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Who We Are
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Congratulations to Tina Budde, who is tirelessly working on getting a brand new site for the LAF. She has been recently promoted to Director. We welcome her take charge attitude in getting things done. Welcome Tina!
Tina Budde
Director,
eLymphNotes Lymphedema Magazine Editor
Tina Budde is a lower and upper Lympedema patient, with complications in the chest, shoulder, neck and jaw from cancer survivor for over 15 years. She is a primary lymphedema patient with secondary triggers including cancer. She is on disability and is familiar with the disability processes. Professionally, Tina was a Savings and Loan Representative, pharmacy assistant and office manager. She now is owner of Lymphland (http://lymphland.com/), and Lymphland International Lymphedema Online (LILO). Tina Budde's goal is to gain as much knowledge on Lymphedema as possible so that she can promote advocacy and provide support and assistance to others. She resides in Western New York with her elderly mother. To contact Tina directly email hurt_chik@yahoo.com
Josephine Carey
Josephine Carey is the President and Founder of the Lymphedema
Awareness Foundation (LAF), a 501c3 not-for-profit corporation in Florida. And Founding Publisher of eLymphNotes, The First Online Magazine on Lymphedema (LE), which launched in 2000. She coordinated the first local LE awareness event in the USA, on January 24, ‘98, at Orlando Florida’s famed Church Street Market.
Josephine is afflicted with lower limb Lymphedema, which developed almost immediately after surgery to remove cancer. Devastated by the lack of resources and ignorant medical staff surrounding this affliction, she was compelled into activism after many years searching for proper care. Josephine was invited to co-chair a panel discussion on ‘’How to Successfully Plan and Execute a Local Lymphedema Awareness Event,’’ at the National Lymphedema Network (NLN) Conference, in 2000. She authored a column on ‘’Marketing Lymphedema Awareness’’ and led several educational forums/support groups and presented at others in KY and FL. The success of the first event empowered Josephine to coordinate others: at Orlando’s ORMC on March 6 ‘99, Tampa on Oct 30 ’99, Sanford in ‘01, Tavares in ‘02 and ‘03 and Jacksonville in ‘03. The Kathy Stilwell Foundation presented Josephine with the 2004 Celebration of Life Award.
Josephine Carey is pursuing an advertising Copywriter career, after spending many years in the corporate/in-house field as an Art Director/Designer. She has won several awards for her work and published several articles in the creative publications. She received an honors degree, majoring in advertising, at the University of Ulster, N. Ireland and attended postgraduate advertising courses at the School of Visual Arts in NY, NY. She is a member of the One Club for Art Directors and Copywriters and currently lives and works between Florida and New York City with her husband and their dog Sheba.
Brandy McKeown OTR/L, CLT
Q&A Manager
Brandy a 2000 graduate of the Medical College of Georgia with a bachelors of science in Occupational Therapy. After working a year as an OT she went to Atlanta GA for training in the Casley-Smith method of lymphedema treatment. The course was 135 hours and was taught by Decourcy Squire. Brandy has been treating lymphedema full time almost 3 years. Currently she is the Program Director and Founder of Tifton Lymphedema Center in Tifton, GA, the only clinic of its type within 60 miles. She is also the co-founder and managing member of the Lymphatic Wellness Center, LLC, a Lymphedema clinic in St. Augustine, FL.
Mary Defoe
Assistant Proofreader, Former Editor
OH/KY Community Network Representative
Formerly Mary was the assistant Editor of eLymphNotes and she has a BA in English and has been a documentation specialist; an editor in AT&T's electronic publishing department; and the assistant editor of The
Heart of Kentucky Journal, a bi-monthly publication featuring volunteerism in
Northern Kentucky. When Mary's lymphedema began a year after completing
therapies for breast cancer in 1999, five doctors could not help her find
treatment; some even denied that she had lymphedema because her swelling was
mild. To lessen her pain, she was forced to educate herself by learning massage
from a book and videotape. A year later she stumbled upon a compression garment
fitter and began to receive professional care. Her frustration in finding help
stimulated her to co-found The Lymph Connection Support Group at St. Elizabeth
Medical Center, Edgewood, KY in May 2001. Fortunately, the breast health nurse
from the St. Elizabeth Women's Wellness Center joined the team. The group is
dedicated to lymphedema awareness, prevention and support. Mary is a Reach to
Recovery Volunteer for The American Cancer Society and usually visits with the
newly diagnosed breast cancer survivors who have lymphedema.
