Children In Need

Link to article: http://news.health.ufl.edu/Post/ThePost_March08.pdf (PAGE 5)

Children’s Medical Services held its fi rst Legislative Day Feb. 1 in Gainesville to raise awareness about the organization’s programs and need for state funding. Here, State Rep. Larry Cretul (left) listens to speaker Tammy Caksackkar, a mother and advocate for the program

Published: March 2008, The POST, University of Florida Health Science Center

By Melissa M. Thompson

When Tammy Caksackkar’s son, Christian, needed a routine physical for school in 2004, she was shocked to learn it would cost her $1,700 and that her insurance wouldn’t cover the cost.

The single mom had no choice but to borrow money and go forward with the health screening required for her autistic son.

But like many parents of children with special needs, Caksackkar was overwhelmed by the financial strain caused by tests and medicinal therapies to help care for Christian. She learned three months later that the screening would have been covered under the umbrella of care provided by Children’s Medical Services.

“The hard part is I talk to at least 10 people a week who don’t know about CMS,” said Caksackkar, executive director of the Family Resource Coalition Inc., a nonprofit organization that provides assistance to children and youth with special health-care needs in Florida. “Now I go anywhere —Wal-Mart, Target, even Chuck
E. Cheese’s — and go into the whole spiel about what a great resource CMS is.”

Now an advocate for the program, Caksackkar shared her story in front of nearly 30 health-care professionals, community advocates and government representatives at the inaugural Children’s Medical Services Legislative Day on Feb. 1 at the CMS area office in Gainesville. The event aimed to raise awareness about CMS programs and the organization’s dire need for legislative support and funding.

Children’s Medical Services provides coordinated, managed health care for financially eligible children under 21 with serious or chronic physical, developmental or emotional conditions who require health-care services beyond what children generally require. The organization, which partners with UF physicians to provide health care for its patients, serves residents in all Florida counties from 22 area offices directed by board-certified pediatricians.

State Rep. Larry Cretul attended the event hoping to absorb all of the information CMS employees and families had to offer.

“I’m here like a sponge,” he said. “This has gotten a little more special to me now because I have a 6-month-old grandson. It really puts children’s health care in perspective.”

Thomas Chiu, M.D., the CMS North Central Florida regional medical director and a UF professor of pediatrics, said the future of CMS depends on the response from government representatives, whom he hopes will take the inspiring stories they heard during the event back to the legislative budget meetings for consideration. Chiu said the current budget for CMS is the same as it was 10 years ago, while the organization’s programs continue to expand. This means the workload for staff members has doubled while the number of filled staff positions is decreasing due to a hiring freeze.

“We lose good staff members who say they don’t want to leave, but are paid $10 (an hour) higher at a public health clinic,” Chiu said. “A lot of people are asking if CMS will disappear. We’re trying to find money for our programs, and it’s challenging. We’re doing this for the kids.”

Under The Sea

Link to article: http://news.health.ufl.edu/Post/ThePost_Feb08.pdf (SEE PAGE 23)

Published: February 2008, The POST

By Melissa M. Thompson

Forget visions of frothy, bubbling beakers — Hendrik Luesch, Ph.D., calls the ocean his laboratory, where marine organisms may hold the key to curing the world’s worst diseases.

An assistant professor of medicinal chemistry in the UF College of Pharmacy, Luesch smiles briefly as he gazes at a poster of the Pacific island nation Palau hanging on his office wall. Tiny uninhabitable islands resembling broccoli florets peak out of the turquoise water.

“If you can imagine,” he says, “it looks exactly like that — even better. It has some of the best places for diving in the entire world.”

He knows because he has plunged into that crystal-clear, 80-degree water in search of marine organisms such as cyanobacteria. Compounds extracted from these organisms could be made into drugs with the potential to treat or cure cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

Luesch, 37, developed an appetite for marine organism exploration when he began his doctoral studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 1997. There, the Stendal, Germany native felt he had the best chances for making discoveries and getting published in scientific journals.

“I had a great chance of discovering unprecedented chemical structures by investigating largely unexplored organisms,” he said. “I would say at least 50 percent of the compounds we found were new.”

In Hawaii, Luesch often worked with a collaborator in Guam who sent him marine samples to study. As beautiful and varied organisms off the coast of Hawaii were, the diversity and quality of samples from Guam were even better.

“The downside of that situation is that I collected very little myself while I was in Hawaii,” he said. “But I did try to go to the beach for an hour a week or surf at 6 a.m. to be in the lab an hour later when tourists took over the beaches. It wasn’t that hard. My apartment was right across from the ocean.”

