Taken too soon: Woman who lost son to sudden infant death syndrome trying to raise awareness

by Alyssa Harvey, The Daily News, originally published on 10/30/2010

Melissa Haynes smiles every time she looks at photographs of her infant son, Dakota.

“He loved having his picture taken. Whenever someone had a camera, he knew it,” she said recently as she flipped through small photo albums at the home she shares with her parents in Glasgow. “I have over 800 pictures that I downloaded. He was looking right at (the camera) the whole time.”

The photos – many of which show a grinning, bright-eyed Dakota – are all she has left of the time she spent with her baby. On Aug. 21, 2009, Haynes went to check on her son in his crib. Dakota, who was six days shy of turning 4 months old and had learned to roll himself over, wasn’t breathing.

“When I put him to sleep, he was on his back. When I found him, he was on his stomach,” she said as her eyes filled with tears. “We called an ambulance. They came here and took him to the hospital.”

It was too late. Dakota had died of sudden infant death syndrome, which is when a seemingly healthy infant dies suddenly and unexpectedly in his sleep.

“I was devastated. He was my first (child),” Haynes said as tears fell down her face. “I was 37, about to be 38, when I found out I was pregnant. I had never been pregnant before. I didn’t have a bad pregnancy.”

Beverly Phelps, a registered nurse who works in The Medical Center’s neonatal intensive care unit, said SIDS is very real.

“It’s like one of those things you hear about but don’t think about. It’s not completely preventable,” she said. “SIDS is still the leading cause of death in the first 12 months of life, with 90 percent of the cases happening when the baby is between 2 and 4 months old. Twenty percent of those cases happen when they are in someone else’s care.”

Because of the mysterious nature of SIDS, there is no way to prevent it, but there are ways to reduce the risk. Fall and winter months bring a higher incidence of SIDS, Phelps said. Babies who are at higher risk of SIDS include those who are premature or have low birth weight, are African-American or American Indian or are male, Phelps said.

“Mothers who smoke have three times the risk of having a baby who dies of SIDS,” she said. “Smoke exposure means more than twice the risk.”

Babies who sleep on their sides or stomachs have 13 times the risk of SIDS, and that figure rises to 18 times for babies who sleep on their backs but are suddenly put to sleep on their stomachs, Phelps said.

“Babies won’t choke if they sleep on their backs,” she said, citing reasons some caregivers may give for putting a baby to sleep on his stomach. “Babies have enough head strength to help them turn their heads (to spit up).”

Babies should sleep on a firm crib mattress and have no toys, bumper pads, pillows or blankets in the crib. Parents who are concerned the baby might be cold should use a swaddle wrap, a sleep sack or a blanket at the foot of the crib.

“There should be nothing in the crib except the baby,” she said. “Even a firm adult mattress isn’t firm enough.”

Infants should not be overheated, Phelps said.

“Keep the room temperature between 68 and 72 degrees,” she said. “Parents should dress the baby the way they are dressed.”

Breastfeeding and pacifiers can help reduce the risk, Phelps said.

“After babies have a well-developed nursing pattern, you can use a pacifier,” she said. “Putting the babies to bed with pacifiers has been shown to reduce the risk of SIDS. It’s OK if the pacifier falls out (later).”

Twins should not sleep together in one crib, but if they have to, put one on one end of the crib and the second baby on the other end, Phelps said.

“(It’s better if they) have separate beds,” she said.

There are various products that claim to help reduce the risk of SIDS, but parents should not use them, Phelps said.

“Items that say they help reduce SIDS don’t,” she said.

SIDS can be additionally stressful on families because it is generally treated as a potential crime scene, with an investigation, pictures, questioning and autopsy, Phelps said.

“SIDS is a diagnosis of exclusion,” she said. “Every baby who dies doesn’t die of SIDS.”

Guilt has become a part of Haynes’ life, even though she knows she did nothing wrong.

“A lot of people think it’s the parents’ or caretakers’ fault. It’s not. When it happens, it happens,” she said. “It’s hard to talk about. People say things without meaning to. I still blame myself sometimes. I keep telling myself it wasn’t my fault.”

