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Show save lives aving m fund-raisin- Two terminally ill children support in Roy By JAN PUGH Lakeside Review ROY Two area schools have taken on the cause of two terminally ill children, uniting each school in its efforts and its purpose and raising nearly $4,000 already. For 10 days last month, students at Roy Junior High School opened their hearts and their pockets to benefit Amanda Stimpson, a Riverdale infant who will need a liver transplant and Cody Gailey, formerly of Roy, who may need a bone marrow transplant. They came up with more than Ochsenbein said she has a tender spot in her heart for parents with very sick children who must depend on the generosity of others to help with the financial burden of treatment. Her own sons medical expenses topped a dollars, but insurance covered the majority of it. Her son Skyler has spent one of the three years of his life in a hospital with a number of major medical problems. I cant imagine my babys life depending on raising enough money, she said. Roy Highs cheerleaders under the direction of Terry Sheffield, have passed cans at football games to benefit Amanda. A dance is planned which normally nets near $1,000 and a days receipts from the schools vending machines will go to help the babys parents with medical expenses. half-milli- ld $2,200. fund-raisin- Counting the days donations of $36.30, Kathy Ochsenbein (center) is helped by sizeable sums to help with medical costs. For a week and a half, Roy Ju- niors 1,080 students donated $2,265 from allowances, lunch money, pocket change and emp Jeannie Dains, Tiffany Barker, Becky Woodall and Angie Howe. tying their piggy banks. They paign didnt mount a cam- outside the school or sell anything, said Assistant Principal Cheryl Greenhalgh. It was strictly personal donations, Cody r. Harnsberger, a pediatric gastroenterologist, is president of the medical staff at Primary Childrens Hospital in Salt Lake City and specializes in liver, intestinal and related disorders. She has been treating Amanda since the diagnosis of a rare birth defect last June. Amanda is the second child of Robert and Sandy Stimpson of Riverdale. She is a victim of biliary atresia. That is, she was born without a pH bladder and the associated bile ducts that are the drainage system between the liver and intestines. The theory is that a virus attacks the bile ducts early in gestation and literally obliterates them, said Harnsberger. Without the pathway that the ducts provide, the bodys nutritional requirements cannot be satisfied, nor can excretory needs be met, resulting in toxins building up in the body. A new liver and the whole associated system, including bile ducts and lymph system, must be transplanted into Amanda for her to survive, said the specialist. It is the most difficult of all transplants, she said. All that can possibly be done for Amanda short of a transplant is already being done, but the need for a transplant is inevitable. She will not live into her early school years without liver failure, Harnsberger said. There is no transplant center in Utah and Harnsberger does not actually do the operation herself. There are highly specialized surgeons in about a dozen centers across the country who do the procedure. Harnsberger explained that a transplant is done only as a last resort. Transplantation is a young science. Its a scary science and something that is just coming into being in the field of medical expertise, she said. Only when there is no choice when it is a matter of life or is a transplant underdeath taken, said Harnsberger. Amanda will be at that point at some time, she said. Most babies born with biliary atresia need transplanted livers by the age of 18 months. In Amandas case, she said, It may be sooner. Shes not doing well. For the time being, Amanda is on medication and special feedings to compensate for nu Without treatment, Codys parents were told their only child had three months to live. Cody, 3'h, is the son of Chuck Gailey and Cindy Pinkerton. He has acute leukemia, a form of cancer of one of the cells that forms in the bone marrow. His parents, both in their twenties, are divorced but have been united recently in their efforts to do all they can to save their child. Cody is under the care of a team of childhood cancer specialists at Primary Childrens Medical Center in Salt Lake City headed by Dr. Richard OBrien. Without any medical treatment, OBrien said Cody had no chance of survival and life expectancy could be measured in months. With treatment, there is a 40 percent chance of a cure. OBrien said 15 percent of children with leukemia have this type and it is very difficult to treat. Mrs. Pinkerton