Episode transcript:

Angela Barrett – “Hey, Carol. Thanks for being with me today.”

Carol Davis – “Well, thank you, Angela. Thank you for having me.”

Angela Barrett – “Absolutely. Now, Carol, you’re the location coordinator for, Wreaths Across America for the Fort Jackson. Fort Jackson National Cemetery. Correct?”

Carol Davis – Correct.

Angela Barrett – So what does a location coordinator do? Because it sounds like you do a lot more than tell people where the location is.

Carol Davis – “It’s a little bit a little bit, but our job and there is a group of us, we have a team. Our job is to organize the program, organize as the, wreath purchases, let people know, reach out to the community, to businesses, organizations and individuals and let them know exactly what Wreaths Across America is and why we have it.”

Angela Barrett – “Well, that brings me to my next question. Tell me what wreaths Across America is.”

Carol Davis – “Wreaths Across America is a program to remember and honor our veterans who have passed. Remember, honor and teach is our motto. Remember those that served and had passed. Honor those that are still serving and have served. And to teach our children that freedom isn’t free and it’s at a cost that one day they may be asked to pay.”

Angela Barrett – “Right now, this is, a year long project for you guys to get ready for what is really right at Christmas time. But, tell us when and why this all started. Give me a hint.”

Carol Davis – “Well, some will tell you that it happened by accident. I don’t believe in this type of accident. I believe that was a divine purpose. The Wooster family up in may have been in the wreath business for generations. They have miles and miles and miles of balsam forest and their business. They tip these trees. They’re not cut.”

Carol Davis – “They’re tipped. And the rest are made that way. Will Morrow Wooster, who is head of the family now? About 25 years ago, they ended up with about 5000 wreaths at the end of the season. And he remembered as a small boy winning a trip to Washington from his paper route. And he went to Arlington National Cemetery and was totally impressed.”

Carol Davis – “And it stuck with him. So he thought, you know what? I’m not going to suppose that these wreaths I’m going to call up there. So he called Arlington and he said, hi, I’ve got these wreaths. We would love to get them to you. And they said, well, sure, but you’ll have to come up here and put them out.”

Carol Davis – “We can’t do that. So he packed a man a truck, packed his family, and off he went to Arlington. And for about 5 or 6 years, the family did that. That was their big thing. That family thing. Well, it caught on. People started saying, well, how can we do this for our cemetery? So the family started reconsidering their business and decided that they wanted to give back.”

Carol Davis – “And that’s technically how Race Across America started. People heard about it and saw about it. Now, to be honest, I don’t know anywhere in the world. I don’t know how they do it, but I don’t know anywhere in the world. You can buy a real balsam wreath for $17. How they do it? I don’t know, but they do.”

Carol Davis – “And, so every year nail all across the country and this year it would be in 4800 cemeteries in the in the U.S. and in other countries where we have our veterans buried. We’ll be placing over 4.5 million trees across the country this year.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, wow.”

Carol Davis – “Yeah. And the thing is, people make the mistake of saying Christmas tree. This is not a Christmas tree. This is a veterans memorial wreath. And it’s to remind us that we are to honor, respect, and know that they are loved and that they are victorious. Now they have passed. But you’ve got to realize and remember that a veteran does twice, once when they draw their last breath and the last time their name is spoken out loud.”

Carol Davis – “So we encourage everyone at every cemetery. When you go and place that wreath, say their name. Say it out loud. It’s important to keep their spirit alive.”

Angela Barrett – Right in there. That brings me to. Because I’ve heard you say this several times. Tell me there’s this important. Someone talk about the importance of one.

Carol Davis – The importance of one is amazing. We are the one. One person tip that tree. One person took those boughs and made a wreath. One person packed that ring. One person put it in a truck. One truck driver drove that truck here. One person unpacked it. One person. Place that wreath. One person sponsored that raid. We are all the ones.

Carol Davis – It is up to us. The ones to remember. An honored veteran.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, I like always. Like when you tell a story. That’s a good one. And so now back to the wreaths again. We don’t call them Christmas wreaths. You said they’re called. What, again?”

Carol Davis – They are veterans Memorial rates. We are remembering them respecting ban and honoring their victory over death.

Angela Barrett – “And so, for those who’ve never been to one of these ceremonies, can I go over? What happens? And then we’ll get to how we get there to that. You name some of that, but you’re remembering one. But I talk about that day and how special it is.”

Carol Davis – “Well, people hesitate sometimes. They think that you’re going to be depressed coming out to a cemetery. You’re not the. It’s the final resting place for thousands of our South Carolina veterans. And when you step on that property, a calm comes over. You. You know that those veterans at peace are at peace there. We go there to make that happen.”

Carol Davis – “It’s a trick trying to take care of thousands of people. But because of the ones that volunteered. It happens. And it happens smoothly. We had the ones of the military that participate. We have the ones of the Jared season, the scouts and the adults and the organizations. Our sheriff’s department, everybody, all the ones come together to make it happen.”

Carol Davis – “And when you come out that day, you will see what it really means. We have a wonderful program. Music, good people speaking that let you know from their heart what it means to honor of the veteran. I will say that you’ll have a few laughs. The Department of Correction and the Sheriff’s Department have donated busses to help us transport people into the cemetery.”

Carol Davis – “Because we have so many a time, we literally have thousands. We had about 7000 last year. And so we don’t have vehicles in the cemetery for that protection. So the joke is you’ll be riding the prison bus if you had to put it, getting on. Will wonder if you’ve written it before or would they care less again.”

Angela Barrett – When.

Carol Davis – Arts get a really big kick out of it? But it’s because everyone has come together that all the ones. All the ones.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Now there is a in an official ceremony. I know, like, for when you go to a funeral. A lot of times you hear taps and, just going to assume that that is played there, as well. And visually.”

Carol Davis – Absolutely.

Angela Barrett – “I got to cry on that one anyway. But,”

Carol Davis – “There is a funny little story about that from the 16th year. And when we had our first ceremony. I was involved with a deployment program, out at Fort Jackson and the 1/71 were the ones that accommodated us for everything that we asked for to help. And so when I approached them and I said, I want taps and I want a 21 gun salute.”

Carol Davis – “They said, no, you don’t. Oh, no, no, no, I want a 21 gun salute. No, Miss Carroll, you do not want a 21 gun salute. Now, I thought, well, what do I want? He said, you want cannons? I want Anna, I want handguns have froze. For the first several years, we had cannons. And then I got a call after the same ceremony one year from the director, and he said, Miss Carroll, we can’t have cannons anymore.”

Carol Davis – “And I went, why not? He said, well, you know that nice new columbarium that we built? He said, well, the cannons repercussion kind of cracked them.”

Angela Barrett – Oh. Whoa.

Carol Davis – So that was the last time we had cannons. But Fort Jackson. And so we’re going to have in place.

Angela Barrett – Of that now.

Carol Davis – We have the 21 gun salute.

Angela Barrett – “All right, so we’re bringing that. All right, for now.”

Carol Davis – “We’re back to the 21 gun salute, and we get that. And, Fort Jackson, McIntyre. Shaw Joint base. Yes. They all participate. They all help. And we had just numbers of that. I’m just oodles of veterans.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Fantastic. Yeah, I’ve seen videos. I’ve just never personally been. My goal is obviously this year to get there. Oh, you, So now and these, these are the people that place the wreaths on, the grave site. They do that during this ceremony or is that already been done?”

