June 6, 2025 • 19 mins
For more information on the United Ostomy Association as highlighted on Alex Garrett's One Leg Up, visit https://www.ostomy.org/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
All right, and welcome inside to this edition of One
Leg Up with Alex Garrett. And again we're going to
put aside Elon and Trump. Maybe I'll get to that
at some point, but this takes present because this is
about an event that is supporting so many with the
condition and situation that I've had for thirty three years
(00:26):
known as osteme awareness. You might have heard Janine Gliba
of the United OSome Association, Well, she directed me to
connect further and head to the golf outing on Long Island,
which happened this past Monday night, and it was the
first ever OAA golf outing, and I got to meet
(00:47):
the amazing executive director of the UOAA, Christine Ryan, as
well as Anthony, George Dano and mister George Salomi and
the director of this golf outing of the committee for
the golf Outing, John Noak. I want to start with
(01:07):
him because he's at the stage for how important this
event is for the one million Americans living with ostamese today.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Anthony had asked me.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
Obviously, Anthony and I go back a long way, but
we haven't been friends.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Since the time I've known him.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Anthony I went to Calmberg High School together We graduated
in nineteen eighty nine. I knew who Anthony was. He
knew who I was, but we ran in two totally
different crowds. He was campus ministry, he was drama. I
played basketball. He was in the very advanced classes. I
(01:49):
was in the not so advanced classes. So we never
really crossed paths.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
But I knew who Anthony was.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Everybody knows who the nicest kid in your classes, and
he was that kid when you saw him in the hallways.
Everybody in high school is trying to be something, would
discover find out who they are. Anthony was always comfortable
in his own shoes. He was always smiling, he was
always having a good time. Everybody around him was always laughing.
(02:19):
He felt comfortable in his own skin. We graduated in
eighty nine. I went to college up in Maine. Anthony
went Hofstra and Anthony, although I didn't know him personally.
Like I said, Anthony got very sick and through connections,
everybody stays in touch. We had a payphone at the
(02:41):
end of our hall right. We didn't even have no
cell phones. There are no phones in our rooms. We
get little messages on our door, stickets, stickies, and I
got a message that you remember Anthony from high school
very sick, and I don't remember the exact In my mind,
I'm thinking that it was came in not making he's
(03:02):
very sick, and Anthony, I learned years later, got an oscme.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
He got a procedure that saved his life. So when
he came to me and asked me to be part
of this committee, it was.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
Very important and I said absolutely, what can I do
to help?
Speaker 2 (03:18):
That was the first thing.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
So when he talked to me about it was about
I don't want anybody to feel.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
The way I felt. He was ashamed, he was an embarrassed.
He's a nineteen year old kid that's wearing an oscar?
How do you handle that? And I want to help.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Him spread that awareness so no one else feels like this.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
So it's a normal conversation.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
So when someone and there will be plenty at nineteen
years old, and maybe with the advancements of medicine, maybe
that doesn't happen as much, but he wants to make
sure people don't feel the way he does. Awareness building
awareness is one of the things that I wanted to
help him do. And I knew I needed to build
my awareness because when Anthony asked me to be on
(03:59):
this committee. I went home and told my wife and
she goes, oh, what was it all about? Would you
talk to Anthony about He goes, oh, he wants me
to be on this committee with him, and she goes, oh,
what committee is it? And I'm like, I'm trying to remember.
I'm like Claustrum wants me to be on the And
as soon as she looked at me and I had turned,
(04:22):
I knew I was wrong on something. So I said,
you know what, awareness is definitely what I need to
help delt here, and it's going to start with me.
And then the third thing maybe insignificant, but if you
take out your phone right now and go to text
somebody and type in the word oks to me, your
(04:45):
phone doesn't even recognize that it comes up.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
It's misspelled.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Now that's something Apple's gotta change. But I love that
John Noeck painted this picture of why wareness is so
important and h for Anthony Giordano, I'd been talking with
them prior to the event. We have connection with the
Viscardi Center, but I did not know he had an
to me, and interestingly enough, he did not know I
(05:09):
had any So we kind of formed a friendship through
that and a kinship through that, and I look forward
to having on a podcast to talk more about this.
But when Anthony took the podium, his message resonated loud
and clear with why the UOAA exists today.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
I have three of white kids were here today.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Two of them are still.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
Here, and they would not be here today if my
life hadn't been saved.