Luesch could probably talk for hours about his marine research or his drug-discovery efforts to combat neurodegenerative diseases. That’s one of the reasons it’s hard to believe he initially he shunned his curiosity for chemistry, even though it seemed to be a part of his DNA.

Growing up in Communist-controlled East Germany in the ’70s and ’80s, Luesch attended Diesterweg Schule, a one-building school that housed about 400 students. His father was his chemistry teacher from seventh to 10th grade and the only teacher in the school who refused to join the Communist Party.

“It was obviously strange at times because if I wanted to ask a question I didn’t want to call him, ‘Dad,’ ” he recalled. “I think I didn’t want to admit that I loved chemistry for a while just to show my parents, but they never pushed me to do it.”

Some of his earliest career aspirations were actually to become either a professional Russian translator or a long-distance runner. In the seventh grade his athletic dream almost came true when coaches from an East Berlin sports academy tried to recruit the lithe and lanky Luesch for their track program. He would have to leave his family and train for more than five hours a day, running 10K races and practicing the high jump and long jump with other athletes his age. He turned down the offer.

“I saw some of those guys get injured who spent many years of their lives training, get kicked to the curb, and then their dreams were over,” he said. “There was just something about it I knew was not for me.”

Luesch stopped fighting his love for chemistry and math and excelled in high school and college, eventually earning a Diplom — a degree he says is equivalent to the American master’s degree — in chemistry from the University of Siegen in 1997.

After earning his doctoral degree and working as a postdoctoral fellow at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif., Luesch applied for jobs at several academic institutions including UF, where he has been employed for two-and-a-half years.

“I could’ve gone back to Hawaii for a job there, but I saw the biggest potential here,” he said. “I felt like there was a good mass of people here who could help me move my projects forward.”

Today Luesch works with samples collected off the coast of the Florida Keys, Fort Pierce and Fort Lauderdale. He feels each new discovery opens the door to new projects that will take his research into greater medical dimensions.

“My ultimate goal, like everyone else in this field, is putting a drug on the market that treats someone with a terrible disease,” he said. “In the end, I get up in the morning and look forward to what I do.”

Packing aids save the day

Link to Blog post: http://www.tampersealblog.com/2008/02/packing-aids-sa.html

Published: February 27, 2008, Tampsersealblog.com

By Melissa M. Thompson

You’re not alone. We’ve been there too — Victims of packing and luggage trauma.

Sometimes traveling gets the best of us. We’ve watched our luggage circle around the baggage claim carousel belt three times because we couldn’t figure out which bag was ours among the sea of oh-so-chic black suitcases.

We also know how it feels to be charged an extra $50 for that extra-large, overweight suitcase you could’ve sworn was big enough for all of the kids’ souvenirs. Don’t even get us started on the laundry list of shampoos and gels in certain-sized containers we can and cannot keep in our carry-ons.

We’re here to help with a short-list of packing aids that may save you from a headache the next time you head to the airport.

• Dare to be different – If a neon green luggage ID handle wrap won’t help you spot your bags, then maybe nothing will.
• Slender suitcases – You’ll never be surprised by an overweight or over sized piece of luggage again with the portable luggage scale with tape measure. It’ll help you avoid late fees at all costs.
• Cute containers – Make sure your carry-on liquid containers meet airport requirements with the TSA compliant quart pouch. Each pouch comes with four reusable 3 oz. plastic bottles and two 2 oz. bottles for all of your toiletry needs.

Shands Nursing Work-Grant Program lends aspiring nurses Hope

Link to article: none available, hard copy only

Published: November 2007, Shands HealthCare News and Notes newsletter (page 19)

By Melissa M. Thompson

The same ambition that drives Nikita Hope, RN, to balance a full-time career with her full-time job as a mother of four drove her to apply to nursing school. But like many full-time professionals, Hope, a Shands at the University of Florida Quality Management analyst, felt that finding the time to attend school and fulfill personal and professional responsibilities was an overwhelming obstacle.

Encouraged by her family and coworkers, Hope applied for the Shands Nursing Work-Grant Program designed for full-time employees who are accepted into nursing school. Created in 2002, the program pays for tuition, books and half of the employees’ salaries while allowing them to maintain benefits and work half time for the remainder of their salary.

“I don’t believe in settling or being comfortable, so I needed to find something to challenge myself,” said Hope, who comes from a family of nurses. “The opportunity with the grant reduces the stress that comes with returning to school.”

