Patient of the Week – Adrianna Scott

By CDH/PIO
July 30, 2009

 

Adrianna Scott

As an infant, Adrianna Scott of Xenia struggled to eat and cried more often than other babies. Heather, Adrianna’s mother, knew something was wrong with her baby when the crying did not stop and feeding time became a hassle. Heather realized that she needed to find out why Adrianna was not feeling well, so she went to The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton.

After numerous tests came back negative, the doctors at Dayton Children’s had one more test that they could do for Adrianna. This final test came back positive and Adrianna, just 6 months old, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis.

Cystic fibrosis is a chronic disease that affects the lungs and digestive system. The disease produces thick mucus that clogs the lungs and leads to life-threatening lung infections and obstructs the pancreas from breaking down and digesting food.

Adrianna does breathing treatments twice a day to help loosen the thick mucus from her lungs. Along with the breathing treatments, Adrianna also takes up to eight different medications a day to help her live with cystic fibrosis. The medications help her digest food properly and stay healthy when even a cold can be life-threatening to her body. Adrianna also wears a special vest that helps to shake the mucus from her lungs so she can breathe better.

“Daily breathing treatments, multiple medications, and being cautious of any common cold has just become a part of our everyday routine,” says Heather.
When Adrianna was just 2 years old, her baby twin sisters were also diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. The twins were cared for in the Regional Level III Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Dayton Children’s.

“The nurses in the NICU were very nice and comforting during this tough time in our lives.”

All three girls are under the care of Robert Fink, MD, director of pulmonary medicine at Dayton Children’s.

“Dr. Fink accommodates our challenging family health situation by spending time with us and answering our questions,” says Heather.

Today, Adrianna is a busy 12-year-old and will not let cystic fibrosis prevent her from accomplishing her goals. She balances going to school at Warner Middle School and competitive cheerleading practices every week. She also has a great love for animals and her two favorite animals are polar bears and penguins. Adrianna dreams of becoming a zoologist one day so she can work with the animals she loves.

“I have really enjoyed getting to know the nurses at Dayton Children’s. They are always really nice and make me feel at home when I am in the hospital, it’s too hard to pick one favorite nurse because they are all great,” says Adrianna.

Source: Children Dayton Hospital

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Soldier of the Week – Maj. David Bottoms

By Dan Samaria
Publisher/YC
August 1, 2009

Editor’s Note: Hometown: West Jefferson, OH. Awarded: The Bronze Star.
We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Army Chaplain (Maj.) David Bottoms is not only a dedicated soldier but also a man of God.  He has been in the line of fire on several occasions in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom during two deployments.  Bottoms and his unit, 1st Battalion, 7th Field Artillery Regiment, saw their share of the good and the bad in 2004.  At that time, Task Force 1-7th unit was part of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division.

“Almost seven months into our deployment in Bayji, Iraq, our Task Force 1-7th made some real headway into rebuilding the community into a safer and more secure environment,” wrote Bottoms.  “We completed key projects such as school buildings and a water plant that greatly enhanced the quality of life in Bayji and Ash Sharqat.”

His unit also ensured that the villagers had shelter while construction was underway and provided much needed medical supplies to the clinics.  Additionally, Bottoms noted that the Army non-commissioned officers trained a company of competent Iraqi National Guard soldiers.

Conversely, there were times when he – though a chaplain — faced danger.  “Life there was a mixture of joy and sorrow,” said Bottoms.  “On June 2, 2004, we suffered a car bomb at the front gate which killed 11 Iraqis and wounded 30 others along with two U.S. soldiers.  All that some of us could do was pray and keep the last moments of some men’s lives as painless as possible,” Bottoms continued.

In another incident, Bottoms was participating in one of several relationship building meetings with a local Islamic leader at the Bayji mayor’s office when they were interrupted by rocket fire.  Windows were blown out, resulting in several minor injuries to some in the meeting.

Bottoms reflects on other times while in Iraq.

“The weekend after Thanksgiving in 2004, things in town were crazy,” he said.  “I heard an explosion and went to the roof of the Operations Center (at the Forward Operations Base) …I saw fireballs rising from the city.  Our tank platoon was involved in a firefight downtown in the middle of the day.”