Haynes said she gets upset about information that says SIDS is preventable.

“Some of the information is misleading. You can reduce the risk,” she said. “There’s not a cure for it. They don’t know why it happens.”

In her grief, Haynes reached out to others with similar experiences through the Internet.

“I read up as much as possible about SIDS. I’ve got lots of different websites up about (Dakota) and SIDS,” she said. “I’ve found a lot of parents who have lost babies a day or two within the day I lost mine. I’ve had people tell me they were holding their babies and they (died).”

Haynes also has leaned on her faith, friends and family. They have been spreading the word that October is SIDS Awareness Month. On Oct. 15, the family lit candles in memory of Dakota on Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. Haynes has worn pink and blue items to commemorate the month. They also planned a walk to raise awareness.

“It got rained out,” Haynes said. “We plan on doing another walk. We’re hoping it will be a better turnout.”

Haynes’ sister-in-law, Tiffany Haynes, said her family has been telling people about SIDS Awareness Month.

“They don’t even know,” she said. “October is not just Breast Cancer Awareness Month. There’s nothing out there about SIDS hardly.”

Haynes’ mother, Patricia Haynes, said the pins she has worn observing the month have drawn attention.

“I was in a store in Barren County and had on the pin,” she said. “Someone saw it and said she lost a baby 30 years ago from that.”

In memory of her son, Melissa Haynes wears a heart-shaped necklace with Dakota’s picture. She sleeps with a photo of him and kisses it each night. She remembers her babbling, laughing baby who used to love being outside and whom she called her “Little Monkey.”

“He was a precious baby,” she said, smiling. “I’m glad I got to spend the four months I did with him. Even if I had to go through this again, I’d do it in a heartbeat.”

A “SIDS Prevention and Safe Sleep for Infants” class will be offered from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Dec. 7 at The Medical Center’s Health and Wellness Center at Greenwood Mall.

Nurses from The Medical Center Nursery and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit will offer information and a CPR review.

Preregistration is required. For more information, call 745-0942.

Copyright 2010 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

Stinson named Nurse of the Year at Franklin Medical Center

by Alyssa Harvey, The Daily News, originally published on 10/30/2010

Lorie Stinson’s connection with The Medical Center at Franklin goes beyond the fact that she works there as a registered nurse.

“I was born in this hospital. It’s in the community I grew up in,” she said. “I know a lot of the (patients). A lot of the (patients) know me.”

The Franklin native was recently named the hospital’s Nurse of the Year. The winner is chosen by the entire hospital staff.

“I was excited, happy and proud,” she said of how she felt when she found out she had been chosen.

Stinson doesn’t remember ever wanting to be anything except a nurse. In fact, she chose a career in nursing many years before she was old enough to pursue it.

“My mom said ever since I was a little girl that I wanted to be a nurse,” she said.

While a student at Western Kentucky University, Stinson worked as a certified nursing assistant and unit clerk at The Medical Center at Franklin. She received a scholarship from the hospital, which helped her pay for her last semester in school. She earned an associate’s degree and began working as a nurse at the hospital in June 1999.

Stinson works primarily in the emergency room, where she takes care of patients.

“I do lots of shots and IVs,” she said. “When the (technicians) are busy, we clean our own rooms after patients are discharged.”

Although retirement is still in the distant future, Stinson has been considering her options and doesn’t believe she will leave the nursing field for good.

“I hope to retire early,” she said. “I may want to switch to (per diem nursing). I may want to be a flight nurse.”

Caring for people and variety of patients are her favorite aspects of nursing, Stinson said.

“I like the excitement of never knowing what’s going to walk through that door. There’s always something different,” she said. “I’m never bored. I don’t feel like I’m tied to the same routine. I’m always learning new stuff.”

Copyright 2010 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

10K Classic draws 2,400

by Jenna Mink, The Daily News, originally published on 10/24/2010

Macdonard Ondara has walked everywhere most of his life. He soon started running, and he hasn’t stopped.

“In Kenya, we don’t use gas, so we walk to school,” he said. “It’s a natural thing.”