Winnie Nelson, Shands HealthCare Human Resources workforce development coordinator, agrees that the grant provides advantages.

“Most of our applicants couldn’t go to nursing school without it,” she said. “They need the money for school as well as a supplemental salary to pay their bills. It’s a huge, huge bonus for them, and it’s very popular.”

Applications are available in July for employees who have been full-time for at least six months. Candidates are selected before school begins in August.

About 20 candidates a year receive grants funded solely by Shands for Shands employees. For the 2007-08 program, about 28 employees were awarded grants — the largest group in the program’s history. Hope, who began working for Shands at UF Food and Nutritional Services in 1995, said the greatest benefit of the grant was the flexibility she received with her work schedule.

She began her workday as a data analyst for Human Resources at 3 am and finished the first half of her shift at 7 am. An hour later, Hope began an intense six-hour marathon of classes, and later finished the second part of her shift at 6 pm. And don’t forget, there were four children ages 4-13 waiting for her when she got home.

After graduation, Hope completed two years of beside patient care required of all graduates of the grant program. She now reviews PT charts, abstract data points and quality indicators to improve patient outcomes and optimize patient experiences.

“I think the leadership at Shands HealthCare and the support I received from my directors and coworkers helped me earn a degree that has opened up a world of opportunities to me,” she said. “We should always strive to become someone or something better, and this program gives us the opportunity to do just that.”

Lakewood Ranch Digital Village To Hosts Third Annual Business Expo

Link to release: http://www.lakewoodranch.com/files/pressRelease/BusinessExpoRelease07061592243.pdf

Published: June 14, 2007, LakewoodRanch.com

Press generated: Guided to Give, The Bradenton Herald, June 16, 2007

By Melissa M. Thompson

Lakewood Ranch businesses are on a mission to reach out to the community and help wounded veterans receive the gift of mobility — one paw at a time — at the third annual Merchant Village Expo.

An alliance of more than 35 businesses from the Merchant Village, part of the Lakewood Ranch residents’ intranet, Digital Village (www.lwrdv.com), will participate in the event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 14 at Fred’s Restaurant and Ballroom on Main Street. The expo is free and open to the public.

The event benefits the Southeastern Guide Dogs’ Paws for Patriots program, which provides guide dogs for blind veterans free of charge. Donations will be accepted and proceeds from sales of select items will go to the program.

“This is a great opportunity for residents to see businesses and meet business owners all under one roof,” said Jan Hatfield, Lakewood Ranch Digital Village manager. “This isn’t uncommon for businesses to come together for a good cause. Everytime we do this kind of event, we receive excellent response from all of the participants.”

With a new, luxurious location at one of Main Street’s premier fine-dining hotspots, the expo will feature door prizes, food samples, free and for-sale items from participating merchants and activities for all ages.

While adults sip on free samples of wine from Fred’s Restaurant and Ballroom in honor of Bastille Day ( the French Independence Day) families can visit with a littler of Southeastern Guide Dogs puppies that will make a special appearance at the event, or browse the merchandise at the organization’s temporary gift shop.

Special guest Cpl. Mike Jernigan, a Paws for Patriots spokesman and guide dog recipient, will attend the expo along with a Southeastern Guide Dogs representative to speak about the program. Cpl. Jernigan lost his eyesight when an improvised explosive device detonated while he was on patrol in Mahmudiyah, Iraq.

The organization will also have a station where guests can walk blindfolded with the assistance of a guide dog. “It’s actually a pretty scary feeling to have to trust someone else completely for your safety,” commented Hatfield.

“We at Southeastern Guide Dogs appreciate the generosity and time put in by the merchants at Lakewood Ranch to help us showcase what a wonderful organization this is,” said Pat Cowan, executive director of Southeastern Guide Dogs.

The Digital Village is an exculsive amenity provided by LWR Communities for residents and friends of Lakewood Ranch. For more information, call the Digital Village at 941-757-1536. Visit the Digital Village at www.lwrdv.com.

UF researchers warn parents about the dangers of childhoold foot burns

Link to release: http://news.ufl.edu/2008/03/05/burns/

Published: March 08, 2008, University of Florida and Health Science Center Web sites

Picked up by the following media outlets: parenting.com,sciencedaily.com, bio-medicine.org, physorg.com, firstscience.com, thefootblog.org, news-hub.com, medindia.net

by Melissa M. Thompson

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Warmer weather is just around the corner, but before families fire up the barbecue, roast marshmallows around a crackling campfire or burn yard debris, they should consider some common precautions to help snuff out a serious childhood health risk.

