Canary Refuge

I love teaching (I am a genetic extrovert!) and enjoy doing in-person work that involves teaching people to work on themselves as much as possible. My coaching includes multimodality approaches, medical and therapeutic hands-on work, and exercise, yoga, and movement training. Typically, Human Canaries are impoverished by their illness and need to do all they can towards their own recovery. Sadly, many Human Canaries have no access to doctors with training in Functional and Environmental Medicine. When people without medical training and background try to do their own research on supplements and other interventions, they often get ripped off. I can help sick Canaries sift through and separate the snake oil from the effective treatments and help them figure out the best options for their usually-very-limited budget in the context of their unique situation and specific illness.

I hope to return to remote coaching and consulting, as well as in-person work as soon as possible. My vision for this non-profit, and continually moving forward to build it, keeps me going and gives my life purpose.

However, as a result of some tragic and unexpected “curveballs," I face significant challenges and hurdles. A situation involving faulty contractor work and extensive damage (including extensive faulty HVAC installation related mold contamination) to my home and planned work space will have to resolve first. (More about this situation and the extensive damage to my home, planned business space, health, and life can be found in a GoFundMe created for me by friends.)

My current situation is a perfect example of “The Housing Crisis Like No Other” that I briefly described on the homepage of this website. Before the faulty contractor work, including bad HVAC installation, I had a healthy home that enabled me to be a “highly functional sick person.” By practicing avoidance of allergens and toxic chemicals, I had an amazing amount of energy and very few migraines (and they were “silent”), as long as I stayed away from triggers.

The sad truth is that until an injured Canary has healthy housing and protection from the things making them sick, they can’t heal. Without healthy housing, expensive interventions like supplements are an expensive band-aid that may help slow the progression of the downward spiral of increasing immune dysregulation and autoimmunity or the “decompensation domino effect” of what becomes increasingly complex chronic illness. There’s no way a sick Canary can heal in a sick building.

My own experience underscores that while air purifiers may help to some degree, they can often be an expensive band-aid that can’t render a problematic space non-toxic. The sicker the canary, the harder and more expensive it is to create, renovate, find, or build healthy housing. A big part of the mission of Canary Refuge, in addition to providing education about the most up-to-date medical and therapeutic interventions and discoveries, is to investigate, advocate for, and try to implement and serve as a model for possible solutions to “The Housing Crisis Like No Other.” I will share what I’ve learned about healthy housing, renovation, and building materials. The truth is that a sick Canary can’t survive in a homeless shelter. So, a holistic approach to working with sick and injured Canaries must include addressing any housing issues.

In a recent conversation with a friend, I bemoaned the fact that:

“Over and over, I’ve healed and healed myself, and each time I’ve added to my ‘toolkit’—modalities, education, and experience that can help others. Just when I was feeling good and ready, or beginning to move forward with some combination of ‘the fun stuff’ and big goals, I’ve gotten injured again… and again… and again.”

My friend’s response was, “That’s incredible!”

I said, “What?????”

She repeated, “That’s incredible!”

Me: ?????

Then she explained:

“Don’t you understand? Most of us with this illness just keep getting sicker and sicker… you’ve gotten a lot better… and repeatedly! That’s incredible!”

And I will again! And I will have more to share and offer to my community!

But for this time around, it will be more challenging for many reasons. Please check out the GoFundMe friends have created, or/and volunteer your time and talents to help grow this organization.

 I guess “my glass is half full!” Onward and Upwards!

Photo credit: Chris Eaton