Thank you to the wonderful staff at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite @childrensatl from an Orange wristband Dad.

A week ago, my 13 yr. old son Declan came home from a trip and wasn’t feeling well, the next day there was fever and coughing followed by a trip to the pediatrician who put him on Amoxicillin and bed rest. After several days with limited improvement we brought him back to the pediatrician, I guess it was Thursday afternoon, which led us to the Emergency Room at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, two nights in the Pediatric Intensive Care followed by one night in a regular room.

It is now Sunday and my boy is home, completely on the mend, therefore, his Mom and I couldn’t be happier over his fast recovery.

After 19 years of parenthood with three rough and tumble boys, this was my first overnight experience (truly blessed) at Children’s and I couldn’t have been happier with the experience. The emergency room staff and nurses were amazing, handling injured and hurting children while still comforting and explaining every detail to the parents who were just as afraid as the children. The technology used was top notch and was made especially for children, whereby I watched as the special intravenous ultrasound team was called in to assist with placing my son’s IV.

About 11:30 p.m. I hit the late-night cafeteria as I hadn’t eaten dinner with all the excitement and my son’s emergency room nurse came over to me during her down time to ask how I was doing. I said I was fine but honestly, I was more worried about her.  That fact was confirmed when from the next table over I heard her tell her husband that she had been running from one case to another non-stop for four plus hours and that this was the reason why sometimes after a difficult night she has a hard time getting to sleep when she finally gets back home. Her team's service was impeccable as far as I was concerned, she just had a lot on her plate, and she juggled it wonderfully with skill, love, and compassion.

The next several days were a blur with antibiotics, breathing treatments, oxygen and respiratory gizmos to speed his healing. There was peeing in a cup for the boy because he had enough wires on his chest to jump-start a car but the chocolate milkshakes for dessert for lunch and dinner made up for the minor inconveniences. When my son was finally moved into a normal room, we were able to have visitors where there were epic battles of Super Smash Brothers Bawl happening on the bed (Switch Gaming System) while the parents chatted on the couch over current events happening within our daily lives. During one parental conversation, we looked out the window and noticed there was a helipad without a helicopter. Unfortunately, much later that evening I can confirm that I witnessed an emergency helicopter land and it just made me worried for the occupant, the family, as well as the emergency room staff and all others that were about to be involved.

By day three the security guards at the front desk seemed to know me as I was wearing an Orange wristband (it identifies the person as a parent of a sick child) they always smiled and made me feel welcome, even walking around at odd hours. Knowing that my son was on the mend and was going to be going home, made me extremely thankful for our health. When I saw another orange wristband walking towards me, it made me want to comfort them, to nod or smile, to hold that elevator for them a little longer then I usually would for another human being because I know that they might be going through something much larger and more difficult than my short stay, watching my son whom I knew would be just fine. Some of those Orange wristband parents are not so blessed.

Long story short, I’ve spent the last three days in a small room bonding with my son while he received top-notch care.  I told corny Dad jokes in order to make him laugh and cough which would assist in clearing his lungs. The nurses, doctors and respiratory specialists were all great, the facilities were wonderful, and I hope I never have to return.

If I ever do, I’m just very thankful Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta with their skillful and caring staff is just down the road.

The U.S. Surgeon General recommends a wider availability of Narcan and now I hope I never have to use it. @Surgeon_General

I, Surgeon General of the United States Public Health Service, VADM Jerome Adams, am emphasizing the importance of the overdose-reversing drug naloxone.

Carol Niemi of the Dunwoody Crier wrote an outstanding article on the opioid epidemic facing the entire Atlanta area and it highlighted information from Dunwoody Police Department Sargent Robert Parsons how our small community is not immune from the problem.  On the very day of this article, the statistics mentioned were already outdated as the Dunwoody Police administered Narcan on Tuesday to a person (having lunch in a fine dining establishment in a nice part of town) needing assistance because of an over dose.

