January 2015, Page 2 Jewelry Making Brings Art to LIFE Speed the cure. Spread the word. Since 2011, Mary Sioson, a LIFE participant, has enjoyed creating all kinds of jewelry. Now, she teaches the art of jewelry making to friends at her building where she resides in Jersey City as well as LIFE participants Carol Burnett and Annie Mullins. Mary provides the supplies and volunteers her time. “I want to help them learn a new craft and be able to accessorize without spending a lot in stores,” she explains. Her favorite creations are a pure white, glass-­‐
beaded bracelet and earth tone, Indian style earrings. Mary says, “I wear them to parties and am happy to tell people I made them myself.” In addition to a sense of accomplishment, jewelry making is a creative activity that is as much a stress reliever as it is beautiful. It gives her piece of mind, and Mary is able to stay in the comfort of her home and work on pieces whenever she wants throughout the day. The fact that she is visually impaired with sight from only one eye doesn’t deter Mary from the hobby she loves. “I wear a head magnifying device to help me see, and it takes the stress off of my eyes. Jewelry gave me back my life. Lutheran gave me the will to move on.” Called "the sneak thief of sight", glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that gradually steal sight without warning. As much as 40% of one’s vision can be permanently lost without it being noticed. More than 2.7 million people in the U.S. over age 40 have glaucoma. Who’s at greatest risk to get glaucoma? ü Individuals over 60 years of age ü People of African, Asian, and Hispanic descent ü Family of those already diagnosed ü Those who are severely nearsighted ü Diabetics What can you do? § Get a regular eye exam. § Ask friends and family to do the same. § If you have it, get treatment. There is no cure, but you can slow or prevent further vision loss. GETTING TO KNOW⎯ Advanced Practice Nurse LILIAN OGUH Joining LIFE in December, Lilian says she loves making a difference in people’s lives. Her 23 years as a nurse will benefit LIFE participants and the Carepoint School of Nursing where she is an instructor. Lilian is also active in community outreach both here and in Nigeria, serves as the vice president of the Nigerian Nurses’ Association-­‐NJ Chapter, and enjoys family life with her husband and four children. JANUARY IS GLAUCOMA AWARENESS MONTH