Speaker 5 (05:45):
And James mcbrian the Back, Larry Fuchs Rogue, Larry.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
They do want to say they visited me in the
hospital meant the world to me.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
That mean so much to me that all of you
were here. People I don't know, people.
Speaker 6 (06:09):
I do know.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
When I had my surgery, my parents were.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
Paying out of pocket for my supplies. We didn't have
insurance comforage. Nowadays, my supplies would cost me about six
hundred dollars a month. The United Ostome Association, through their advocacy,
(06:36):
god insurance coverage so that people who have this disability you.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Don't have to pay out of pocket. This life change.
So from the bottom of my heart, I want to
say thank you to everyone here, Thank you for attending.
Thank you to our sponsors. Thank you so much, John
and James for going on on this ride. Guys do
(07:04):
the lion share work and really appreciated.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
And that is why I went to d C in
March on behalf of the UOAA to make sure people
with these ostem supplies can continue to get it, can
continue to get it covered by insurance. And I felt
Anthony hit the nail on the head. Now I'm thirty
three and I've had this since i was from birth.
(07:29):
That saved my life. So seeing him and also George Salomi,
who also has had an ostem for about fifty years,
it inspired me because and you're gonna hear from George
in a second. But sometimes I worry that last year
the gallstone, what's next? Will the body break down even more?
(07:49):
And here are two men, you know, somewhat older. I
gotta say this, living with this, you know, ostem thriving,
I feel like I can keep going and being at
this event and thank you for having me. Being at
this event has personally inspired me to keep going and
(08:11):
to have trust in the body that we too can
make it fifty plus years on this earth with an ostem.
Now Anthony and George Selamy have had this later in life,
so they've added for about since they were in their twenties,
but clearly they did not let their lives be affected entirely.
(08:35):
They keep going, And I know I feel like being
born with it, not having to adapt to it entirely,
just being used to it will help me and feel
how do I say? It's a different experience, I guess,
but it helps me realize that I too can make
(08:57):
it into my fifty anniversaries, sixty anniversary, seventyeth anniversary of
having astoma. So those are some goals I've learned to
strive for things this event. But anyway, here's George Salomy,
who was really honored the other night at the North
Shore Country Club in Nasau County as.
Speaker 6 (09:20):
A family member that's wearing any pouch.
Speaker 7 (09:24):
If not, there's somebody in this room that has someone
in their family that's suffering with alson of colitis or
Crohn's disease, which is a disease that actually allows us
to get this procedure and save our lives. So I
think the whole purpose of today was the awareness piece,
And if we can educate one hundred.
Speaker 6 (09:43):
People in this room today, I think we've been successful.
We'll leave it.
Speaker 7 (09:47):
Take a donation to the United Osity Association of America.
Tell your friends, tell your relatives this association.
Speaker 6 (09:56):
We have three hundred support groups around the country.
Speaker 7 (09:58):
There's a million of us today being around in North
America that Anthony I had today. Now, if you look
at us and preak two other people up to this,
to this podium, you won't know who has the awesome
you patron. That's what this organization has done for both
of us. So with that, I'll just say thank you again.
Thank you John for all the work you did. And
James and you and Edna, thank you again.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
So now it's Christine's. Christine is Christine.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
Ryan is the executive director of United Austome Association of America.
Speaker 8 (10:35):
Hello everybody, Hello everyone. I think I've tind to meet
everyone on the course today. Some of you are here
for the dinner this evening. Thank you for joining us.
So I just wanted to say on behalf of all
of the donors that have given for this golf event today,
all of our sponsors. You can see all their signs
(10:56):
all over the t sponsors, the sponsor, the Holy One sponsors,
the technology sponsors. Without all of you doing what you
do to support us, we really would not be here today.
So by you supporting UOAA, we can support the ostem community.
And you know, we have an information line. We provide
(11:19):
free educational resources for ostemis and for their nurses that
are taking care of them. We have, like George said,
support groups all over the country. We offer a biannual conference.
But the most important thing that we do is we
connect individuals with other ostimates. We give them the knowledge
they need through the educational materials to determine, you know,
(11:41):
what kind of ostome they have, how do you care
for it, how do you eat with an ostemey, how
do you have an intimate relationship with other individuals. So
it's very important that people understand that we are here
for them. And I can tell you firsthand from the
phone calls that I have answered, that people walk out
of a hospital, they have no idea how.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
To order their supplies.
