Moonlight Fund, Inc.

01/13/2025

https://la-story.com/2018/12/the-burning-question-who-will-foot-the-bill-for-americas-increasing-burn-care-costs-guest-expert-post/

Probably you will wonder WHY I chose to run this specific guest expert post- particularly after you read it. It's quite different from the usual topics I feature. There are many reasons why-- but bottom-line, this is not a Pollyanna story but one about a woman who had suffered a great tragedy and ov...

10/27/2024

Dinner @ Signature, then back to my place to enjoy the talented Gregory Smith. Pianist, composer and singer extraordinaire!

10/26/2024

Rex Hausmann’s art gallery never disappoints!!!

10/26/2024

In reading the book Libertad, I was taken on a journey through time that was both unexpected and educational. From the first chapter I was thrust into pre-civil war slavery, the writer pulls you in with incredible prose' and descriptions that are sometimes difficult to read, yet necessary for the content of this story. The parallels she draws between the suffrage and civil rights movement moving into the 80's gay scene will be eye opening for all readers. Expect the unexpected, you'll get it here, each chapter will take you on a journey. Dutch slavers are exposed for their invasion of west Africa on the heals of the Brazilians, who took the young and strong from the Congo, Angola and Mozambique, many would never make the journey alive and perhaps that's a blessing, the Brazilians exacted cruel and exact measures of punishment while capturing their prisoners. Many times they were assisted by African's that had traded their freedom and willingly gave up their villages. The author carefully weaves you through time, exploring the Roman and Egyptian empires and the Armenian genocide. Back to the Byzantine and Ottoman eras, in the glory days of Constantinople. Slaves were treated much like a bad piece of pottery, if it broke, you replaced it. Everyone owned numerous pieces of pottery, it's cheap, and it's disposable, get my drift? Just when you think you've had enough of a history lesson, the author thrusts you into the 21'st century and the cruel reality of today. Slavery remains in numerous areas of the world and in more "civilized" countries, we have introduced laws that now create an atmosphere of "power over the people." The author begs the question, "are we much different today that in the days of Constantinople? "This book was a page turner for me and made me think on an entirely new level about the way we treat our fellow man / woman and about the powers and authority given to others that may abuse those privileges. It was a privilege to be one of the first to review this book, it's a masterpiece of history, and a thought provoking work. It's a brave, fearless look at mankind's need to punish, persecute and exact pain, whatever the cost.

10/10/2024

Celia Belt, as a child almost two years old, was badly injured when her abusive father threw boiling water over her. Treatments left her permanently scarred, but her strength and courage allowed her to survive that and numerous other tribulations throughout a difficult childhood and young adulthood. As a child, she survived her father’s alcoholism, abuse, and abandonment of the family, and helped to support and raise her younger siblings. As a grown woman, she raised three children, married several times until she found the love of her life – and then lost him to cancer – built a career in real estate and as a sales manager for a pickle manufacturer, learned to ride horseback and hunt, and founded a charity called the Moonlight Foundation that helps provide financial and emotional help for burn survivors and their families. This autobiography tells the story of how she survived everything thrown at her and came out, well, REMARKABLY INTACT.

REMARKABLY INTACT is a powerful, painful and yet hopeful story, full of twists and turns, obstacles to overcome, successes and failures, grief and joy. Celia’s personality shines through, along with the innate toughness that has allowed her to survive traumas that would debilitate a normal person while maintaining a cheerfully optimistic perspective on life. The kindness and warmth that allow her to speak even of her abusive father with loving forgiveness are indeed impressive. Her writing is full of verve and humor, charming, lively and quite readable. She doesn’t gloss over her failings or past mistakes, but relates them with the same sort of acceptance and affectionate compassion for her younger self as she has for others who hurt her – a healthy response and a good example for readers struggling with their own past burdens. Also evident is her determination and energetic drive to succeed, creating a vigorously productive career and a rich and fulfilling life for herself and her kids.

REMARKABLY INTACT is an inspiring and positive story of one woman not only surviving, but learning to thrive despite everything life could throw at her.