Knowing how prevalent these over dose occurrences are happening, I saw in the article where no prescription was needed to purchase the possibly life saving drug therefore I decided to see if I could get my hands on some. I called the local CVS pharmacy I frequent, asked for pricing and then placed an order.  The price off the shelf was $99 for a two dose kit and I was able to use my health insurance which brought it down to $10.00.  I hope my family never opens the package shown above but with numerous neighborhood teenage kids hanging out at my home, I see it as an insurance policy I hope I never have to use.  I am thankful that every Dunwoody police car is carrying a dose along with an AED but it makes me think of all the other AED locations (schools, libraries, public buildings) where this drug may be needed in an emergency but is not available.  The US surgeon general issued an advisory in April recommending that more Americans carry the opioid overdose-reversing drug and hopefully it will be stocked in public places where it makes sense.

Opioid ODs in Dunwoody on track to double in 2018 by Carol Niemi of the Dunwoody Crier

According to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), 115 Americans die every day from an opioid overdose. Some of them are in Dunwoody, and that number is rising. The Dunwoody Police treated six opioid overdoses in 2016 and 13 in 2017. If the current rate continues, the number will double again this year.

“We’ve had 12 ODs so far this year [with three fatalities], and we’re only halfway through the year,” said Sgt. Robert Parsons of the Dunwoody Police Department. “If we keep going on this way, we’ll double our numbers.”

Drug overdoses are increasing all over the country mainly because the cartels that control the illegal drug trade are mixing the usual drugs with a cheap, highly potent synthetic opioid called fentanyl.

Fentanyl first became widely known in 2016 when it was revealed as the cause of death of the pop singer Prince. Often used during surgery because of its intense and fast action, fentanyl is so potent that someone can die just by breathing it.

“Fentanyl is 40 to 100 times stronger than morphine,” said Parsons.  Fentanyl is so lethal that the city of Duluth has had to evacuate its police department twice because of fentanyl accidentally released into the air.

“We ask our officers not to go alone to a reported OD unless they have no choice,” said Parsons. “If there’s powder in the air, one officer can help the other.”

And if fentanyl isn’t bad enough, the cartels have recently started using carfentanyl – 100 times more potent than fentanyl, 5,000 times more potent than heroin and 10,000 times more potent than morphine.

“A lethal dose is very, very low,” said Parsons.

When The Crier first met Parsons in 2016, he was the first Dunwoody police officer to administer naloxone hydrochloride, an effective opioid antidote, using the EVZIO auto-injector, having administered two life-saving doses to an unconscious male in 2015 who made a full recovery.

At that time, all Dunwoody police cars carried needle-based EVZIO auto-injectors thanks to a grant that covered the cost of $4,500 for a box of two. When the grant ran out, the city lacked the money to buy the 60 to 70 boxes needed per year and switched to a cheaper nasal spray form of naloxone called NARCAN, which costs the city only $75 for a box of two bottles.

“The spray is just effective as the needle of the EVZIO auto-injector,” said Parsons. “A lot of officers are more comfortable using it, and it’s pretty fast acting, usually within two to three minutes.”

Since the police often arrive at the scene of an overdose before the ambulance, having NARCAN in every squad car is critical since the difference between life and death can be one or two minutes.

“No matter what device we’re using, since fentanyl is here, it takes a lot more to revive people. Now we’re commonly giving up to four doses,” said Parsons.

Parsons says more than 50 percent of all OD deaths in 2016 involved fentanyl. One reason for the increase of fentanyl is that the illegal drug trade has changed. Previously, most illegal drugs sold in Georgia were made locally in people’s basement and garage labs using simpler ingredients. Local dealers sold them in places like “The Bluff” in southwest Atlanta.

“Now the sophisticated drug cartels from Mexico are operating everywhere,” said Parsons.

Though they market the drugs in the U.S., the Mexican cartels buy them from China, where until March 2017 fentanyl and carfentanyl were not controlled substances and were manufactured legally and sold openly over the Internet. Several Chinese chemical companies still make and actively market them.

