Join Nikita Boston-Fisher and Thierry Lindor as they talk about how the pandemic has affected communities of color in Montreal and how people of color can advocate for themselves and their loved ones. Thierry Lindor is a father of three, an activist-entrepreneur, and founder of the platform, The Colors of COVID. They collect data on racialized and marginalized communities’ experiences with the pandemic to hold elected officials accountable and make the most voiceless members of society heard. In this episode, Thierry shares with Nikita and the viewers his motivations for creating The Colors of COVID and their research results. There is a lot to unpack, so stay tuned and enjoy the episode!

Outline of the Episode:

●     [03:08] What “The Colors of Covid” is about and why it is necessary.

●     [6:08] The Colors of Covid’s research so far and how systemic inequities turn out to be the cause.

●     [09:43] Why Covid is a socio-economic pandemic, according to Thierry Lindor.

●     [15:17] The colored communities’ response to The Colors of Covid survey and research.

●     [18:00] Why people no longer trust establishments and authorities, and why people should start to create their own spaces.

●     [20:30] The importance of The Colors of Covid’s report to Canada and its future generation.

●     [22:44] How The Colors of Covid responds to those who have lost hope in pandemic research and solutions.

●     [27:21] How to best advocate for yourselves and your loved ones.

●     [33:22] The reality of how people of color need to document their struggle to prove its truth.

●     [36:09] Mental health discussions in colored communities in the cause of Covid.

●     [39:24] Thierry shares a testimonial to The Colors of Covid’s work, inspiring him to this day.

Resources:

The Story of Joyce Echaquan: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/joyce-echaquan-s-death-highlights-systemic-racism-in-health-care-experts-say-1.5132146

The Colors of Covid Website: https://thecolorsofcovid.com

Thierry Lindor’s Website: http://www.thierrylindor.com

  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thierrylindor

  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thierrylindor

  Twitter: https://twitter.com/thierrylindor

Contact Nikita Boston-Fisher!

Website: https://www.thegoodhealthcafe.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thegoodhealthcafe

In today’s episode I chat with Matt Hughsam. Matt shares his experience with mental health and what he thinks youth need to thrive.

Matt entered justice work as an undergraduate student fighting Canadian government cuts to refugee healthcare coverage. He currently lives in New York City and works with citiesRISE, an organization committed to transforming mental health globally through local innovation, coalition building, and youth-led action. Matt is passionate about using leadership development and community organizing to advance mental health and racial justice, and has supported a range of social change initiatives, from community-based hip-hop-rooted youth mental health programs to working with the Ethiopian and South African national governments. 

To follow Matt’s work please check out his awesome blog Pale in Comparison: paleincomparison.substack.com 

Christie VanHorne is based in upstate New York. She is a public health consultant and the founder of How To Talk to Your Doctor. Today Christie and I discussed tips on how to talk to your doctor, advocacy and her upcoming course on health disparities. She even shares a crazy experience she had when visiting a doctor.

To register for Christie’s course on The History of Health Disparities and Current Impacts: https://howtotalktoyourdoctor.thinkific.com/courses/healthdisparities Don’t forget to use the coupon code: goodhealth for $5 off the registration

Contact Christie:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christievanhorne/
• IG - - @howtotalktoyourdoctor ; @christie_publichealth

Here’s the link to the story I referenced during the podcast about the man being turned away from the hospital three times: 

St. Peters father dies in hospital parking lot after family says hospital refused treatment

https://www.kmov.com/news/st-peters-father-dies-in-hospital-parking-lot-after-family-says-hospital-refused-treatment/article_877c7a4a-61cf-11eb-b4f8-23406ce38421.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=user-share 

Julie Piette is a wife, mom, advocate and special education technician from Montreal. Julie is amazingly determined and today she shares with us how she handled her scleroderma diagnosis, how she advocates for herself and children and a few examples of how, to use her words, she has luck in her unluck. 

