Exhibition #3- A Press Release

  University of Chicago Medical Center  

                     Lupus Center of Excellence

             _______________________________________________________________________

                               

Kacey C. Krznaric

Public Relations Specialist

Lupus Center of Excellence

Telephone: (412)586-3550

E-mail:  kckrznaric@gmail.com

Rally For a Cure: Uniting Physicians, Scientists, Patients Toward a Common Goal

With 1.5 million Americans suffering from a disease that is recognized as the hardest to diagnose, the Lupus Center of Excellence staff and their physicians are teaming up with researchers and patients across the country to combat this debilitating disease that attacks vital organs such as the heart, lungs, kidneys, and brain.

FOR RELEASE April 1, 2010

CHICAGO, Illinois, April 1, 2010- With over half of the current members of the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) reporting that they were misdiagnosed for several years before obtaining a correct diagnosis, the importance of awareness becomes increasingly fundamental. We live in a world where medical advancements are on the rise and physicians have more effective tools at their finger tips everyday.  While this is essential in accurately diagnosing a disease that manifests itself in ways that mirror other autoimmune disorders, it is the research that has enabled us to finally offer our patients some relief.  To continue battling lupus and siege ahead in our quest to find a cure, adequate funding is not only necessary but foundational to our cause.

In the past years, the Lupus Center of Excellence, based out of Chicago, has held seminars where patients and their families were invited to come together and learn about their disease.  The seminars were facilitated by the physicians themselves and were carried out in a forum that allowed the patients to ask questions and provided the opportunity for them to interact with their peers.  The patients were able to see computer generated images of their bodies and how the disease can affect the different organs.  They were given tips on health and wellness, as well as stretching and strength training exercises to help alleviate joint pain, which is one of the primary symptoms of lupus.  All of the information given to the patients was delivered in layman’s terms and vocabulary lists, worksheets, and other educational supplements were made available.  These seminars not only acted as patient education sessions but as support groups as well.  The positive feedback that had been received in the past was the reason the physicians continued to donate their time.

The Rally For a Cure seminar that is fast approaching will take on a slightly different form than those we have held in the past.  We want our presence in the medical community to be even more prevalent.  In order to dothat, we need to unite on every level.  From research to patient care- from the lab to the exam room- we want to facilitate more than just an educational seminar.  Our vision for 2010 is to facilitate hope.  Lupus is a serious, life threatening disease and we can’t combat it alone.  This spring we are opening our forum to all of those connected to lupus across the country.  Whether the connection is behind the scenes or on the front line, we want to work toward a cure though collaboration with researchers, pharmaceutical companies, and other medical professionals throughout America by hosting the First Annual Rally For a Cure seminar.     

With a growing number of patients at the Lupus Center of Excellence, our need for funding has also grown.  Our patient volume is at an all time high.  Our patient base has moved from the Chicago area outward mostly due to our satisfied patients sharing their experience with others via online support groups, word-of-mouth, and LFA legislative functions.  We are currently seeing patients from 26 states ranging from California to all along the eastern coast.  We have a long-term plan of taking our vision international and it starts this spring with the Rally for a Cure.  We have been given more sophisticated tools in diagnosis but ultimately a cure for this debilitating disease rests in the research.  We are calling on medical and pharmaceutical professionals everywhere to join hands with us as we Rally For a Cure. 

About the Lupus Center of Excellence

The Lupus Center of Excellence has been a recognized specialty of the Division of Rheumatology within the University of Chicago Medical Center (UCMC) Department of Medicine since April 2001.  While the Center is based solely out of Chicago, Illinois, they have partnered with the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) to act as an outreach for patients either searching for a diagnosis or looking for specialty care for their disease.  The Lupus Center of Excellence has treated patients from 26 states and is considered one the first multi-specialty practices offering rheumatologists, endocrinologists, nephrologists, dermatologists, and pain medicine physicians all under one roof.  The Center also employs several physicians recognized in Chicago Magazine’s Top Doctors issue for both 2008 and 2009. 

(i) http://www.thelupuscenter.org/

(ii) http://www.lupus.org/

Writing Exhibition #2- A Memoir

The Trembling Triumph: A Memoir

By Kacey Clare Krznaric

I hear the sound of the car door slamming.  I am sitting in the driver’s seat but I don’t remember getting in. Before I know it, the engine revs up and I am bowing my head and talking to God. The only sound I hear is the thumping of my own heart- it’s making a raucous. I glance back up to see my parents standing in the doorway and I wave and smile with tears in my eyes. I wipe them with my shirt sleeve as quickly as they form in my eyes. Everything is about to change and I’m not convinced that I’m strong enough to endure whatever lies ahead for me. My palms are sweaty, my mouth is dry, and my ears are ringing but I step on the gas and wave goodbye to everything I ever knew.  The parents that created me, the friends that shaped me, and the man that completed me are all becoming tiny dream-like images in my mind as my otherwise lead foot gently- and hesitantly- taps the gas peddle.  I am driving away from everything that I knew and heading blindly- and willingly- into what felt like a black hole. In order to understand what lead me to make a decision that seems so debilitating, let me start from the beginning…