According to Parsons, fentanyl and carfentanyl are smuggled over the border and “mixed with everything,” including heroin and counterfeit Percocet or Vicodin tablets the drug traffickers make. The fake pills are so realistic addicts don’t know they contain the more lethal substances.

“People who buy the fake pills think they’re getting opioids – Oxycodone, Vicodin, Percocet,” he said. “You can put them side by side and not be able to tell the difference.”
Recently, he had to administer “multiple doses” of NARCAN to save a man who had taken fake Percocet pills.

Police have treated opioid overdoses all over Dunwoody in all socio-economic groups.
“Of all the places we’ve been and people have died, we’re looking at restaurant restrooms, cars, apartments and very nice homes. We’ve been to neighborhoods like Redfield,” he said.

In the past three years, drug overdoses in Dunwoody have resulted in 15 fatalities, due mostly to fentanyl. The average Dunwoody fatality has been a 30-year-old male, which is in line with the national statistic of males in the 25-to-34 age bracket having the most overdose deaths.

“People have the image of a homeless person lying behind the dumpster with a needle in his arm,” said Parsons. “But we’ve had attorneys, doctors, pharmacists and other college grads. What’s fueling this is that it’s indiscriminate.”

Since most addictive opioid use starts with legally prescribed painkillers, often to young people with sports injuries, or to recreational use of drugs found in the home, authorities advise people not to keep unused drugs in the house, where young people might find them.

The Dunwoody Police Department advises against flushing drugs down the toilet into the water system and instead urges people to turn their unused medications into a designated “prescription take back” site. People can find a list of local sites at doseofrealityga.org/drug-takeback/ or simply bring their unused drugs to the drop box in the Police Department lobby on the second floor of Dunwoody City Hall.

“Get these drugs out of the house,” said Parsons.

Parsons is obviously passionate about the opioid crisis, and his passion is personal because his mother died of an opioid overdose at the age of 46.

“Getting revival drugs into the hands of the community is my passion. My mom was alone when she died,” he said. “Anyone can go into a pharmacy and buy NARCAN. If you have someone in your life who’s struggling, be their advocate. Do everything you can to get that person into treatment. Recovery is possible when you have advocates. The police are not just here to arrest you. We’ll do everything we can to help.”

CDC Director Tom Frieden visits the Atlanta Press Club to discuss Ebola.

Video

On December 10, 2014 CDC Director Tom Frieden visited the Atlanta Press Club to discuss the CDC's efforts to control the epidemic and prevent Ebola from further spreading in the U.S.   I was in attendance and thought this speech was timely, locally relevant and was worth sharing, especially since I know of so many hard working and dedicated employees of the CDC who live here in Dunwoody. 

 Person of the Year

Dunwoody Farmhouse goes Blue for Autism Awareness Day - thank you to the Dunwoody Preservation Trust

"Light it up Blue" for autismspeaks.org

Thank you to the Dunwoody Preservation Trust for taking part in the "Light it up Blue" observance of World Autism Awareness Day. This effort is intended to shed some light on a disorder that affects tens of millions worldwide. Here in the U.S., 1 in 88 children are diagnosed (1 in 54 boys and 1 in 252 girls). You can read about it at www.lightitupblue.org .

A special thank you to Sam Portis (portisbuilding.com) and Erik Christensen of (bulldogmovers.net) for following through to make this happen, as well as Tom McGurk for your leadership!!!  Though these gentlemen are very busy with final preparations for Lemonade Days, which is our communities biggest event, they had time to recognize a segment of our community that needs a light shown upon them.

Video

Dr. Susan Rudnicki of Dunwoody offers Mind and Body balance for all ages.

Click for Video

Dr. Susan Rudnicki and her “Get Fit 4 Girls” class worked up a sweat on Better Mornings Atlanta! The Fitness Fridays segment featured the young ladies live in the CBS News studio doing team workouts. Susan was interviewed about the launch of her Dunwoody class for girls ages 8-12.  (Separate classes for boys too.)

“What I wanted to do is start them when they’re young, so they develop healthy habits over a lifetime. If we don’t do it now, it gets much harder when the get older. We want to start it now, when we can make it fun for them, so they’ll equate exercise with fun.”

