- Prince William Area Free Clinic needs volunteers to offer free medical care to low income and uninsured individuals in the community. Positions include administrative, scribing, translators, doctors and nurse practitioner. Share just a little time with this wonderful organization and make a huge difference in someoneâs life. Please fill out an application online at: pwafc.org. Please call JQ with any questions at (703) 496-9561
- ACTS needs administrative volunteers age 18 + in their Dumfries and Triangle locations Monday-Friday. They also need volunteers at the Beverly Warren Shelter in Dumfries to clean and organize a large closet. Please call Shirley for more info on these positions at: (703) 441-8606 or via email at: [email protected].
- PWC Historic Preservation and the Civil War Trust need volunteers on Saturday April 6th for the clean-up at Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park 8 a.m. to 12 noon. This is a great way for Civil War enthusiasts to help maintain and preserve sites across the country. Please call (703) 366-3049 for more info.
- The Autism Society of Northern Virginia needs volunteers on Sunday April 28th for the 8th Annual Autism Acceptance Walk and Family Festival at the Fredericksburg County Fairgrounds. Duties include registration, clean-up, T-shirt distribution and activities assistance. Please email Kristen at: [email protected] for more info.
- Walk MS Manassas needs volunteers for the walk on Saturday May 4 9 a.m. to 12 noon with registration, set-up, photography, singing the National Anthem and cheerleading. Please call Lexi at (202) 375-5615 for more info.
- Volunteers needed at the Merrimac Farm on Saturday March 30th and April 13th 9 a.m. to 12 noon. Come join the fun of weeding, pruning and watering plants in anticipation of the Annual Bluebell Festival on Sunday April 14th. Please wear long pants, long socks and sturdy shoes and bring a smile and a bottle of water. Please RSVP to [email protected]  or (703) 490-5200.
- Experienced kayakers, canoeists and Jon boaters needed on Saturday April 20th 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the 10th Annual Upper Occoquan River Clean-up. There are many entry points for your boats. Please pre-register at pwtsc.org. There are also on land sites as well.
- Mark your calendars for Saturday May 4th for the Annual Comcast Cares Day. This year Leadership Prince William will fix up the ARC Child Care Center in Dale City. They need tons of volunteers to help with this cause. Please visit their website at leadershipprincewilliam.org/comcast-cares-day for all the info and to register for this event.
- Area Agency on Aging needs volunteers to deliver Meals on Wheels to homebound seniors throughout the community. It just takes about 2 hours to pick up the meals from either senior center and deliver out to your clients. They also have a need for volunteers at the Adult day Healthcare Center to play games with gentlemen and to assist with bingo on Friday mornings and Monday afternoon. Please visit the county website to learn more: pwcgov.org/government/dept/aaa/pages/volunteer.
- The Quantico Creek Clean-up in partnership with the Town of Dumfries is rescheduled for Saturday, April 13th 9 a.m. to 12 noon. This is a great way to solve the plastic pollution in the creek. Cleanup supplies will be provided. But please wear boots and dress for the weather. Please contact: [email protected]  to learn more.
- Youth for Tomorrow needs volunteers to share their hobby or talent with at-risk teens on the weekends. Do you like golf, sewing, dancing, cooking baking writing poetry crocheting, writing songs or other fun thing them youâre the perfect person to share your talent with a kid. Please register online at: youthfortomorrow.org.
- Youth for Tomorrow also needs Male Mentors to coach a young man on some basic life skills and find the right path into adulthood. Itâs a great way to get out of your comfort zone and make a positive impact on a youth! Please register online at: www.youthfortomorrow.org.
- The Tough Mudder is coming to Silver Lake in Haymarket on June 1st & 2nd. This team oriented 8-10 mile obstacle course will have thousands of participants. Volunteers are needed in lots of locations and duties. You wonât want to miss this fun event. Please visit their website to learn more at toughmudder.com/events/volunteer-information. You can also email [email protected] for more information. This event is hosted by the PWC Office of Tourism.
- The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program is looking for volunteersâ age 55+ to deliver noon meals through the Meals on Wheels Program. Shifts are just 2-3 hours and available in throughout the greater area. RSVP members receive a mileage reimbursement and additional insurance coverage at no cost to the volunteer. Please call Jan at (571) 292-5307 to learn more.
- Leesylvania State Park needs volunteers for their monthly shoreline cleanups to pick up trash and drift wood. The work days are April 13th and May 18th. Please register by calling the visitor center at (703) 583-6904 so they have your name to waive the entry fee of the park.
