Hershey Hearts Newsletter
Hershey Hearts is committed to supporting,
helping, and educating families of children with
heart disease. This is achieved through meetings, newsletters, and a visitation program.
Our aim is
to strengthen families during their long
journey from despair to hope.
|
Vol. 4
Number 1 |
February 2000 |
The next meeting will be held
on March 18, 2000 from 1:00-3:00 PM in Dining Room A and B in the Milton S.
Hershey Medical Center Cafeteria.
Hershey Hearts signs will be posted in the Cafeteria to mark the
rooms. For those in need of childcare,
we will again provide childcare. The babysitting
services will be located in Dining Room C and D. Please call 1-800-864-2349, mailbox #3388 to RSVP by March 13th
if you plan to attend. Please mention
the number and ages of children for childcare.
The
format for the March meeting will be similar to the last three meetings. A short amount of time will be spent on
Hershey Hearts business, followed by a time for sharing. At this meeting we will have a guest
speaker, Jamie Reynolds. Jamie is a
PICU nurse and a former member of Hershey Hearts herself. She will be sharing her story with the
group. Please plan on attending the
March meeting.
Hershey Hearts is having its
first ever Longaberger Basket Bingo fundraising event. It will be held on Sunday, April 9, 2000,
from 2 – 4 p.m. (doors open at 1 p.m.).
This event will be held at the Red Lion Ambulance Association on 312
Horace Mann Avenue in Red Lion, PA.
To insure the success of the
event we need volunteers to sell tickets, organize the refreshment stand, and
help with set up and clean up the day of the event.
If you are interested in
helping or attending, please contact Terisa Johnson at 1-800-864-2349, mailbox
#3388.
By Rich Reinsburrow
Well Y2K has come and gone
with no major incidents, however Hershey Hearts is still in need of many people
to fill open positions or step forward to help with upcoming events.
Here is a list of open positions and general
responsibilities. If you have any
interest in volunteering for any of these positions, or would like to be on one
of the committees, please let me know.
I can be reached by email at Bigyimmer@aol.com
or you can leave a message on the Hershey Hearts phone system at 1-800-864-2349
ext. 3388.
© Communication Committee Chair – This position is responsible for
overseeing the general communications regarding Hershey Hearts to include the
newsletter, web site, and voice mail. The Communication Committee has many
active members, but a chair is needed to oversee the committee.
© Nomination Committee Chair – This position is responsible to advise and
recommend members to fill committee chair and Board member roles.
© Fundraising Committee Chair – This position is responsible for
overseeing all programs that generate revenue for Hershey Hearts. They would be involved in events at a high
level while overseeing Event Coordinators.
© Event Coordinators – These positions are the focal point for each of
the fundraising events. They are
responsible for leading their committee members in organizing the details of
the fundraising event.
©© Longaberger Basket Bingo - This new
fundraising event is slated for April 9th. Terisa Johnson has stepped forward to be the event
coordinator. Please support Hershey Hearts
and Terisa by volunteering your time to help with the event.
©© Heart Beat Auction -
This event does not have an event coordinator at this time. The room that was used last year for the auction
has been reserved for July 8th thru July 15th. Many people have been talking about prizes
for the second annual auction, but what's missing is the Heart Beat Auction
Event Coordinator. Please give this
position some thought. The Heart Beat Auction was extremely successful last year,
but if no one steps forward to coordinate this event, we will not be
able to hold it this year. Last year's
event coordinator for the Auction, Kelly Andre, is available to assist anyone
who is interested in coordinating this event.
© Members-At-Large – These
positions provide additional input to the Board of Directors in representing
the opinion of the general membership. Terisa Johnson has stepped forward to
fill the first position, but we are still looking to fill the last
Member-at-large position.
Since the last newsletter, we
have had some changes on the Hershey Hearts Board. Holly Ragan has resigned from her position as Vice
President. I would like to take this
opportunity to thank Holly for her service as Vice President, Baseball
Tournament Chair, Visitation Committee member and Picnic committee member. Even though Holly's busy schedule will not
allow her to continue in her positions at Hershey Hearts, she plans on still
being involved with the group. A BIG
thank you to Holly from Hershey Hearts.
Judy Byrne has resigned from
her position as Co-Chair of the
Visitation Committee and will be filling the role of Vice President for the remainder
of Holly's term. Judy and her husband
Tony still plan on being active members in the visitation committee. A BIG thank you to Judy for her service as
Founding Co-chair of the visitation program.
We need more involvement from
our other members. If you are
interested in any of these positions just contact me. I will be glad to answer your questions as well as provide you
with commitment requirements.
