RIP Medical Debt Collaborates with Panhandle Resident Ryan “Jume” Jumonville to Spread Love RIP Medical Debt and Ryan “Jume” Jumonville, announced a new agreement today that will eliminate $100,000,000 of patient medical debt for Floridians. Beginning in May, the lucky Sunshine State residents benefiting from this gift will be receiving letters notifying them that some or all of their medical bills are now “paid in full”. This medical debt was abolished as a charitable act; eliminating any potential tax consequences for recipients. Medical expenses are the leading cause of bankruptcy in the U.S. “It’s so difficult for families to overcome health problems, only to face financial hardships from the related medical bills,” says Jumonville. This gift was inspired by a very personal experience. “I recently lost my niece Claire. She battled Cystic Fibrosis her entire life and spent much of that time in hospitals. I’m making this gift in her honor as no one could spread love quite like her,” Jumonville shared. RIP Medical Debt is a not-for-profit, national charity that raises funds from donors and uses those funds to acquire and abolish medical debt. Since inception in 2014 nearly $8.5 billion of medical debt has been abolished, helping more than 5.5m people. Medical debt often results from unplanned, unexpected illnesses and accidents. About one-third of U.S. adults have difficulty covering unexpected health care bills. RIP Medical Debt is committed to relieving people of the burden of medical debt to enhance their economic opportunities and to enable them to... Read More

  By Kay Leaman, Health Architect, HealthyDay HealthyLife Gout is a painful form of arthritis that occurs when high levels of uric acid in the blood form crystals and accumulate in and around the joint. However, gout can still occur without high UA levels. The onset of gout is sudden with severe joint pain, redness (feels like the joint is on fire) and is tender to the touch. It often occurs at the base of the big toe, but can affect other joints as well. It is a type of arthritis which creates inflammation in the affected area. Men are more prone than women to have gout. The chances for women increase after menopause. Areas affected are the joints, bursae (sac between bones in joints), tendon sheaths and kidneys. Gout arthritis increases bone fracture risk notably due to low vitamin D levels but also oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines induced by hyperuricemia. Inflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress can increase bone resorption and decrease bone formation increasing the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures. Uric acid is produced when purines (a naturally occurring chemical in the body and some foods) are broken down during digestion. UA normally passes through the kidneys and exits through urine without issue. Higher levels due to excess production of UA or failure to eliminate properly triggers the condition. Risk Factors: • Family history • Age and sex • Diet • Obesity (UA levels higher primarily due to lowered elimination) • Medical Conditions: HBP, diabetes, metabolic syndrome,... Read More

  A Ballet in Three ActsJune 3-4 | Destin Community Center | Tickets: studio6twenty5.com Director: Rachel Prescott | Assistant Director: Shaye Smith “Just as Giselle is ballet’s great tragedy, so Coppélia is its great comedy.” – George Balanchine on the importance of Coppélia Our story takes place in a small village of Galicia, a province of Austria-Hungary, with today’s map finding Galicia in western Ukraine and southeastern Poland. The “color” of the region can be seen in the brilliant colors, heavy embroidery and elaborate trimmings of the costumes. It can also be heard in the rich nationalistic melodies and complex folk dances of the composer. This was the first use of the Hungarian czardas to be performed in a ballet, which is a very complex national dance; both the czardas and mazurka dances in Coppélia were the culmination of the region’s folk dances. At the age of 33, Delibes was commissioned by the Paris Opera to write his two, large-scale ballets, Coppélia and Sylvia. Coppélia is based on a story by E. T. A. Hoffmann – the same tale that sparked Offenbach’s brilliant “Doll Act” in his opera, The Tales of Hoffmann. Premiering on May 25, 1870, at the Theatre Imperial de l’Opera in Paris, this story is a delightful tale of fantasy with a happily-ever-after ending for Swanhilda, a young village girl who becomes fascinated by the eccentric Dr. Coppelius and his unresponsive “daughter,” Coppélia. Studio6twenty5’s productions of Coppélia feature more than 50 students in our Children’s Program, ages... Read More