~Catherine Langrehr for IndieReader

10/10/2024

10/07/2024

Celia LaVon Belt, a burn and abuse survivor, underwent thirty-one surgeries before the age of nine, and would be subjected to dozens more later on. This is her story.
“They brought in a priest to read me last rites,” she recalls.

By Celia Belt

Celia Belt
SURVIVOR • AUTHOR • ACTIVIST
My journey caring for burn survivors began in 1998. After some time volunteering on the burn unit at Brooke Army Medical Center, I realized the need for nonprofit support for burn survivors and their families. It was a humble gesture, cofounding Moonlight Fund. I had no desire to change lives, help thousands, or make it my life’s mission. I was leading a comfortable life and truly was not in need of another “project.” Yet, here I am, twenty-one years later, living and breathing this life’s work of mine.

Before founding the Fund, I had a career, material possessions, and status, all of which were important to me. I never dreamed of a life of servitude, nor did I desire it. My work with burn survivors and their families has changed me and those in my life for the better. It has not been an easy road, watching the pain and suffering of so many, particularly during the war. My heart broke repeatedly and there were many days I thought of quitting. This mission was more than I could bear, and I was sure it would soon break me. I have also seen miracles and been a part of many remarkable journeys with these burn survivors, whom I now refer to as “my people.”

My seven-day work weeks (unpaid) are the most fulfilling of my life. I do this to raise the necessary funds to help these souls regain some semblance of life. Although Moonlight Fund is a blessing to many, I can’t help but feel personally blessed by this work I do. It’s not just the money they require; they need someone to listen, to care, and a hug at the end of the day. The families are also in need and have become like family to me, something I never expected to happen, yet, I am grateful to have these souls in my life for they have shown me how to live, with true humility.

I have come to realize that the human spirit is much stronger than what many of us may believe. We run through our lives not taking the time to truly enjoy the moment because we have never been faced with the gut-wrenching thought that the next moment might not come to us. The will to live, to survive and thrive—against all odds—is a remarkable thing to watch and something that is not quick to leave your heart or your mind. I’ve stood by and heard many a doctor state, “He won’t make it, or, it won’t be long,” only to have these people in my life today, as alive and active as you and I. They bravely go out in public, scars bared for all to see, and enjoy this life that was left to them. And yes, it takes bravery to be a burn survivor, it takes nerves of steel and some backbone to take those first steps out in public and accept the stares of others. Many have stood at the doorway of death, expecting to embrace Valhalla and fully realize, more than the rest of us, what a blessing each and every day we have on this earth truly is. I see the joy in their eyes and the thankfulness in their hearts, for they know, because they live as survivors. Looking upon them, the word warrior often comes to mind.
About the author
Celia Belt, a burn survivor, is the founder of the award-winning Moonlight Fund Inc., a non-profit organization that provides financial and emotional assistance to burn survivors and their families. She is the author of Remarkably Intact: Angels Are No Strangers to Chains (Broer Books, paper, $18.95). For more information, visit: www.remarkablyintact.com.

Want more news? Read the article on the Apple News app. Remember to subscribe to our newsletter. Follow The Scope Weekly™ on Twitter and Facebook and Instagram.

If you would like to become a contributor to The Scope Weekly™, read our submission guidelines, and apply. For product reviews, click here.

Share this:

10/07/2024

Celia LaVon Belt, a burn and abuse survivor, underwent thirty-one surgeries before the age of nine, and would be subjected to dozens more later on. This is her story.

10/07/2024

https://fb.watch/v3YC4lKWe4/

10/01/2024

Horseback riding Retreat:) 🐴🐣

10/01/2024

Sitting by the fire pit at night, watching a roaring fire and gazing at the amazing moon and stars overhead. I could not help but wonder, are they looking back at me, do the stars know the journey of my past months, the road I have walked?

~ Excerpt, My ValHalla, by

09/30/2024

The Burning Question: Who Will Foot the Bill for America’s Increasing Burn-Care Costs? | via LA Story https://ow.ly/pSy150SzQtP

"Probably you will wonder WHY I chose to run this specific guest expert post- particularly after you read it. It’s quite different from the usual topics I feature. There are many reasons why– but bottom-line, this is not a Pollyanna story but one about a woman who had suffered a great tragedy and overcame the obstacles that faced her.

