Madison Taliaferro spent weeks in the hospital in 2012. After a decade of suffering from cystic fibrosis, she underwent a double lung transplant. She powered through the difficult surgery and the recovery that followed –long days of physical therapy and rehabilitation. Her parents were there. Her best friend visited from Kansas. Grandparents rotated shifts so she was never alone. But one request still lingered.
“I just wanted to see my dogs,” she remembers.
Having suffered from the effects of chronic illness for the decade prior, Madison was no stranger to long days at home, isolated from the school germs that could turn her illness into a critical condition with a single sneeze. When her friends couldn’t visit, her dogs were there. But at the hospital, they weren’t.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7835951-purina-family-pet-center-st-louis-childrens/
October is National Plan a Cruise Month and the cruise industry is celebrating by launching #CruiseSmile, a simple and exciting chance to win one of 31 cruise vacations from 23 different cruise lines awarded each day, from October 1 through October 31, 2015. Anyone can enter each day during the sweepstakes by simply submitting a photo featuring a ‘cruise smile’ at CruiseSmile.org, or posting their ‘cruise smile’ on Twitter or Instagram using #CruiseSmile and #Sweepstakes. Participants will have the opportunity to share their posts for more chances to win.
“Those who cruise have a secret: they love cruising and cannot stop smiling about it. Whether it's planning, booking, dreaming about or basking in the memories of taking a cruise vacation, it's hard not to smile,” said Cindy D'Aoust, Acting CEO, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). “The #CruiseSmile campaign is a fun way for the cruise industry to spread the love of cruising during National Plan a Cruise Month as well give vacation dreamers the chance to win a remarkable cruise vacation for two.”
The #CruiseSmile sweepstakes prize calendar is filled with incredible cruise vacations for two, including a seven-night luxury voyage to Tahiti and the Society Islands in the South Pacific, an eight-day European river cruise on the Seine River from Paris, a magical family-friendly three-night Bahamian voyage at sea and even a 14-day Far-East Discovery cruise visiting exotic ports throughout Southeast Asia.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7584131-clia-national-plan-a-cruise-month/
Car-buying platform Edmunds.com today released an update to its acclaimed mobile app with a new feature that now makes it possible for shoppers to send text messages to car dealers with just a touch of a button. The innovation is the latest step in the growing trend of consumers drawn to “place messaging,” which offers a convenient way to interact with businesses via text in the same way that they do with friends and family.
Unlike other place messaging solutions that only work in concert with apps such as Snapchat and WhatsApp, Edmunds’ texting solution uses the phone’s native texting platform. That means all smartphones are capable of messaging dealers without relying on any other apps.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7523651-edmunds-com-text-car-dealers-app/
Northwestern Mutual, presenting sponsor of the 2016 Rose Bowl Game®, today unveiled its float design for the 127th Rose Parade® presented by Honda. Titled Dancing into Adventure, it will draw attention to the fight against childhood cancer by showcasing the greatest adventure and dream of Peyton Richardson, a 13-year-old aspiring ballerina from Sugar Land, Texas, who is battling leukemia.
The theme of this year’s parade is Find Your Adventure. As an aspiring ballerina, Peyton wants to travel the world to see performances from the world’s most distinguished ballet companies and have a dance lesson with their principal dancers. Northwestern Mutual is using its sponsorship to bring Peyton’s adventure to life in flowers and raise awareness about childhood cancer.
“Peyton’s unique, positive way of using ballet to battle cancer and stay focused on her dream is truly amazing,” said Conrad York, vice president of marketing at Northwestern Mutual. “At Northwestern Mutual, we know that each family has a dream in mind for their future, and we are here to support them every step of the way.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7422155-northwestern-mutual-rose-parade-float/
The vast majority of Americans say what they want at the end of life is to die in their own homes, as comfortable and pain-free as possible. The hospice philosophy is about making sure that a patient's death experience reflects their wishes by supporting one's life to the fullest dignity, regardless how much time remains. In fact, in many cases patients' quality of life can actually improve when they are admitted to hospice at the appropriate time.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7429131-moments-of-life-by-hospice/
With the 125th Red Kettle Campaign well underway, donors and supporters of The Salvation Army have rallied in pursuit of a new way to give to those in need: by entering their #RedKettleReason video for a chance to win The Salvation Army’s first-ever Giving Spree Contest. After five finalist videos were selected, and tens of thousands of votes from the public, the results are in.
Fifteen-year old Maddie Bonocore from Overland Park, Kan. was named the winner, receiving a paid trip to New York City to shop for toys and necessities for a local Salvation Army children’s program. Maddie shopped for the Kansas City Children’s Shelter, which provides shelter care for children unable to remain in their homes due to a family crisis, or issues of abuse and/or neglect.