Speaker 8 (12:02):
They don't know that another oustumate is out there that
is going through what they've gone through. They don't know
that there's nurses that will take care of them. And
so it's important for us to be able to share
that information with all of those individuals and it does
improve the quality of their life. And we hear that
over and over again, So on behalf of all of
the support that you're providing us today. We are truly
(12:26):
making a difference in so many individuals' lives and their
caregivers and their families and their friends that can say
we are so happy that they are with us still.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
So I just wanted.
Speaker 6 (12:38):
To thank you all for that.
Speaker 8 (12:41):
We also wanted to recognize an individual in the room.
And I'm going to read this from a paper and
I'm not going to cry, I hope. It is my
great privilege to stand before you today and celebrate a
truly remarkable individual, George Salomy. For many years, for many years,
(13:06):
George has been an integral part of UAA, embodying the
very spirit of dedication, generosity, and service that makes this
organization thrive. George's commitment to our mission of having nothing
short of extraordinary, it's just beyond. His tireless efforts have
paved the way for greater advocacy, education, and support for
(13:28):
the Osteman community across the nation. Through his leadership, wisdom,
and unwavering determination, he has strengthened the foundation upon which
we stand today. Beyond his invaluable service, George's generosity has
left an enduring impact His financial support has ensured that
our programs continue to reach those who need them the most,
(13:50):
providing resources, hope, and empowerment to countless individuals navigating life
within ostomy. But George's contributions extend far beyond financial generosity.
He has given his time, his heart, and his steadfast
belief that every person deserves dignity, understanding, and a strong community.
Speaker 6 (14:10):
To lead on.
Speaker 8 (14:11):
George, your legacy is one of kindness, dedication, and meaningful change.
Your hard work has shaped this organization. Your service has
touched the lives of so many. We are forever grateful
for your passion, your leadership, and your unwavering belief in
the cause. Tonight, we celebrate you, We thank you, and
(14:33):
we honor the profound impact that you've had on United
Ostome Associations of America and every single person who has
been fortunate enough to know you. Please join me in
giving a round of applause to a true champion, George.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
George didn't know this was going to happen.
Speaker 6 (15:05):
Yeah, I'll take the Mica, the only God about forty
five minutes. I have a few things to say. That
was a surprise.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Thank you.
Speaker 6 (15:13):
All right, I'll just give me some anecdotes.
Speaker 7 (15:15):
In nineteen seventy six, newly married, new job, one child
on the way, got sick as hell and with also
give collides for those of you that JO don't know about,
also good colientes. It's a crappy not upun on words,
a crappy disease where you have no control of.
Speaker 6 (15:31):
Your battles whatever.
Speaker 7 (15:32):
And in those days there were really no biologics available
to us. Anthony and I could tell you the only
two drugs they would give it to us back in
the seventies and eighties was prating his own, which is
the magic.
Speaker 6 (15:42):
Drug, and sulfur. And of course if it didn't work,
you ended up in surgery.
Speaker 7 (15:47):
So I just decided at that time, when I was
newly married at that I wasn't going to look like them,
So I didn't care what it looked like, felt like,
smelt like.
Speaker 6 (15:55):
I was gonna deal with and I had.
Speaker 7 (15:57):
Great dogs in the city of Manhattan. Second opinion, up
and up in Boston came back and said let's do it.
So it was very elective for me, which is good.
Speaker 6 (16:05):
I mean, I had my head together. Unfortunately, unfortunately, there are.
Speaker 7 (16:09):
A lot of people that are going for an emergency
surgery for dive particulitis, end up with an oscopy, and
they wake up really kind of, you know, messed up,
and it's up to us.
Speaker 6 (16:19):
To actually educate them as to how to live with
this thing. So the key thing is that.
Speaker 7 (16:24):
There's one hundred thousand surgeries done a year, fifty thousand permanents.
Speaker 6 (16:28):
There's a million of us walking.
Speaker 7 (16:29):
Around with pouches on in North America today and unfortunately
even today, and I fought myself ourselves on this had
the people in this room, they don't call it glosstrum,
but they called it so. And by the way, John
whis John, if you go on Google, between what you
said and now Apple is beliosity be the right way.