I thought it might be
interesting to know where most of our members come from so I have compiled a
list, by county:
|
County |
No. |
County |
No. |
|
Adams |
14 |
Lebanon |
31 |
|
Bedford |
3 |
Lehigh |
15 |
|
Berks |
39 |
Luzerne |
23 |
|
Blair |
1 |
Lycoming |
7 |
|
Bradford |
5 |
Mifflin |
2 |
|
Cameron |
1 |
Monroe |
6 |
|
Carbon |
5 |
Northampton |
8 |
|
Centre |
7 |
Northumberland |
1 |
|
Chester |
6 |
Perry |
7 |
|
Clearfield |
1 |
Pike |
2 |
|
Clinton |
3 |
Potter |
2 |
|
Columbia |
1 |
Schuykill |
16 |
|
Cumberland |
33 |
Somerset
|
1 |
|
Dauphin |
45 |
Susquehanna |
1 |
|
Franklin |
27 |
Tioga |
2 |
|
Fulton |
1 |
Union |
1 |
|
Huntington |
9 |
Wayne |
1 |
|
Juniata |
1 |
Westmoreland |
1 |
|
Lackawanna |
19 |
Wyoming |
2 |
|
Lancaster |
96 |
York |
76 |
Hershey Hearts Members by County
|
|
We have 2 families from
Maryland, 3 families from New York, and 4 families from Honduras.
As always, if anyone has any questions or suggestions for use, please feel free to email me at bigyimmer@aol.com or you can leave a message on the Hershey Hearts phone system at 1-800-864-2349 ext. 3388.
By Tom Teeter
As reported
in the November newsletter, our bank balance as of October 11th was $8,786.81.
Since
that report, we have received general donations of $360.00 and we were also
given a donation of $2,035.00 from funds raised on behalf of a young child from
Ecuador. The individuals who were responsible for raising these funds were made
aware of Hershey Hearts and graciously gave us the excess monies that were no
long needed by their group. We obviously thank all of our donors for their
generosity.
The expenses
incurred since my last report totaled $536.72, primarily for the printing of
the newsletters and for the deposit on the 2000 picnic site.
The
activity since the last report, when combined with the prior bank balance, has
resulted in a new bank balance as of January 16th of $10,645.09.
If anyone is interested in making a donation or in sending us any type of correspondence, our mailing address is:
Hershey
Hearts
P.O.
Box 163
Hershey, PA 17033-0163
By Mary Lou Box
RNC,MSN
What is RSV? RSV stands for respiratory syncytial
virus, the most frequent cause of serious respiratory tract infections in
infants and children younger than 4 years of age. This is such a common virus that almost all children have been
infected with RSV by the age of 3. In
most young children it results in mild respiratory infection that is like a
cold.
Where does RSV come from and how can I prevent my
child from being infected? Children and adults of all ages can become
infected. The infection in older children
and adults may be very mild, usually causing cold-like symptoms. A person can
be infected by close contact with another infected person or the secretions
from an infected person. An infant
usually acquires the infection from close contact with an older family member
who may not be aware that he or she is ill or who may have only mild, cold-like
symptoms.
Can my child get RSV again? Although a
child can get a second RSV infection, it is likely that the symptoms will be
much milder than the first time.
Will RSV weaken my child’s lungs and make her more
susceptible to other lung infections in the future? Most children recover
completely and will handle their next respiratory infection with no more
difficulty than an average child. Some
children with underlying heart or lung disease appear to be more susceptible to
subsequent respiratory problems.
When does RSV occur? RSV occurs throughout the
year and is most common during the winter months.
What are the symptoms of RSV? RSV causes
nasal stuffiness and discharge, cough, and sometimes ear infections. It is usually self-limiting and does not
require hospitalization or specific treatment – even in the majority of those
with heart or lung involvement. These
children may have a low-grade fever for several days, respiratory symptoms that
may last for 1 to 2 weeks, and a cough that persists beyond 2 weeks.
Can RSV be serious? Yes. An infant or young child who is experiencing
his or her first RSV infection may develop a severe infection in the lower
respiratory tract that is best managed in the hospital. Most commonly, the ones
requiring hospitalization are newborns and infants who have another
complicating or underlying condition, such as congenital heart or lung disease.
How do I know my child has a serious RSV infection? A child who
develops signs of more stressful breathing, deeper and more frequent coughing,
and who generally acts sicker by appearing tired, less playful, and less
interested in food may have developed a more serious RSV infection. Only your doctor can tell for sure.
When should I call the doctor? As in any
case of illness, you should call your doctor whenever you are worried about
your child. By describing the symptoms and behavior, the doctor can tell you if
the child should be seen. In general,
most doctors prefer to examine ill infants in person, as severity may be
impossible to determine over the phone.
If the respiratory symptoms
appear to interfere with the baby’s ability to sleep or drink, or if the baby
appears to have difficult or rapid breathing, you should call your doctor. If your child is younger than one year of
age and has an underlying disease such as heart disease or lung disease, or was
premature with lung disease developing after birth, you should let your doctor
know whenever the baby develops a respiratory infection.