SusanPhd.com
Dr. Susan Rudnicki
1705 Mt. Vernon Road, Suite E,
Dunwoody, GA 30338

Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Day - March 3, 2011

The Georgia Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society is sponsoring MS Awareness Day at the State Capital on Thursday March 3rd, and the Dunwoody City Council will be proudly passing the following proclamation on Monday night in support.

MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS AWARENESS DAY 2011

BY THE MAYOR, CITY OF DUNWOODY, STATE OF GEORGIA,

A PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS, MS is a chronic and disabling disease of the central nervous system in which the progression, severity, and specific symptoms cannot be foreseen; and

WHEREAS, every hour of every day someone new is diagnosed with MS, a disease that can erode a person’s abilities and hopes, halt a career and unravel the fabric of families, and adversely affects the quality of life for all involved; and

WHEREAS, last year in Georgia more than two million dollars were raised to find the cure for MS and develop effective treatments for the disease, as well as provide a wide range of client programs to improve the lives of the estimated 9,000 individuals living with MS in Georgia; and

WHEREAS, this investment is paying off in significant advances in treating MS, such as new medications which may reduce or delay future disability for people with MS; and

WHEREAS, while research advances have brought us closer to find the cure to MS, much remains to be done, and services must continue to be provided to those who live with the disease; and

WHEREAS, there are public and private agencies available to serve the constantly changing needs of those with MS, and their families, living in Dunwoody and Georgia by extending essential services to all who need them; and

WHEREAS, the diligent efforts of individuals working to find a cure for MS and the brave and courageous fight of those living with MS are worthy of recognition and the benefits such awareness may bring.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Kenneth Wright, Mayor, City of Dunwoody, State of Georgia, do hereby proclaim March 3, 2011, as “Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Day” in Dunwoody, Georgia, and commend this observance to all our citizens, with special recognition to the Dunwoody based, Georgia Chapter of the National MS Society for its efforts to help “Create a world free of MS”.

Combating Prescription Fraud Seminar given by Dunwoody PD & GA Drugs and Narcotics Agency

 

A FREE Informational Class

Open to all Pharmacists and Pharmacy Technicians in the City of Dunwoody, GA

Learn more about the detection and prevention of prescription fraud.

Thursday, October 28, 2010 from 10 to Noon

 

Dunwoody Police Department
41 Perimeter Center East 
Suite 100Dunwoody, GA 30346

TOPICS INCLUDE:

• Know Your Doctors
• Identifying Forgeries
• Forgery Hotline
• Photo Identification

          ....and more

Presenters:

Detective Robert Bentivegna, Dunwoody Police Dept.

Ph: 678/382-6911, robert.bentivegna@dunwoodyga.gov

Deputy Director Dennis Troughton, Pharm.D/R.Ph., GA Drugs & Narcotics Agency,www.gdna.georgia.gov

Register here.

Saturday the Dunwoody Police are collecting unwanted and expired medications for destruction

Saturday - 10 am until 2 pm

Dunwoody City Hall

41 Perimeter Center East

Dunwoody, GA 30346

On September 25, 2010, the City of Dunwoody will be collaborating with the DEA to remove potentially dangerous controlled substances from our medicine cabinets. Collection activities will take place from 10:00 a.m. through 2:00 p.m. at Dunwoody City Hall, 41 Perimeter Center East, 30346. The National Take-Back Day provides an opportunity for the public to surrender expired, unwanted, or unused pharmaceutical controlled substances and other medications for destruction. These drugs are a potential source of supply for illegal use and an unacceptable risk to public health and safety.

This one-day effort is intended to bring national focus to the issue of increasing pharmaceutical controlled substance abuse.

• The program is anonymous.
• Prescription and over the counter solid dosage medications, i.e. tablets and capsules accepted.
• Intra-venous solutions, injectables, and needles will not be accepted.
• Illicit substances such as marijuana or methamphetamine are not a part of this initiative.

Food Allergy Walk at Brook Run on Sat Oct 2nd.