had to sign papers consenting to experimental treatment, but OBrien said the treatment is not necessarily experimental. He said there have been subRobert ReganLakeside Review Amanda Stimpson gets her hair combed by her mother, Sandy, while big sister Ashley watches in the mirror. tritional deficiencies. She is holding her own, said Harnsberger. To look at Amanda, the only unusual thing you really notice is her yellow coloring from the bile in her system, said the doctor. Otherwise, she is a beauti- ful, happy, heartbreakingly nice baby. But she is too small. She is not growing well. That is because of the birth defect, she said. Amandas mother said she is not as active as a normal baby and she does not fight off infection as well as she should because her resistance is low. The Stimpsons have insurance to cover the major part of the liver transplant cost, but Harnsberger said even 20 percent of a $200,000 procedure leaves $40,000. And thats just for the operation. Then there is the added expense of housing for two to three months for whoever goes with Amanda while she is hospitalized out of state. Then after the transplant there is a huge amount of care, Harnsberger said, and continued expense, with very costly medicines. Even though the anti-rejecti- drugs after the transplant may run $200 a month and even though survival after the transplant may prove challenging, Mrs. Stimpson said the thought never crossed her mind not to have the operation. I feel I have to give Amanda a fair chance at life, she said. If she dies, its meant to happen, but at least I gave her a chance. Once on the waiting list for a liver, time is of the essence. A family member must wear a beeper day and night and be available to transport the patient to the designated medical center immediately. The liver must go from donor to patient in a matter of hours. Amanda is the grandchild of Ron and Anita Kersey and Bob and Carolyn Stimpson, all Roy residents. stantial ad- vancements in treatment and said, There is a thin line between therapy and experimental. Things are changing all the time because of the application of research, he state-of-the-a- Clearfield donated $50 in gift certificates for Codys burgers and more if needed for as long as he is sick. said. Cody has un- dergone cycles of four OBrien said Cody happy is when he is che- motherapy and a boy feel- ing well. His Cody Gailey hero is Rambo in complete remis- ' and he loves to show off his the cancer is sion for the time being, but doctors are not overly hopeful that it will stay that way indefinitely. Its difficult to say if he will need further treatment, OBrien said. Further treatment could be more chemotherapy or possibly a bone marrow transplant. OBrien describes chemotherapy as medicine therapy; but very, very powerful medicine with poten-- , tial side effects that could be lethal in themselves. Chemotherapy kills good cells as well as bad, possibly exposing . plans holiday market School of St. CLEARFIELD Peter's and St. Peters Episcopal Church will jointly sponsor the Arts and Crafts Holiday Market on Saturday, Nov. 18 from 10 a m. to 4 p.m. St. Peter's is located at 1204 E. 1450 South. Clearfield. Events include a drawing at 2 p m. where handicrafts include a crocheted afghan, country doll, gourmet food basket, tree skirt and a queen-size- d jungle print quilt. Other items offered for sale are gourmet goodies, bakery items, Christmas corner with needle crafts and Christmas decorations. There will be a children's room so parents can shop without their children Lunch will be available with homemade chicken noodle soup, pizza and pies for $1. Communication club practices for debate RHETS InternaLAYTON tional Training in Communication (ITC) Club will hold its November meeting on Nov. 21, at 4 p.m. in the Conference Room, Building 1207, Hill Air Force Base. Program will consist of practice for the debate between the DDOU Verbalists and RHETS ITC Clubs on Dec. 2, and program led by Ruth Carper entitled, A Winning Speech. International Training in Communication Clubs are open to anyone wishing to improve their speaking and leadership skills. For further information call LinFrancis da Garr at . 