            I tell him that I love him and I see his mouth moving but no words are coming out.  He is gesturing grandly, pacing back and forth, and I think I see tears in his eyes.  It doesn’t make me feel anything.  I’m tired, I feel hopeless, and I’ve emotional checked out of the conversation- and the relationship. I think he is making promises…again.  I’ve heard them all before.  I think I might believe him this time but I don’t care anymore.  I’ve made up my mind that I’d rather be alone than in a stationary relationship with a man who isn’t willing to commit. I want a husband.  I want kids.  I want a family and I want to start now.  He doesn’t.  I am exhausted and feel lethargic but I stand up from the couch, take his hand in mine, and suddenly I can hear his voice again- and my own.  “You know what I want.  The looming question is are you willing and able to provide that for me?  I have been here through thick and thin, stood by your side when you had no one, and I’ve proven my love and devotion to you over and over again. So, are you willing to prove your love and devotion to me now by making a commitment to me, this relationship, and a life together?”  He stares blankly at the floor.  He isn’t. This is what the breaking point feels like.  I can’t feel my legs but I manage to walk calmly and assertively to the door.  He doesn’t try to stop me.  Surprisingly I made it home in one piece considering my 5 year I’m-certain-this-is-the-one relationship had crumbled.  As soon as I hit my front door, I crumbled as well.

            Months go by and it feels like years but I’m finally starting to get some strength back.  I’ve been going though the motions in my social life but I’ve tried to make some strides.  I changed my hair color, I bought some new outfits, I drank a few too many martinis but I was starting to feel a little flicker of life deep within my being.  I didn’t feel like myself by any means, but that’s probably because I didn’t recognize the girl in the mirror or know who she even was anymore.  As I watched the neighbor kids play in the street from my back deck, a light switch went off in my head and for the first time in a long time, I felt a real and very recognizable emotion. It was anger. How could I have let myself fall so deeply into a man’s life that I couldn’t even recognize my own anymore?  How could I be so entwined with a man that I couldn’t distinguish where I ended and he began? How could I let a man have enough control to twist my life up so much that I couldn’t even recognize it anymore?  A chord has been struck.  I’ve lost myself- and I am going to get myself back no matter what it takes.  The anger has morphed into sheer determination.

            The next few weeks were foundational.  I spent hours on the phone with friends and family, hours alone in my own company, and hours weighing pros and cons.  At the end of the day, I had made my decision.  I was moving to Florida to find myself again, start anew, and turn the only life I was blessed with into what I wanted it to be.  No experience, no situation, and especially no man was going to dictate my life anymore.  I had new direction; I was the author now and I had plans to write a beautiful story.

It all happened so fast and he we are again. I hear the sound of the car door slamming.  I am sitting in the driver’s seat but I don’t remember getting in. Before I know it, the engine revs up and I am bowing my head and talking to God. The only sound I hear is the thumping of my own heart- it’s making a raucous. I glance back up to see my parents standing in the doorway and I wave and smile with tears in my eyes. I wipe them with my shirt sleeve as quickly as they form in my eyes. Everything is about to change and I’m not convinced that I’m strong enough to endure whatever lies ahead for me. My palms are sweaty, my mouth is dry, and my ears are ringing but I step on the gas and wave goodbye to everything I ever knew.  The parents that created me, the friends that shaped me, and the man that completed me are all becoming tiny dream-like images in my mind as my otherwise lead foot gently- and hesitantly- taps the gas peddle.  I am driving away from everything that I knew and heading blindly- and willingly- into what felt like a black hole.

            I walk out of the air conditioned house and feeling the hot breeze smack me in the face. I start sweating immediately. I take a deep breath. I hear children laughing, cars zipping by, dogs barking, and water splashing. The air smells different. People look different and talk different. I feel different. I feel naked and exposed but this is what I wanted- what I needed. It was official. I wasn’t in Pittsburgh anymore…

Things always get confusing.  I’m loving myself. I’m hating myself. I’m picking myself up only to knock myself back down again. I know who I was but I haven’t a clue. I am being tested, being tempted, being tried. I am feeling strong and I am feeling weak. I question myself. I question others. I write. I read. I live, laugh, and love. I cry sometimes. I start to feel at home and then I’m home sick. I feel self-assured, confident, and happy. I am free.  I am a soldier. I feel powerful and independent. I am in control. I disappoint myself. I give myself a break. I try to be quiet and I listen more. I restore, renew, and revamp myself every morning with a cup of coffee and a prayer.  I let things go. I accept that I am a work in progress.  I dismiss the bad and I embrace the good.  I make commitments to myself and I keep them. I am standing perfectly still but I’m walking into my own. 