Thankfully, no U.S. troops were injured.  Nevertheless, Bottoms met with the unit to be a sounding board for the troops to talk about the incident.

Understanding his first mission is to minister to soldiers, Bottoms often joined fellow soldiers on the battlefield where he provided individual counseling to more than 100 weary servicemembers for marital issues, personal and family matters, grief, crisis intervention, combat stress, morale and spiritual matters.

As a chaplain, he dedicated himself to many hours of prayer to wounded and dying soldiers.  He also performed the last rites for many of the fallen.

When soldiers of the Task Force 1-7th left the combat theater, Bottoms personally planned and held a Single Soldier Spiritual Fitness retreat in Garmisch, Germany for 40 soldiers of Charlie Battery who had been in direct combat.  “The idea was to help them transition from a wartime mindset and prepare for their reintegration into their respective communities,” said Bottoms.  This retreat was designed to be spiritually and emotionally uplifting.

While deployed to Iraq, his mission was to support those soldiers who were in battle with the enemy as well as provide spiritual guidance for the lost.  For his service, Bottoms was awarded the Bronze Star.  Now out of the line of fire, Bottoms serves as a chaplain for the Clinical Pastorate Educational residency program at Walter Reed Medical Center in D.C.

• Hometown: Arlington, VA
• Awarded: The Bronze Star

Source: Our Military

Officer of the Week – Det. Alanzo

by NMPD/PIO
July 28, 2009

On The North Miami Police Department’s “Officer of the Month” is Detective Alanzo June 18, 2009, a woman was brutally attacked and robbed while she was walking to her friend’s house. She was attacked from behind, knocked to the ground and punched in the face more than 20 times by the subject. He also kicked her about her body then forcibly stole her handbag. The attack was so violent that the victim’s dentures were knocked from her mouth and an earring was ripped from her ear. She was transported to Jackson Hospital for treatment. A witness observed the crime and gave important information to Detective Rhymer. He spoke to the manager of the apartment complex the subject was seen entering with the purse an obtained the video. With the help of the Crime Analyst, he quickly identified the subject. A team of detectives responded to the subject’s residence but he refused to open the door. After 30 minutes of negotiating, he opened the door and was arrested, confessing to the whole incident.

In addition to this case, he has recently investigated three other violent felonies, which resulted in the arrest of the offenders. On May 1 2009, he responded to a bank robbery and obtained the video surveillance. The subject was identified, located and arrested within days of the robbery. On June 4, 2009, one day after an armed carjacking, he located and arrested the subject,. On June 11, 2009, he arrested a subject who was in possession of stolen property belonging to another armed robbery victim.

Due to Detective Rhymer’s tenacity and dedication, he was selected as Officer of the Month for June 2009. He was honored at the Greater North Miami Chamber of Commerce luncheon, which is held monthly at the Miami Shores Country Club.

Source: North Miami Police Department

Firefighter of the Week – Lt. Gregg Arthur Atlas

By Dan Samaria
Publisher/GCC
August 1, 2009

Who Were Our Presidents?

by Dan Samaria
Publisher/YC
August 1, 2009

Editor’s Note: How many of us along with our children? KNow who our Presidents were and what they have done in Office.

Each week we will pick a President and tell you about them and their accomplishes.

We hope that you will enjoy this series. And let us know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

 

First President GEORGE WASHINGTON 1789-1797

On April 30, 1789, George Washington, standing on the balcony of Federal Hall on Wall Street in New York, took his oath of office as the first President of the United States. “As the first of every thing, in our situation will serve to establish a Precedent,” he wrote James Madison, “it is devoutly wished on my part, that these precedents may be fixed on true principles.”
Born in 1732 into a Virginia planter family, he learned the morals, manners, and body of knowledge requisite for an 18th century Virginia gentleman.

He pursued two intertwined interests: military arts and western expansion. At 16 he helped survey Shenandoah lands for Thomas, Lord Fairfax. Commissioned a lieutenant colonel in 1754, he fought the first skirmishes of what grew into the French and Indian War. The next year, as an aide to Gen. Edward Braddock, he escaped injury although four bullets ripped his coat and two horses were shot from under him.