University of Florida researchers warn that the same warm-weather activities that create lasting childhood memories are some of the leading causes of pediatric foot and ankle burns in the southeastern United States.

In what is thought to be the largest such evaluation to date, UF burn experts found that 69 percent of the 155 pediatric foot and ankle burns reviewed were caused by children walking on hot ashes, coals and embers — with some injuries occurring as long as a day or more after the fires were thought to be extinguished. Most of these youngsters were barefoot or wearing footwear that did not fully cover their feet, such as sandals.

“We wanted to look at our experience with these burns because it appeared to us, anecdotally, that we were treating a fair number of children with burns isolated to the feet,” said Dr. Elizabeth Beierle, a UF associate professor of pediatric surgery and the principal investigator of the study, published in the January/February edition of the Journal of Burn Care and Research. “We felt that there may be a pattern that could be identified that would lead us to potentially develop prevention strategies.”

In the retrospective study, researchers used hospital and pediatric surgery databases to identify patients ages 8 months to 17 years admitted to the Shands at UF Burn Center between September 1992 and February 2006.

Two-thirds of the ash burns occurred after children came into contact with burning yard waste or garbage, nearly a third were caused by campfires and 6 percent involved encounters with a barbecue.

About half of the total cases studied — which also included scald, flame or contact burns — were classified as second-degree burns, and more than a third were third-degree burns, the most serious type.

“Clearly they’re not going to have this problem in Manhattan, where most people don’t even have space for a backyard,” Beierle said. “I think this is a problem in rural areas with warm weather because it tends to be more common to burn trash and leaves in the backyard in these areas.”

Dr. Wayne Cruse, a professor of surgery at the University of South Florida and assistant director of the Regional Burn Center at Tampa General Hospital, said about one-third of the pediatric burns treated at the Tampa General burn center are foot and ankle injuries.

“The study is a great review of these burn cases because it shows how the origins of these injuries tend to be region-specific,” he said. “We see about two to three cases a month, and in about half of the instances, the accidents occurred on the beach from kids running over ashes and hot sand that were supposed to extinguish a bonfire.”

These smoldering byproducts of burning yard debris, charcoal and campfire timbers posed the greatest risk to children under age 5. Lack of parental supervision, open sandals and running around outdoors with bare feet were some of the factors contributing to the burn injuries.

“The classic story is that a 2-year-old goes running outside through the ashes without footwear and gets burned,” Beierle said. “In many cases parents burned yard trimmings or trash and didn’t put water on the underlying coals to properly extinguish the fire. They just thought it was out because there weren’t open flames any longer.”

Cruse said the burns can be easily prevented by using common sense when families make outdoor fires.

“Parental supervision is paramount and proper closed footwear is also very important in the presence of a fire,” he said. “But the best preventative modality is to learn how to extinguish the fires appropriately. The best resource that tells you how to do that is the Boy Scouts of America handbook.”

Although a smaller percentage of the ash foot and ankle burns required skin grafting compared with the other types of burns studied, the average hospital stay was five days, which is valuable time lost for both the children and their parents, Beierle said.

“For a child or a parent, that’s five days out of school or five days out of work, often for both parents,” she said. “It’s not only a physically painful experience for the child and his or her family, but it has a painful economic impact as well. The point is that this is an easily preventable injury.”

Men on a Misson

Link to article: http://www.rickross.com/reference/mormon/mormon321.html (Originally published on Alligator.org in 2006)

Published: July 27, 2006, The Independent Florida Alligator

By Melissa Thompson

Elder Trevor Ricks hasn’t seen his family, eaten one of his mother’s home-cooked meals or gone on a date in more than 20 months.

He doesn’t have time.

During rare moments when the 20-year-old is not volunteering eight to nine hours a day, six days a week in the Gainesville community or preaching the Gospel around the UF campus, he said he dreams of playing his guitar and finally beginning his own college education.

“I’m always afraid of what I am going to do when I’m older,” he said. “I’m thinking about going into construction management.”

Ricks, of Lindon, Utah, chose to delay his collegiate dreams in order to serve as one of an estimated 52,000 missionaries worldwide for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, more commonly known as the Mormon church.

The term Mormon is derived from the Book of Mormon, from which church members draw their beliefs. It was founded in 1830, and has matured into a religion with more than 2 million members in the United States.

Although young adults are not required to serve as missionaries, most Mormon men from ages 19 to 25, known by the title “elder,” choose to attend one year of college or delay further education to volunteer for two-year domestic and foreign missions, said Donald Russell, a spokesman for the Mormon headquarters in Salt Lake City.