TJ Peyten is a Georgia native with a mission to raise awareness about Male Factor Infertility. TJ currently works as a public health educator, focused on improving the training and competence of the federal public health workforce. TJ's infertility journey started in 2013, when, after five years of marriage, it was discovered that her husband was the factor in their inability to conceive. Frustrated at the lack of support and resources available for those struggling with male infertility, TJ used her journal as an outlet to deal with the pain. After several years of coping with their infertility through her journal, TJ finally got the courage to share her story with the world through her book Semen Secrets: Truths and Confessions of a Wife's Journey Through Male Infertility. TJ's journey to parenthood was not easy, but in 2019, TJ and her husband were blessed to finally realize their dream of becoming parents to a beautiful baby girl.

In this episode TJ shares her infertility and adoption journey. 

To learn more about TJ’s book: www.semensecrets.com 

Instagram: @tjpeyten @semensecrets

Kimberly Yhap RN., R.H.N., FCPI is a registered nurse and holistic nutritionist who is training to become a fertility care practitioner. She is on a mission to, as she puts it, spill the beans on the menstrual cycle. In this episode we discuss her story, the benefits of charting the menstrual cycle, how to do it and some of the signals our body is giving us if we pay attention. 

To access the Menstrual Cycle Step-by-Step Checklist which she referenced in the episode: https://awdf292.aweb.page/p/b7e71c73-0b63-4e84-b73a-a257e5f5e0df

If you would like to contact her for any of the following, her contact information is below:

one on one consultations

Premarital consultations

Small group online and in-person sessions

New for 2021 Mom and daughters

Email: [email protected]

Facebook page: Our wonderful womb

Closed Facebook Group: Reclaiming Hormonal Wellness for the Christian Woman

Blog page www.journeytoreclaimingwellness.com

Other resources

NaproTechnology: https://fertilitycare.org, www.creightonmodel.com, https://aafcp.net/

Psychotherapist Vennassa Roper-Cunningham, MA, LPC came by the cafe to explain collective trauma. She tells us what is and also shares the importance of self care. having an attitude of gratitude and gives us tips on how to deal with fear and anxiety.

To get in touch with Vennassa: 

Instagram: simplythriving.ca 

Email: [email protected]

Elpizo Counselling Services: https://www.elpizocounselling.com

Dr. Scott Perryman is the CEO of the Whole Health Weight Loss Institute in Napa, California. Dr. Perryman is a board certified surgeon, and his speciality is weight loss. He is a full active member of the American Society of Metabolic and Weight Loss Surgery. In 2018 he was recognized by his colleagues as one of the Bay Area’s Top Doctors. He empowers his patients with emotional and psychological awareness, giving them tools that last beyond the effects of surgery; tools that last a lifetime.

Resources:

Whole Health Weight Loss Institute - https://whweightloss.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whweightloss/?ref=br_rs

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whweightloss/?hl=en

Khalilah Bruzual, is the Founder of The OvercomR and her mandate is to show others how to love and care for themselves and overcome life obstacles while respecting the people and community around them. She is a Fibromyalgia fighter, mental health advocate, mentor, coach and motivational speaker who lives in Toronto, Canada. In this episode Khalilah shares her health story, how she manages her various conditions, how she advocates for herself in various settings and how we can too. According to Khalilah, “you already have the skills to advocate.”

To get in touch with Khalilah check her out here: http://bit.ly/theOvercomR

Ruth Baah-Gyebi, MSc., RRT, RP, psychotherapist and CEO of Elpizo Counselling Services in Toronto, Canada came by the cafe to discuss the topic of mental health broadly, what the therapy experience is like, the impact COVID is having on our mental health and she gives us tips on how to support someone we think is struggling.

Elpizo Counselling Services: https://www.elpizocounselling.com/ 

During the episode Ruth mentioned CAMH, CAMH is The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health: https://camh.ca/