Carol Davis – “Oh, no no no no, the, that’s the wreath placement ceremony immediately follows the actual ceremony program. And the our public is invited to go out and help place raise. Now we do have family placement starting at 9 a.m. that morning until 1130, where families can come in and place their wreaths prior to the ceremony. Okay. They had the honor of placing their wreath and spending a little time there and and with their family and and I don’t want to say enjoy, but feel that closeness with them.”

Angela Barrett – “For sure should be a joyous, to be able to do that. And we’ve been talking about this, but we’ll give everybody it’s December 14th. What? Yeah.”

Carol Davis – Correct. The actual ceremony starts at noon. The busses will start bringing the public in at ten. Yeah. Starting Easter? Yeah. Our parking. Is it the Blue Cross Blue Shield parking lot on Percival Road? You will be directed because you will not be the. The sheriff’s depart will not let you into the cemetery. So you will be directed straight to that parking area.

Carol Davis – “And, there’ll be plenty of people to tell you where to park and hop on a bus. And I will tell you, security is tight, so don’t get upset if a dog sniffs you. It’s a good dog.”

Angela Barrett – “Long as you’re not getting anything wrong, or your.”

Carol Davis – Long as you got nothing on you. You’re okay.

Angela Barrett – “Now, how did you get started in this? How did you get involved?”

Carol Davis – By accident. Again?

Angela Barrett – I don’t believe that.

Carol Davis – “I was working with, Like I said, the deployment program for Task Force Marshall at. At Fort Jackson, and, the cemetery wasn’t even built then, but a friend of mine was working with the program over at Florence National Cemetery. And she said, you know, Carol, she said, you really ought to get the program going here at Fort Jackson.”

Carol Davis – “And that’s about there is a cemetery finished yet. But what we did is she went with me, bless Laurie’s heart. And we talked to Jean Lynch while our. And, I will say he was he was very sweet, very tongue in cheek. When I explained to him the type of program I wanted to do and he said, well, mascara.”

Carol Davis – “Let me just say this. He said, I’ve worked many cemeteries that had had the program, and probably the best you can get is get a few people to help you unload the truck and put out the race as a you do not know the Midlands of South Carolina because we are the most military friendly community there is and people are just waiting for an opportunity to be told what they can do to remember and honor our veterans.”

Carol Davis – “And he just smiled. And the first year, we only had 346 graves out there. But we had more people than that that first year. Each year it has grown. And Jean Lynch, well, I actually retired last year. And he said, you know, I have to admit you did it. He said, never in my wildest imagination that I think this, this ceremony would be the size it is and reach as many people.”

Carol Davis – “He said, you are our number one program. I said, well, thank you, but don’t thank me. Thank all the people, all the ones that said yes. I get to hear all the oh, you did great. I didn’t do great. Our team did great. I mean did great. One person cannot do this that it’s analyzable.”

Angela Barrett – “Right. I agree it does. It does take, more than one, but it does take a leader. And I think you’ve proven that for sure. Now, when did you. You said when you first started there? We. The first time y’all had 16 years ago, the ceremony. There were only. How many graves?”

Carol Davis – “346. And how many do you have now? There I go. This year, 17,000 wreaths. There are 17,000 people buried there, but there are not that many headstones.”

Angela Barrett – “And,”

Carol Davis – “But the reason we set our goal for this number is to keep ahead of the game a little bit each year. Because the cemetery is growing so rapidly, they’re averaging 125 burials a month. And with Florence filling up and Buford filling up, everyone will be coming here that wants to be buried at the national set, a national cemetery.”

Carol Davis – “Now, that’s not to say that all of the graves are filled at Florence and Buford, but they’re all spoken for. Gosh, they’re already been crying. So ours is increasing rapidly.”

Angela Barrett – “Right. Yeah, I would imagine, yes, at that rate. Now, Lewis Carroll, you are a lithium, a cancer survivor, correct?”

Carol Davis – “Oh, yes. I didn’t know you knew that.”

Angela Barrett – “Well, one more, testament to, what a strong person you are. Tell me a little bit about that experience. I know it was when you finally rang the bell. I know that was a probably a.”

Carol Davis – Heck I was. I danced to the bell.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, I bet you did. Now, And when was that? The. When you, Your last cancer treatment.”

Carol Davis – My last cancer treatment was in August of 19.

Angela Barrett – Wow. Wow. Congratulations.

Carol Davis – “And, so I pleaded my five year.”

Angela Barrett – Yes. Congratulations. And that is a big step. And I.

Carol Davis – “It is mad, not February. My doctor walked in that room, just a few weeks ago with the biggest smile on his face, and I went, is that a good smile? He said, you’re still my miracle patient.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, because you actually had stage four.”

Carol Davis – I did.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Well, I am telling you, I know that people say this all the time, but when you have watched people in your family or friends with cancer and someone like you, is ups, a lot of times it is mind over matter. You have to have that mindset and then obviously a good team of doctors, but I mean good.”

Carol Davis – Team of doctors and the good.

Angela Barrett – “Lord. That’s right. That’s exactly right. A lot of prayers. But, yeah, just one more testament to your, your strength. And, I’m sure that plays a lot with your leadership and how well you, have done there.”

Carol Davis – “There again, a lot of people supporting me.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. In the team. Absolutely. So now you also had something coming up, the night this coming Monday, right?”

Carol Davis – “Is that right? I do have. Well, December 9th.”

Angela Barrett – I was December 9th.

Carol Davis – “That’s right. December nights are is. But I actually do have something coming up. It’s Monday, and I’ll tell you about that in a minute. But. All right, December 9th, we had the Race Across America ceremony at the South Carolina Veterans Memorial on the state House grounds. Yeah. And, and that will be at noon, and the public is invited.”

Carol Davis – “And in keeping with that, on, Monday at 9:00 at the state House of Representatives, Chris Wooten and Representative Micah Caskey will be presenting us with the governor’s proclamation claiming December is Race Across America Month and the state of South Carolina.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, nice. He’s from Lexington, where I am.”

Carol Davis – So you’re sanctioned to meet her? That’s right.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. So the nights at noon will be at the state House, and that’s December night. And then December 14th at new the Connecticut there early, like Fort Jackson held at the Fort Jackson. Now, how far are y’all away from the goal that you guys.”

Carol Davis – “Right now. I’m kind of sweating bullets. It’s the same this time. Every all of a sudden. Oh my gosh, I forgot the order. And we have until the 3rd of December. But we’re about 5000 short right now, so yeah yeah, yeah. But there again, we are within 3000 of our actual need. So between that goal and the need.”

Carol Davis – “So, I have confidence I had. I sweat bullets this time every year that the community comes through.”

Angela Barrett – “And so what we need is, people to purchase wreaths and or donate whatever, right?”

Carol Davis – “Yeah. I mean, they can go online and donate. They can, contact me. I can send them a form. On our Facebook page, you can go there and go through, not PayPal. What is it on there where you can donate?”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, okay. I’m not sure which one it is. But. Yeah. So. Okay. So for anybody listening, you need to go right now to the Facebook page. I it is,”

Carol Davis – “There’s a form on the Facebook page where I do a QR code and go straight to our three for two page for every two weeks that are donated. The national organization, will donate a third wreath. Three. And that website is Wreaths Across america.org/fc 0015.”

Angela Barrett – “Right. And so if you’re just typing in it’ll be read across America. Fort Jackson National Cemetery or South Carolina Fort Jackson National Cemetery, I think is how it goes. But if or what, you know,”

Carol Davis – “You come out the Facebook page, other.”

Angela Barrett – “The website, if you just it is.”

