5 of Hawai'i's unsung heroes awarded
By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer
Each year, the national Jefferson Awards recognize everyday heroes for their work through volunteerism.
Five Hawai'i residents of the award will be honored Friday. One will represent the state at presentation ceremonies in Washington, D.C.
The Jefferson Awards were founded by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, U.S. Sen. Robert Taft Jr. and Sam Beard in 1972 to give recognition to unsung heroes across the nation.
This year's Hawai'i recipients are:
GLENN MABSON
Glenn Mabson suffers from traumatic epilepsy as a result of beatings he received during the 18 months he served as a civilian prisoner of war in Vietnam. In 1996, he suffered such a violent seizure that he was arrested after tearing up a friend's house.
While in police custody he continued to suffer seizures and he said authorities refused to provide him with his medication. When he was released, Mabson considered suing the county.
Mabson
Instead, Mabson decided to work with the county and provide police and other law enforcement officers with proper training so they can recognize and deal with people who suffer seizures. With the help of his mother, Mabson created the Epileptic Foundation of Maui and has trained more than 3,300 emergency personnel through the foundation's two programs — First Aid to Epilepsy and Seizure Instructional Control.
The foundation also established a 24-hour hot line to help people who suffer from seizures. The hot line is credited with reducing the number of seizure-related deaths on Maui.
Mabson, 64, said he was surprised and "flabbergasted" when he found out he had won a Jefferson Award. "I love doing this work," he said.
PETTY FLOYD
The Rev. Claude Du Teil was more than just the pastor for Petty Floyd's family. So when Du Teil needed help setting up a shelter for the homeless, Floyd was one of the first to volunteer.
Twenty-six years later, the former "Peanut Butter Ministry" has grown to become O'ahu's largest emergency homeless shelter. Until just a few months ago, the 81-year-old Floyd was still volunteering at the Institute for Human Services, helping to plan and serve about 900 meals a day.
Floyd
Lynn Maunakea, IHS executive director, said Floyd is "one of the most reliable, energetic and caring volunteers IHS has ever known."
Floyd deflects any praise. "I'm still dumb-founded. I can't imagine why," she said. "I feel so undeserving because so many people helped along the way."
She said it was Du Teil who inspired her to help others. Du Teil died in January 1997.
"He was our family pastor and he was with me when my husband died. And when my children were married, why he was always there presiding. He was part of the family and I wanted to help him."
DR. MARC SHLACHTER
Dr. Marc Shlachter's 35 years of family practice in rural O'ahu have helped him come to be known as the "Country Doctor."
Shlachter lives the life of a throw-back physician, spending quality time with patients and making house calls to those who can't make it to his office. He also serves as the team doctor to the Kahuku football team and provides services to patients of the Crawford Convalescent Home and the Bobby Benson Center, a residential treatment center for adolescents who suffer from substance abuse and addiction.
Shlachter
Shlachter, 61, said he always wanted to work in a rural area and he found the perfect location more than 35 years ago.
"I went to a little town meeting with a half a dozen people at the old Hau'ula courthouse by these grassroots people who just wanted to get a full-time physician. It was so quaint, and I kind of fell in love with the situation and I've been here every since," he said.
Like many country doctors, Shlachter often receives gifts from grateful patients. At any given time, his office refrigerator and office are filled with fruit, fish and other seafood.
"For my family practice boards, you have to study for that every seven years, and in the textbook there's usually not even a mention of a house call," he said. "To me, that's really kind of the essence of family practice. If you can actually get into the family then everything crystallizes — how the house is kept, the support systems."
BRETT BULSECO
Brett Bulseco was a corrections officer at the Hawai'i Youth Correctional Facility when a male ward badly beat him with a bat.
"I didn't blame the kid because there wasn't anything there to help him. There was no treatment, nothing," said Bulseco, 37.
Bulseco
The attack made Bulseco realize there were major problems with the youth corrections system, as well as a dearth of programs for at-risk children.
So Bulseco quit his job about 10 years ago and with the help of his fiancee, Lynn Watanabe, started the Pearl City Youth Center. The center offers a variety of programs, including leadership training and job skills training. The center tracks the academic progress of the children and requires them to perform community service work. Bulseco said in any given month there are 35 to 250 youths who voluntarily take part in the programs.
"We have kids that are coming that need the help and are seeking the help so they're more apt to open themselves to the changes that need to occur," he said.
The Jefferson Award, he added, is proof that the center "is on the right track."
"I don't take it as a reward for something that I've done. It's more another way for us to see that we're doing what is right. And it helps us to prove to the kids that all the things that we're doing, and all the things that they're doing, are not going unnoticed," Bulseco said.
DR. CARL LUM
Dr. Carl Lum retired as a surgeon 15 years ago, but you'd never know it.
About four times a year, Lum volunteers on medical missions, often to Third World countries. He has worked in some of the poorest areas, performing six to eight surgeries a day during his weeklong stays.
Lum
When he's home, the 78-year-old Honolulu resident does surgeries and provides other services at the Aloha Medical Mission's free clinic in Palama.
The nonprofit Aloha Medical Mission sends teams of physicians abroad, providing free medical and dental services to those who could not have them otherwise. Volunteers pay for their own transportation, lodging and bring their own equipment and medicine.
It is estimated that Lum has provided about $1 million in free surgical care over the past eight years.
Lum returned Sunday from a mission to the Philippines. He said he enjoys going on these trips.
"It's very wonderful that when you're retired you can still help other people. There is a lot of need out there in this world," Lum said. "If we don't go and help them, nobody does. Most of these places that we go to, they just get no medical care. So if we don't go they either suffer from ... whatever ills them or they die from their condition."
Lum said another reason for these missions is to train the local doctors.
"In a lot of places there are surgeons, but they are very poorly trained. So every year when I go there I teach them," Lum said. "Over the years they've gotten much better."
Reach Curtis Lum at 525-8025 or culum@honoluluadvertiser.com.
