Wednesday, February 22, 2012

ERI4MRI

With some members of Congress seeming to wage war on women's health lately, it's refreshing--and kind of surprising--to find a man fighting back. With a chain-saw, no less.

Just yesterday I heard on the news that a woman who has a heart attack is more likely to die of it than a man is because our symptoms are different and often more subtle. We don't even know we've got a problem, much less a big one. But unless you've got amazing health coverage, you don't get to have an MRI because that costs a lot of money.

But Lee Schiel has developed a type of imaging that he describes as a lot more sophisticated than the usual MRI, and a lot cheaper. As much as ten times cheaper, or more.

Schiel, believe it or not, is also a wood-cutter. When Hurricane Pasadena came through town he went out with his collection of fancy saws to see how he could help. And his mental light bulb went on: chop these things up and make them pay for safe, low-cost, walk-in cardiac screening services for women and youth.

If I were that creative with my combined coffee-drinking and dog-sauntering skills I could make millions for the Save My Knees campaign.

I like to keep my posts short and the story of Schiel, his chain saw and his imaging technology is detailed. We're talking medical technology here. Laura Berthold Monteros does an excellent job of laying it out for you in her article for the Altadena Examiner.

Through February 24th, between noon and dusk, you can buy one or more of these blocks (this one's about two feet square), larger landscape pieces or a fire-starter kit. Schiel will customize a block if you like (see Monteros' article for photos). The money pays for women's cardiac screening programs in Southern California. The pieces are at 368 Parkwood in Pasadena, in the yard where once stood the giant tree that gave its heart to make them.

For more information, contact Cathy Vital at (626) 376-0459.
ERI4MRI.com
HaveAHeartCampaignfoundation.org

14 comments:

Kalei's Best Friend said...

Viewed all of the links.. Wow, what an endeavor!. What a piece of art!.Those pieces would look great in any large area...

Petrea Burchard said...

I know. I really want some the blocks.

Kalei's Best Friend said...

I could see them working as end table pieces.. they would look so cool in a museum.... Too bad the Huntington hasn't got wind of these, how cool they would look in their gardens.

Petrea Burchard said...

They may know. Ms. Vital has been getting the publicity out and there will be coverage in the Star-News, etc.

Pasadena Adjacent said...

Those blocks are beautiful. I wish more trees that met the asphalt/roof/car etc could have been used in such a way

Petrea Burchard said...

Yeah.
John and I grabbed a stump from one of the cedars on our block to use as a side table on the back porch. I think a few of our neighbors did the same. But most of those trees (over a thousand?) ended up as mulch. Which is still better than throwing them away.
I believe you can still get free mulch at Jackie Robinson Park until the end of February.

TheChieftess said...

Cool project...and very interesting info about the ERI... something to look into!

Bellis said...

What a great idea! And I love your line about the tree that gave its heart... almost made me cry. Poor tree! But at least it's aiding a good cause.

I still have big chunks of ash tree, free to a good home. Come and get it, and maybe bring a chainsaw. Can't bear to have it mulched.

My stems of dead giant bamboo were supposed to go onto the sidewalk for people driving by to help themselves, but the gardeners didn't get it and put them in the garden trash can. Now I have to fish them all out again. Anyone want free giant bamboo? Wonderful stuff.

Petrea Burchard said...

Definitely worth check out, Chieftess.

Bellis, I hope PA sees your comment. I'll bet she could do amazing things with all that wood. I might want a block of ash, come to think of it.

Steve Scauzillo said...

What a creative idea.

Petrea Burchard said...

I think so, too, Steve. All that wood=art and helping others. How perfect.

Ms M said...

What a wonderful project!

Anonymous said...

I'll just be he knows my wood-working friend Benson, who also takes the wood soup to nuts -- from a fallen tree to a work of art.

Margaret said...

Wow. That is really amazing.