Carol Davis – Still in reach across America. Yeah. Wreaths crawl sweetheart. That’s that’s not org and then SC NC will bring you to the that page the main page. Or you can after the.org you can do slash SC 0015 to go to the three for two page.

Angela Barrett – “Perfect. So guys we need some donations and we need some wreaths. But we only have gosh today’s the 12th. So we don’t have very long before the third before the cutoff. So exactly now as far as the public, if people want to go, do they need to purchase tickets or they just just show up at school and get on the prison bus.”

Carol Davis – And there is no age limit. You can be one day all or you can be 250 years. Okay. You can. Everyone is welcome.

Angela Barrett – “Perfect. Now, I know that I think you’re volunteered for physical volunteers to help. I think that cutoff has already come down, so. But if people would like to get involved, maybe for next year, because this does take a enormous amount of people, it does to plan because you’ll no more finish this. And I think I asked you a long time ago, two.”

Carol Davis – “Weeks, we’ll have two weeks to rest, but actually we’ll have four weeks to rest. And then it’s time to clean up the cemetery and start all over again.”

Angela Barrett – Right? So you don’t get a whole lot of a break there. It really does take a full year. So they can also go to the website or on Facebook page to sign up for volunteers for an extra.

Carol Davis – “Scan, and they will be able to sign up that day. When they go to the information tent at Blue Cross and they’ll be able to just sign up at Bud Food, put on our contact list to be notified for next year.”

Angela Barrett – “Perfect, perfect. Well, Carol, thank you so much for, coming on today and talking to us about, Wreaths Across America. This was interesting. I can’t wait to physically get there this year. Again, I’ve seen videos, but never physically been there, and I think this is going to be phenomenal. I encourage everybody to, again, go online right now and, either the Facebook or the, website and donate.”

Angela Barrett – “We’re, we’re kind of behind on our, donations and wreaths that we need. Right. So let’s get on that, guys. Absolutely.”

Carol Davis – I have confidence and faith in everyone that. That’s right. It’s going to happen.

Angela Barrett – “And that’s right. Well, thanks again for coming.”

Carol Davis – “Thank you sweetie, I appreciate that.”

Episode transcript:

Angela Barrett – “Hey guys, thanks so much for being with me today. This is exciting.”

Anthony Buzzetti – What? Thank you very much for having us. I’m Anthony with Special Olympics.

Travis Luthren – And I’m. I’m who? I was early to win. And thank you so very much for the opportunity.

Angela Barrett – “Absolutely. Thank you for doing this. So now, Travis, in 2014, you won two gold medals, right? At Special Olympics USA, right?”

Travis Luthren – I’m a yes. That is correct.

Angela Barrett – And that was for what?

Travis Luthren – Down with the two of me?

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Now, were there two different? I mean, explain like, I know there are different, types of swimming events, but what were your two gold medals for?”

Travis Luthren – “One in your best work and one where they freestyle? But, but the best work is a personal history with me. Well, because from the very beginning. The very beginning. Backstroke with a hard for me. So I have in for many period of time.”

Angela Barrett – “Well, I was going to say now the backstroke hard for anybody because I always think that I’m going to be my head when I get to the other end of the pool and you’re like, you don’t want to really keep going. But that is a hard one. Congratulations. How fantastic they are, baby man. Tell me about that experience there at the Olympics.”

Angela Barrett – How was that.

Travis Luthren – “It? Well. Prove it. It was phenomenal. It was a great period for me. Because I was with my peers. One of my training, I yeah, one of my coaches, he would. He was there as well. And what I experienced then and and my mom, they were there as well as a part of me and Phil.”

Travis Luthren – “Dad. And, they had the emotions, my mom was, well, but, well, her that. My mom is my biggest cheerleader. And then, as he knows my his past well from the very, very beginning to his 1990. Yeah. Then the backstroke was still hard for me back then. And, in the year 2014, my, mom was more than proud, dying up with their backs to it.”

Travis Luthren – “Oh, yes.”

Angela Barrett – “Absolutely. And again, congratulate nations. Now, when did you when did you start swimming?”

Travis Luthren – “Well, I started in 1997.”

Angela Barrett – And how old were you?

Travis Luthren – “Well, right now, they five.”

Anthony Buzzetti – How old were you when you started swimming?

Travis Luthren – “Oh, I, I was eight years old. You had to be, eight years old to be able to compete.”

Angela Barrett – “And so, how did you learn to swim? Who taught.”

Travis Luthren – “You? Well, this is a very touching set. Said. But what? One of my car broke up that, I am, yeah, that was you meet. Her name is Miss Simone. MSU was the one that taught me how to, how to swim.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, wow. That’s great. So now when that was not your first Olympics, was it? Or was it.”

Travis Luthren – In 2014? That was my first.

Angela Barrett – “Oh, wow. That is a big accomplish to gold. Fantastic. Now, I understand you like to go polar plunging.”

Travis Luthren – “I mean, I, I am most definite. I said the, It is a great event. We have probably, how we, 10,000, people take, that and that goes out and get in. Do they code? Oh, they call water.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Well, I don’t know, but, Well, yeah, you like that kind of stuff. I’m just going to tell you now. No, I don’t, but now, how many of those have you done? Because you don’t just do them here, you go other places and do them, too, right?”

Travis Luthren – “That is correct. But I’ve been, doing the polar plunge, probably doing the to, How were you in the 20 tens and 2000 time nine? Wow.”

Angela Barrett – So now what would you say was the coldest one you ever did?

Travis Luthren – “Well, the very, very first one was, at, a Harley’s Island. There’s a pub down and, at parties Island, and that was the very first, the. That was so cool. And cold to me. Yeah. I bet.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, that that had to be cold. And you know what? My hat is off to you because. No, thank you. I can’t do the cold water. Now, when you came home from the Olympics in 2014, you started a program called, to a cop. What was that all about?”

Travis Luthren – “Well, that’s a good question. Typical cop. Well, Well, Special Olympics, we have a lot of na enforcement and the law enforcement and special, Olympics and the appendix we, combine especially with Nathan’s chip and, and and one of the nine enforcement, Me and the person with nine policemen, I says, this I decide to do a backup.”

Travis Luthren – “Where we go, there was a restaurant in the old stomping ground called, and, oh, hot dome fire. American Grill, right near in Pike in South Carolina.”

Angela Barrett – “And so we’re the, the typical the money that you raised in that program. Where did it go for it go.”

Travis Luthren – But as a a occurred to me to the law enforcement program.

Angela Barrett – Oh nice. Very nice. Now does that program still exist?

Travis Luthren – “Yes it does. Oh, I we always host to backup, event. We done Wednesday. We done Krispy Kreme. We done covered the cruiser at CCF. Pizza. But as you graduate in the past and now we have expanded, the law enforcement program, and we’re always doing some new and creative. Law enforcement events.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Well that’s fantastic. That’s a, that’s a great program. And, good for you for, including them and some extra. Thank you. Now you’re actually now an employee. The South Carolina Special Olympics, correct?”

Travis Luthren – “Yes, that is correct.”

Angela Barrett – “And as a program associate, is that right?”

Travis Luthren – I am most evening. That is correct.

Angela Barrett – “Okay. Now, what does a program associate do? What do you do? What’s your job?”

Travis Luthren – “Well, that’s a good question. I, well, heard is that I do a number of of everything. Let me give you some examples. Okay. My main, And my main job is to do fundraising in the community. I also do, I write personal. Thank you to everyone that donate that owns a company. And I most definitely go around, to different types of events.”

Travis Luthren – “That requires for me to, to be a to speak on TV type, engagements. So I do that. And, and I must do every event when I get a phone call from my boss that says that we need you.”