Video from the 2009 walk

Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network

EVENT DETAILS:
Date: Saturday, October 2, 2010
Time: Check-in begins at 9:00 a.m.; Walk begins at 10:00 a.m.
Location: Brook Run Park (Dunwoody), 4770 N. Peachtree Road, Atlanta, GA, 30338
Distance: 2 miles
Honorary Chair: “Coupon Mom” Stephanie Nelson
National Honorary Chair: Trace Adkins, country music star

**After the family-friendly walk, there will be a festival with music, crafts, face-painting, inflatables, and many allergy-free and gluten-free samples.
To contact the local volunteer committee, e-mail atlantachair@foodallergy.org.

Why We Walk
• We walk to find a cure for food allergies.
• We walk to increase awareness of food allergy and the effect it has on a community.
• We walk to provide understanding, hope, and an opportunity for a child with food allergy to simply be a child.
• We walk to save a life!

More than 12 million Americans, or one in every 25, have food allergies. Included in that number are more than 3 million children. The incidence of peanut allergy doubled in children over a five-year period (1997-2002).

Over the years, FAAN, the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network, has been at the forefront of progress in food allergy research. Findings from research studies have been used to change federal and state laws, improve school policies, raise public awareness, improve the daily lives of individuals with food allergy, and provide education for patients, caregivers, and health professionals.

To create or join a team or to donate, please check out www.foodallergywalk.org

One man's experience with Attention Deficit Disorder - a blessing in disguse?

The article below originally found on "Like the Dew, a Journal of Southern Culture and Politics", touched me in many ways and I thought I would share it with you.  Thoughts??

My Companion for 67 Years
by Jack deJarnette

I was born with it, although I didn’t know it or understand it. It has been a constant companion all of my life. Once I thought it a curse, today I count it a blessing. Its name is Attention Deficit Disorder. I resent that label since I believe that it is not a disorder at all, but just a different way of thinking. People with A.D.D. process information quite differently than so called normal thinkers. I grew up in a time when A.D.D. had not yet been defined. Those of us who thought in a different way were simply considered lazy, non-workers, and given other unkind labels. Sometimes I was called stupid. I knew that wasn’t true, my I.Q. had been measured at 138. Often I was told that if I had character I would study more and my grades would improve. There are two difficulties here–first there was no way I could study more and the second was that no matter how I tried I could not concentrate. My mind was good for maybe thirty seconds then it was on to something else. The harder I tried the worse it got. I felt like an animal trapped in a cage. I was not hyperactive; in fact, I was extremely well behaved and very compliant, I simply couldn’t concentrate.

In my early elementary school years I was an excellent student, however as subjects lasted for longer periods of time and classes were extended I realized that I was having more and more difficulty. I couldn’t stay focused for very long and so I stayed lost and confused. By the 7th grade I was really struggling. I passed all of my courses but with increasing difficulty. I didn’t know what was wrong, but I knew something was. My Dad met with my 7th grade teacher, the meanest and most hateful teacher that I ever had, and suggested to her that I was bored and needed more work and a greater challenge and he was right. She refused his request go give me more to do with the argument that it wouldn’t be fair to me. I just needed to learn to concentrate. Try as hard as I could, concentration for periods longer than 5 or 10 minutes simply escaped me. I could think of many things almost simultaneously, but not one thing for long.

My 8th grade year was an academic disaster. Courses were 9 months long and classes lasted for one full hour. I lived in a dismal fog of failure. Dad stayed on my back constantly which started my resentment and anger toward him. He didn’t understand nor did I. I had to go to summer school that year where I excelled. Short classes and compressed time for courses, 8 weeks instead of 9 months made a great difference. My mind was in a state of swirling thought processes. I was multitasking before Bill Gates was born.

I went to A Military Academy starting in the 9th grade where I realized a new phenomenon. We were graded every two weeks in our course work. I did very poorly on my bi-weekly grades, but made near perfect scores on my semi-final and final exams. I learned material very quickly, but it took a longer period to process. I couldn’t recall in the short term, but seldom forgot what had been converted to long term memory. Even today I can recall much of what I learned in high school. It astounded my children that I could still show them how to work quadratic equations when they took algebra.

