What is Saving Our Kids, Healing Our Planet?                                                                                               

SOKHOP (Saving Our Kids, Healing Our Planet) is the brainchild of a pediatric nurse with 30 years experience working with children’s health issues using nutritional methods (Maureen McDonnell, RN) and a mom (Jill Urwick) who has recovered two of her children, one from ADHD and one from autism, using natural interventions. Given their knowledge, passion and experience, these two women are forging a new approach to preventing and reversing many childhood illnesses and disorders that plague the recent generations of children.

By creating a Green Expo focused on children’s health, the co-founders of SOKHOP will highlight a multitude of safe, effective and naturally oriented products and services that positively impact various physical, behavioral and developmental problems. At the core of this effort is the belief that many of the physical and mental health issues affecting our children and in turn causing so much heartache, suffering, and emotional and financial drain on families today are preventable and recoverable using natural treatments. 

Too many industries have polluted the air, earth and water.  Numerous intra-body toxins are found in almost every child and adult tested. These toxins, combined with suboptimal nutrition are causing, if not exacerbating many of the conditions that are now so common in our children: Allergies, Autism, ADHD, Asthma, Bipolar Disorder, Diabetes and Childhood Cancers.  The World Health Organization states over 80 percent of major diseases are significantly affected by environmental exposures. This means many diseases could be prevented.
The bottom line is our children and the children of future generations have become victims of a culture that is choosing to use over 87,000 chemicals in our food, water, air and vaccines.  Because of this decision to abandon common sense and choose profit over people, we now have a lost generation of children:

The numbers are staggering:

1 in 150 children are being diagnosed with Autism

The CDC tells us 1 in 6 children in this country have either a behavioral, neurological or development condition

Asthma has more than doubled since 1980 and is the leading chronic disease among American children.
Cancer remains the leading cause of death by disease in children.
Leukemia and brain cancer have increased 23 percent and 28 percent, respectively since the 1970s.
1 in 6 children is now considered overweight.
1 in 400 - 500 children have diabetes.
 It's estimated that childhood cancer, asthma, neurodevelopmental disorders and lead poisoning cost our nation $54.9 billion annually.

It's time to take back our power as parents, teachers and therapists and stop this insanity!  Children are our future, but without their health, the future is in jeopardy.

To help parents, pediatricians, teachers, therapists etc learn safe and effective ways to prevent and reverse various health problems, SOKHOP will provide a forum for solutions:

In addition to showcasing green builders, healthy household products, organic clothing, whole foods, etc. there will be kid-friendly demonstrations on recycling, composting, juicing, cooking and growing organic food.  We will also bring in renowned holistic pediatricians and authors to discuss safe and effective natural alternatives to antibiotics, safe vaccine schedules, greening the home, and the role of vitamins and minerals in preventing and reversing various childhood physical and mental conditions.

100% of the profits generated from this event will be donated to Vital Interventions Accessible (a 501c3 organization that is devoted to helping families of children with disabilities seek safe and effective interventions and therapies).

Saving our Kids, Healing our Planet will take place at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina the weekend of September 26-28, 2008