Angela Barrett – So who’s your boss?

Travis Luthren – “Well, there’s, well there’s two, DC. I’m, the CEO of Special Olympics, Mr. Barry Coates. And the vice president, Miss Simone.”

Angela Barrett – “Gotcha. Gotcha. Well, they’re lucky to have you. Now is it?”

Travis Luthren – “Oh, and, here’s where and, and here’s what. So, in the stand, just to those two has a personal background with me. The CEO and the vice president has been known to me since I was, seven, eight years old in the year of 1998.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, wow. Now, how did they know you that far back?”

Travis Luthren – “Well, because, the, Well, with Michelle, well, I was the one that taught me how to swim. And the CEO, Mr. Barry Coates. The old location where they used to be was downtown, and downtown Columbia. And during that time, my mom, she wanted me to be involved with Special Olympics. And then that’s where I first met Barry Codes.”

Travis Luthren – “And, the both of them has been, there for me from the very beginning.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, how sweet. And that’s what a nice relationship, though. That’s great. Let me ask you this. You’re the director of, community outreach, right?”

Anthony Buzzetti – “That is correct. Yes, ma’am.”

Angela Barrett – And how long have you been doing that?

Anthony Buzzetti – “I’ve been here for six years. It’s been the most rewarding job I’ve ever had. I don’t know how it is that I ever had a job that I didn’t like, because it just seems impossible. I, I come to work every day looking forward to actually interacting with not only my coworkers, but in particular the athletes. There’s just such, joy here.”

Anthony Buzzetti – “I know that sounds kind of corny, but it’s true.”

Travis Luthren – “No, I, I yeah.”

Angela Barrett – “That’s fantastic. I know everybody in there and their brothers and sisters would wish for that. I mean, this that’s the perfect, perfect job. Now, what is what’s the biggest part of your job? What is it? It’s the glue, I guess, for you.”

Anthony Buzzetti – “Sure. Well, for me, my job is to try and secure volunteers because we need just a bunch of folks at all of our events. And then certainly, we like to have folks come out to help us when we have small groups of athletes getting together to either do a supporting training session, or coaches also need to be part of our our family.”

Anthony Buzzetti – “We’d like to think that our volunteers are our family, because without them, we could not continue to offer our programs and our competitions. So yes, that’s the the biggest part of my job here. But the most fun and most rewarding aspect is getting to interact with the athletes, which I get it, you with both. Ashley, coworker of ours and Travers on a weekly basis.”

Anthony Buzzetti – “And yeah, it’s just a very fun thing. So it’s a great fun.”

Angela Barrett – “Now, Travis, let me ask you this. You started a program called Walk This Way, right?”

Travis Luthren – “I, me a yes, Fred.”

Angela Barrett – And now tell me a little bit about this program. What what what is the program? What’s it do?

Travis Luthren – “Well, the, Okay. Well, the program is this, Journey? Yeah, definitely a journey. During the years my coworker and I, music Anthony got me involved. Now I go outside to take a walk to, and to be, for me to eat. Right. And we have, I mean, to be able to work out, but, but be honest with me.”

Travis Luthren – “I been through quite a few things in my life. Yes, I was, obese. Yes, I was overweight. I didn’t, care about my health. I didn’t understand the food that I eat every single day. And I was on so many different types. And medication. Now I, like, I take pills for my gout history. I, I had, a good, medication, but I had, some tab of, surgery and some.”

Travis Luthren – “I says, and, and that’s why I started this program, and it’s very dear to me. And I just want people to know and learn what if you go outside and walk, it can help you, right?”

Angela Barrett – “As I go through that, you’ve lost, like, 79 pounds. I understand right?”

Travis Luthren – “Net, 95 pounds.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, wow. Okay. Excuse me. Well, congratulations on that as well. So would you say I guess your health, with the help of Anthony has probably been. Was probably what made you start this program?”

Travis Luthren – “Yes. Correct. His personal background. He used to own in Time Fitness. He’s a somewhat of a non guy, dad. And he. And he’s been doing that way before. He came in to me and came along to this company.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah. Quite the athlete with.

Anthony Buzzetti – “Travis is giving me far too much credit. It should be noted that while it was true I was there, I was only an assistant. It was Travis who did everything. His level of dedication was very clear. Not exactly from the start. If it’s some encouragement. At first, it was very difficult to get him out because he would have difficulty just walking up a flight of stairs.”

Anthony Buzzetti – “Sure did have some terrible reflux, as he mentioned, and he now no longer takes his medication because with the loss of weight and the more healthy choices, what he’s eating is, he’s sleeping better. He has far better cardiovascular health. And, yes, I’d like to think he’s going to live a much longer and happier life as a result.”

Travis Luthren – “And yes, that is correct. And I’ve, I’ve got to mention this to you, but, my doctor, I have, my mom’s company. His name is. His name is Nate Stocker. He and Nate said to me, that he, what was it he said? He said Darren and game, and he gave me a good look at me, and he turned to me and encouraged me to, take a device.”

Travis Luthren – “The, he helped me to take my, determined that I need to walk. He was the one that bring my, to give me the tools to pass it along to my coworker. And Nate Stark is very dear to me, and, And I can thank him, and I can thank him in the way that he had helped me.”

Travis Luthren – “I had, and now of a support system. And does the way people is my data. Nate Stocker my coworker, Miss Anthony Bessette and Nevaeh Nast, one my, yeah, my own mom, Miss Susan, mean, so when.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Well, that is a that’s a fantastic support system, by the way. And, good for you for doing the work. And now I understand you’ve become quite the, what’s the word I’m looking for? You go around and talk to people about their health and encourage them to wall, which I guess is part of this walk with me program.”

Travis Luthren – That is correct.

Angela Barrett – “And so when you go around and you speak with these people, do you tell them not only is it important to do the walking and eating correctly, but to have the support system as well, because I think that’s a big part of it, don’t you?”

Travis Luthren – “Most definitely. What you don’t have as a post system from the very beginning. And and during the night time, you always need to put the, system where it is evident then how you do the work.”

Angela Barrett – “Right? Right. And so now tell me about this going around, and talking to, I guess different schools or different organizations. How do they, how do you do? They reach out to you and say, hey, come walk with Travis today with us, or how’s it work?”

Travis Luthren – “Well, that’s a good question. They call, my coworker, and my coworker makes the appointment, and we our. And he comes and picks me up from our house and we go to them to do some, business, and, and he also takes me to the, the schools in the District of South Carolina.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, nice. And so, Anthony, sorry, this is if somebody like, let’s say a an office, you know, come January, everybody’s going to be, you know, on this health kick. So, they want, you know, somebody to come in and encourage, you know, I don’t know, once a month, once every other week, once, you know, they just reach out to you and, and try to work that out.”

Anthony Buzzetti – “Yes, ma’am. I think it could be said that I am Travis’s booking agent, and one of my job is to certainly make sure that we know and that we let folks know who are interested, and we’re happy to come out and be with them. And we’ll certainly work around their schedule. Like, yes, we have a relationship with any number of schools.”

Anthony Buzzetti – “You know, Luke of Elgin High School comes to mind. River Bluff High School here, right at, couple of middle schools and elementary schools. Dominion Energy is a partnership.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah. Did see that.

Anthony Buzzetti – “We are more than happy to join. And what we’re trying to do is really just inspire folks, allow them to see that, you know, getting in shape or taking control of your health, while it may be somewhat tedious, can also be fun, especially when done in a group setting. And so it’s just a fun event. We try and emphasize the fact that it’s not as hard as it it seems, but yet we’re all there to support one another.”

