77 Central Street, Manchester, NH 03101 • www.DaveNixonLaw.com • 603.669.7070 • October 2018
FIGHT LIKE A GIRL MY WIFE’S BATTLE WITH BREAST CANCER
F or those of you who don’t know, October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It has me thinking about how important family is and that, no matter how hard things get, it’s important to stick together. My wife, Anne, is a two-time breast cancer survivor, and looking back at how much we went through and how far we’ve come makes me incredibly thankful for having her in my life. The first time she was diagnosed was during her very first mammogram, and it was a shock. Anne had no prior history or experience with breast cancer — none of her previous family members had been diagnosed. The gynecologist who had been with us throughout Anne’s pregnancy with our first daughter was sick when she was pregnant with our second. So Anne started seeing midwives, who all insisted that she get a basic mammogram, even though she was younger than the required age. Anne went in when she was 37, though the required age is around 40. She had the mammogram done and discovered that she had breast cancer.
time, I was in my last year of law school, applying for jobs, and we had three kids at home.
The date for her follow-up was on the same day I was supposed to have a job interview here at Nixon and Vogelman Law. When I found out what day it was, I told her, “Look, I’ll cancel my interview and go with you.” She looked right at me and said, “No, you go to your interview. We know that I’ll have cancer again because that’s just what seems to be happening right now. It’s not going to change if you skip your interview.” I ended up going to the firms’ location to do the job interview and was in the parking lot when she called me. “Yup, we were right. I have cancer.” When I heard that, I told her, “I’ll leave right now.” But just like before, she told me, “No, what difference would it make if you came here right now? Go do your interview.”
Anne and Kirk Simoneau
During these hard times, something amazing happened. The dean at the law school I was attending, John Hudson, taught a really early class. Many of the students would joke about having coffee with the dean because it was so early. Hudson had heard about my wife being diagnosed for the second time with breast cancer because the class was so small. One morning, he walked into the classroom and sat down right next to me. He put his arm around me and in my ear told me, “Son, what the hell are you doing here? Go home to your wife.” I never attended a class after that, and he still gave me a B.
“
I was in law school at the time, and it was
The second time my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer put a lot of stress on my family. Anne had to get a mastectomy, and at one point we thought we were going to lose her because she had lost so much blood. I’ll tell ya, watching my wife go through that struggle and reconstruction was really difficult. I’m happy to say that we’re still together, stronger and closer than ever.
The first time she was diagnosed was during her very first mammogram, and it was a shock. Anne had no prior history or experience with breast cancer — none of her previous family members had been diagnosed.
a struggle getting through that, but I
made sure that I was with her every step of the way, supporting her in the best way I could. Then, after her treatment, 6–9 months after her first diagnosis, Anne went back to get another mammogram. At that
One of the most impactful things about this is that my daughters know what it looks like to truly overcome a challenge. Each of my girls knows what it’s like to “fight like a girl” and win. I believe it’s exceptional for a young woman to see something like this and use it as an example throughout life.
”
–Kirk Simoneau
603.669.7070 • 1
Guiding you through life’s trials
Foods That Cause and Reduce Inflammation FIND THE RIGHT FOOD BALANCE
Sugar: One of the biggest culprits behind inflammation, sugar is far worse than eating fatty foods. It’s best to skip foods that have added sugar (and this includes sugar of any kind, including corn syrup, fructose, and sucrose). Many manufacturers now label food with more specific kinds of sugar to hide the fact that they added sugar to their product. Be sure to read labels carefully! Refined carbs: Basically anything made from white flour falls into this category, including bread, pasta, baked goods, and cereals. Research suggests that refined carbs may be a bigger contributing factor than fat in obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Alcohol: Too much alcohol puts a burden on your liver, an organ that helps flush toxins out of the body. You know all of those detox diets? They don’t work. In fact, the only way to detox is to let your liver do its job. When you consume alcohol, it’s harder for the liver to pump out the toxins in your body. When it can’t do its job properly, the result is inflammation.
Now, for the good stuff. Eat these foods to reduce inflammation:
Blueberries: Many studies call blueberries one of the best fruits you can eat to ease symptoms of inflammation. These blue orbs of goodness are packed with antioxidants, vitamin C, polyphenols, and so much more. Eat a handful every day! Salmon: As a source of healthy fats and omega-3 fatty acids, salmon is one of the best protein choices for people with inflammatory conditions, or for those who want to keep inflammation at bay. Broccoli: One of the most nutritious and easily accessible vegetables around, the little green buds that cover the tops of broccoli are loaded with anti- inflammatory compounds.
The food you eat plays a major role in how your body functions on the cellular level. Some foods can wreak havoc on your body, while others can make you feel great. This is especially true when it comes to that all-too-common ailment, inflammation.