“It’s generally not a problem to re-enter college after a mission,” he said. “The church places a great deal of emphasis on education.”

Women missionaries, known as “sisters,” are less common. Sisters begin missions at 21 and serve for 18 months, Russell said.

After turning in medical and financial paperwork, Russell said church officials interview potential missionaries and send them an assignment to serve at one of 340 missions or geographical areas assigned by the church.

Missions, which include areas around college campuses, exist in about 100 countries, including Brazil and Japan, Russell said.

Missions generally cost about $400 per month and are funded solely by money earned by the missionaries or their families, Russell said.

He said many young missionaries often enjoy preaching the doctrines of the Mormon faith to students because of the energy found around college campuses.

“I think there is just a little bit of fun and electricity associated with a college campus,” Russell said. “It’s a hub of activity.”

Elder Tyrel Eddy, 21, of Tropic, Utah, said he was excited to serve among students at UF.

Eddy, who began his mission two years ago, said young people are more receptive to new ideas about religion and spiritual lifestyle.

“Lots of people are more open-minded because they’re not old or set in their ways,” he said.

Although missionaries are often sent to exotic locations far from home, Russell said missions are anything but a vacation.

While many missionaries have friends who are enjoying college life, young elders and sisters are asked to knock on strangers’ doors teaching church doctrine or volunteer in the community 62 to 64 hours a week, he said.

“Basically for six and one-third days you actively work,” Russell said. “Then one day, normally a week day, they have time to themselves for shopping, laundry, playing basketball, that sort of thing.”

Missionaries cannot date during their missions and are limited to sending friends and family one letter a week, Russell said.

“It’s mainly so young elders and sisters keep their mind on their work,” he said. “They get one phone call home on Christmas and Mother’s Day.”

Although not seeing family members is difficult, Eddy said the purpose of the mission is to grow one’s own faith by constantly serving other people.

“You think about your buddies and say, ‘Oh man, they’re going on dates and doing fun stuff,’” he said. “But it’s definitely paid back to you in spirit.”

Eddy said he is looking forward to wearing shorts, a hat and T-shirts instead of the standard missionary “uniform” of tie, dress pants and white dress shirt that he has worn every day for almost two years.

He also said he can’t wait to see his family and delve into his favorite pastimes.

“I’ve missed my family and friends, he said. “I really look forward to fishing and hunting and all that kind of stuff.”

Thursday night live

Link to article:http://www.alligator.org/pt2/051006comedy.php

Published: October 6, 2005, Independent Florida Alligator

By Melissa Thompson

On a typical Thursday night, UF sociology major Chris Cope is more concerned with controlling his nausea than cracking jokes.

But as soon as the house lights dim and the spotlights illuminate center stage, adrenaline takes over and the pre-gig jitters subside.

In a matter of minutes, Cope has the packed audience of comedy club-goers bent over, reeling from side-splitting laughter.

For Cope, it’s all in a night’s work as house emcee of Thursday Night Live at Coconuts Comedy Club, 7417 W Newberry Road.

For the best – and sometimes the worst – in raw comedic talent, student comics and comedy club-goers alike look no further than Gainesville’s local comedy hot spot.

The club’s open-mic night, appropriately dubbed “Thursday Night Live,” caters to the college crowd with tongue-in-cheek stand-up comedy acts beginning at 9 p.m.

Coconuts joins comedy spots like The Tampa Improv and Miami’s Improv Comedy Club and Dinner Theatre as well as The Comedy Zone in Ocala to make up part of Florida’s comedy circuit.

Cope, a veteran of the Florida amateur circuit, lauds Coconuts as one of the best, if not the premier amateur show in Florida.

“I’ve been to a lot of the clubs in Florida, but in my opinion, Coconuts is one of the best,” Cope said.

After several years of bringing stand-up to the Gainesville area, the comedy scene at Coconuts continues to evolve.

With each new school semester, the club goes through a new cycle of talent, which keeps the acts innovative, Cope said.

Student comic and political science major Matt James became interested in stand-up comedy while taking the improvisation and social/political issues class offered by the UF School of Theatre and Dance.

The class teaches the fundamentals of improvisation with an emphasis on spot improvisational skills.

“Stand-up appeals to students because it is an artistic outlet for kids who want to express themselves,” James said.

UF economics major Raju Vyas performs stand-up not only for the challenge but for the intangible rewards.