Anthony Buzzetti – “And so I’d like to think it works pretty well. And we’ve got engagements. We’ve got a big walk coming up. It’s November the 25th, Saluda shins, LaBelle Trot and I’m really looking forward to that.”

Travis Luthren – “So yes. I mean, we, Sammy Davis correct. But I think, we’ll be okay. I can share my personal, with the program that I diet. All right, if I may.”

Angela Barrett – “Absolutely. Because I was going to ask you when you started and, you know, like, how long this is taking you to, to do all that. So to definitely tell me that.”

Travis Luthren – “Well, to be honest, with you,”

Travis Luthren – “Diabetes, mind and the family and the of the have, there’s a lot of. At the heart, and, and when it comes to alcohol, it’s very, very, Course, our history and mind. What? Because,”

Travis Luthren – I had last a parent.

Angela Barrett – “Oh, I’m so sorry.”

Travis Luthren – “Oh, well. Thank you. But, that’s what I I’m good. 12. What I need to take care of. I do want, my history to go to dinner. I did go to the next year waiting in my damn need to have those to family because I grew up with them, but, Yeah, then my senior, Grayson.”

Angela Barrett – Right. And so when did you start? How long has this taken? So when did you start your journey to get healthier and lose weight?

Travis Luthren – “But, Yeah. Boy, that’s a good question. Probably 2022, 2020 the way.”

Anthony Buzzetti – “It was actually January 11th, 2022. So we took our very first formal walk on that day.”

Travis Luthren – And nice.

Anthony Buzzetti – That was a cool.

Angela Barrett – The 22 said just a little over two years.

Anthony Buzzetti – “Yes, ma’am. Ma’am.”

Angela Barrett – “So, perfect way to do it. There is from what all I’ve read and heard and been told, you know, nice and steady and slow, is a good way. And so.”

Angela Barrett – “Tell me in this groove, I think so tell me what the Rainbow Gang is. There’s a.”

Travis Luthren – “I’m, I’m okay. Well, the rainbow game is a, is a group where individuals like me, they, they provide, things in the community, and, and and this in, in South Carolina and they provide, my coworker could tell you what, what they did, but then. Okay. In in addition to happen there and, came peace.”

Anthony Buzzetti – “Sure. It’s a group of individuals, adults with intellectual disabilities from Anderson. They are. I guess they’re headed up, if you will, by Kathy Schofield and Tessa Healy. And together this group meets on a daily basis. They attend events, they perform their own events, they have a spring Special Olympics games. It’s a very active group and they’re great spokespersons for Special Olympics.”

Anthony Buzzetti – “So we’re happy to have them as part of the Special Olympics. Family. I believe there are approximately 17 athletes and they participate in tennis and pickleball, bowling and bocce, and they’re just a fun gang, as the name would imply, the Rainbow Gang. So oftentimes you’ll see them arriving in their Rainbow Gang bus, and they just make things more exciting and fun when they’re around.”

Angela Barrett – “Well, Travis, I think I saw and how I got that was, somewhere on Facebook. I think that we’re doing a walk with you. Walk with Travis. And I know they did some funny videos with you, and I saw a couple of moccasin costumes. And again, that was how I knew about the Rainbow Gang, but that was kind of funny.”

Angela Barrett – That was great.

Travis Luthren – “Well, And, Yeah. What? Thank you. And, but, my I. Yeah. What I learned from my coworker. You need to make it fun. You need to make it interesting. Well, because if you don’t, how would it go out in the, in the community?”

Angela Barrett – “That’s right. I agree. Now, let me ask you this for your event that’s coming up, Saluda Shoals, November the 25th. I know that they can sign up. I guess, through you guys. Or is it through Saluda Shoals?”

Anthony Buzzetti – “We would prefer that they sign up through us because we’re trying to create our own Special Olympics group license, not our event. We must mention that this is a strictly running event done by the folks at Saluda Shoals that the Irmo Recreation Commission. But they’ve allowed us to be a partner. And so we’re very excited about that. We’ll have a big presence there.”

Anthony Buzzetti – “At the race last year, we have 77 of Trev’s closest friends, and this year we hope to have as many as 140 or so.”

Travis Luthren – “Yes. That’s correct. And, what he said, my dear friends from the period a times, they, come and walk with me and his, and, and plus, he what touched me, the funding last time that we worked at that event, one of my, Yeah, one my during my school years, my, my at,”

Anthony Buzzetti – “My at,”

Travis Luthren – “I, I at level one and my school, my teacher came out. Oh, nice. And that was so, as borrowing from me and. And so that’s why that, that all the people that, that came out, they share me on and that’s what it’s all about, is to have people, to come and walk to, and to enjoy the Christmas night and people that has been poor me through, through the beginning, through, every age that I was by then.”

Travis Luthren – “And, and they are and walk with me.”

Angela Barrett – “That is great. So that’s what I was going to ask you. So if you sign up through, you guys, for the wall to wall with Travis, do you physically do I physically get to go? And what will drive us? I mean, is that what we do need?”

Travis Luthren – “Yes, dear.”

Anthony Buzzetti – Is if you can keep up with it.

Angela Barrett – “Well, now, that might be a problem.”

Travis Luthren –

Anthony Buzzetti – “His promise to better his personal best time from last year. So just be aware, he may be motoring his way along. So keeping up with him may not be.”

Angela Barrett – “So it’s A5K, right. And so you’re going to.”

Anthony Buzzetti – Walk only 4.2 miles.

Angela Barrett – Oh okay.

Anthony Buzzetti – “So it’s a little bit longer than a five right. But it doesn’t seem quite so long because of course you’re walking among the Christmas lights here with friends. And oh if it’s not raining, it could be a very funny name.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. Try some steps. Do you try to get to a day? What’s your goal?”

Travis Luthren – “Well, my main goal is 10,000 steps per day. Nice.”

Angela Barrett – And do you make that every day?

Travis Luthren – That is correct.

Angela Barrett – “Nice, nice. Yeah, I tried that one time. I switched to a regular watch. Now, there’ve been no, no special, bells and whistles. Now, Charles, are you planning to go, participate in the Olympics again?”

Travis Luthren – “And, that is correct. If I get picked to go to the, training to the next games. But you have to get picked. Sure. I’m ready to go.”

Angela Barrett – “Sure, absolutely. Well, I’ll look forward to, watching for that upcoming news when it’s time to do that. Guys, I thank you. So very much for being with me today. This has been very special. I have wanted to talk with somebody for a while now from the Special Olympics, and I’m so glad it was you guys.”

Angela Barrett – Thank you so much.

Travis Luthren – Amna I’m right. Yeah. Well thank you very much. They were doing this. And it does have a great. Always chasing that very dear to my heart forever and ever.

Angela Barrett – Well thank you. And I got one last question from us why they call you Mad Dog.

Travis Luthren – “Use has hit a soft spot. Is the, well played? Is that, If they defend, that takes me to, But, team bag weekend, I’m a big high that, I’m a big, high Davidson fan. And I got that, that nickname Mad Dog. My bite is worse than my bank. So when I get mad in my self, I tend to, my way.”

Travis Luthren – “Head temper. Well, be my background. History. Most read has have a lot of temperament. And that’s what goes down in my family history.”

Angela Barrett – “That is funny. Well, that’s a funny story. And thanks so much.”