Ondara was the first man to cross the finish line Saturday during the 10K run portion of The Medical Center 10K Classic.

It was the 31st year for the downtown race, which also features a 5K run, a 10K wheelchair race and a 1.5-mile fun walk. About 2,400 people from across the nation competed Saturday, which is about the same number that participated last year, said Doris Thomas, vice president of marketing and development for Commonwealth Health Corp., the parent company of The Medical Center.

“I think it’s going great,” she said. “We could not have asked for better weather, and we’ve had a great turnout.”

Hundreds of people lined the sidewalks of Western Kentucky University’s campus, clapping and cheering for walkers and runners as they neared the finish line next to the football stadium. Groups of volunteers encouraged runners and handed out bottled water as they whizzed past.

“I’ve done it every year for the last 20 years, and it’s just fun,” said Alene Denning of Bowling Green, who participated in the walk. “It’s the walking. It’s a daily thing for me.”

Patsy Pillow of Smiths Grove smiled as she crossed the finish line – something she’s been doing for around 30 years.

“I’ve done it almost as long as it’s been going on,” she said. “It’s an event that I look forward to every year. I enjoy everything about it.”

Nathan Thomas traveled from Prestonsburg to participate in the 5K run. Some friends from Glasgow encouraged him to take part in the event, which is different from anything he has participated in, he said.

“There’s more hills than I’m used to,” he said. “But I like that you can see the finish line and go downhill to the finish line. That’s pretty cool.”

Supporters and audience members clapped and shouted as Chad Johnson zoomed across the finish line. Johnson won the wheelchair race, tackling the course in a three-wheeled device he calls a running chair.

Johnson, of Charlestown, Ind., travels the country to take part in wheelchair races. He has won the local race three or four times, he said.

“This is just a way in which someone who can’t use their legs would run,” he said. “It’s an impact sport.”

Johnson got involved in the sport by accident, he said, after someone suggested he give it a try.

“I found out it was really hard. Bodybuilding is easy to me. Basketball is easy to me,” he said. “But this one, I’m completely (puzzled). I don’t understand it yet.”

Still, he gives it his best effort because it strengthens him physically and mentally, and he hopes to inspire other people, whether or not they have a disability, he said.

“Yeah, being in a wheelchair sucks, and it’s tough. But everybody has their struggles,” he said. “I can put my wheelchair on just like anyone puts on their shoes.”

Like Ondara, Janet Cherobon was born in Kenya, and she snagged a track scholarship at Harding University in Arkansas.

Now she lives in Rome, Ga., and runs 90 to 100 miles a week – a workout that pays off. She won the female division of the 10K run for the third consecutive year.

Ondara has been racing for the past seven years, traveling across the nation and in Europe and Africa. He trains in New Mexico.

“It’s my first time to win (here),” he said. “So, I’m feeling good.”

Copyright 2010 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

Asian inspiration: Tai chi – offered through local hospitals – focuses on gentle movements, controlled breathing, mental concentration

by Alyssa Harvey, The Daily News, originally published on 10/23/2010

Jan Crenshaw became fascinated with tai chi while in the Aloha State.

“When we were in Hawaii years ago, I saw elderly people doing these moves that I, as a 28-year-old, couldn’t do,” she said.

Some time later, the ancient exercise came up again.

“I was helping a friend’s brother in conversational English. He was Chinese. I asked him what exercises he does, and he said tai chi,” the Bowling Green woman said. “I had done a little reading through the years. I was extremely interested.”

Developed in China, tai chi uses gentle movements, controlled breathing and mental concentration. Sam Smith, who teaches tai chi classes through Greenview Regional Hospital’s H2U program and at The Medical Center Health and Wellness Center at Greenwood Mall, said he has a total of 20 students between the two locations.

“The majority of my students (through the hospital programs) are seniors. They all have better balance. They learn how to line their body up and how to move properly,” he said. “It has mental benefits. It has been shown to alleviate depression. Some people say they lose weight.”

Crenshaw, who takes classes through H2U, has done tai chi for seven years. She said the classes have been good for her.