Actor, producer, musician and Salvation Army supporter Nick Cannon helped announce the contest and joined Maddie for the shopping event. Highlights from the event were featured on TODAY.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7612654-salvation-army-redkettlereason-winner/
Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway company, has implemented an internal customer satisfaction scoring system aimed at measuring the overall experience of its home loan origination process.
The internal customer satisfaction score that Vanderbilt has created is a metric calculated from surveyed responses by customers within two weeks of funding their loan. The customers are asked to give a score ranging from zero to 10 on how likely they are to recommend Vanderbilt Mortgage to family and friends based on their home loan origination experience.
“We want to be transparent about the feedback we receive from our customers,” said Eric Hamilton, president of Vanderbilt Mortgage and Finance, Inc. “Continuously listening to customers’ needs in order to improve is our top priority. This scored system gives us a structured way to measure how we are doing and determine in which areas we can do better. It’s important for us to meet and exceed our customers’ expectations.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7716456-vanderbilt-mortgage-customer-survey/
Clayton, one of the leading builders of prefabricated and site built homes, has partnered with Family Promise, a leading national nonprofit addressing the family homelessness crisis in America, to present a New Braunfels family with a brand-new prefabricated home.
The owners of a mobile roadside assistance company, Mona Lisa and Oscar De Paz of New Braunfels tried to live their dream of owning a business and providing for their family of five, but when receiving payments from clients proved to be a challenge, they suddenly found themselves without a place to live. With nowhere to turn, the family slept in their car or at a storage facility with their belongings. The storage facility manager suggested they contact Family Promise of Greater New Braunfels. In three months, the family successfully completed the program’s requirements, secured steady employment and housing and achieved sustainable independence.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8335051-clayton-homes-family-promise-homelessness/
Siegfried & Roy will introduce the world to the newest additions to their animal family when four six-week-old tiger cubs make their first appearance at Siegfried & Roy’s Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at The Mirage Hotel & Casino on September 12 at noon.
Born on August 5 at the Secret Garden to mother Indira and father Svengali, these are the first tiger cubs to be introduced at The Mirage in five years. Animal lovers from around the world will be able to watch and follow the cubs’ journey using the Twitter and Instagram handle @SARMOTIcubs and on Facebook at Facebook.com/SARMOTIcubs.
“Our newest ‘Ambassadors of Conservation’ play an important role in our never-ending quest to protect these animals,” said Roy. “It is imperative to continue our conservation efforts to save these magnificent tigers for future generations to enjoy and cherish.”
“It is always exciting to welcome new members to our family at The Mirage,” said Siegfried. “We are pleased to introduce these magical creatures to the world to relish in their beauty and are thrilled that people across the world can watch the cubs grow and learn on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7621651-mirage-siegfried-roy-tiger-cubs/
Inspired by kids and their unfiltered honesty, the iconic Jell-O brand is introducing a new product line to the family: Jell-O Simply Good. Jell-O Simply Good pudding mixes are made with real ingredients like banana, cocoa and vanilla bean and the gelatin mixes are flavored with real fruit juices. Jell-O Simply Good contains no artificial flavors, dyes or preservatives.
“Jell-O Simply Good was inspired by real kids who surprised us with their honest, unprompted feedback about artificial ingredients,” said Nicole Kulwicki, Head of Marketing for Jell-O. “Our goal with the new line is to provide a choice for parents and kids who are looking for products with simpler ingredients. What we’re most excited about is that we’re still delivering the delicious and fun, colorful flavors that have made Jell-O a part of families’ memories for generations.”
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7926051-jell-o-simply-good/
When a serious illness enters a family's life, there are many questions to ask and decisions to make. It is important to answer these questions quickly. The process can seem overwhelming. However, hospice care can be a wonderful resource for information about symptom management and comfort care. Hospice care professionals are available to help assess goals, pain management and care options during the decision-making process.
Are your symptoms minimal or moderate? Are these symptoms just starting to affect your life? If you want to continue treatment but also need comfort and symptom management, palliative care (often called comfort care) maybe an option. Palliative care is patient and family-centered care that optimizes quality of life by anticipating, preventing and treating suffering. Palliative care specialists address the physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and spiritual needs of patients and families, making sure they have access to all the information about the disease progression and the choices ahead. A patient can receive palliative care in conjunction with other treatments or therapies.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7429131-moments-of-life-by-hospice/
More than 15 percent of reproductive-aged women have filled a prescription for an antidepressant medication during the years 2008–2013, according to a new analysis published today in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).
January is National Birth Defects Prevention Month and the CDC is working with the March of Dimes to raise awareness about the use of antidepressant medications by women of reproductive age, and what women should know and do for their own health and that of their babies. There is conflicting evidence about the potential link between some antidepressants and certain birth defects. Some commonly used antidepressants are sertraline (Zoloft), bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban), and citalopram (Celexa).
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7709851-march-of-dimes-antidepressant-pregnancy-study/