From 1759 to the outbreak of the American Revolution, Washington managed his lands around Mount Vernon and served in the Virginia House of Burgesses. Married to a widow, Martha Dandridge Custis, he devoted himself to a busy and happy life. But like his fellow planters, Washington felt himself exploited by British merchants and hampered by British regulations. As the quarrel with the mother country grew acute, he moderately but firmly voiced his resistance to the restrictions.

When the Second Continental Congress assembled in Philadelphia in May 1775, Washington, one of the Virginia delegates, was elected Commander in Chief of the Continental Army. On July 3, 1775, at Cambridge, Massachusetts, he took command of his ill-trained troops and embarked upon a war that was to last six grueling years.

He realized early that the best strategy was to harass the British. He reported to Congress, “we should on all Occasions avoid a general Action, or put anything to the Risque, unless compelled by a necessity, into which we ought never to be drawn.” Ensuing battles saw him fall back slowly, then strike unexpectedly. Finally in 1781 with the aid of French allies–he forced the surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown.

Washington longed to retire to his fields at Mount Vernon. But he soon realized that the Nation under its Articles of Confederation was not functioning well, so he became a prime mover in the steps leading to the Constitutional Convention at Philadelphia in 1787. When the new Constitution was ratified, the Electoral College unanimously elected Washington President.

He did not infringe upon the policy making powers that he felt the Constitution gave Congress. But the determination of foreign policy became preponderantly a Presidential concern. When the French Revolution led to a major war between France and England, Washington refused to accept entirely the recommendations of either his Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, who was pro-French, or his Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, who was pro-British. Rather, he insisted upon a neutral course until the United States could grow stronger.

To his disappointment, two parties were developing by the end of his first term. Wearied of politics, feeling old, he retired at the end of his second. In his Farewell Address, he urged his countrymen to forswear excessive party spirit and geographical distinctions. In foreign affairs, he warned against long-term alliances.

Washington enjoyed less than three years of retirement at Mount Vernon, for he died of a throat infection December 14, 1799. For months the Nation mourned him.

 

Editor’s Note: Here is one of the items that Washington is well known for by the readers of answer.yahoo.com.

He nominated the first members of the Supreme Court led by the first Chief Justice John Jay.

He signed a number of Bills setting much of the foundation of the country, including such as:
To regulate the time and manner of administering certain oaths.

First tariff act placing duties on imports as a protective measure of domestic industries.
First federal navigation act imposing duty on the tonnage of vessels.
State Department created as Department of Foreign Affairs.
First federal bond issued to authorized to refund domestic and state debt.
Department of War created.
Treasury Department created.
Office of Attorney General created.
First ten amendments to the Constitution enacted by Congress (the Bill of Rights).
First copyright law signed.
The ship the Columbia (under Captain Gray) returned to Boston, completing first around the world trip under the U.S. Flag.
Bank of the United States chartered.
District of Columbia established.
First internal revenue act.
Presidential secession act enacted.
U.S. Mint established.
President Washington vetoed apportionment bill.

Peace Treaty signed with Wabash and Illinois Indians.
Cornerstone laid at White House.
Handled the Whiskey Rebellion in Western Pennsylvania.

Miami Indians defeated at Fallen Timbers.
Treaty signed with Great Britain to settle terms of peace, amity, commerce, navigation, boundary claims, and extradition.
Eleventh Amendment ratified.
Treaty of Peace and Amity with Algiers signed.

First National game law approved.
Treaty with the Six Nations concluded.
Treaty of peace, friendship and navigation signed with Tripoli.

Next Week: #2 President John Adams

Source: White House Yahoo

 

My Summer Goals

 

By Gopa Praturi
Scholastic News
July 31, 2009

 

I’ve been waiting for summer all year long. My summer is especially fun because I’m doing lots of awesome thing like a trip to Niagara Falls and two new books to read. I’m also learning quick ways to solve a Rubik’s© Cube.