1 Fields at 777-098- 7. vorite food. McDonalds in rt Peters School St. 777-641- the patient to infection and levels of drugs from which the bone marrow could never recover, he said. A transplant would rescue him from aggressive cheOBrien said. In motherapy, that case, Codys own bone marrow would be removed, treated with drugs and reinjected. That procedure is very expensive and youId have to.be done out of state in one of several special centers. Since his treatment began, Cody has spent quite a bit of time in the hospital, the better part of a week for each chemotherapy series. His doctors and family say he has taken the treatments amazingly well. They drain him of his strength, make him ache and cause big sores in his mouth, but Gailey says his son is so strong and brave that he is an example to his father. Cody has lost all his straight red hair, but said he doesnt miss it. The family does not lie to Cody and tries to explain what is happening in terms he will understand. With the transfusions, spinals, intervenous injections and blood samples done so often Cody observed, You just put it in and take it out. Put it in and take it out. His dad tells Cody its okay to cry when it hurts, but if it doesnt hurt, dont cry. Cody answers, Im a big boy, huh Dad? When Cody is feeling up to eating, macaroni and cheese and hamburgers are his fa- Gailey seemed normal until last when he broke out in lumps all over his body. ' That symptom led to a diagnosis of leukemia, a grueling series of chemotherapy sessions and the distinct possibility of a bone marrow transplant in the near future. Amanda does not have a transplant, she will i teacher at the school, became aware of the plight of the two youngsters and oversaw the child's strength die. That is a definite, said the babys doctor, Janet Harnsber-ge- 4 some coming from other family members. Kathy Ochsenbein, a science Leukemia draining Infant fighting for life If g. Ochsenbein personally passed a jar around daily and collections were made by other teachers in homerooms also. Ochsenbein said she knows of kids who gave up their lunch money every day of the drive for the ill children. Who needs lunch or pop anyway, was the attitude of many of the students, Ochsenbein said, and they emptied their pockets instead of filling their stomachs. find Roy High School, likewise, is raising money for Amanda. Students there have already topped $1,500 and have plans for furg ther projects. As has become a tradition at the junior high, the students rose to the call for help and divided what money they donated equally between accounts set up at two area banks for medical expenses for Amanda and Cody. For the third time in as many years, Roy Junior High students have united behind the cause of needy area children and raised Community briefs muscles, his grandmother Mae Gailey said. Codys father quit his job as a construction worker to be with his son and care for him. He stays with his son day and night, even in the hospital, sleeping right along side him. Smiths in Roy and Pepsi .Cola in Ogden contributed food and drinks for a hamburger stand outside the supermarket last month. That, along with cotton candy sales, car washes and neighborhood collections by concerned children in Clinton have netted over $2,000. Homemakers chapter to get bread recipes The North CLEARFIELD Davis Chapter of Utah Homemakers will hold its November meeting on Thursday, Nov. 16 at 7 p m. in the Home Economics Room in building C at Clearfield High. Elsie Halliday will demonstrate how to make many different bread items, such as pizza, bread sticks, desserts, etc., with a basic whole-whe- recipe. The public is invited. For more information, please call Jill Voss at at or Elsena Jones at 544-953- 6 825-105- 1. Learning disabilities group to tour DAVC The Davis Chapter of Learning Disabilities Association of Utah is inviting all parents m Davis County along with their secondary students to attend an evening of information and a tour of the Davis Area Vocational Center on Tuesday, Nov. 21, beginning at 7 p.m. For further questions and any other information feel free to contact Gaylia Tanner 295-070- 4. Layton Rotary to hear local book publisher The Layton RoLAYTON tary Club will hold a meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 15 at the Peppercorn Restaurant. 296 N. Main, Layton. Speaker for the occasion will be Gibbs Smith, a book publisher. For further information Tom Winegar at 544-343- call 7. Layton Kiwanis topic on robotic polishing LAYTON The Layton Ki- wanis will hold a meeting on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 7:30 a.m. at the Main Street Station, 200 S. Main, Layton. Michael Wilson of Hill Air Force Base will be the speaker. His topic is the Robotic Polishing Canopy System at the base. For further information call Harris Adams, 825-358- 6. Mothers of Multiples to hold early meeting LAYTON The Ogden Area Mothers of Multiples will hold their monthly meeting on Nov. 16, one week early due to Thanksgiving. Speaker this month is Loretta Enders of the Parent Education Resource Center. Her topic is stress management. All mothers and expectant mothers of twins and triplets are invited to attend. For more information call Tammi, 775-063- 4. i y |