Episode transcript:

Angela Barrett – “Hey guys, today I have with me Doctor Luke and Doctor Mike from McIntyre. Family Chiropractic one of make sure I got that right in out of Summerville. So we’re down that we’re down south. Yeah. Sumerville’s kind of become in the new Charleston, right?”

DR. Mike McIntyre – Pretty much.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, yeah, Charleston. It’s growing. It’s kind of what I say about.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – Bill all.

Angela Barrett – “Over. Yeah. So, how long have, you guys been in business? I guess, the market started with you. I guess.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “Yeah, I opened in 2019.”

Angela Barrett – “2019, and.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “And then. Yeah, we’re. I guess we’re almost, what, the five years now in business, I guess just about. Oh, yeah.”

Angela Barrett – “And, how long have you been with them?”

DR. Luke Sparaccio – “Yeah. So I was, I moved, different area. So I’m originally from New York, Long Island, New York.”

Angela Barrett – Long Island.

DR. Luke Sparaccio – “Yeah. I went to the doctor. I went to school with doctor Mike. So we’re very close. We had the same philosophy and how to manage and care for patients. Same mentor. A doctor would shout out to doctor, would you stayed us and everything that we we know about the work that we do. And so just taking care of people.”

DR. Luke Sparaccio – “So so I was in, upstate and then California. So I just moved from California to work with doctor Mike. So a few weeks.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “I’ve been here a few weeks. Yes, yes.”

Angela Barrett – So what part of California?

DR. Luke Sparaccio – “The Bay area, Pleasanton, Concord area.”

Angela Barrett – “Cool. So my son worked out, in California for a while, and now that I don’t enjoy him being back in South Carolina. But I sure do miss the excuse to get out to Sausalito. Wow. Okay. It’s like, dang. So anyway, so tell me you talked about the same philosophy in the care of your patient. What? What is that philosophy?”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “Well, I mean, I remember one thing is service. Like, we’re always focused on the patient, what they need. You know, we do truly believe that we work with the body’s ability to heal itself, so we don’t, you know, what we do is, making the body function as well as it can, not looking at ways to, like, mask symptoms or anything like that.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “So it’s definitely a different approach to health care. And we definitely share that that servant mindset philosophy as well. So it’s always focused on, you know, what the patient needs and what we can best do to serve that.”

Angela Barrett – So it was let’s just get the elephant out of the room. Let’s talk about the biggest misconception of chiropractic care. Let’s just go ahead and hit that in the bud. What do you think it is?

DR. Luke Sparaccio – “There’s a lot there. Is so I think the biggest thing is people associate lack of symptoms with functioning optimally. One of, a quote that I heard, they said that, who is it? Was the well-known, philosophy. You know, a lot of these. But one of the you guys, it talks about the, if we use the analogy or the, the quote that those without symptoms are the healthiest, the ones that without symptoms are, are in the grave, right?”

DR. Luke Sparaccio – “Because they have no symptoms. So people associate I think that’s the biggest misconception is that, oh, I don’t have, you know, whether that’s someone that’s two years old or or 99 years old, like, I don’t have any symptoms. That means I’m healthy or functioning well. And as I mentioned before, only one third of our nerves have been receptors.”

DR. Luke Sparaccio – And so lacking a lack of pain doesn’t mean function. So that’s why we the work we do is not just where the pain is. And then we adjust that particular area. There is a diagnostic. There’s an analysis. Or we call a system approach to finding the root cause to the problem. And so we’re very detailed and organized in regards to find a good cause to the problem.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Like, I mean, there are some people who, have said, oh, will it hurt? You know, and I’m like, well, we went to the wrong person then, because it’s not supposed to hurt. I have my chiropractor, David Chandler shout out to him and seriously, if I could afford to go every day and I know that’s not good for you, but that’s.”

Angela Barrett – “But, I just like to be adjusted, and so I’ll just go in there and he said anything wrong today, and I’ll be like, no, just hear me. Well, just. That’s right. And that is a lot of it. I know and many years ago gone for migraines, certainly was in an accident many, many years ago. Not a bad one, but just enough to tweak things.”

Angela Barrett – “Did that. I’m not a big medicine taker, so I seek all other avenues because I can’t. The medicine just doesn’t do well with me. Like some people can take a a tiny RPM. Well, that would make me in a coma for like two days. Not kidding. So I can’t take it. So I, I’ve always sought out other avenues.”

Angela Barrett – “And so I think what you all do, is a great thing, but I know that there are a lot of people who don’t, so clear up some of the things. I mean, I’ve known one, you know, you’ve been in a car accident and, you know, you tweaked your neck, your back, and migraines for sure. It can help name some of the other things that people don’t normally think of.”

Angela Barrett – They just reach for medicine that you can help again to the root cause.

DR. Mike McIntyre – “I think I’ll just say like medicine. But one of the things that I’m focused on now is like pregnancy and pediatric care and, and I, we have another baby on the way in a few weeks.”

Angela Barrett – “Number five. Six. Oh my God. Five. Oh, mercy.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “But but but, the and I hate to say medical world, but the medical world views something that’s simple and natural. Is pregnancy as like as an issue. Right. It’s not. So educating people about the fact that, you know, you can this is a natural thing that we’ve been doing for, you know, tens of thousands of years. It’s not a medical intervention that’s always needed.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “Now, obviously there are cases when there are. But like seeing people having like such high rates of like C-section when it might not necessarily have to happen or, you know, taking care of babies. The biggest thing that I focus on is like checking a baby after they’re born. Like, if you if your baby’s born in a hospital, they checked everything, but they don’t have a spine check with what we do, you know, the most important system in their body because their spine holds their nervous system, which controls everything.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “So I always, at that baby’s first adjustment is the most important one, because we might be, prevent any problem before it even becomes a problem.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. And speaking of children, when my son was young, he got, headaches a lot. He was a baseball player. And the headaches were actually coming from things just being out of line. And so we went a couple times a week, you know, you got 2 to 3 times a week, two times a week. And then we got to that monthly as long as he played baseball and we went to get the regular spine adjustments, headaches were not there is you know it’s just people just don’t think about that kind of stuff.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah. Yeah.

DR. Luke Sparaccio – “Our bodies that a body is designed to heal and we need to remove the interference from the brain to body and, another passion of mine is something I really like to study is, blood sugar and adrenal function. And a lot of people don’t associate that with, managing their blood sugar and or digestive. And but I see it.”

DR. Luke Sparaccio – “I mean, when I was in California, I saw pretty much people weekly just for digestive, like, acid reflux. I can’t tell you how many patients are on acid reflux medicine for 15, 20 years. When we get back to the root. Root, how the medicine was developed, it should be only several weeks that really they should be on it.”

DR. Luke Sparaccio – “But just educating, I mean, doctor Mike and I have a heart. Just educating, going above and beyond just to sit down with them and and just give them hope and clarity as to what the problems are and whether we can fix it here and or we need to refer them out. I mean, we’re trying to work with other practitioners to really, build a network of people that, take care of people.”

Angela Barrett – “So and the other thing, this is how it is explained to me many, many, many years ago because I’m much older than you guys. You know, when your spine is aligned and everything is working, everything flows like it should. And I’ll give you an example. Hormones, female hormones. You know, I have it for a fact. I had a friend who was told by a medical doctor, can’t get pregnant, can’t get pregnant, can’t get pregnant.”

Angela Barrett – “I said, go see a chiropractor in six months. Guess what? She was pregnant.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “I have so many stories. Yeah, just the beautiful thing I know.”