Niagara Falls  is probably the most beautiful sight in the world. Watching the amazing roar of falling waters is an exhilarating experience. I wanted to know what makes this water fall from such a great height and how it all got started. I did some research and this is what I found out:

    * Niagara Falls was probably created by glaciers about 10,000 years ago. When the ice melted, the water flowed into the nearby river. The Niagara River cuts a gorge and overflows through the Cliff creating the beautiful falls we see today.
    * And to answer why the cliff formed in the first place, one has to turn to geologists.Three types of soil formations interacted to create three major rock formations.These different layers did not erode evenly, so you see how each different kind of soil and rock settled to form the cliff.

I am reading two new books this summer: The City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau and The Alchemyst by Michael Scott. City of Ember starts off with an interesting twist about things going wrong with city-threatening disaster-recovery plans. Things tend to slow down as the book progresses, though. I think the ending of The Alchemyst is much more satisfying and interesting

And about the mind-boggling Rubik’s© cube! To solve the puzzle, remember one important cardinal rule. Instead of trying to solve the cube side by side, try doing it in layers. Just keep organizing the layers and it will be done in no time.

Now I can do it pretty fast and once I did it in four minutes, which is not anywhere near the world-record, but that beats our best-ever Family record!

I hope everyone has a great summer!! Enjoy the break, but most important, stay indoors when it’s really hot outside. That’s when activities like summer reading and studying how to solve a puzzle come in handy!

 

Editor’s Note: PHOTO: A collage of summer fun by Gopa Praturi

We would like to know what you think? And what did you do this summer? dan@youngchronicle.com

Source: Scholastic Kids Press

Soldiers, Families Stay Connected

By Our Military

3d Sustainment Command Expeditionary

Public Affairs

August 1, 2009

CAMP LIBERTY “That is good,” said the fish. “He’s gone away, yes. But your mother will come. She will find this big mess,” goes the timeless story of the Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss. Children of all ages and generations have been captivated by the words of Dr. Seuss and other authors, taking them to places of fantasy and wonder.

In reality, a reading program allows Soldiers in Iraq an opportunity to reach across the miles and be part of their children’s wonder and imagination.

United Through Reading is a program sponsored by the United Service Organizations, in partnership with the 260th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion from Hunter Army Airfield, Ga. The program allows Soldiers to share an opportunity of reading with their children back home.

The 260th CSSB set up a room in the Chaplain’s office, where Soldiers will go to read books and record onto a CD-DVD, while sending a video message back home to their children.

This program allows families to watch the videos and share the joy of reading, while remaining close by using technology.

“This is a very good tool that we use to communicate with our families back at Hunter,” said Chaplain Sean Facchinello, a native of Richmond Hill, Ga., and the battalion’s Chaplain.

Facchinello, along with the his assistant Pfc. Christopher Perry, a Virgin Islands native, get logistic support from the USO program coordinators with a decorated room with books, a video camera and disks.

Soldiers can pick from a selection of donated books to read to their children while being recorded. During recording, Soldiers are encouraged to be animated and excited, like they were back home reading to their children. When Soldiers are done, Perry ensures that the disk cannot be written on, packages the materials and sends them home to the Soldier’s family.

The 260th CSSB hopes to grow the program and influence other units to participate in such a worthy cause. The unit is working with publishing companies, local Savannah merchants and working with the Family Readiness Group to sponsor book drives.

With help from the USO, the 260th hopes to continue to receive small donations of books for different reading and age levels, allowing everyone a chance to reach out and share in the joy of reading.

“Any book that helps a child to form a habit of reading, to make reading one of his deep and continuing needs, is good for him,” a quote from Maya Angelou, rings true and the United through Reading gives Soldiers simple tools necessary to touch their children’s hearts and minds back home.

Source: Our Military

Editor’s Note: Sgt. Teresa Wilt, a native of Temple, Texas, and personnel actions noncommissioned officer, reads a book during recording for her family using the United through Reading program, a partnership between the 260th CSSB and the United Service Organization at Camp Liberty, Iraq. Pvt. 1st Class Christopher Perry.

We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Children with Attention Problems

by Stanley I. Greenspan MD
August 1, 2009

 

Learn about the many causes of inattentive behavior.