“Within a week or so I found it easier to go up and down steps. It’s a really good way to begin the day,” she said. “I have high blood pressure, and (tai chi) is a good way to help people calm down and help with movement, relaxation and high blood pressure.”

Jessie Starkey, who is starting her fifth year with the H2U class, agreed and has noticed other benefits, too.

“It’s a way to relax completely. If you get into the movements and do them as best as you can, you’re so into the movement that all your cares and worries and concerns disappear. That’s very healthy for your mind,” the Bowling Green woman said. “The exercises or the movements also help in your physical situation. It helps balance, get your circulation going, strengthens and helps our breathing.”

Starkey found out about the classes from friends.

“I’ve always been interested in Asian exercises. A couple of my friends are in the tai chi class and told me how much they liked it, so I did it and I’m hooked,” she said, laughing. “Most of us are seniors, so Sam emphasizes that seniors need to keep moving. We do things that help their balance because many seniors fall from lack of balance.”

Tai chi helped Starkey during a hard time in her life.

“When I started, I was a caregiver for two parents. That’s very stressful,” she said. “I was looking for some way to relive stress.”

Crenshaw and Starkey said the classes have an additional benefit.

“The class has become friends. We’re all friends,” Starkey said. “Most of us have been together for at least four years. That’s just really special. We check if somebody’s not there for a while or are ill or having a problem.”

Smith is a patient and encouraging teacher, even when they don’t do every movement correctly all the time, Crenshaw said.

“I have learned all 104 movements of the long form,” she said. “I can’t do all of them.”

There is always something new to learn in tai chi, Crenshaw said.

“It’s kind of like learning to play the piano,” she said. “You’re never going to get it all down, but the process sure is fun.”

— For more information about H2U’s tai chi classes, call 783-9592. For more information about the Health and Wellness Center’s tai chi classes, call 745-0942.

Copyright 2010 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

Ready to Race: The Medical Center 10K Classic returns Saturday

by Alyssa Harvey, The Daily News, originally published on 10/21/2010

Distance is not much of an obstacle for Leah Bond and her husband, Bill, when it comes to racing.

For more than 20 years, the couple have driven from their home in Lexington to participate in The Medical Center 10K Classic.

“We’re always looking for places (to race) that are not too far away, and we do a mini vacation. I think Bowling Green is a beautiful city,” Bond said by phone Wednesday. “Sometimes we’ve stayed Saturday night. Sometimes we come in on Saturday and do a little sightseeing before we come back. We enjoy it.”

The couple are planning to participate in this weekend’s 31st annual 10K Classic, which will be Saturday. Activities will begin with The Medical Center Health and Fitness Expo and Southern Foods’ Pasta Party, both of which will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at Sloan Convention Center.

“People will pick up their race packets and take advantage of the free screenings by The Medical Center, and various sporting vendors will provide discounts on athletic clothing, shoes and related items,” said Doris Thomas, vice president of marketing and development for Commonwealth Health Corp., the parent company of The Medical Center.

Participants can preregister online at www.themedicalcenter10kclassic.com through midnight tonight. Cost is $35 for individuals and $90 for families, which includes mother, father and children ages 6-18. Late registration will be from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday at Sloan Convention Center and from 6 a.m. to 8 a.m. Saturday at McNeill Elementary School near the starting line. Late registration costs $40 for individuals and $110 for families. Registered participants receive a long-sleeved T-shirt, free admission to The Medical Center Health and Fitness Expo and the pasta party, pre-race and post-race snacks and beverages, free baby-sitting services on race day and an opportunity to participate in the $10,000 Cash Prize Giveaway drawing. Those who preregistered before Sept. 24 are entered in the $1,000 Early Bird Drawing.

“The $10,000 cash prize is given away in $2,000, $3,000 and $5,000 increments,” Thomas said. “You have to complete the event you registered for and be present to win.”