(16:51):
But so in reality, it's really important to know and listen.
I've done bike rides for this thing, and I've done
a lot of things. And people think that what we
have is like this crazy thing wearing on your body
and it's never gonna it's never gonna be good. But
you know, we're living proof, living proof that this is it.
(17:12):
So we employ you to go back and talk to
your friends, talk to your relatives.
Speaker 6 (17:16):
You'll be in a cocktail partisology.
Speaker 7 (17:18):
I don't have I have my panels are at my
level and I don't want to have that. And I
know people. I know people that let also difficulitis go
for ten years and beyond and never made it because
because it got worse than that.
Speaker 6 (17:31):
And you know what that means, the CEA word. So
this is the thing. We save lives by doing what
we're doing today. Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
And before I get to my closing thought, just want
to say thank you to PSC and G as well
as Hollister for supporting the UOA. How cool is that.
God see my friend Amy de Leo and her team
at PSC and G who thankfully donated I believe five
(18:06):
hundred dollars to.
Speaker 5 (18:09):
The UOA.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
So thank you to PSC and G. And my final
thought today about leaning into the UOA is this. I
love what George Salomy said. They're living proof, living proof,
and I guess in some way I've been And this
is not always easy to talk about because it is
(18:32):
a very personal issue. However, however, these two gentlemen have
inspired me to believe that this body can adapt no
matter what age you get the astome, whether at birth,
whether at twenty, whether at thirty, it can adapt for
you and with you, and you just got to take
care of it. And that's the beauty of the body.
(18:55):
So I was moved this past Monday night, and again,
thank you, thank you Anthony, thank you, mister Salomy. And
I look forward to being more involved, leaning into this
more because let's face it, I've had my struggles and
my emotional struggles with having a colossomy whole life through
(19:16):
school and here we are today pushing through it and
now finding a community who all have one leg up
with the United Awesome Association.
All right, and welcome inside to this edition of One
Leg Up with Alex Garrett. And again we're going to
put aside Elon and Trump. Maybe I'll get to that
at some point, but this takes present because this is
about an event that is supporting so many with the
condition and situation that I've had for thirty three years
(00:26):
known as osteme awareness. You might have heard Janine Gliba
of the United OSome Association, Well, she directed me to
connect further and head to the golf outing on Long Island,
which happened this past Monday night, and it was the
first ever OAA golf outing, and I got to meet
(00:47):
the amazing executive director of the UOAA, Christine Ryan, as
well as Anthony, George Dano and mister George Salomi and
the director of this golf outing of the committee for
the golf Outing, John Noak. I want to start with
(01:07):
him because he's at the stage for how important this
event is for the one million Americans living with ostamese today.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Anthony had asked me.
Speaker 3 (01:18):
Obviously, Anthony and I go back a long way, but
we haven't been friends.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Since the time I've known him.
Speaker 3 (01:25):
Anthony I went to Calmberg High School together We graduated
in nineteen eighty nine. I knew who Anthony was. He
knew who I was, but we ran in two totally
different crowds. He was campus ministry, he was drama. I
played basketball. He was in the very advanced classes. I
(01:49):
was in the not so advanced classes. So we never
really crossed paths.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
But I knew who Anthony was.
Speaker 3 (01:58):
Everybody knows who the nicest kid in your classes, and
he was that kid when you saw him in the hallways.
Everybody in high school is trying to be something, would
discover find out who they are. Anthony was always comfortable
in his own shoes. He was always smiling, he was
always having a good time. Everybody around him was always laughing.
(02:19):
He felt comfortable in his own skin. We graduated in
eighty nine. I went to college up in Maine. Anthony
went Hofstra and Anthony, although I didn't know him personally.
Like I said, Anthony got very sick and through connections,
everybody stays in touch. We had a payphone at the
(02:41):
end of our hall right. We didn't even have no
cell phones. There are no phones in our rooms. We
get little messages on our door, stickets, stickies, and I
got a message that you remember Anthony from high school
very sick, and I don't remember the exact In my mind,
I'm thinking that it was came in not making he's
(03:02):
very sick, and Anthony, I learned years later, got an oscme.
Speaker 2 (03:07):
He got a procedure that saved his life. So when
he came to me and asked me to be part
of this committee, it was.
