one of the largest and most passionate teams I‘ve worked with; I was very impressed,” noted Dr. Grahm. “The team and volunteers are in a position to do great things.” Dr. Perrone called the screening a success as it was a chance to train a core group of volunteers.
“Asthma screening is important because asthma as a medical condition disproportionately affects African Americans and Hispanic people in our communities.” According to Dr. Perrone it affects thirty-three million people and causes sixty thousand lost days of work and school each day, totally almost twenty-two billion lost days each year. Eleven people die each day, most of whom are children, (mostly minority children). “That doesn’t have to be, we can change that,” exhorted Dr. Perrone.
In addition to the screening, the members of the community were educated on asthma and lung diseases. A presentation that encompassed what asthma is, what triggers it, what allergens are, and how to treat it was made to the community. Dr. Phillip Muench, a member of Upper Room, Chiropractor, and volunteer asserted that “you should be able to=2 0function at 100% with asthma, and exercise helps! People think they can’t exercise.” Dr. Phil, as his patients lovingly refer to him, says he too suffered from asthma getting adjusted by his chiropractor got rid of it.
Not only was the community impacted, members of Upper Room were blessed by the days events. Domenick Raccuglia, cameraman for the Media Arts Department, attended to film and found himself putting his camera down and getting screened and tested after bumping into Dr. Perrone. Although he suffered from asthma before the age of twelve, his results were good and the Doctors were able to give him medical recommendations to control any lingering effects.
Look for the next asthma screening and lung function testing this fall at Upper Room Christian World Center, along with a training for all health professional who would like to volunteer. “This is the beginning of something much larger than just these four walls,” Dr. Perrone asserts, “and we are the foundation for that growth.”
-Written by Lisa Cicchetti