At the end of my senior year I had a high D average. Bi-weekly tests weighed 1/2 in grading while semi-finals and finals weighed 1/4 each. The big tests got me through and I graduated with a B+ average. I made in the high 500s in both parts of the Scholastic Aptitude Test, scored extremely high on the Academic Achievement Tests, and was in the 99th percentile on the Merit Scholarship exam.

The headmaster called me into his office and scolded me for not having applied myself saying that I could have graduated at the top of my class if I had the character to work consistently. His words, along with my Dad’s admonition to work harder and study more devastated my self-confidence.

Because of my outstanding performance in the military arts, average grades, but exceptional test scores I was offered an appointment to West Point if I would spend a year in a prep school. With my confidence shattered I decided there was no way I could survive the academic rigors of the Academy, so I refused. Only many years later did I realize that God was protecting me from the danger of war so he could use me in the tasks that I was created to perform.

Today I am thankful for the gift of a cluttered, unfocused mind. Because of that gift I have been able to achieve and accomplish far more than if I had been born normal. In all of my endeavors, I have been able to see the big picture. I am extremely creative and able to function and work outside of the box, which while often-causing distress to other more conventional thinkers, has proved to produce that which rigid thinking could never have construed.

My encouragement to those blessed with Attention Deficit Disorder is to embrace it then learn techniques to work with it and achieve success. I would say to parents with children with A.D.D. try to understand what life is like for your child. Don’t be ashamed and don’t be in denial. The sooner it is recognized and accepted the more quickly your child and you can learn to accommodate.

I claim absolutely no scientific authority from which I speak. I’m simply one who has lived with a constant companion for sixty seven years.

Free discount prescription drug card for Georgia residents.

http://www.georgiadrugcard.com

As shown on this Fox 5 video, Georgians can begin downloading a new discount prescription drug card.

The Georgia Drug Card is free and can be used at 60,000 pharmacies nationwide for both brand name and generic drugs. You are even able to price your medicines prior to visiting the store by doing a search for specific drug names via a zip code. There are no enrollment forms, no restrictions and no age or income requirements.

The card can be downloaded online. To download the card click here.

The Save our Skin 5K on Saturday will be an opportunity to provide a learning lesson to my boys.

 Watch the video from last year and join me on Saturday.

Last year I was invited to help cut the ribbon of the SCAN Foundation's Save our Skin 5K race being held in Dunwoody (near Shanes Rib Shack close to Super Target) but due to some family event I was unable to attend.  The event raised awareness about skin cancer, raised a little money and even provided free skin cancer screenings on site.  I'm very sorry I missed that event because last Monday I had a skin cancer lesion cut off my neck and if I had been screened maybe it would have been found a little earlier?

My dermatologist at Dunwoody Dermatology said that my very fair skin has had quite a bit of sun damage and that I will need to be extra vigilant about staying out of the sun without proper protection and then have annual skin examinations to check for changes.  We discussed the fact that there was very little sun screen when I was a boy and how I would literally blister in the sun without protection, except for a white t-shirt that I would wear in the neighborhood pool.

The Doc saw pictures of my three boys, including the four year old mini-me with red hair and freckles and we talked about keeping them safe, therefore this Saturday morning the entire family including the three fair skinned little boys will be attending this years Save our Skin 5K event taking place in the same Perimeter Place shopping center as last year.

Maybe we will see you there?

Save our Skin 5k Run / Walk

Saturday May 29th (7 am registration - 8 am race)

Registration allowed on race day

Perimeter Place – Atlanta , GA – May 29, 2010 The SCAN Foundation (Skin Cancer Awareness Network) was founded by melanoma cancer survivor, Marilyn Fry. This 4th annual event highlights the SCAN Foundation's education and community awareness programs teaching others that deadly skin cancers can be prevented. Sun exposure must be measured, but this does NOT mean total avoidance of the sun. Learn easy, affordable, and life-saving measures you and your family may implement for full enjoyment of the sun. This is a great family event for young and old. Infants in strollers are welcome.