Angela Barrett – “So I mean, people, you know, for women who still have all that, again, pretty old, I mean, it is a very,”

Angela Barrett – “And noninvasive is what I’m trying to say. A noninvasive way to get everything working right down to female hormones, which are not talked about a lot because people are like, oh, let’s we’ll talk about that. But it needs to be brought up because this is a big part, because then, you know, as as you get older than you, you go through all this whole other thing and it just, you know, but all of it helps, what you guys do.”

Angela Barrett – “So speaking of that, we’ll talk about the three teas of chiropractic, care. Tell me about that.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “You got your go to,”

DR. Luke Sparaccio – “Yeah. It’s, toxins, traumas and thoughts, or another is chemical, physical and emotional stress. And that is the big reason for educating patients. I was just talking with someone earlier today about, better understanding. How can we manage stress? And that’s why people say, oh, chiropractic, we have this broad stroke is because if we can better understand how to want to adapt to our stressors, then those three things chemical, physical and emotion, all stress.”

DR. Luke Sparaccio – “We all have those, right? It’s not going to go away. Right. How do we better manage that. So that’s why we have doctor Mike and I have a lot of things that we talk with, lifestyle, things that we do outside of the office to help them better manage their stress. So that’s a key component because a lot of people, as we mentioned before, a misconception is like, oh, I, I didn’t know that that my mental stress, you know, when people come in, you see them regularly, that you can tell them there’s a lot of mental stress, whether that’s difficult at work or a family death in a family like that is a”

DR. Luke Sparaccio – “big emotional stress. And what that does, it puts a lot of stress to the nervous and does the joints. When the joints are moving well, your body can’t move. And I can talk forever about all those things.”

Angela Barrett – “But just like when people have tension in the neck, I mean, nine times out of ten, not always that stress, but what happens is because, like you’re saying, it’s just that gradual thing and, you know, the next thing you know, sitting with your shoulders up round your ears because you can’t lose, I know, I had several friends who have to go.”

Angela Barrett – “I mean, just because of their jobs or what they do daily just provides a lot of stress. And, they go for muscle management or chiropractic adjustments. However, I think at your office, I think you guys do both like some sort of I think I saw on the website, correct me if I’m wrong. A massage therapy there.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “Yeah. Have a massage therapist in-house who works with us. We do. I say we don’t do, we don’t do the spa treatment. We do corrective care utilizing her skills. So she works with us. In each case, basically, it’s it’s pretty awesome to have that. Yeah.”

Angela Barrett – “So, clear up an argument. Muscles from I’ve had before massage first and then adjustment or adjustment and then the size.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “Most of the time for me, I adjust people first and then send them in for a massage.”

Angela Barrett – Yeah.

DR. Mike McIntyre – And everything. Yeah. And.

DR. Luke Sparaccio –

DR. Mike McIntyre – “Yeah, I don’t like having massage first because that muscle feedback gives me a lot of information on where and when to adjust. Yeah. So I like to adjust first rather than like, you know, get rid of that feedback from the muscles and then adjusting.”

Angela Barrett – “Right. Yeah. Well and just from the massage standpoint it’s like it takes me a while to relax if I’ve already had that adjustment. Sort of I could relax when I get to the inside, the whole relaxing and enjoy all of it. You know, I’ve got, so let’s talk about the services you guys do provide there.”

Angela Barrett – At the office.

DR. Mike McIntyre – “Yeah. So we do, we focus on the chiropractic care, right? We do garden center practice care, and then, have the massage therapist that works with us. My front office manager also does, she’s a yoga instructor. So we do yoga classes. She’ll, she’ll show people, like, some home care stuff, like stretching and things like that.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “And then, we’re starting to delve into some functional medicine stuff with a new partner that we have. We haven’t really announced anything about that yet, but,”

Angela Barrett – You have no. Yeah.

DR. Mike McIntyre – There’s a teaser.

Angela Barrett – On that’s.

DR. Mike McIntyre – “The that’s the teaser. And then, but we have other, health care providers in the area that I work with, like some nurse practitioners, mental health counselor. That’s a, somebody we work with pretty regularly. And I’m really just having even, even medical doctors. I mean, I work with knowledgeable doctors and Ob-Gyn, OB GYNs, and, having that relationship is wonderful.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “And I think a lot of chiropractors are afraid to have those relationships because they think that, you know, I mean, there’s there’s the conception, right? Where we’re different. We’re not accepted by the medical world, and.”

Angela Barrett – They’re not doctors in quotation.

DR. Mike McIntyre – “We’re fake doctors faked out. Right? We go through, we go through just as much schooling, and I really do it myself. On being like people I take care of. I view them as like primary care doctor. What? You know, I, I need to be referred somewhere or something else. Like I need to figure out where they need to go.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “And I mean, we take X-rays on people. We have to do pathology read on those X-rays. And, I mean, I’ve seen I’ve found bone cancer and X-rays, and I need to be able to know where to send them and and identify that stuff. So we’re not just the, you know, snake oil rack and crack and papa bones.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “I word for holds, whole body health care provider is what we’re we’re looking to do here. So.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. So, let’s talk about, like, people with arthritis. Well, we’ll just pick that one. How can you help? Because that’s a that’s a common one. How do you help people with what are the different modalities? I guess that you can help people with other ideas with.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – Go for it.

DR. Luke Sparaccio – “But yeah. So that the term is, is is used a lot arthritis. It’s an inflammatory, it’s inflammatory. Right. And so when we look at the X-rays and that’s why the detail gone said is really based on, a foundational perspective. Right. So if there’s imbalance or structural misalignment, it can irritate put stress to the joints.”

DR. Luke Sparaccio – “So that joint has been, misaligned or not level as we would call it. Then over time, there’s going to be more wear and tear on that joint. And that’s when you’ll have more of that arthritic changes on the disc. And that’s the big thing to see is to know. To not to see is to guess. Someone has told me.”

DR. Luke Sparaccio – “And so why would we ever want to guess with your health? And I talked to patients, like, if you go to a dentist, before they drill your teeth, you don’t hesitate to take an X-rays. But a lot of the time, say, I don’t think it’s necessary, but in order to see those changes and arthritic changes, it’s important to, really figure out what’s the cost of the problem is, so arthritis is it’s case by case.”

DR. Luke Sparaccio – “And we again, You know, we can definitely help those, those things. So it’s hard to say what we do for arthritis as opposed to what’s causing the arthritis or arthritic changes. When we see any x rays. And sometimes it’s an inflammatory that’s causing, you know, digestive issues. So that can be potential. And that’s can typically be more of the the upper or mid-back area.”

DR. Luke Sparaccio – “So every joint your spine as a direct correlation with every organ tissue and gland. That’s why the details are so important. When someone comes I just have lower back pain. Doctor would would say, point to it, show me, show me and and trace where the pain is, because that’s going to give us an indication of potentially what segment or joint it is potentially causing distress.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. And you brought up something interesting. And I always seem to forget ugly honestly not in that field whatsoever, but have been, my whole life with, a chiropractor. But you forget that every joint or every,”

Angela Barrett – “Is related to an organ like sewer, like they do with the, What is it called when they. They do the feet, and it’s like, this is liver. This is heart. You know, I.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – Think like psychology.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And people would.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – Tums in the body and. Yeah.

Angela Barrett – “Right. And so it really is the same. If you were to look at a similar chart, the same with the spine. Correct?”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “Yeah, absolutely. You’re I mean that’s what we the number one reason why we look at the spine is to make sure that it’s not affecting the nervous system because you’re spot, you know, your spine houses, your spinal cord, your nervous system, direct connection to the brain that controls everything. And so that’s I mean, it’s the only system in your body fully encased by bone or protection.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “Right? Right. When the spine is out of alignment, it really affects that. I mean, one of the small things that it does is cause pain, right? Every single level in the spine. Yeah. The nerves. That’s the electrical function in the body. They the nerves come from somewhere to control stuff. And it starts at your spine.”