“Making people laugh can be the most amazing feeling in the world,” Vyas said. “If you bomb out there, it can also be the worst feeling.”

Vyas noted that the Gainesville comedy scene is unique because comics are invited to attend a workshop at Coconuts every Sunday to brainstorm jokes and perform material for other comedians.

The workshop helps new comics iron out kinks in their routines as well as gain valuable constructive criticism.

Ultimately, Vyas said he feels it takes a certain kind of person to perform in the high pressure and highly critical stand-up atmosphere.

“If you’re passionate, confident and energetic, you will do well,” he said.

Cope agreed that although all types of comedians are given a shot at performing for a live crowd, true comedians have innate talent.

“In order to be a good stand-up comic, comedy has to be in your blood,” Cope said.

While comics sweat it out under the bright stage lights, club patrons enjoy laughs from small café-style tables with candlelit centerpieces that give Coconuts a big-city club ambiance all within Gainesville city limits.

On Friday and Saturday nights, club-goers can enjoy professional comedy acts brought in from throughout Florida.

Keeping Families Healthy

Link to article: http://news.health.ufl.edu/Post/Post0408.pdf (SEE PAGE 10)

Published: April 2008, The POST

By Melissa M. Thompson

Support worker from UF-sponsored program receives national honor

Armed with a rainbow of toy blocks and words of encouragement, Freddie Mae Robinson is on a mission to build strong families throughout Alachua County.

She entices tiny toddlers to learn how to count and recognize colors with homemade games and works with parents to set goals like buying a car or getting their GED.

Since 2000, she has helped nearly 200 families stay out of the system and foster strong bonds and healthy parent-child relationships as a family support worker for Healthy Families Alachua/Columbia/Union/Bradford, a nationally accredited, voluntary home-visiting program managed by the UF College of Medicine department of obstetrics and gynecology.

“We help all kinds of families. They come to us. They seek us out in order to help them,” said Robinson, 56. “Really, the reward for me is to not see them get into the (Department of Children and Families) system.”

Robinson, who is the smiling and effervescent Miss Freddie to many of the families she works with, has at times spent nearly 48 hours in one week visiting her 25 case families, who are primarily low-income, single parents with less than a high school education. With each visit, she pushes parents to meet important milestones for the children, such as immunizations and developmental markers.

The combination of her record for after-hours and weekend home visits along with her work ethic helped Robinson earn the coveted 2007 Family Support Worker of the Year designation, propelling her past 600 nominees across the state.

“Freddie is one of the most compassionate and caring people I have ever encountered,” said Carolyn Whitter, who is Robinson’s family support worker supervisor. “No one likes working on a weekend, bust she does it because she cares and wants to accommodate her families’ schedules.”

But Robinson said she doesn’t need an award to know the impact of her work. She identifies with her families deeply because she was once in their shoes.

Months after graduating high school, the first in her family, Robinson learned she was pregnant. Although her parents were supportive, she wondered what it would have been like to have someone outside of her family push her to reach her goals.

“I sympathize with (parents) because I had the support that a lot of them don’t have,” she said. “As much as I was fortunate to have my parent, I think if I had this kind of program I would have been a lot further along.”

Robinson is no stranger to old-fashioned hard work and dedication. She was born in Otter Creek, Fla., to a truck driver and school custodian, and raised with four siblings in Miami. She never skipped school and poured herself into subjects she loved, especially history, was a member of Key Club, a majorette in the marching band and clarinet section leader in her high school concert band.

Whether she was babysitting her neighbors’ children as a 12-year-old or dreaming of becoming a psychologist, Robinson knew she wanted to grow up to help other people.

After moving to Micanopy in 1990, she started her own daycare center, caring for 20 children from sunrise to sunset for 10 years.

“When I had the daycare, (the children) were dropped off from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. or later. I became ‘mama’ for them because this was the only face they saw for 10 hours a day,” she said. “I guess that’s my calling to work with children and give them a lot of love.”

Her love for children translates into successful interactions with families under her care. In one case, Robinson coached a mother pregnant with her second child whose older daughter was wary of the new baby.

“I help them involved their child in the pregnancy by suggesting that they ask their other children to come up with baby names, ” she said. “In this case, she said I really turned her life around. When the daughter got involved she said, ‘Miss Freddie, I’m gonna make sure she doesn’t smoke, and I’m gonna put the goal right on the refrigerator.”

Although not every case can be a success, Robinson said she does the best job she can for the families who want to be helped.

“Ultimately, we plant a little seed in every family,” she said. “We may not see it right now, but we’re making a difference.”