Writing Exhibition #1- An Investment Letter

Kace Financial Services

Mr. and Mrs. Leonardo Lunardi

1234 Polk Drive N

Sarasota, FL 34231

Dear Leonardo and Kristi,

On behalf of Kace Financial, it was a pleasure speaking with you last week regarding your interest in investing in our CollegeAmerica 529 Savings Plan product.  Based on the information you provided for me, I’ve taken the liberty of compiling a basic, yet customized plan to demonstrate how the savings plan can benefit your family and secure the funds necessary to ensure a solid educational future for your children Christian and Anna.

I think you will be very pleased with the options you will have through the 529 Savings Plan, in conjunction with the professional and personalized service our Kace Financial offers.  If you choose to invest with our organization, we will deliver the highest level of customer service from our account management team, superior guidance from the most experienced financial and investment advisors, and, unlike any larger firm, we are able to connect each client with their own personal financial-planning representative, dedicated to working closely and personally with you to ensure the best and most informed customer experience possible.

Included you will find some helpful information about CollegeAmerica’s 529 Savings Plan, as well as some valuable and customized information about what you can expect in regards to growth if you decide to invest in this product with Kace Financial.

**************************************************************

Think of the CollegeAmerica 529 Savings Plan like an Educational Trust Account

You can open one on behalf of anyone- even yourself!

General Information about CollegeAmerica 529 Savings Plan

·         Flexibility: The funds can be used for various educational expenses such as tuition, textbooks/computer software applications, campus fees, and room and board

·         Control: The account owner, rather than the beneficiary,  maintains power of the account  assets and determines when and where they will be allocated

·         Accountability: Tax-free funds stay protected, fulfilling the purpose of the savings plan.  You only pay taxes if funds are withdrawn for non-educational expenses

·         Increased Growth: Dividends and capital gains are not taxed as long as they are used to pay for qualified education expenses

At Kace Financial Customization is our Service

Your personal financial advisor collaborates with you to help you and your family reach education goals through:

·         Relationships: Kace Financial Advisors will get to know you and your family personally so they are better equipped to help you manage your educational finances and meet your education objectives

·         Education: Our advisors are knowledgeable and maintain this through the Continuing Education Program instituted by Kace Financial, ensuring that their advisors stay highly attuned to the new assortment of  Education Savings products

·         Expertise: Our financial advisors are also investment advisors who are highly trained in strategic investment planning to maximize the potential growth of your investments and keep your assets secure until you are ready to use them

To see your Personal potential Investment Growth if you choose to invest in the CollegeAmerica 529 Savings Plan, view the custom graph below based on the amounts you indicated during our initial discussion

This has been created to show you how dedicated we are to serving you, as an individual

When I had the pleasure of speaking with you regarding our CollegeAmerica 529 Savings Plan product, you indicated that you were interested in spending in the range of $100-$300 per child, per month. The bar graph below has been created for your personal reference. It is tailored to reflect the total amount of money that would be available for educational expenses (the vertical axis) for Christian and Anna once they reached 18 years of age if your monthly election was within your specified range (the horizontal axis).  You can see the amount of savings increase with the higher total contribution amount.  We want to work with you in building a secure financial future in the education of your children.  The graph below is an example of how we can do that.

  

We look forward to discussing your options further with you and answering any questions you may have. Once again, thank you for your interest in investing with Kace Financial and we look forward to establishing a long-standing relationship with you and your family and helping everyone reach their financial goals as we prepare for the future. 

Sincerely,

Kacey Krznaric

New Accounts Specialist

Kace Financial Services

(800)888-8888 ext 8

An Ink Blott to the Future of Quill Pen

Quill Pen is currently a one-woman consulting group, offering professional writing services to individuals and/or local businesses who are interested in utilizing a more "budget-friendly" resource by hiring me, a contract professional writer. 

Taking advantage of a contract writing service allows businesses to develop the desired written productions they need- when they need them- for the duration they need them- without the added cost of having full-time writers on staff. 

I present with an advanced writing degree, an eclectic background in various fields of writing, and extensive experience in bringing visions to fruition from conception, through planning and development, to final, finished product distribution.

Within the coming years, Quill Pen would like to expand its staff as well as its reach.  My goal for Quill Pen is to be a client-centered consulting group consisting of 3-4 professional writers, each with distinct backgrounds and experience, to form a highly specialized team of Wordsmiths delivering polished and well-rounded written works unique to the vision and mission of each particular client.