Proceeds: Support community outreach programs to help educate the public about safe exposure and fun in the sun. In addition, SCAN funds unrestricted scholarship grants for young medical professionals and other skin cancer organizations providing information and support for people with skin cancer.

The SCAN Foundation awarded its first medical research grant to the Emory University Winship Cancer Center's CancerQuest Program. CancerQuest is designed to empower cancer patients, cancer survivors, students, healthcare workers and others with a better understanding of the disease process and current approaches to cancer detection, diagnosis, and treatment.

Walking Wednesday

This Wednesday - May 5th - is Dunwoody Walk to School Day.  All of Dunwoody's public elementary schools will be hosting a "Walking Wednesday" event, and it is our hope to have the streets of Dunwoody lined with hundreds of students and parents walking to school.

Then go meet with DeKalb County School Board reps at Peachtree Charter Middle at 9 am

Happy Tails, therapy dogs - a “promise honored” has become a life’s commitment.

Video

I have never heard of therapy dogs until I picked up today's Dunwoody Crier and read the touching story written by Carol Niemi on Dave & Stephanie Frew. When I saw the tv piece, I thought I would share not only the video but a link to the Happy Tails organization.

http://www.happytailspets.org

Today April 2nd is World Autism Awareness Day

http://www.worldautismawarenessday.org

I know too many kids with Autism and the second half of the video below moved me. 
Hugs to all involved.

Did you Know: Autism affects 1 in 110 Children and 1 in 70 Boys

Autism Society of America - Greater Georgia Chapter

Marcus Autism Center

The Childhood Autism Foundation

Dunwoody, GA
Third Wednesday of Every Month
Autism Support Group
7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The Marcus Jewish Community Center
5342 Tilly Mill Road
Dunwoody, Ga 30338
770-396-3250.

DeKalb County Senior Olympics - Registration on Monday

DeKalb County Senior Olympics

Activities:
Table Tennis (Singles & Doubles), Line Dancing, Swimming, Tennis, Water Volleyball, Golf, Bowling, Track and Field, Wii Bowling (New), Horseshoes, Canasta, Talent Show, Checkers, Dominoes, Mah Jong, Fun Walk, Billiards, Pinochle

Registration Information brochure
Senior Olympic General Information
Registration Form
2010 Events Schedule and Venues
Important Information

For additional information, call 404-371-2990 or e-mail jdswain@co.dekalb.ga.us.

The DeKalb County Parks & Recreation Department invite all men and women 50 years of age and older to come and participate in this wonderful senior athletic event. There are over 30 event categories and team sports offered. Our mission is to promote healthy lifestyles for seniors through fun, fitness, and play. The Benefits We are proud to be able to help promote healthy lifestyles for adults, particularly seniors of 50 years and older. It’s no secret that baby boomers are entering their golden years and are becoming more conscious about health and the way we age. Staying fit and active is the best answer to aging. The games provide an excellent way for seniors to maintain or improve their physical and mental condition as well as their coordination, while enjoying some friendly competition. Plus, you meet new friends, engage the whole family in the fitness mode and you can become a volunteer too!

Event: May 10-20, 2010
Register: March 22 - April 19
Fee: $10 per person (fee includes 2 sports and souvenir shirt)

DeKalb County Senior Olympics Purpose:
To provide adults 50 and older an opportunity to participate in a program that:
-Encourages more physical activities
-Promotes healthier lifestyles
-Promotes health and wellness
-Provides a unique opportunity for socialization through competitive activities.
Age:
Participants must turn 50 years old by September 26, 2010. Events are divided into men’s and women divisions and age groups where appropriate. Birthdate must be included for this reason. Awards:
Gold, Silver, and Bronze medals will be awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place winners in each event.
DeKalb County Senior Olympics reserves the right to combine age groups or to cancel any event due to insufficient registration, inclement weather, and unusual or extenuating circumstances.

