We know you single folks are busy. iList Paducah's Mary Thorsby goes on that first date so you don't have to!

August 23, 2010

Bela Stewart

Bela Stewart is gorgeous. Those beautiful eyes, that fabulous smile, her friendly laugh. At Heartland CARES, she’s a caring case manager. Among friends and family, she’s Princess Bela. And she’s got her own signature cocktail to prove it!  Check out her video, brought to us by Innovations Branding House!

Bela Stewart, you are cute, cute, cute, no doubt about it! Here we go!

1. I moved to Paducah from Arlington, Texas, because my boyfriend at the time moved here for a job. He moved on, but I liked it so much here, I decided to stay.
   
   
2. I think I was supposed to be here. I’d gotten so used to trying to control everything, and when I realized I couldn’t, I decided to slow down and calm down. And Paducah is a great place to do that. I love my job and I love my friends. So this worked out perfectly.
   
   
3. I’m a case manager at Heartland CARES. I started there as a volunteer and was there practically every day anyway. Eventually, they hired me as the volunteer advocate to train and educate others to volunteer. And when the case manager job opened, I was really excited.
   
   
4. Patients who test positive for HIV can enroll in our care program if they’d like. The clinic has a medical staff, we can help patients get medication and get their medication paid for, we connect them with community resources and we offer nutrition counseling. If there’s anything anyone with HIV needs, we’re here to help.
   
   
5. Personally, I see about 40 patients, and there are other case managers who have their own caseload. But Heartland CARES has about 700 clients from all of Western Kentucky, Southern Illinois, some come from Missouri and we have a few coming from Tennessee.
   
   
6. The care providers meet twice a week to discuss the clients we’ve seen and to talk about the clients we’re about to see. It requires a lot of documentation, which can be a little tedious. But we’re doing great things, and we always remember why we’re doing it — to serve patients.
   
   
7. About half of our patients are men and half are women. HIV and AIDS touch every demographic. 
   
   
8. People will come to the clinic that you stereotypically would never think would be clients. We see husbands, wives, children. It’s not just gay men. In fact, young black women are at the highest risk now.
   
   
9. But when you think about it, everyone is at risk. People will say they don’t need testing because they’re married or they’re in a relationship or they’re too old. None of those are reasons not to get tested. Married women get it. Adults over 50 are a rapidly growing group of newly diagnosed HIV patients. We just all have to be safe.
   
   
10. Use your condom sense. And get tested regularly. The good news today is that with the proper medication, people with HIV can have a normal life expectancy.
    
    
11. When I’m not working or out with friends, I sleep. I love to have friends come over. I read anything that catches my interest. I was a 14-year-old girl for a month and read all the Twilight Series. Actually, it took just two weeks.
    
    
12. And yes, I have my own signature drink. Brian Steffen used to make it for me — it’s called the Princess Bela. Here are the ingredients: Captain Morgan’s Spice Rum, half shot Malibu Coconut Rum, half shot Bacardi Rum, full shot Pineapple, orange and splash of cranberry juice You pour all the above over ice in a shaker and shake. Then you pour it into a glass and garnish with an orange and a cherry. Voilá! Princess Bela!
    
    
13. Relationships? I’m not looking for anything too serious. I’m not against the idea of a long-term relationship, but simple companionship suits me just fine right now.
    
    
14. I want someone who’s honest — and he has to be funny. Creative, attentive. I love music and movies, so it would be nice to share that with someone.
    
    
15. And someone nice looking but not too good looking. Really good-looking men make me uncomfortable.
    
    
16. I talk to my mother on the phone every day. The bond I have with mother is so weird. I can just say, “Hi,” and she’ll say, “Oh my God, what happened? What’s wrong now?” She just knows.
    
    
17. And I’m close to my dad and sister. I think I’d have a harder time being here alone if I didn’t have such a supportive family.