Debbie Rahmoeller
Dorton Directory Resource Editor
Southwest Missouri Community Network Representative
Debbie Rahmoeller is a mother of two girls and wife to a wonderful
husband. She resides in Springfield, Missouri where the weather is
unpredictable. She has LE in her right leg and has become an advocate for
LE. She has appeared on local TV and radio stations and is the the LAF Community Network Leader for
her area. Currently she is a stay at home mom and keeps busy with her
parents and children. She enjoys doing sweadish weave, drawing/art and
reads historical romance books, and is active in the TOPS group (take off pounds
sensibly) and enjoys the lymph elist.
SIGNIFICANT VOLUNTEERS, PAST & PRESENT
Stephanie Munroe, Registered OT, Certified Lymphedema Therapist, formerly worked in Tampa. Stephanie successfully plan a Lymphedema Awareness event at Tampa in 1999.
Pam Smith
Past Vice-President and Educational Chair
Central Florida Community Network Representative
Pam Smith is a Registered Occupational Therapist and a Certified Lymphedema Therapist at the
Florida Hospital Waterman Center for Rehabilitation and Wellness in Tavares, FL.
She was graduated from the University of Alabama with a BS degree in
Occupational Therapy in 1988. In 1993, she relocated to Florida to develop the
outpatient Occupational Therapy department at FHW. After a 13-year career in
orthopedic and hand rehab, Pam looked for another specialty to complement her
practice. She received her Manual Lymph Drainage and Complete Decongestive
Therapy certification from the Academy of Lymphatic Studies in June 2001. Pam is
a LAF volunteer and coordinates a monthly lymphedema support group in Lake
County. For the past two years, she has been a team captain for the Lake County ''Relay
for Life.''
The Late Pat Thompson
Former Vice President and Database Manager
Pat was a pleasure and huge help with organizating mailings and events. Her energy is sorely missed. She passed away from cancer in Dec 2009.
Candace Bridgewater
Past Vice-President and Former Editor of eLymphNotes
North Florida
Community Network Representative
Candace Bridgewater has taken an advisory role for the LAF and formerly was
Editor of eLymphNotes for 2 years. She dedicated four years as Vice President
and Public Relations Chairperson. Candace was diagnosed with breast cancer at
52. A lumpectomy, axillary dissection and radiation hopefully have the cancer
under control, but lymphedema developed in her hand and arm during radiation. As
is usual, a long search ensued to find competent treatment for the lymphedema.
Candace is the Editor for eLymph Notes, an e-zine (online magazine) for
Lymphedema Awareness. Candace, a graduate of Ohio University, realized that her
free-lance writing and public relations skills, accompanied by a willingness to
talk about breast cancer and lymphedema, could be put to good use in spreading
the word on lymphedema. A string of coincidences led Candace to contact
Josephine Carey of the Lymphedema Awareness Foundation, and after attending the
Seminole lymphedema support group Candace signed on with LAF as public relations
chair and started a support group in Orange Park (Clay County) Florida which is
near Jacksonville in north-east Florida. The enthusiasm of the four ladies who
met for the first time in early 1999 to share experiences was boundless, Candace
is convinced that when we empower people with knowledge and confidence about
lymphedema that we can make a difference in many ways.