Here are a few examples of foods that lead to inflammation:
Carly Cengher
Steadfast Fighter for Justice
Carly Cengher has been a welcome addition on our team at Nixon, Vogelman, Slawsky & Simoneau P. A. since she started last year. “I mostly work with Larry Vogelman,” Carly says. “I sought him out as a law student, and he became my mentor throughout law school. I help him move his cases along.” When she isn’t helping Vogelman, Carly helps us out with our litigations and client intake. “I take phone calls and interview the clients to help set up a case.”
been passionate about police misconduct and civil-rights issues,” she explains. She feels strongly about helping those who were wrongly placed in prison and those who have been mistreated by the law. While her focus is in law, she also has great interest in language. “In Chicago, I studied the classics and got a degree in ancient Greek and Latin.” She taught both subjects for a while before she heeded her life’s call. “Even though I still enjoy both languages, I wanted to be involved in what is happening now, in the present.” In her free time, Carly enjoys spending time by the water. “I’m from San Diego,” she says. “And I miss the ocean.” She likes canoeing and kayaking with her husband whenever she gets the chance. At home, she enjoys spending time reading, going on walks, and amusing her four cats. “I have my own cat rescue going on,” she jokes. “I spend a lot of time with them. Two of them are brothers that I rescued — they’re both pretty young. The other two are older, around 13–14 years old.”
Along with working at our office, Carly volunteers with the Domestic and Other Violence Emergencies (DOVE) program. “I can represent a few clients in court this way,” she explains. “I work on Rule 36, and Kirk Simoneau sponsors me for that.” Most of her clients have been from DOVE, and she’s determined to continue helping those who have been mistreated.
Having Carly here with us completes our team and fulfills our goal to give our clients the best possible outcome they deserve.
When a person goes to jail or prison on a false charge, or if an unjust ruler of power has wronged an individual, Carly wants to make things right. “I’ve always
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Proving the Value of Human Life A MORAL VICTORY
should hand over the insurance money to a client who experienced this situation. The insurance company was unwilling to pay anything to the parents for the loss of their child. We exchanged many letters with the insurance company as we fought for our client’s rights. At one point, we told them, “Let’s pretend that this baby wasn’t a baby, and instead pretend it was a kidney that the mother lost. How would that prevent you from giving her a claim? How would it be any different?” But the insurance company held their ground.
what a jury says about this.” As soon as they realized how serious we were and that we weren’t going to back down, they sent over the lawyer who was representing them. Their lawyer let us know that they were going to pay the full policy for our clients. The real success rests on the importance of family. Our clients didn’t want to lose their child, but in this moment of tragedy, they did. We provided them the life-changing means for them to move on from this devastating moment. We stood our ground and proved that there is real value in all human life.
Kirk Simoneau shares a moral victory in a life- changing situation.
Until January of this year, a fetus wasn’t considered a human being in New Hampshire. Senate Bill 66 changed that view. Before this bill was passed, if a woman were involved in a car crash and lost her child, she wouldn’t have a claim for that loss. Now, in that same situation, the family has a right to claim at the result of a loss. The bill states, “A viable fetus shall be included in the definition of ‘another’ for purposes of certain criminal offenses.”
Recently, we resolved a case where we convinced the insurance company, despite the law, that they
At that point, we were done playing games. In another letter, we finally told them, “Let’s see
Be Inspired and
Have a Laugh
603.669.7070 • 3
Guiding you through life’s trials
77 Central Street Manchester, NH 03101 www.DaveNixonLaw.com 603.669.7070
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INSIDE This Issue
Breast Cancer Awareness Month
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The Best and Worst Foods for Inflammation Meet Our Resolute Representative!
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A Moral Victory
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Forget the Haunted House — How About a Haunted Island?
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THE MOST HAUNTED PLACE IN THE WORLD The Horrors of Poveglia, Italy
When you think of spooky places, odds are good that the local version of a haunted house — perhaps with teenagers dressed up as chainsaw villains — comes to mind. You might even get someone to take you to the local penitentiary, where they’ll try to convince you that a draft is actually the movement of a tormented soul. After Oct. 31, though, that spooky atmosphere will fade away, and you’ll be left with just a fleeting memory of what you believed might be a haunted place. But there is one location on earth that is truly haunted year-round.
50 percent of the soil on the island is made up of the ash from these funeral rites.
While the ash-ridden soil would deter many, it did not stop the locals from turning the island into a mental asylum in the 1800s. Shortly after the asylum opened, all its inhabitants reportedly lost their wits, making it impossible to tell the doctors from the patients. The doctors on the island were rumored to have gone insane and begun performing questionable experiments on live subjects. Some patients died; others lost their minds. The island quickly claimed them all. Today, Poveglia is completely abandoned. Local fishermen are unwilling to cast their nets off its shores out of fear. They even report hearing chimes from the island’s church bell, but they still refuse to dock their ships. Locals decline to visit the island for fear of the curse that claimed the lives of so many. The very few who dare set foot on the island do not stay for long, claiming to feel a profound disturbance that overwhelms the soul.
The abandoned island of Poveglia, Italy, was the site of some of the worst horrors
in human history. In 1348, the region surrounding Venice was struck with the
bubonic plague, and the infected were sent to Poveglia to die. Once the plague had taken their lives, the victims’ bodies were stacked on pyres and burned. It’s said that
If you’re taken to a haunted house this Halloween, be thankful. Anyone can handle a quick scare from someone dressed up in a costume. No one has been able to handle the curse of Poveglia, and no one ever will.
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