This is my first post on Reddit. I wanted to tell everyone about Michael Levinsky of San Diego, California, a cancer survivor and a dear friend to me. Mike has a big heart. He is a big giver and a true animal lover. About three years ago, my good friend Mike was diagnosed with Stage 4 Non Hodgkins Lymphoma, a type of Leukemia. His doctors basically told him to throw in the towel and get his affairs in order. Well, if you know Mike, that pretty much just pissed him off to no end and brought about what has become the biggest fight of his life - a fight for his life. Well, thanks to some new breakthroughs in experimental drugs and the support of his friends and family, Mike is HERE TO STAY. And what's more, he has started an awesome foundation that I want to tell you folks about so that you can help spread the word. Actually, he could use some help in getting this foundation on the right track. He has a website - www.pawsinthecity.info and the name of the foundation is Paws For A Cause, both based in San Diego, but there are other similar named websites out there so Mike could use a boost of internet popularity and perhaps a few suggestions on how to promote his foundation which supports cancer patients by helping them to interact with pets as a form of "love" therapy. By creating this dog walking service, Mike and other cancer patients can earn an income via donations while getting exercise and being around different pets and their owners on a regular basis.
Looking for advice on how to best help Mike. There are a couple of newspaper articles out there about his work - here's one with a picture of Mike holding up one of his four-legged friends - http://www.lajollalight.com/news/2014/may/10/dog-walking-service-to-benefit-cancer-patients/
And Mike's current website is www.pawsinthecity.info
I have witnessed firsthand how amazing this type of "love" therapy has transformed Mike's attitude and help him to battle cancer. I believe in what he is doing very much - helping animals to get outdoors while their caretakers are working... and helping cancer survivors to form new friendships with these awesome little therapists. What an eye-opening experience this has been for me, to witness the power of mutual care and compassion - the amazing bond between people and pets.
Thanks for the tip! I just posted in the San Diego main page... I suppose if they have a bad attitude, that's okay with me... sometimes a bad attitude projected by one person can bring out more good in other people. About the "national" program, that is what Mike has in mind. I think pet owners feel pretty good knowing that their loved ones are in the care of cancer patients / survivors... it really is a type of therapy - good for the pets and good for the walkers... and gives a sense of purpose to the pet owners. I have witnessed how this has benefited Mike over the past 1.5 years that he started doing this. He is undoubtedly at his BEST when he's walking the dogs... there's a renewed energy... and hope... and it just seems to work... and walking a variety of different dogs gives him a chance to receive unconditional love from different pets with different personalities... and of course, it gives Mike a chance to care for different pets. If you're up to it, maybe you can reach out to Mike about setting up a program in your area. I'm sure he would be interested in talking to you about that. Oh, and thanks again for replying and the tips... very encouraging!