Speaker 3 (03:14):
Very important and I said absolutely, what can I do
to help?
Speaker 2 (03:18):
That was the first thing.
Speaker 3 (03:19):
So when he talked to me about it was about
I don't want anybody to feel.
Speaker 2 (03:23):
The way I felt. He was ashamed, he was an embarrassed.
He's a nineteen year old kid that's wearing an oscar?
How do you handle that? And I want to help.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Him spread that awareness so no one else feels like this.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
So it's a normal conversation.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
So when someone and there will be plenty at nineteen
years old, and maybe with the advancements of medicine, maybe
that doesn't happen as much, but he wants to make
sure people don't feel the way he does. Awareness building
awareness is one of the things that I wanted to
help him do. And I knew I needed to build
my awareness because when Anthony asked me to be on
(03:59):
this committee. I went home and told my wife and
she goes, oh, what was it all about? Would you
talk to Anthony about He goes, oh, he wants me
to be on this committee with him, and she goes, oh,
what committee is it? And I'm like, I'm trying to remember.
I'm like Claustrum wants me to be on the And
as soon as she looked at me and I had turned,
(04:22):
I knew I was wrong on something. So I said,
you know what, awareness is definitely what I need to
help delt here, and it's going to start with me.
And then the third thing maybe insignificant, but if you
take out your phone right now and go to text
somebody and type in the word oks to me, your
(04:45):
phone doesn't even recognize that it comes up.
Speaker 2 (04:47):
It's misspelled.
Speaker 1 (04:49):
Now that's something Apple's gotta change. But I love that
John Noeck painted this picture of why wareness is so
important and h for Anthony Giordano, I'd been talking with
them prior to the event. We have connection with the
Viscardi Center, but I did not know he had an
to me, and interestingly enough, he did not know I
(05:09):
had any So we kind of formed a friendship through
that and a kinship through that, and I look forward
to having on a podcast to talk more about this.
But when Anthony took the podium, his message resonated loud
and clear with why the UOAA exists today.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
I have three of white kids were here today.
Speaker 2 (05:37):
Two of them are still.
Speaker 4 (05:37):
Here, and they would not be here today if my
life hadn't been saved.
Speaker 5 (05:45):
And James mcbrian the Back, Larry Fuchs Rogue, Larry.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
They do want to say they visited me in the
hospital meant the world to me.
Speaker 2 (06:04):
That mean so much to me that all of you
were here. People I don't know, people.
Speaker 6 (06:09):
I do know.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
When I had my surgery, my parents were.
Speaker 4 (06:15):
Paying out of pocket for my supplies. We didn't have
insurance comforage. Nowadays, my supplies would cost me about six
hundred dollars a month. The United Ostome Association, through their advocacy,
(06:36):
god insurance coverage so that people who have this disability you.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Don't have to pay out of pocket. This life change.
So from the bottom of my heart, I want to
say thank you to everyone here, Thank you for attending.
Thank you to our sponsors. Thank you so much, John
and James for going on on this ride. Guys do
(07:04):
the lion share work and really appreciated.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
And that is why I went to d C in
March on behalf of the UOAA to make sure people
with these ostem supplies can continue to get it, can
continue to get it covered by insurance. And I felt
Anthony hit the nail on the head. Now I'm thirty
three and I've had this since i was from birth.
(07:29):
That saved my life. So seeing him and also George Salomi,
who also has had an ostem for about fifty years,
it inspired me because and you're gonna hear from George
in a second. But sometimes I worry that last year
the gallstone, what's next? Will the body break down even more?
(07:49):
And here are two men, you know, somewhat older. I
gotta say this, living with this, you know, ostem thriving,
I feel like I can keep going and being at
this event and thank you for having me. Being at
this event has personally inspired me to keep going and
(08:11):
to have trust in the body that we too can
make it fifty plus years on this earth with an ostem.
Now Anthony and George Selamy have had this later in life,
so they've added for about since they were in their twenties,
but clearly they did not let their lives be affected entirely.
(08:35):
They keep going, And I know I feel like being
born with it, not having to adapt to it entirely,
just being used to it will help me and feel
how do I say? It's a different experience, I guess,
but it helps me realize that I too can make
(08:57):
it into my fifty anniversaries, sixty anniversary, seventyeth anniversary of
having astoma. So those are some goals I've learned to
strive for things this event. But anyway, here's George Salomy,
who was really honored the other night at the North
Shore Country Club in Nasau County as.