Given that California for the last 18 months has suffered through a huge number of disastrous fires, there are clearly some people who have had horrific burns from those fires. Also many in the military have suffered significant burn injuries in combat. How do we help them? What do we do? Can those individuals regain their footing and their lives?

The point to be made is that your life is not over – even when you face the most horrific events. It’s important to know that there is something powerful that can be learned – and achieved- through the process of healing

LA-Story.com is pleased to introduce you to Celia LaVon Belt.

Celia LaVon Belt is a remarkable woman with an extraordinary story of beating the odds. A burn and abuse survivor, she underwent thirty-one surgeries before the age of nine, and would be subjected to dozens more later on. “They brought in a priest to read me last rites,” she recalls.

Remarkably, she’s still here and able to share what she’s learned over a lifetime that almost never was. Belt, a successful entrepreneur and founder of The Moonlight Fund, an award-winning non-profit organization for burn survivors and their families, has never shied away from challenges.

“In the twenty years since its founding, we’ve touched the lives of 10,000 burn survivors and their families.”

Belt recently received the Distinguished Citizen Medal from the Daughters of the American Revolution for the work she’s done with wounded vets. In addition to ministering to the emotional, financial, and physical needs of burn survivors, Belt’s organization is busy addressing systemic issues as well, lobbying state and federal lawmakers to increase benefits for burn survivors.

Each year in the United States, half a million Americans will be treated for burns so severe as to require hospitalization. The “survivors”—including more than three-hundred children each day and a drastic increase in U.S. military members since the turn of the millennium—can be expected to undergo arduous, agonizing surgeries and painful rehabilitation lasting for years."

Read more: https://ow.ly/pSy150SzQtP

09/29/2024

I viewed the trees and how they moved in the wind, my first glimpse through a real window. It had been months since I looked out a real window. Glass, I was looking through glass, it was surreal. It was more than I could ask for. I thanked the Gods for blessing me with the simple things. I could once again breathe the fresh air, sit in the sun, and view the stunning moon at night.

~ Excerpt, My ValHalla, by

09/28/2024

New release alert!

My latest release, 𝑀𝑦 𝑉𝑎𝑙𝐻𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑎, is now available for purchase (print & ebook).

💥 Click to learn more: https://ow.ly/fBB750T8T6u by

A memoir of injustice and despair ... but survival and triumph.

I was taken down to the murky depths of despair, in the waters deep. Beyond light, into darkness, I thought I'd never once again experience. I was afraid, fighting, and utterly alone. I climbed a mountain, the rocky shores of forgotten seas, to swim out. Navigating waves and currents, I didn't think possible to pass, and yet I did ... I found my way through pure grit and determination.

My source was deep within me. It was me. I was that little girl that had survived so much. How could I not survive this? I looked to my left and to my right; no help presented itself. I would have to do this on my own. Seeking and searching, I began the journey.

I fought, I gathered, I bartered, I won some and lost some. I was winning on days and losing on others. This would be a journey that only I could take.

Each of us has a journey; that journey is ours alone. How we navigate it is of our own choosing. The pitfalls, the barricades, and the blockades that impede us cannot stand in our way!

09/27/2024

Healing Past Traumas by Writing about Them | Stanford https://ow.ly/xIYw50Tr9hU

"Writing about trauma helps most when people have been bottling up their feelings and not sharing them with others."

09/26/2024

“Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.”

~ Dr. Maya Angelou

09/25/2024

Service Dogs Can Be Invaluable in Helping People with PTSD | American Psychological Association https://ow.ly/V8g350Tr916

​​​​​​​"Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects an estimated one in seven adults at some time in their lives and it affects a large percentage of military members and veterans."

09/24/2024

With my fearless self, I move forward. I face a trial. I am fearless, I am whole, I know my truth, I have by my side good attorneys, and I have the backing of the advocates of Texas Disabilities and Texas Jail House Project.

~ Excerpt, My ValHalla, by