Fran Davila-Aponte
Daytime
eLymphNotes Glossary Moderator
Support Group Co-Chair
Greater Orlando Community Network Representative
Fran Davila-Aponte has
lymphedema in her right lower extremity. She is involved in building a extensive
glossary of lymphatic related terms, in an easy-to-understand language. For 2
1/2 years she accepted her swollen leg as something inevitable that happens
sometimes to people who have had melanoma. Since being told it is lymphedema, she has been receiving Complex Decongestive
Physio-therapy treatment and she has read books and newsletters about
lymphedema, attended the summer meetings of the Lymphedema Awareness Foundation
and the 4th International NLN Lymphedema Conference, in Orlando. She and Jeri
Mollison, who has upper-extremity lymphedema in both arms, started the Daytime
Lymphedema Support Group in September 2000. You can reach Fran by phone at 407
862 8642.
Stephenie Munroe, formerly of the FL Hospital Tampa Rehab center.
BETTIE WALPOLE, Assistant Editor
Bettie Walpole has lived with lymphedema for 35 years.
Married for 56 years, she keeps busy with her large
family of 7 sons, 22 grandchildren, 8 great
grandchildren. She retired in 2002 from her position
as supervisor at N.I.O.S.H.
To contact Bettie email: mbw1@cinci.rr.com
The Late Jeff Dorton
eLymphNotes Web Master from July 1999 to April 2004
Jeff Dorton
generously provided his services as the LAF Webmaster and was the orginator of an ezine concept. He had also gathered valuable resources to help build a directory for the Lymphatic community. The LAF's Dorton Directory is named in his honor. There is also a permanent memorial with a guest book for Jeff on www.eLymphNotes.org. Jeff
was born with primary Lymphedema. In 1986 he fell at work and triggered
secondary Lymphedema. He had seen doctors for years, but not one of them ever
said one thing about Lymphedema. In December of 1998 he was diagnosed with stage
3 Lymphedema. Shortly after that he started CDP therapy. Because of his trouble
finding information on Lymphedema he built a personal web site to share with
others. From that point Jeff was invited to be the LAF Webmaster and to assist in the planning and execution of eLymphNotes, The First Online Magazine on Lymphedema.
Beki Riley
Past eLymphNotes
Online Education Editor
Tampa FL, Community Network Representative
Beki coordinated and provided the questions and answers for the readers of eLymphNotes. This important role gave valuable help to readers in areas were assistance was not readily available. Beki returned to school, after 20 years in the corporate world,
in 1995 to earn her degree as a Physical Therapist Assistant, graduating with
Honors in 1997. She was certified in Manual Lymph Drainage/Complete Decongestive
Therapy upon completing the 135 hour training course with Joachim Zuther,
Director of the Academy of Lymphatic Studies in Ft. Lauderdale, FL in November
of 1999. Presently, Beki is a Licensed Physical Therapist Assistant and
Certified Lymphedema Therapist at Memorial Hospital of Tampa Center for
Comprehensive Rehabilitation. Actively involved in community events, she speaks
on the subject of lymphedema to support groups for the American Cancer Society's
Reach to Recovery and H. Lee Moffitt's annual FACTORS Conference. She is also
involved in conducting in-services at her hospital to educate nursing staff on
the protocol for handling patients with a history of or at risk for
lymphedema.
Monika Keller
Spanish Translator and the Q&A Committee Member
Southeast FL, Miami Representative
Myriam Ojeda Torres
Puerto Rico Community Network Representative
Myriam Ojeda Torres, MLD/CDP, became interested in lymphology in 1998 after her
mother developed lymphedema following a bilateral mastectomy. In 1999 she was
certified as a MLD Therapist from the Vodder School and began her practice in
Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. With the help of the American Cancer Society Myriam has
launched a prevention campaign in her country and speaks frequently at medical
conventions, support groups and health fairs. She has also started a National
Lymphedema Registry which attempts to document the incidence of the condition in
the island. Myriam is a member of NAVALT, NLN and the LAF.
CONSULTANT STAFF
Open, Book keeping
Vicki Kizma, CPA
Greg Turner of GAT Communications, Director of Web Operations
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