If you are looking for other opportunities, please donât forget to call my wonderful team at Volunteer Prince William. Jan can help you with the Retired and Senior Volunteer (RSVP) opportunities at (703) 369-5292 ext. 1, Shelley can help with any individual or group projects and send you weekly updates if youâd like. Shelley is at (703) 369-5292 ext. 2, and Bonnie can help you with opportunities available in Disaster Preparedness at (703) 369-5292 ext. 3. Please visit our website at volunteerprincewilliam.org. Thanks so much for all you do in our community.
Sentara to hold online weight loss seminarÂ
Prince William County resident Becky Turner had been living in pain for years.
âI had been to surgeons all over the area trying to get some relief. It was to the point where I had to use a wheelchair a lot of the time. At the very least, I had to use a walker,â explains the 62-year-old.
As her crippling back pain increased, so did her weight.
âEveryone said, there was nothing they could do for me,â she said.
Until her primary care physician suggested gastric bypass surgery, sharing how another patient received relief after undergoing the procedure. From there, an idea was born.
âI thought about it for a while and I thought, ‘letâs see whatâs involved,’â says Turner.
Thatâs when she met Dr. Masoud Rezvani and the team at the Sentara Weight Loss Surgery Center, a designated Accredited Center by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP).
Her insurance said it would pay for the procedure, but Turner would have to undergo testing and complete a six-month dietary weight loss class.
After the class was completed, the insurance company gave the OK. Because Becky was a diabetic with an insulin pump, the decision was made to perform a Biliopancreatic Diversion with Duodenal Switch, also known as BPD-DS, using minimally invasive robotic surgery.
Dr. Rezvani is one of the only gastric bypass surgeons in Northern Virginia, who performs this complicated procedure.
âItâs very important to have the right procedure for the right patient,â explains Dr. Rezvani, âEvery individual is a different package. Based on the patientsâ age, gender, body mass index, past medical history, past surgical history and goal of the operation, itâs going to determine what works best.â
In a BDP-DS operation, doctors reroute the intestines, which cuts back on how many calories a patient can absorb. As a result, patients feel less hungry, lose most of their excess weight within one year and keep the weight off, all while having significant health improvements.
âThis surgery isnât for everyone,â Dr. Rezvani says, âIt requires a lot of maintenance. Not only is there a weight loss, thereâs a metabolic effect which helps patients with conditions such as severe diabetes, sleep apnea and high blood pressure.â
For Becky, who was having issues managing her diabetes, it was a good fit. Her main concern going into her September 2017 surgery wasnât the procedure, but the pain that could accompany it.
It was something doctors worked with her to manage.
âActually, I never had the first bit of pain,â she said. âI donât know if Iâm the exception to the rule, but it was a good experience for me all the way around. Everyone was wonderful to me. All the nurses just went out of their way to be nice. I just adore Dr. Rezvani.â
Three months after surgery, Becky had lost 92 pounds and dropped more than three sizes. It inspired her to keep going, âI was shocked it was coming off as quickly as it did. Plus, I was starting to feel better, my constant pain was easing.â
Becky slowly started getting her diabetes under control, first by going off her insulin pump and then taking insulin shots just twice a day.
By June 2018, Becky celebrated her 63rd birthday and was enjoying a new lease on life. To date, Becky has lost 162 of her 160-pound goal.
âI feel wonderful! Iâve got my life back,â says Becky smiling.
âThe most awesome thing for me, Iâve been able to walk and get around. One of my favorite things in the world to do is go to the Occoquan Arts and Crafts Festival. I havenât been able to go for three or four years because I couldnât stand long enough. I went this year and had a blast!â
This is just the latest in a year of change for the Prince William County resident.
At her heaviest, Becky weighed 330-pounds. She had trouble getting around. She was in constant agony because of debilitating back pain and a bad knee.
âI owe my life to Dr. Rezvani,â says Becky.
For Becky, the procedure and aftermath have been textbook perfect.
âIâve never been sick, there are a couple of things that are a little harder for me to eat than others, but I just never had any pain. Everything else I hear people complain about, I never had. I donât know why.â
In addition, Becky shares her diabetes is now controlled without insulin. Sheâs able to be move active with her rescue pups, âPennyâ and âPeanut.â Plus, she has a new job that she loves.
