We must be the change we wish to see in the world - -Mahatma Gandhi

The Self chec Story

Thea's words (making memories with her dad, Michael, in 1981)
While I sat with him on our rocking chair in the living room of our apartment, my dad told many stories that afternoon in 1991. He did what no father or mother ever wants to have to do, make a tape recording for me to remember him by because he knew he didn't have much time to live. He was 35 years old and dying.

Although his stories were always funny, it was a very, very sad time in all our lives. It's just not fair to learn about suffering when you are so young. No child should ever have to endure this kind of heartache.

Through my mother's work on Self chec, I know now that my father did not have to die of colon cancer. Every day the thought still comes into my mind, if only he had taken better care of himself...

Joan Peckolick's words (Founder and Director of Self chec)
We are living in a “sickness nation” rather than a nation that believes in prevention and wellness care. According to a Time magazine article on Nov. 20, 2008, America's Health Checkup by Alice Park, 67% of Americans are overweight or obese, 96% are not healthy eaters, 27% have high blood pressure, the prevalence of diabetes has more than doubled since 1997 and health care costs are crippling the U.S. More importantly, experts fear that this generation of American kids may be the first ever to have a shorter life span than their parents.

The above is simply outrageous to me. These statistics translate into the yearly needless deaths of over a million of some of our friends and family.

Creating Self chec has been my way of trying to change this so that children like my Thea won’t have the rest of their lives informed by the loss of a parent; and you and I won't have to suffer the premature loss of another dear friend, partner or relative.

Self chec will help keep you healthy so you can see your children grow up, take that long-awaited vacation you planned for and, most importantly wake up each morning, the first day of the rest of your life, knowing you are taking good care of yourself. Now, it's your turn to stop for a moment and really think about what you would write down to convey your personal hopes and wishes.

Like many of us, I've seen loved ones, friends and colleagues die unnecessarily, while others live a long, productive and healthy life when their disease was caught early enough to be treated and sometimes cured. I've asked over and over again, why does one person live after being diagnosed? Why does another person die? I believe the answer exists in four words that have the power to change each one of our fates: prevention, screening and early detection. Self chec's goal is to help you understand these life saving actions and become your partner in helping you change your personal attitudes, motivations, fear and ultimate fate.

Self chec is about taking control in a world that often seems out of control. It’s about meeting the challenges that affect our lives so deeply. Taking care of our health is one of those important challenges and I hope you will agree that this really needs to be our number one priority.

It also seems to me that keeping healthy should be the great equalizer between the “haves” and the “have nots”, but it is not. That is why we are asking corporations, foundations, the media, along with the government and individuals themselves to come together again, to take part in our Self chec’s Prevention Nation. Together we can get Self chec's life saving message out to the general public and also begin to build the support systems needed, especially by the underserved communities.

If you think of Self chec as a very special gift that doesn't cost anything, but a little personal action, it will not be difficult to make the commitment to take care… and we’ll be right there to support and cheer you on.

So please introduce your family, friends, colleagues and peers, along with the folks you know in the medical, corporate, foundation, government and media communities to Self chec. You can do this through our CaringCard Shoppe or website. Sign up for free e-health reminders, push our buttons for prevention tips, learn how to do your self-checks, tell us your story and read about others who have taken the leap of faith to take care, and much more.

I welcome you to join me and my daughter Thea by becoming " the change we wish to see" in our lives and in the fight for personal health care empowerment. Welcome.