Speaker 6 (09:20):
A family member that's wearing any pouch.
Speaker 7 (09:24):
If not, there's somebody in this room that has someone
in their family that's suffering with alson of colitis or
Crohn's disease, which is a disease that actually allows us
to get this procedure and save our lives. So I
think the whole purpose of today was the awareness piece,
And if we can educate one hundred.
Speaker 6 (09:43):
People in this room today, I think we've been successful.
We'll leave it.
Speaker 7 (09:47):
Take a donation to the United Osity Association of America.
Tell your friends, tell your relatives this association.
Speaker 6 (09:56):
We have three hundred support groups around the country.
Speaker 7 (09:58):
There's a million of us today being around in North
America that Anthony I had today. Now, if you look
at us and preak two other people up to this,
to this podium, you won't know who has the awesome
you patron. That's what this organization has done for both
of us. So with that, I'll just say thank you again.
Thank you John for all the work you did. And
James and you and Edna, thank you again.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
So now it's Christine's. Christine is Christine.
Speaker 4 (10:30):
Ryan is the executive director of United Austome Association of America.
Speaker 8 (10:35):
Hello everybody, Hello everyone. I think I've tind to meet
everyone on the course today. Some of you are here
for the dinner this evening. Thank you for joining us.
So I just wanted to say on behalf of all
of the donors that have given for this golf event today,
all of our sponsors. You can see all their signs
(10:56):
all over the t sponsors, the sponsor, the Holy One sponsors,
the technology sponsors. Without all of you doing what you
do to support us, we really would not be here today.
So by you supporting UOAA, we can support the ostem community.
And you know, we have an information line. We provide
(11:19):
free educational resources for ostemis and for their nurses that
are taking care of them. We have, like George said,
support groups all over the country. We offer a biannual conference.
But the most important thing that we do is we
connect individuals with other ostimates. We give them the knowledge
they need through the educational materials to determine, you know,
(11:41):
what kind of ostome they have, how do you care
for it, how do you eat with an ostemey, how
do you have an intimate relationship with other individuals. So
it's very important that people understand that we are here
for them. And I can tell you firsthand from the
phone calls that I have answered, that people walk out
of a hospital, they have no idea how.
Speaker 2 (12:01):
To order their supplies.
Speaker 8 (12:02):
They don't know that another oustumate is out there that
is going through what they've gone through. They don't know
that there's nurses that will take care of them. And
so it's important for us to be able to share
that information with all of those individuals and it does
improve the quality of their life. And we hear that
over and over again, So on behalf of all of
the support that you're providing us today. We are truly
(12:26):
making a difference in so many individuals' lives and their
caregivers and their families and their friends that can say
we are so happy that they are with us still.
Speaker 2 (12:37):
So I just wanted.
Speaker 6 (12:38):
To thank you all for that.
Speaker 8 (12:41):
We also wanted to recognize an individual in the room.
And I'm going to read this from a paper and
I'm not going to cry, I hope. It is my
great privilege to stand before you today and celebrate a
truly remarkable individual, George Salomy. For many years, for many years,
(13:06):
George has been an integral part of UAA, embodying the
very spirit of dedication, generosity, and service that makes this
organization thrive. George's commitment to our mission of having nothing
short of extraordinary, it's just beyond. His tireless efforts have
paved the way for greater advocacy, education, and support for
(13:28):
the Osteman community across the nation. Through his leadership, wisdom,
and unwavering determination, he has strengthened the foundation upon which
we stand today. Beyond his invaluable service, George's generosity has
left an enduring impact His financial support has ensured that
our programs continue to reach those who need them the most,
(13:50):
providing resources, hope, and empowerment to countless individuals navigating life
within ostomy. But George's contributions extend far beyond financial generosity.
He has given his time, his heart, and his steadfast
belief that every person deserves dignity, understanding, and a strong community.
Speaker 6 (14:10):
To lead on.
Speaker 8 (14:11):
George, your legacy is one of kindness, dedication, and meaningful change.