Angela Barrett – “Know, so there was a question I had, and I’m sorry, it just left me, I’ll move on and maybe it’ll come back to me. No, no. So tell me what you think makes you guys stand out. I’m just going to say more than other chiropractors, say South Carolina. We’ll go that far. What makes you stand out?”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “So the the system that we use, the constant system, it’s I mean, it’s it’s specific, it’s scientific. It eliminates all guesswork. You know, and I mean, you’d be surprised how many chiropractors don’t even take X-rays. Somebody can literally come crawling into an office, and they won’t take an X-ray before they they work on them. And so that’s just a small part of what we do.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “So we look at movement, motion in the joints x ray. Obviously like system analysis. What’s been going on. History all that. So putting so many pieces of the puzzle together before we ever even lay our hands on people. One of the things that people have told me a lot is when they come to see me, they don’t feel like they’re just going through an assembly line.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “And that’s not to talk bad about other doctors. It’s just the, our, our systems different. You know, we don’t put people through the assembly line. I don’t, you know, I talk to people. I reexamine them every single time before I X-ray them. So I don’t just meet them in the room with their face down. Yeah. So it’s just specificity to each person’s unique issue.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “And, unfortunately, I just don’t see that a lot.”

Angela Barrett – “But that’s what with the other doctors in other professions, I think would be different than some of the chiropractic care that you.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “See, I love, I say co-managing, right? I love co-managing care with other professionals. And, you know, I yeah, I’m not like hiding in the corner saying, oh, now just, you know, choose me. Take me. You know, I’m like, no, let’s. I’m like, give, give them my number. I’ll call them like, send me the labs, I go over, I go over blood reports with people all the time from blood tests and most of the time they’ll get an, an x ray, like a medical x ray, which is a little different than what we do or blood work or something.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “And they’ll just say, oh, it’s normal, but they never have it reviewed. So even like normal doesn’t necessarily mean normal if you’re right on the cusp of being abnormal. But if you fall into that normal, it’s just kind of, you know, your normal checkbox and move on. And we don’t we don’t do that.”

Angela Barrett – “Right? Right. So, doctor Mike, I understand you have a farm.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – I do.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, that’s tell me a little bit about that.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “So we can I mean, I kind of just joke that I live on a big petting zoo, so.”

Angela Barrett – But.

DR. Mike McIntyre – “So we have, we have a bunch of animals we’ve rescued. So I have, like, horses and donkeys that have been rescues, and I have ducks and chickens and pigs and goats and sheep and on and on. And it’s, it’s really just, it’s a simple living connection with the animals in the, the earth and raise my kids on it.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “And I joke that I have, free range kids yet, so.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, with five, Oh.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “Yeah. That’s like, it’s my little, you know. Yeah. My little.”

Angela Barrett – “What, do you work for a baseball team here. So I’m.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – Trying. That’s right. Yeah.

Angela Barrett – “Yeah. Well, that’s pretty cool. It is always amazing to me how our northerners who move south end up with, farms or, you know, lots of land.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “And then my, I have my uncle, who I was very close with was a farmer his whole life, and he was, like, the happiest person I ever met. Just simple guy, always happy, always had a smile on his face. And, I mean, he was on to something. So. Yeah, I’m. I’m trying to embrace that.”

Angela Barrett – “So, yeah, I call my therapy dirt therapy, like, you know, working in the and planning and digging, but but it really is. And my husband was like, do you want me to help you? I’m like, please don’t. Please just go.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “So, yeah, my donkeys are great listeners.”

Angela Barrett – “You know that look, right? Right. So, darling, when are you going to, do your farm?”

DR. Luke Sparaccio – Yeah. I mean.

Angela Barrett – “Coming from New York, when I.”

DR. Luke Sparaccio – “First when I first came and visited, and doctor Mike, he, I helped him set up, what was it? Sheep.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “Shells. And we built this up of a reef, repurposed now sheep shelter.”

Angela Barrett – “It’s,”

DR. Luke Sparaccio – “I do not know. I do love when I was in school, and I really enjoyed the the scenery. And I just love it. I do love it here. So good. It’s, slowly, showing me the ropes in regards to how to build and. And what do you say you start with chicken training? Yeah. Let’s take.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – The gate.

Angela Barrett – “You in the club? Yeah. That is the big thing. I, I, I do real estate in real life, and, I must get asked daily. Well, can we have chickens? But. Yeah, well, not in a subdivision.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “Yeah, but,”

Angela Barrett – “You’re going to have to go outside of that. That’s. Yeah. So tell everybody how they get in touch with you and what. Oh, you know what? Before we do that. So for people, because comfort and care sometimes a lot of towns is not covered or either fully covered with insurance. How do you guys help people with that side of things?”

Angela Barrett – Because it can get expensive if you don’t have insurance in it.

DR. Mike McIntyre – “That’s actually one of the reasons why I when I opened my office, I chose not to participate with insurance companies because they literally make it so that I have to charge more. Yeah, right. As they don’t reimburse. I mean, you know, I that’s a whole nother we could do an hour that so I just like I set my prices to be affordable.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “I offer, you know, I offer discounts when I can. I offer monthly payment stuff. I mean, I try to make that as easy as possible, and we do cash pay. We literally just like, eliminate the middleman of the insurance company trying to tell you what you need and what you don’t need, because in my humble opinion, that’s them practicing chiropractic without a license.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “Again, that’s a whole nother conversation for a different Eddie. But.”

Angela Barrett – Right. Yeah.

DR. Mike McIntyre – “We really I try to make the financial side of stuff like the easiest, least thing to worry about because and, like, we just focus on getting people. Well. So.”

Angela Barrett – “Yeah, I, cash pay, if people should really, we’re again, we’ll talk about that at another time, but people should really start asking about that. Here are their tell everybody how they get in touch with you. We’re all, I know you’re on Facebook and I know you have a website. But tell everybody how they get in touch with you.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “Yeah, that’s the easiest way. Websites got all our information on there. We can, like, if somebody is interested in even just sitting down with us, I always do free consultations with people. If they just want to sit and see if chiropractic is something that might help. So I always offer that, and then. Yeah, I mean, if you have like the website to McIntyre chiro Qcom, follow us on there.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “My social media stuff’s on there, my our telephone number, online info booking, all that stuff.”

Angela Barrett – And do you guys sometimes do speaking engagements at places? I thought I saw that maybe I was wrong.

DR. Mike McIntyre – “No, we do. Yeah. We offer, we offer classes in in the office.”

Angela Barrett – “Oh, okay.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “We will travel to do some. We like, like to do, like lunch and learns and stuff things like that are great because you can just go some meet people where they’re at and and talk about things. I’m, I love teaching seminars. I like to do, like, like business seminars or chiropractic. So that’s a little side thing that I do to help young docs, you know, not fail in business because unfortunately, you know, being in business for yourself is hard.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – “Yes. So yeah. And and you have a hard to help people, but you also get to keep the lights on in your office to do that. Right.”

Angela Barrett – “That’s right. Well thank you guys so much for, being with me today and, giving us a little bit of insight about how you guys, help people in the Somerville area and surrounding. But thanks so much.”

DR. Luke Sparaccio – “Oh, want to thank you.”

DR. Mike McIntyre – Want to thank you for that.