ERI4MRI

With some members of Congress seeming to wage war on women's health lately, it's refreshing--and kind of surprising--to find a man fighting back. With a chain-saw, no less.

Just yesterday I heard on the news that a woman who has a heart attack is more likely to die of it than a man is because our symptoms are different and often more subtle. We don't even know we've got a problem, much less a big one. But unless you've got amazing health coverage, you don't get to have an MRI because that costs a lot of money.

But Lee Schiel has developed a type of imaging that he describes as a lot more sophisticated than the usual MRI, and a lot cheaper. As much as ten times cheaper, or more.

Schiel, believe it or not, is also a wood-cutter. When Hurricane Pasadena came through town he went out with his collection of fancy saws to see how he could help. And his mental light bulb went on: chop these things up and make them pay for safe, low-cost, walk-in cardiac screening services for women and youth.

If I were that creative with my combined coffee-drinking and dog-sauntering skills I could make millions for the Save My Knees campaign.

I like to keep my posts short and the story of Schiel, his chain saw and his imaging technology is detailed. We're talking medical technology here. Laura Berthold Monteros does an excellent job of laying it out for you in her article for the Altadena Examiner.

Through February 24th, between noon and dusk, you can buy one or more of these blocks (this one's about two feet square), larger landscape pieces or a fire-starter kit. Schiel will customize a block if you like (see Monteros' article for photos). The money pays for women's cardiac screening programs in Southern California. The pieces are at 368 Parkwood in Pasadena, in the yard where once stood the giant tree that gave its heart to make them.

For more information, contact Cathy Vital at (626) 376-0459.
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