Five-year-old Stephen just got his first “bad” report card from his kindergarten teacher, and his mom, Cynthia, is upset. “His teacher tells me that Stephen doesn’t seem to be able to focus on an activity, regardless of what it is, for any length of time. He buzzes around the room, bumping into chairs, tables, even other kids. Naturally, all this activity disrupts and upsets everyone else.” She has started to wonder if could have ADD.

Stephen’s mom is wise to be concerned, and he should be properly evaluated to see if it could be Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). ADD and ADHD are characterized by several symptoms, including difficulty in paying attention, distractibility, having a hard time following through on things, and sometimes, over-activity and impulsivity.

While this collection of symptoms may result in a diagnosis of ADD or ADHD, it doesn’t always have one underlying cause. Clinical observations of children with ADD and ADHD suggest quite the opposite: that there are many different reasons children have these symptoms. To make matters more confusing, two children can display the very same symptoms for completely different, and in fact, totally opposite, underlying reasons.

 

The Patterns of ADD/ADHD

 
One child with focus issues may be overly sensitive to his environment. Sights, sounds, smells, even other kids’ movements are all overwhelming to him. In a busy classroom, this child is experiencing a sort of sensory overload, distracting him and making him appear inattentive. Meanwhile, another child may under-react to things like touch and sound. Rather than feeling overwhelmed by sensory input, this child actually craves more of it. He requires increased sensory involvement in order to remain attentive, and without it, he seems to have retreated into himself.

However, the symptoms of children who under-react can differ. Sometimes children who under-react have low muscle tone. In this case, a child’s muscles are not very strong, and he finds it difficult to move easily. Some children with low muscle tone have a hard time simply standing, walking, or sitting — so they find it easiest to elect to play alone in a corner. If the child is very imaginative, he may be involved in pretend play all by himself, talking to himself, retreating from the world, and living in daydreams.

Other kids who under-react might have fine muscle tone, and they are quite physically active. An under-reacting child like this doesn’t just enjoy movement, he actually craves it to increase his sensations. In other words, because he’s not “feeling” a ton of sensory information, he tries to find more of it in his world. This child is into everything. He bounces into people, furniture, and walls. Craving commotion and loud noise, he becomes a sort of one-man band, creating action wherever he goes.

Some children may be more defiant, stubborn, and negative. A child may be oversensitive to stimuli and try to control her world so that she won’t become overloaded. She is focusing on trying to remain calm. Often, such a child is blessed with a strong visual-spatial capacity and is a good big-picture thinker, so she anticipates the overload and tries to prevent it. It’s the stubbornness and negativism that end up interfering with completing tasks. Since she experiences classroom activities as overloading, she will avoid them, and do her own thing instead. Often such children are labeled ADHD early in life but surprisingly become successful later, finding their interests in adolescence or adulthood when they can be more in control of their world.

 

Problems With Planning

 
These four patterns of ADD/ADHD are often coupled with problems in planning or sequencing activities. A good example of a sequencing problem would be a child who has obvious difficulty following two- or three-step instructions: “Please pick up your toy, put it in the bin, and put your jacket on.”

A child with planning and sequencing problems will certainly appear inattentive or distracted because he has trouble completing a plan of action. Let’s say he’s supposed to be drawing. He has his own crayon in hand, but then he sees the child beside him with an interesting red crayon and gets distracted. He’s having trouble following the steps and planning out his next move, and the immediate appeal of other child’s crayon is enough to shift him off track. The more severe the planning and sequencing problems, the more challenging the child’s attention problems are likely to be.

 

How to Help

 
Any of the causes discussed here can explain distractibility and inattention. Now the question becomes, what can you and your child’s teacher do to help? Fortunately, especially with young children, there are plenty of opportunities to work on the underlying issues that lead to inattentiveness.
 

Become a keen observer. It’s imperative to carefully observe children who may have ADD/ADHD, and try to figure out what’s behind their behavior. What you’re trying to do is look for the circumstances and situations in which your child is both inattentive and attentive. Let’s say your child is usually attentive in a quiet one-on-one setting. Then, when she’s surrounded by a lot of commotion, her attention wavers or disappears. This suggests she is oversensitive to sensations. It might be worthwhile to ask your child what kind of sounds she likes best, and which she hates. You’ll probably discover that she finds high-pitched noises unpleasant.

