Logo wear and logo gifts are available online. Support the Women’s Board with a purchase!
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Author: mmill160
Kathy Abbott has been a proud member of the Women’s Board since 2011. It all started in 2009, when Pam Hindsley, then Best Dressed Sale chair, wisely asked her to help with Vintage Clothing donations. As Kathy’s most recent education had been in Costume History and Design, she was thrilled to accept because of her passion for vintage clothing and because of the worthwhile cause of contributing to benefit patient care at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.
After volunteering for the board for several years and finishing a second degree in Theatre, Design and Production at Towson University, she became a member ready to dedicate her newly found free time to the Women’s Board. Kathy has continued to oversee Vintage, at first at the Best Dressed Sale, then at the shop at Kenilworth Mall, now at Renewal and at the Carry On Shop. In addition to co chairing the Carry On Shop, she has helped with Great Taste events, the Golf Classic, and any number of other committees needing volunteers.
Kathy’s favorite committee has been Hospital Relations (now Grants and Awards), thus being part of the review of grants submitted by various departments and of the decision as to how to allocate the funds the board has worked so hard to raise. For Kathy, a personal benefit of being a board member has been the number of wonderful women she has had the opportunity to meet, and the friendships that have evolved when she thought all her friendships already had been made!
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Treating Spasmodic Dysphonia
A few years ago Marge (not her real name) was having lunch with her daughter and grandson when she noticed that her voice sounded different. She told her daughter that she felt as though her voice was “catching” in her throat. At an annual doctor’s appointment a few weeks later she mentioned it to her physician who recommended that she see a specialist. Eventually Marge was diagnosed with Spasmodic dysphonia (SD) a neurologic voice disorder that causes spasms in the muscles of the larynx, or voice box.
SD affects adults of all ages with patients often complaining of their voices catching in their throat, interrupting the fluency of speech. These spasms can be quite debilitating, but they can be temporarily treated by injecting Botox into the voice box muscles, weakening them enough so the spasms do not continue. To ensure these injections reach the correct location at the correct dosage so as to give relief for the longest possible time, an Electromyography (EMG) machine is connected to the injection needle. This allows otolaryngologists who treat SD with Botox to see muscle activity on a monitor and confirm the needle is in the right place to inject. Patients like Marge may need this treatment on average every three months depending on their preferences and the medication’s effect.
In 2017, The Women’s Board bequeathed a grant to the Otolaryngology Clinic at Johns Hopkins to purchase the EMG machine they currently use. This equipment supports this more precise and safer option to treat the 100 plus patients annually who require these repetitive injections, giving them the ability to communicate effectively in a stronger and more fluid voice. This machine also has uses in patients with Parkinson’s disease and essential tremor in cases where these illnesses affect the voice.
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Check Out Stroll Guilford
In November and December, the magazine featured complimentary half page ads for the Carry On Shop.
Then in January, an article introduced the Women’s Board and the Carry On Shop to Guilford readers. February Stroll Guilford expanded on the work of the Women’s Board, introducing board members, past and present, who live in Guilford. Readers were reminded that the Carry On Shop depends upon and gratefully accepts donations!
The March issue highlighted grants and scholarships awarded by the Women’s Board in 2022 to Johns Hopkins. Readers learned that the board has awarded, since 1927, over $25 million to Johns Hopkins, including more recently, a major grant for the Charlotte R. Bloomberg Children’s Center.
The April Stroll issue will feature an article by Nathan Diennes, of the School of Medicine Development Office, beautifully describing the Carry On Shop, its varied merchandise and many customers, and introducing Sandy, John and other members of the faithful COS team.
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Bag Sale at the Carry On Shop
Buy one or more Carry On Shop brown bags for $20 each. Fill with men’s and women’s clothing, no logo wear, accessories, shoes, jewelry or housewares. The contents are yours. No ripping allowed! Bring your own bags to take your purchases home. $1.00 surcharge if you don’t have a bag for your purchases or you rip one of the Carry On bags. View video of the Carry On Shop!
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Bridal gown
A Hopkins fellow says yes to two dresses complete with two veils. She was just gorgeous and also purchased three white new dresses with tags attached to wear to her wedding- related events and parties. She was overjoyed as was her mother. Be just as thrilled when you buy you gowns at Renewal.
The other day Lisa, the mother of an eight year old with cancer, requested Carry On Shop cards to bring back to Children’s Oncology. She described how wonderful the shop is to her for respite and solace from the hospital. Retail therapy is so necessary when ongoing family crisis. Lisa loves vintage and discovered our store while out walking. Pam Babij is in touch with Lisa and gets weekly updates on her son’s status. In Pam’s words, our team at COS loves our customers. The shop is so small that we really can spend time with them and get to know each unique, amazing and heartwarming story.
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Bridal Wear Event!
Renewal is hosting our 2nd Bridal/Special Occasion Event this Tuesday, 3/14 from 5pm to 8:30pm.
NEW AND VINTAGE WEDDING GOWNS
BRIDAL PARTY AND FLOWER GIRL DRESSES
EVENING WEAR, VEILS & TUXES
Enjoy some bubbly while shopping!
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Shop for Logo Wear Online
7:30AM Thursday morning. I overslept like every Thursday. Mid-week exhaustion! (It couldn’t be that I HAD TO watch more than 2 episodes of The Recruit last night). Luckily, Tuesdays and Thursdays are my days away from the office. You know, the days when I take Pilates and go grocery shopping …. at least that was the plan before meetings starting to creep in.
Don’t get me wrong, I love my job. It works like magic! For 10 years, you try to find your way from the hospital garage to where you’re supposed to go and then, on a fourth Monday in May, everyone acts like you know it ALL! Employee policies, lease agreements, who can set their third cousin’s pinky finger, the quirks of Treasury and the procedures from Hopkins Legal and Banking.
Every day is not that exciting. There are days when you are feeling low like when you try to settle differences between members, and you feel like you’re too old to remember your few parenting skills. And then you have the highs like when Redonda and Charlie call you on the weekend to tell you that you should monitor the refrigeration of coffee bars’ perishables. But hey, now you are on a first name basis with the Hospital President and the COO! The real high, though is to witness first-hand the accomplishments of this board and what 55 talented women can achieve, maneuvering through times of crisis and creating new business opportunities with an impressive record to show for it: 23 million donated to Johns Hopkins and counting.
Did I mention that I love this job? I will miss it, but I look forward to oversleeping on Thursdays.