Your hard work has shaped this organization. Your service has
touched the lives of so many. We are forever grateful
for your passion, your leadership, and your unwavering belief in
the cause. Tonight, we celebrate you, We thank you, and
(14:33):
we honor the profound impact that you've had on United
Ostome Associations of America and every single person who has
been fortunate enough to know you. Please join me in
giving a round of applause to a true champion, George.
Speaker 2 (14:57):
George didn't know this was going to happen.
Speaker 6 (15:05):
Yeah, I'll take the Mica, the only God about forty
five minutes. I have a few things to say. That
was a surprise.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
Thank you.
Speaker 6 (15:13):
All right, I'll just give me some anecdotes.
Speaker 7 (15:15):
In nineteen seventy six, newly married, new job, one child
on the way, got sick as hell and with also
give collides for those of you that JO don't know about,
also good colientes. It's a crappy not upun on words,
a crappy disease where you have no control of.
Speaker 6 (15:31):
Your battles whatever.
Speaker 7 (15:32):
And in those days there were really no biologics available
to us. Anthony and I could tell you the only
two drugs they would give it to us back in
the seventies and eighties was prating his own, which is
the magic.
Speaker 6 (15:42):
Drug, and sulfur. And of course if it didn't work,
you ended up in surgery.
Speaker 7 (15:47):
So I just decided at that time, when I was
newly married at that I wasn't going to look like them,
So I didn't care what it looked like, felt like,
smelt like.
Speaker 6 (15:55):
I was gonna deal with and I had.
Speaker 7 (15:57):
Great dogs in the city of Manhattan. Second opinion, up
and up in Boston came back and said let's do it.
So it was very elective for me, which is good.
Speaker 6 (16:05):
I mean, I had my head together. Unfortunately, unfortunately, there are.
Speaker 7 (16:09):
A lot of people that are going for an emergency
surgery for dive particulitis, end up with an oscopy, and
they wake up really kind of, you know, messed up,
and it's up to us.
Speaker 6 (16:19):
To actually educate them as to how to live with
this thing. So the key thing is that.
Speaker 7 (16:24):
There's one hundred thousand surgeries done a year, fifty thousand permanents.
Speaker 6 (16:28):
There's a million of us walking.
Speaker 7 (16:29):
Around with pouches on in North America today and unfortunately
even today, and I fought myself ourselves on this had
the people in this room, they don't call it glosstrum,
but they called it so. And by the way, John
whis John, if you go on Google, between what you
said and now Apple is beliosity be the right way.
(16:51):
But so in reality, it's really important to know and listen.
I've done bike rides for this thing, and I've done
a lot of things. And people think that what we
have is like this crazy thing wearing on your body
and it's never gonna it's never gonna be good. But
you know, we're living proof, living proof that this is it.
(17:12):
So we employ you to go back and talk to
your friends, talk to your relatives.
Speaker 6 (17:16):
You'll be in a cocktail partisology.
Speaker 7 (17:18):
I don't have I have my panels are at my
level and I don't want to have that. And I
know people. I know people that let also difficulitis go
for ten years and beyond and never made it because
because it got worse than that.
Speaker 6 (17:31):
And you know what that means, the CEA word. So
this is the thing. We save lives by doing what
we're doing today. Thank you very much.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
And before I get to my closing thought, just want
to say thank you to PSC and G as well
as Hollister for supporting the UOA. How cool is that.
God see my friend Amy de Leo and her team
at PSC and G who thankfully donated I believe five
(18:06):
hundred dollars to.
Speaker 5 (18:09):
The UOA.
Speaker 1 (18:10):
So thank you to PSC and G. And my final
thought today about leaning into the UOA is this. I
love what George Salomy said. They're living proof, living proof,
and I guess in some way I've been And this
is not always easy to talk about because it is
(18:32):
a very personal issue. However, however, these two gentlemen have
inspired me to believe that this body can adapt no
matter what age you get the astome, whether at birth,
whether at twenty, whether at thirty, it can adapt for
you and with you, and you just got to take
care of it. And that's the beauty of the body.
(18:55):
So I was moved this past Monday night, and again,
thank you, thank you Anthony, thank you, mister Salomy. And
I look forward to being more involved, leaning into this
more because let's face it, I've had my struggles and
my emotional struggles with having a colossomy whole life through
(19:16):
school and here we are today pushing through it and
now finding a community who all have one leg up
with the United Awesome Association.
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