If my child should get a RSV infection, how is it
treated? In the great majority of cases, RSV infection is
self-limiting and requires no specific therapy. If your child has a fever, your doctor may prescribe some
medication to control it. If he or she develops an ear infection associated
with RSV, antibiotics may be prescribed.
Most children exhibiting the respiratory symptoms of RSV (such as stuffy
nose and cough) require no treatment.
If your child has more severe
symptoms of RSV and needs hospitalization then specific treatment may be
administered. A laboratory test (nasal
washing) is done first. This involves
taking secretions from the baby’s nose and these secretions are tested to see
if RSV is detected. If RSV is detected,
then specific treatment would be recommended. This may include IV fluids,
respiratory treatments and oxygen. In the most severe cases, placement of a
breathing tube and ventilator and the need for intensive care treatment may be
needed. Currently the anti-viral
medications for treatment of RSV have not
been recommended for use in children with complex cyanotic (blue) heart
disease who have not been completely repaired.
There is a multi-institutional research study, now in its second year,
investigating the use of the drug Synergis as a therapy for children with heart
disease. The Hershey Medical Center is
part of this study under the direction of Dr. Kerry Rosen. Children selected for the study have very
specific criteria that must be met. Dr. Rosen is hopeful that release of the
medication for use in children with complex cyanotic heart disease will be
available by next RSV season.
Reference: Parent handout – ICN Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
By Judy Byrne
Hershey
Hearts will be sponsoring a day at the Reading Phillies on Sunday, May 7,
2000. There will be a picnic buffet
(including hamburgers, hot dogs, grilled chicken sandwiches, pasta and potato
salads, chips, pretzels, iced tea, lemonade, and
soda) available from 12 noon till 2:00 p.m. The game begins at 1:05 p.m. Hershey Hearts reserved seating for the game
will be next to the deck where the food is being served. Children under the age
of 4 do not need a ticket unless they need their own
reserved seat. This event is sponsored
by Hershey Hearts and there is no cost to support group members. There are a limited number of tickets
available. Please email Judy Byrne at Heyjudeb@aol.com
to reserve your tickets. In the
event of inclement weather, call (800) 864-2349, mailbox #3388 for more
information.
By April Weaver
The
Visitation Program continues to be a successful venture for supporting families
of children with heart disease. As always, our program is accepting new
volunteers willing to visit these families during hospitalization at Hershey
Medical Center. Our volunteers are families who have experienced the trials and
tribulations of heart disease. Any pediatric cardiac family who would like a
hospital visit by one of our volunteer families can contact their Pediatric
Cardiology Social Worker for further details.
As of
January 1, 2000 Judy Byrne will no longer co-chair the Visitation Committee, as
she has been named Vice-President of the Hershey Hearts Support
Group. I would like to take this opportunity to thank
Judy for her whole-hearted effort in helping to originate and facilitate the
Visitation Program. By working together, we have created a beneficial program
not to mention a special friendship.
Best of luck in your new position, Judy!
As a
result of Judy excepting the Vice President position, a co-chair was needed for
the visitation committee. Kelley Houtz
has stepped forward to fill this position and I would like to take this
opportunity to welcome Kelley Houtz as the new co-chair. Kelley and her husband Bryon have been
active members of the visitation program since it's inception. Kelley and I will be looking for new ideas
and suggestions that will further enhance our program. If you have any ideas, suggestions or would
like to be a participate on the visitation program, please contact April Weaver
at Nontradmom2001@netscape.net
or Kelley Houtz at Bhoutz@paonline.com.
In each sentence
below, the words in brackets can be replaced by "hearty" expressions
that mean the same thing. Choose an expression
from the answer list that best replace the "hearty" expression. Answers on page 6.
1.
[Take pity], will you?
2.
I learned the song [word
of word]
3.
Get to the [point].
4.
When her puppy ran off,
she [was crushed by sadness].
5.
No matter who's around, he
[lets all his feelings be known].
6.
I played on the beach
[as long as I wanted].
7.
She has [no feelings or
emotions].
8.
It [feels good] to help
you.
9.
I'm not lying, [you can
believe me]!
10. He may seem a little odd, but [he means well].
A. does my heart good
B. heart of the matter
C. have a heart
D. to my heart's content
E. a heart of stone
F. by heart
G. cross my heart
H. wears his heart on his sleeve
I.
his heart is in the
right place
J.
had a broken heart
By Bob Garvin
GOOD NEWS!!!! Hershey Hearts picnic attendance has
outgrown Shank Park. The 4th
annual picnic will be held Saturday July 15th, 2000 at Hoffer Park
in Middletown, PA. Please mark your
calendars and plan to enjoy a wonderful day.
If there is anyone interested in joining the picnic committee, please
email Bob Garvin at garvin2200@aol.com.