âI felt like for the last few years I had a black cloud hanging over my head. Iâd take one step forward and 10-steps back. It just felt like nothing ever seemed to work out for me. I wasnât happy in my job. Wasnât happy with myself. And now, I love my life!â
Becky is feeling better every day, her biggest challenge now is keeping up with clothing. By the time, she buys something itâs too big.
When asked if she would recommend this surgery to others, her answer is a resounding yes.
âGo for it! It changed my life and it will change theirs too. I tell everyone I talk to about this. Itâs because of my surgeon that I didnât have any pain and everything is so wonderful!â
Surgery isnât for everyone. To learn more, ask questions and discover if weight loss surgery is right for you, join our free, LIVE seminar on Wednesday, April 3Â at 6:30 p.m.
Stafford Hospital Foundation is pleased to announce 95 Express Lanes operated by Transurban as the Presenting Sponsor of this yearâs Stafford Hospital Spring Fever 5K race.
The race will be held rain or shine on Saturday, April 6 on the Stafford Hospital campus; and is part of the Coldwell Banker Elite Grand Prix, a series of 12 races that take place in the greater Fredericksburg region, and the Stafford Race Series, a set of three races to promote community engagement and wellness activities in the county.
âWe are very appreciative of Transurbanâs support of this community effort, as they have done in other communities in which they are doing great work,â said Xavier R. Richardson, President of the Stafford Hospital Foundation.
Thanks to the generosity of 95 Express Lanes operated by Transurban, and of additional sponsors and donors, the Stafford Hospital Foundation supports Mary Washington Healthcareâs mission to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve. Since the inception of the Stafford Hospital 5K race ten years ago, the event has raised more than $193,000 to support operational, program, training, and equipment needs of Stafford Hospital.
In addition, through the Stafford Hospital Foundationâs Community Benefit Fund, over $1.5 million has been given to further aid local access to health and wellness services and information. The Foundation has awarded grants to 14 organizations throughout Stafford County, including Stafford Junction, ACTS, and Stafford County Department of Social Services.
In February 2019, Stafford Hospital celebrated ten years of service. Since the hospital opened in 2009, Stafford Hospital has offered quality healthcare to its patients, improved access to care, and grown through the expansion of services and state-of-the-art equipment.
To learn more and register for the Stafford Hospital Spring Fever 5K or the half-mile Kids Fun Run, please visit SpringFever5K.com.
We’d like to invite you to participate in our second annual USNA Quantico Area Chapter Run to Honor Remembrance Run.Â
The purpose of our event is to honor a fallen Naval Academy shipmate, Lieutenant James Surch, Jr, USN, USNA Class of 1977, who was killed on October 23, 1983, in Beirut.
Our 5K event will be held on May 27, 2019, from 6:30 to 9 a.m. at the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico and is open to runners and walkers alike.Â
Race entry is $35 and includes a commemorative T-shirt and light refreshments. Proceeds from our event will fund one scholarship seat at the Naval Academy STEM Camp and sponsor one high school student aspiring to become a midshipman to attend the Naval Academy Summer Seminar.
There’s also a virtual Option Available for those who can’t join us in person.Â
Join our virtual team #RTHJamesSurch. Simply order a commemorative T-shirt for yourself and your friends and take a picture of your run/walk wherever you are on Memorial Day. Email your picture to [email protected] and/or post it to the Run To Honor Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/runtohonor/.Â
Proceeds from T-shirt sales also go to support our scholarship fundraising efforts so please consider being a part of our virtual team.
Event registration and T-shirt orders can be made at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/qac-run-to-honor-remembrance-run-tickets-54647279484.Â
Thanks for helping us Run to Honor!
Chinese Au Pair, Jolin Sun, won national recognition in the 2019 Love My Au Pair Contest after her Host Family nominated her as the best Au Pair in the U.S.
The family lives in Prince William County and cites Jolinâs âkindness, compassion, and unwavering patience,â as well as her flexibility with scheduling, as examples of Jolinâs exemplary job as their Au Pair.
âBut,â the family adds, âJolinâs impact on our family goes way beyond her ability to accommodate change. Itâs her incredible dedication to our kidsâ welfare that has really amazed us.â
Tom, Jolinâs Host Dad, decided to nominate her as the best Au Pair in the U.S. because âshe has gone above and beyond since her first day.â He says sheâs enriched his familyâs life âin countless ways,â and theyâre thankful for her presence in their home.
