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PUBLIC SPEAKING TOPICS
UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Carol Hinkley Thompson has
been a guest on Good Morning America, NET, and local affiliates, touring
and speaking on many
topics, especially related to health care, healthcare consumerism, child
safety, child abuse
(results/intervention/realities/potential/identification/action),
peri-natal health, "Renewed Abilities"
™ in relation to adaptation to
disability (of which Thompson has several), advocacy during critical illness, breast cancer, medical
communications during critical illness, and other topics within her
scope of knowledge, education, and experience. Ms. Thompson is
losing her vision, diagnosed in 1978 with a juvenile form of macular
degeneration, and now uses a motorized wheelchair due to Post-Polio
Syndrome) for her travels when
her sight permits, or is comfortable using a white cane. Her humor about
running people and walls down with "my chair, is going to have to be
addressed soon, or one of us is going to get hurt." She addresses
groups facing "Drastic Changes" the title of an article she wrote
when informed of her imminent limitations in 2003—all physical work had
to cease, "and I adore the ocean, and swimming, diving, xeric gardening,
traveling, biking...I'd even bought a new bike helmet!" This very Type A
personality woman, who survived Polio and Meningitis as a child, has a
spirit and humor that will indeed move audiences—but Carol is the first
to say that her health must come first (as much as she loves public
speaking, touring, and travel). "There are many people and
organizations, friends, even high school friends, and my physicians, the
Texas Commission for the Blind, the Post-Polio Institute, keeping after
me, many empathic, to a point, so I don't dare go too far off-track. If
I do, its me that suffers—not a very bright option in my opinion."
Hinkley Thompson has
presented before congressional committees and is responsible for
the initiation of The Child Safety Act, 1966, earning support and
involvement by Rep. Thomas P. O'Neill, Massachusetts, who took her
Bill to
the US Congress when he was elected from Massachusetts, ultimately
receiving the endorsement of The American Academy of Pediatrics,
The US
Proprietary Association, the Poison Control Centers throughout the
United States, and President Lyndon Baines Johnson who referred to the
Bill 'as the Thompson-Johnson Program (Jim Cope, President, US
Proprietary Association)."
In 1975, Hinkley Thompson was keynote
speaker for The American Society for Psychoprophylaxis in Obstetrics
presenting on Preparation for Childbirth Begins in the First Trimester.
From 1969, her work with expectant parents included nutrition as a
primary concern and advising women to supplement with Folic Acid, much
to the anger of her obstetrical colleagues. Once again, "You're twenty
years ahead of time (Mayor Robert Folsom, Dallas)," her comment was
always, "Then why don't you listen to me and help me save lives?"
Nothing stopped this woman. "Having known her since my first
pregnancy (I'm an RN), I can tell you that I don't recall one woman who
decided not to prepare for natural childbirth, and breastfeed, after
attending one of her workshops—she simply lets everyone know advocacy is
available, and she reads at least twenty medical journals a month. I
remember her workshop with Elisabeth Bing, RPT, at St. Paul's in Dallas
(Bing wrote "Ten Easy Lessons for an Easier Childbirth") and the
quantitative title alone became an integral part of her work with
patients. She did not believe in "steps" or numbers, only comfortable
learning for our couples and expectant mothers."
When she speaks to audiences about
child abuse, she always requests that there are therapists, and child
protective workers in the audience, at least 1:20 expected, because the
focus is always on self-identification—people discovering during her
presentation that they have a potential to abuse their children or
others, and "those individuals must have someone there to support
and help them immediately, so they don't leave feeling afraid of
professional help."
Don't even try to confront her on
political topics—its obvious she draws on her education in history to
shock us into reality about today's life in American, and the problems
that are destroying the fabric of our young people, and the "Boomers"
who seem to not want responsibilities of any kind, "except for those
right in front of them. That is because people have not been taught to
read, and our nation does not believe everyone deserves pay for their
work, a home and food, to be self-actualizing...eventually, we'll have
to wake up and embrace the world."
If a speaker is needed, give her the topic—her travels alone will amaze
anyone and fill them with awe, disbelief, amazement (that she survived)
and laughter. Try giving her a key word, and see what you hear back from
her.
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