By Holly Ragan
At our last Hershey Hearts
support group meeting in October 1999 a list of the Hershey Hearts Goals was distributed
to the members present. Each member was
asked to rank, in their opinion, the top five goals that they would like to
continue to see Hershey Hearts meet.
The goals listed below ranked
highest…there are six goals listed below as a result of two goals ranking
equally for the third spot:
1.
To reach families of
newly diagnosed children with congenital heart disease and provide
encouragement and a support network to strengthen them.
2. To make
available books, materials and Internet access necessary to educate families of
children with congenital heart disease.
3a. To
increase attendance at the meetings and the annual picnic
3b. To secure
space within the hospital for families to keep their belongings or to rest
while their child is in the ICU.
4. To raise funds to provide programs assistance
and contributions to enhance the quality of life for families of children with
congenital heart disease.
5. To solicit or purchase items to give to
patients and/or families (i.e. tickets, gift certificates, and financial
support).
After reviewing the goals
listed above, the Board determined that Hershey Hearts is currently fulfilling
the first goal. This goal of reaching
families of newly diagnosed children is currently being met through an
extremely successful Visitation Program with the help of the Social Work
Department. However, the group will
continually search and be open to suggestions as to how to further meet this
goal.
Hershey Hearts has been in
contact with Sue Espenshade concerning the renovation of the Lounge and
Resource Room that is projected to be complete in the middle of March this
year. Hershey Hearts hopes to purchase
new materials for the Resource Room which will benefit the families of children
with cardiac disease as well as enhance the Resource Room overall. Details will be confirmed after the completion
of the new facility.
Please take time to complete
the survey you received. This survey
will allow Hershey Hearts to further identify the interests of its members and
increase attendance at events sponsored by Hershey Hearts.
The Board will continue to
look into potential opportunities for improvement that may be possible for
Hershey Hearts to initiate and/or contribute to at the Medical Center.
Hershey Hearts has
successfully raised over $10,000 in the past year and hopes to continue to
conduct fundraisers such as the Longaberger Basket Bingo and the Heart Beat
Auction. Please see the articles
throughout the newsletter concerning these events and remember that volunteers
are needed in order to conduct each fundraiser successfully.
Hershey Hearts hopes to
purchase entertainment tickets and/or restaurant gift certificates to give to
families with an extended stay at Hershey Medical Center to provide a bit of
relief during hospitalization.
Please feel free to contact Hershey Hearts if you would like to participate in the fulfillment of its goals. Your ideas and availability will continue to make Hershey Hearts a success!
By Lisa Hoffman
Hershey Hearts support group
is accepting Redner's Warehouse Markets register receipts to be submitted for a
1% rebate offer. The save-a-tape
program requires that people ask for a free save a tape card from the customer
service area of the store. The save-a-tape
card is used when you checkout, (tax, milk and tobacco products are not
eligible). This special receipt keep
the non-eligible items separate and just totals the items that are eligible. Once you have collected a significant number
of receipts, mail them to:
Lisa Hoffman
C/o
Hershey Hearts
P.O.
Box 163
Hershey, PA 17033-0163
They will then be submitted periodically throughout the year to Redner's for our rebate on the total collected. Please ask your friends, neighbors, and family to sign up to help Hershey Hearts
Coming Events and Reminders Mark your calendars for the following events in 2000: © Come out and have FUN! Mark your calendars for the 1st Longaberger Basket
Bingo. April 9, 2000. © Mark your calendars for the next Hershey
Hearts meeting on March 18th. © Hershey Hearts Annual Picnic July 15, 2000 at Hoffer Park in Middletown, PA. © If
you know of a family that would like to receive the newsletter or would like
to be removed from the mailing list, please call 1-800-864-2349, mailbox
#3388. © As always, if you have any questions, suggestions, or entries for our newsletter please email Kelly Andre at kandre@prolog.net. |
Please
consider volunteering for the following positions in Hershey Hearts:
© Communication Committee Chair
© Nomination Committee Chair
© Fundraising Committee Chair
© Event Coordinator - Heart Beat Auction
© Member At Large
(1)
Please
consider volunteering for the following committees in Hershey Hearts:
© Communication
Committee
© Fundraising
Committee
© Heart Beat
Auction Committee
© Longaberger
Basket Bingo Committee
© Nomination
Committee
© Picnic Committee
© Visitation
Committee
If you have any interest in
volunteering for any of these positions, or would like to be on one of the
committees please let me know. I can be
reached by email at Bigyimmer@aol.com or you can leave a
message on the “Hershey Hearts” phone system at 1-800-864-2349 ext. 3388.
© © ©
Answers
to the "Hearty" Expressions: 1. C; 2. F; 3. B; 4. J; 5. H; 6. D; 7.
E; 8. A; 9. G; 10. I.