Radio Personality Tom Joyner Sets Listener on Path to Health and Wellness

Fan asks for help in losing one hundred pounds ... Joyner delivers.

Stafford, VA (PRWEB) February 23, 2007 -- Thanks to Tom Joyner and his cohorts on the Tom Joyner Morning Show, one more "soldier" is being added to the growing ranks of African-Americans answering the call-to-action for a healthier Black America.

Thirty-seven-year-old TJMS listener Chela Hardy ― known to some young readers as author Kamichi Jackson ― wrote a desperate letter to Joyner shortly after the death of R&B singer Gerald Levert and requested assistance with her own weight issues. Specifically, she asked that the nationally syndicated radio personality cover the expense of three months of the Nutri-System Type II Diabetec Program, a healthy weight loss regimen that would not only put her back on the path to reaching her personal goal of losing over one hundred pounds, but would also address her diet as related to Type II Diabetes, which she was diagnosed as having after twice landing in the hospital with Congestive Heart Failure issues. Joyner did her several months better by providing financial assistance for a total of eight months, a move which has raised the fan's level of commitment to new heights.

"It wasn't easy admitting that I needed help," says Hardy. "To be honest, it was embarrassing to put my business out there, especially the parts about how overweight I've allowed myself to become and about the stacks of unpaid medical bills I still face daily, but I knew that if I truly wanted to be successful at this challenge, I'd have to put my pride aside, be real about my struggles, and ask for help. I am overwhelmed with gratitude to Mr. Joyner for his generosity. He trusts that I will make good on my promise to get the weight off and live healthier. I intend to do just that, and I look forward to keeping him updated on my progress along the way."

Under her Kamichi Jackson moniker, Hardy has started a blog to document what will be an understandably lengthy journey back to health and wellness. Through her writings, she hopes to both inspire and be inspired by women who are following similar paths.

"The blog is called Makeover-In-Action and can be found online at www.makeoverinaction.blogspot.com ," says the author, who now also attends weekly Weight Watchers meetings and will be working out at a local Curves exercise center three times a week. "I'll be blogging several times a week, writing about anything and everything related to weight loss, emotional health, depression, self-esteem, self-confidence, Type II Diabetes, healthy eating and living, heart health, plus-size fashions, et cetera. I'll also be posting my weight losses and struggles along the way, as well as corresponding with any readers who may submit comments or send private emails. I want to make this journey meaningful as well as fun, and I believe involving other people who can relate to what I'm doing will make it just that."

Also posted at the author's website are links to her online t-shirt kiosk, www.wordcanvas.com. There she sells t-shirts (as well as magnets, mugs, buttons and other such items) printed with original affirmations she has written to inspire both herself and others in this journey. Musings such as "I am not this body", "Sometimes being a loser can save your life" (which features a doctor's office type scale as a depiction of weight loss), "I walk tall…and it has nothing to do with the height of my heels", "stay motivated", "committed to it", and "exude confidence" are among the many sayings she's penned for these products. Hardy, who has twice been placed on disability leave from her place of employment since falling ill in 2005, plans to use proceeds from the sales there to pay various medical expenses incurred outside the scope of her health insurance plan.

"Getting sick is costly," she says. "Yet another reason to be proactive rather than reactive when it comes to your personal health."

Parties interested in sponsoring or advertising in the Makeover-In-Action Blog should drop an email to the author for additional information.

About the Author
Kamichi Jackson is the author of the middle reader book "You're Too Much, Reggie Brown", an upcoming young adult title ("K My Name Is Kendra") a forthcoming adult novel ("The Brownstone"), two unproduced screenplays ("On the Dotted Line" and "Cynda"), and several short stories, one of which ("Where Present Meets Past") is currently available for exclusive download at Amazon.com. Kamichi has made numerous appearances, among them the Baltimore Book Festival, and was a featured author at the 2006 Houston Black Film Festival. Formerly repped by Renee Byrd of the Sheba Media Group, the author is a member of the National Association of Black Female Executives in Music & Entertainment, the Hurston-Wright Foundation, and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. Kamichi currently resides in Northern Virginia with family as she continues to recover from recent medical issues.

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