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The Kristi and Carole Yamaguchi Interview (Page 3 of 3)
An Interview with Kristi and Carole Yamaguchi
Kristi
Yamaguchi: Right.
It is about inspiring people to look and
reach for the stars. I do not
think you are ever too old or too young
to have a dream. I think you have
to keep dreaming in life and face new
challenges. I think it keeps you
motivated and life exciting; so if I can
inspire a young child, that is even
better.
Gary Barg:
What is the foundation set up to do?
Kristi
Yamaguchi: Always Dream
has been in existence for about 16 years
now and we have supported a lot of
different children's
organizations—children with
disabilities, disadvantaged children,
children's shelters—anything that
embraces the hopes and dreams of
children. We are now turning our focus
to education and, in particular, early
childhood literacy. Really trying
to make a mark there and help provide
better futures for the kids by improving
their literacy.
Gary Barg:
I think it all starts there. That is so
important. I just wanted to touch on
that because I just love the phrase and
I think it is so appropriate for family
caregivers to never let go of their
dreams.
One last question
about the Faces of Influenza Campaign.
It is more important than ever for
family caregivers to make sure they and
their loved ones are getting the
vaccinations. These facts are staggering
and people 65 years of age and older are
hardest hit. It affects so many of the
people that we care about. People with
chronic health conditions are especially
vulnerable to complications from
influenza. I just want to make
sure people do not think, Oh, it is just
the flu. Could you sum up what your
goals are and again, what you would say
to a family caregiver?
Kristi
Yamaguchi: The primary
goal of Faces of Influenza is to put a
spotlight on the seriousness of
influenza and the importance of being
immunized every year—especially
caregivers who are around people who may
have compromised immune systems or be
suffering from chronic health issues
which the flu can exacerbate. It
is definitely a must in order to stay
healthy yourself and to help the people
around you.
Gary Barg:
Is there more information?
Carole
Yamaguchi: The Web site,
facesofinfluenza.org, is great. It has a
lot of information that can probably
answer most of your questions.
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