REGISTRATION AND FEES
-A $10.00 registration fee must accompany the complete application form.
-Registration for participants outside of DeKalb County will be an additional $10.00.
-A $5.00 late registration fee will be added after April 19th.
-Mail-in registrations must be postmarked by April 19th
-Registration entitles the individual to participate in any event where a time conflict does not occur.
-Registration includes a Senior Olympics T-shirt.
Mail registration form with payment to: DeKalb County Parks and Recreation, Attn: Jackie Swain, 1300 Commerce Drive, Rm. 300, Decatur, Georgia 30030

Registration is payable by check or money order; NO CASH ACCEPTED .
Please make payable to "DeKalb County Parks and Recreation".
The liability waiver must be signed and dated by the applicant.
Special accommodations will only be available with prior arrangements. If you need special assistance, please let us know when you register.

For additional information, call 404-371-2990 or e-mail jdswain@co.dekalb.ga.us.

The ACSM World Heart Games - Registration Open

Registration Open

May 14-15, 2010 • Co-hosted by Agnes Scott College, Decatur, Georgia
Register at www.acsm.org/worldheartgames by April 2, 2010

Olympic Style Competition for Cardiac Rehab Patients
Cardiac patients get a wide variety of challenging but safe activities to compete in for the ACSM World Heart Games. These provide a monitored and competitive way for the participants to be active in a way that they’re comfortable with.

Reclaiming the Joy of Sports - Olympic Style Competition for Cardiac Rehab Patients!

Cardiac rehabilitation patients will get a wide variety of challenging, but safe activities to compete in for the 2010 World Heart Games. These provide a monitored and competitive way for the participants to be active in a way that they and their medical team are comfortable with. Some events that participants can expect to compete in are: table tennis, bocce, golf putting, bowling, prediction events, basketball, game of knowledge, volleyball, tennis, softball throw, soccer shoot a 9-hole golf tournament and much more. We encourage you to learn more about the game rules. As clinicians in cardiac rehabilitation, we have all witnessed the evolution of the sedentary, sometimes isolated life in our patients with cardiac disease or risk-related symptoms, to one of hope, activity and purpose. Cardiac rehabilitation programs prepare patients to reenter life!

Contact Jessica Hancock (jhancock@acsm.org) (317) 352-3893 with any questions or for information on how to support the ACSM World Heart Games.

Cleaning for a Reason assists Breast Cancer patients going through chemo.

http://www.cleaningforareason.org

If you know a woman currently undergoing chemo for breast cancer treatment, please pass the word to her that there is a cleaning service that provides FREE housecleaning - 1 time per month for 4 months while she is in treatment.

All she has to do is sign up and have her doctor fax a note confirming the treatment. Cleaning for a Reason will have a participating maid service in her zip code area arrange for the service.

This organization serves the entire USA and currently has 547 partners to help these women but could always use more in kind and cash donations.

No one outgrows recess, they just outgrow the playground.

I am told by several sources that this evening the DeKalb County School Board approved 15 minutes of unstructured play "recess" for students in K-5 every day and that the time cannot be taken away as a discipline tactic.

I am sure that this issue has been pushed by many people for many years but I first heard of it just over a month ago from Dunwoody's own, Sustainable Pattie Baker.

Kudos to Pattie and all the others who fight for what they believe in.  Now go outside and play.

Are you looking for the H1N1 Vaccine? Here is where to find it.

Click Here

H1N1 Influenza Vaccine Provider Locator

• We advise you to contact your family doctor's office or health care provider in advance to confirm the vaccine is available before making an appointment.
• The health care providers listed have all agreed to provide H1N1 vaccines as it becomes available and to be included in this listing.
• Health care providers receive their vaccine supply directly from the CDC's distributor, McKesson.
• Small amounts of the H1N1 vaccine are being allocated by the CDC at this time. Additional supply is anticipated over the next weeks and months.
• Some additional providers and doctor's offices who have agreed to provide vaccine have chosen not to be listed at this time.
• Participating county health departments will also receive vaccine supply and are included in this search tool listing.