Jolinâs stay has gone far beyond the fulfillment of a basic childcare need. While visiting her family back home in China, she purchased âspecial Chinese outfits for both the girls.â She has been teaching the children to speak Mandarin, and theyâve also been learning about Chinese art, food, and music.
âJolin also plays the guzheng,â Tom says, â⊠The kids (and the whole family) love listening to [her] beautiful music as well as teaching us to play a few songs, too.â
The experience Jolin and her Host Family have had truly exemplifies the heart of the Au Pair program, which is regulated under the J-1 Visa. The purpose of the program is to facilitate cultural exchange and build a strong relationship that lasts well after the Au Pair goes home.
This family and Au Pair have certainly had a heartwarming experience; their story was so moving, their nomination won Go Au Pairâs 2019 Love My Au Pair Contest.
âTo say that Jolin has changed our lives for the better is a complete understatement,â Tom adds. âWe are truly blessed to have someone as unique, warm, and wonderful as Jolin.â
Ray Savoy had been living with severe pain and discomfort periodically over the last three years.
After the most recent episode that occurred about Christmas 2018 that forced Ray to seek out the services of a general surgeon, Dr. Steven Nakao, Sentara Surgery Specialist.
Ray was just 36 years old when his extreme pains were diagnosed as symptoms of diverticulitis.
âDiverticulitis are outpouchings of the colon which get obstructed and perforate. The perforation can vary from small amounts of inflammation around the colon to large perforations with spillage of fecal material in the abdomen or anything in between,â explains Dr. Nakao of the Sentara Medical Group.
When Ray was initially diagnosed, he thought diverticulitis was something heâd be able to live with.
âI was having [flare ups] about every six months. I thought if I have it once a year, once every 10 years, I can take an antibiotic, and it will go away. It wonât be as invasive and risky or scary as surgery could be,â said Ray.
But, the extreme, stabbing pains became more frequent. Once he was hospitalized over the Christmas holiday for his diverticulitis, Ray decided he wanted to learn more about his surgical options.
âI was really concerned,â said Ray. âI thought, âat least get this consultation and see what Dr. Nakao recommends.ââ
Dr. Nakao told Ray heâd be an ideal candidate for robotic surgery. Itâs less invasive and involves small incisions, which means less pain and shorter recovery time.
âThis procedure is basically resecting the portion of the colon that is diseased, the portion that has those pockets which cause the pain and perforations. The amount can vary in length depending on the length of the diseased segment,” said Dr. Nakao. “We cut the diseased portion out and then staple or sew the parts of the colon back together. This anastomosis is then checked to make sure that everything is watertight and without any leaks,â says Dr. Nakao, explaining the procedure.
Ray was nervous about a worst-case scenario which could leave him using a colostomy bag. Dr. Nakao dispelled his fears.
âI asked a lot of questions,â said Ray. âI emailed him pretty regularly over the course of the month with my concerns or clarifying questions from my wife. Dr. Nakao was very responsive. He was dead on with everything.â
Dr. Nakao answered Ray and his wifeâs questions and tried to make sure they knew what to expect during every step of the process.
âI like to discuss the disease process with patients, so they understand why they are in the office. We can then tailor their surgery for them, I like to try and give them as much information as I can about the surgery and what to expect prior to, during, and after the procedure,” said Dr. Nakao. “I keep track of a lot of data from other patients so that I can tell them how others did with similar surgeries or diagnoses. It always helps for everyone to be well informed.â
After Ray learned Dr. Nakao had a stellar record with higher than average success rates and had developed a personalized plan for Ray if trouble should arise, he was ready to move forward. At the end of January, Ray had his surgery, and it went off without a hitch.
âIt went so well. I only stayed in the hospital overnight, when I was told my stay could be as long as three days,â says Ray. âThis is my first inpatient surgery, and my recovery has been great! Iâm following Dr. Nakaoâs advice â not picking anything up over 25 pounds, taking it easy. The incisions are healing up nicely, and I havenât had any more flare-ups.â
As Ray hopes to leave diverticulitis behind him, he has nothing but praise for the team who helped him in his healthcare journey.
âAll the staff, the nurses, everyone, they were very professional. Their bedside manner was on point!â says Ray.
âAs for Dr. Nakao, I would recommend him 110%! His professionalism, his candor, his expertise, and great bedside manner. Iâd like to treat him to beer!â
Stop living in pain. Make a decision to change your life, visit our board-certified, highly skilled, multi-specialty surgeons, at Sentara Surgery Specialists. Call 703-523-9750 to make your appointment today!