Let’s say you’ve observed that your child, in relatively quiet situations, ends up whirling about in activity. Likely, this child is under-reactive and craves sensations. The quiet is too much for her. Ask her what she likes best in terms of play: chances are, she enjoys dancing, roughhousing, and wrestling with her brothers.

Watch how your child reacts when he’s given a task that requires more than one step. If he indeed has poor motor-planning and sequencing abilities, he’ll struggle with the task, and you’ll be able to read that frustration in her actions.

Compare notes with your child’s teacher. Your child’s teacher is, of course, a valuable source of information (as you are to the teacher), as children behave differently at home and school. Compare notes with each other in your effort to figure out what underlies your child’s difficulty paying attention.

 

Play to your child’s strengths. Try to address your child’s particular needs. There may be ways you can strengthen her processing capacities, for example, if that is where her issues lie. It is also very important to take a good look at your child’s current environment, both at home and at school. Is it supporting her attention capacity — or making things worse? A child who is hypersensitive to touch and sound and is part of a busy, active household might find school overwhelming. Talk to your child’s teacher to see how she might be able to make the classroom more soothing.

 

Consider outside factors. Is your child on any medication? Some, such as those to treat allergies, may make him irritable and cause him to over-react. Ask your pediatrician or allergist if you’re unsure. Your child may have a language problem that underlies his apparent attention issues. If he doesn’t completely understand what you or his teachers are saying, it stands to reason he’ll appear inattentive. If that’s the case, your child may be greatly helped by speech and language therapy. The child who has motor-planning and sequencing problems may benefit from occupational therapy.

Ultimately you’ll have to face the question: “What do we do about our child’s ADD?” Talking with your pediatrician, and perhaps getting a referral to a professional, is your first step. There has been tremendous pressure in recent years to put younger and younger children on medication. Unfortunately, parents feel the pressure even before their children have received an adequate clinical evaluation (if they ever do). So if your child’s attention problems are severe enough to warrant considering medication, then they are certainly serious enough to warrant a full clinical evaluation by a trained professional.

 

Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared on scholastic.com © Scholastic Inc

We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

 Source: Grand Parents      Scholastic News Online

Kids Review: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

by Lily
age 12

NG Kids
July 30, 2009

Editor’s Note: If you seen a movie that you want others to see or not see. Contact us at dan@youngchronicle.com Photograph courtesy Warner Bros

We would publish your review.

Dumbledore takes Harry to Horace Slughorn’s house. The house looks like it has been robbed. After they find Horace, who has disguised himself as a chair, they ask him to be the new potions professor at Hogwarts. Harry and Ron take his class and Harry ends up with the potion book, “The Half-Blood Prince.” He uses the book to find out how Voldemort came across his dark magic.

In the end, Harry learns all of the secrets that Hogwarts has kept for years.

I liked the unexpected events that happened, including the VERY big one at the end. I won’t tell you what that was, because you have to go see the movie!

I would rate this movie 4 out of 5 cow spots.

How much do you know about Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince? Quiz Your Noodle and find out!

Source: Kids Blogs National Geographic

Awesome Business Book for Kids

by Phoebe Assenza
August 1, 2009

 

A complete resource for the youngest entrepreneurs

Arthur Bochner was just 13 when he wrote the first edition of The Totally Awesome Business Book for Kids, a thorough and extensive guide to which the youngest entrepreneurs could easily relate. In The New Totally Awesome Business Book for Kids (Newmarket Press, 2007), Bochner and his sister, now in their twenties and teens, respectively, have updated the classic with 20 business ideas for kids, including the age-old mowing the neighbors’ lawns or becoming the family’s waste-management consultant, a.k.a. sorting recyclables. Other business skills like keeping records, communicating, negotiating, and marketing effectively are all covered, giving your grandchildren the inside track on mastering their own professional destiny.

Age:	8+	Retail Price: $10
Available at: amazon.com

 

Source: Grand Parents
Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

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