Hi Guys - My name is xxxx, and I am xxxx's mom from the original "Junebugs" message board. Some of the moms posted the link to your site on Facebook, and I've been thinking of ways to help you all day.
I am a public relations consultant for the health and medical industries and place news stories for my clients. I am happy to provide guidance to you on how to connect with producers and editors in your region (1st) and then national (2nd). Feel free to e-mail me or call me at xxxx.
So cool! She's already been amazing at being able to clear away the emotional fog for us, and make a plan of what to tackle first. Her recommendations:
Karen: I spent some time last night going through Alex’s Web site and reviewing Portland/Salem media (using this media list - http://www.kidon.com/media-link/us_or.php - as a guide). Some of the links are incorrect, but it gave me a good idea of which media outlets are covering the area and who is covering health/politics for related stories.
My recommendations are listed below. I want to think about – and then write for you – a pitch that you can work with immediately; I’ll e-mail it separately later. I’ve also reached out to some attorney friends for opinion/guidance on who you should turn to for legal support. I’ll let you know what I find out. You are most likely doing – or thinking of doing – everything, so these recommendations will serve as validation that you are on the right path. Some of it may give a new perspective to your approach.
Local media journalists and producers are overwhelmed with putting stories together with very little time and almost no help. For example, some television reporters are actually having to report and manage the camera and sound on the same story. The Portland/Salem is no exception. When I pitch a story, I am almost always successful when I offer a journalist the complete package: my story, all of the data/facts related to the story, contact information for other sources (physicians, politicians, legal experts or subject matter experts), photographs, graphics, etc. I coordinate interviews, make sure that all sources are in the right place at the right time, brief everyone, etc. Reporters really appreciate this.
Having said that, I recommend breaking your PR/advocacy campaign into three phases:
I. Immediate
Objective: Get authorization for Alex to receive medically prescribed marijuana at his current care facility. If this is not possible, find legal/social worker guidance on where he can be cared for and be given the correct dosage and form medically prescribed marijuana on a regular basis. This will be achieved through you sharing his story.
How to get there:
1. Keep blogging and sharing links to the blog via social media. Ask people who are willing to help (e.g. Junebug moms) to share the links with their contacts.
2. Comment on stories and contact health/medicine and political journalists who are covering the medically prescribed marijuana issue; offer yourselves and your sources for interviews:
http://www.salem-news.com/articles/july072010/oregon-initiative_28.php
http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=128156035760288400
http://www.oregonherald.com/eforums/categories.cfm?catid=15
Oregonian Politics
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/07/medical_marijuana_dispensaries.html
http://www.oregonlive.com/politics/index.ssf/2010/07/initiatives_requiring_tougher.html
http://www.blueoregon.com/
Oregonian Health
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/08/what_babies_are_teaching_scien.html
3. When you start feeling and sounding like a broken record, you are on the right track. From the agenda page of Alex’s Web site, dwell on bullets #1 and #4 so people really understand what you are trying to immediately achieve.
II. Short Term (2 years)
Objective: Be a visible part of getting the OCTA 2012 initiative passed.
How to get there: Connect with the OCTA 2012 leaders and make sure they know that you are willing, interested and available to speak publicly about Alex’s story and the importance of the law to his well-being. I would only be a part of the medically prescribed marijuana discussion…don’t spread yourself too thin and speak on behalf of recreational users, etc. You will be piggybacking off of OCTA 2012 to have your story heard, but the benefit will be mutual.
III. Long Term (+2 years)
Objective: Drive awareness and advocate for the cause and other children through Alex’s story.
How to get there: By this time, what you will have learned and achieved by advocating for Alex will help other parents in similar situations as well as the medical and political community when it comes to understanding.
I’ll be back in touch later…hang in there, and keep fighting the good fight. I would be doing the same thing if one of my kids was in Alex’s position.
Isn't she the coolest? I'm so grateful for her help.
After a week or so of lousy Alex visits (he just has not been happy), we went to see him in Salem last night, and it was a blast! We took him to the nearby park and he was just super happy and "talkative". (Just a sidenote of parental concern though: he was very clumsy. He skinned both knees and scraped both ankles during the 1 1/2 hours we were there. Alex rarely stumbles and falls, and certainly not the 8+ times we witnessed yesterday. I'm hoping it is as simple as a med change or growth spurt, but the thoughts in the back of my mind are whispering "hydrocephalus" and "the SEGA is growing more rapidly than anticipated". I need to remember to get another MRI scheduled for him.
Some cool iPhone shots of the boys from last night:
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