The 5K Competitive Run will be at 7:30 a.m., with the 1.5 Mile Fun Walk at 7:50 a.m., the 10K Wheelchair Race at 8:25 a.m. and The Medical Center 10K Classic at 8:30 a.m. The Children’s Classic, which is sponsored by Graves-Gilbert Clinic pediatrics, will begin at 10 a.m. with a race for children in kindergarten through third grade followed by the race for grades four through six at 10:15 a.m. Participants for the Children’s Classic will meet in front of the parking structure on Avenue of Champions. All events will be held rain or shine.

“The Children’s Classic is a fun way for children to start enjoying the benefits of exercise at an early age,” Thomas said. “Hopefully it will stick with them for a lifetime.”

So far, more than 1,500 people have signed up for the race, plus a little more than 250 children for the children’s classic, Thomas said.

“On average, we have between 2,300 and 2,500,” she said. “Usually, depending on the weather, we have a lot to come in the last few days (of registration).”

Bond said she began running when she met her husband 26 years ago. They exercise daily.

“We just go out and run and walk in the afternoons. We go to the gym in bad weather,” she said. “When we go on regular vacations, we try to fit in a race.”

They learned of the 10K Classic from friends who had run it.

“We start out together, but we separate,” she said. “He’s much faster. He finishes way before I do.”

Bond has even occasionally finished first in her age group.

“I’m not fast. There are no other old ladies out there running,” she said, laughing. “We’re just crazy runners, that’s all.”

Thomas said the 10K Classic is a great family event that brings in a variety of people, dating back to when Wendy’s first started the event years ago.

“It’s a race for everyone. It’s one we enjoy being involved with because it’s reflective of our mission to improve the care and quality of life of the people we serve,” she said. “Everyone knows the impact exercise has on your health. We hope that by participating in one of the 10K events, this will entice you to make it a lifelong habit.”

— For more information, call 796-2141 or 877-545-1696, e-mail themedicalcenter10kclassic@yahoo.com or visit www.themedicalcenter10kclassic.com.

Saturday schedule

6 a.m.-8 a.m.: Day of race registration and electronic chip pickup at McNeill Elementary School near the starting line; breakfast on WKU South Lawn near Guthrie Bell Tower

6 a.m.-11 a.m.: T-shirt pickup at the T-shirt tent near finish line

7 a.m.-11:30 a.m.: Free baby-sitting service at Downing University Center, WKU

7:30 a.m.: 5K Competitive Run - No strollers, headsets, pets or walking

7:50 a.m.: 1.5 Mile Fun Walk - No running

8:25 a.m.: 10K Wheelchair Race

8:30 a.m.: The Medical Center 10K Classic - No strollers, headsets or pets

9 a.m.-11 a.m.: Entertainment at Guthrie Bell Tower

9:30 a.m.: Post-race snack on WKU South Lawn near Guthrie Bell Tower

10 a.m.: Race course closes. All runners, walkers must move to sidewalk

10 a.m.: Children’s Classic begins

11 a.m.: Overall awards and $10,000 Cash Prize Giveaway drawing at Houchens-Smith Stadium, WKU

Medical Center certified nursing assistant named Technician of the Year

by Alyssa Harvey, The Daily News, originally published on 10/9/2010

The sound of patients talking after they get off ventilators is music to Wendy Hawkins’ ears.

“I always wonder what their voices sound like,” she said.

A certified nursing assistant in The Medical Center’s intensive care unit, Hawkins cares a lot about the patients she helps.

“I love giving them a hug and letting them know that they’re going to be OK. Everybody needs a little love,” she said. “When you’re having a bad day and they look at you and smile, it makes it all worthwhile.”

Hawkins’ tasks include getting beds ready for patients, setting up rooms for nurses and bathing, feeding and changing linens for patients. Sometimes her duties go beyond taking care of patients’ physical needs.

“I’m a big listener, too,” she said, smiling. “You can learn so much by listening.”

Her skills recently earned her an award. She was named Technician of the Year at The Medical Center, where she has worked for three years.

“I was ecstatic,” she said of how she felt when she found out about the award this summer. “That was an honor, to have my nurses and staff trust me enough to give me that honor.”

Being a CNA and having an interest in medical matters is almost a tradition in Hawkins’ family.

“My grandmother was a CNA,” she said. “I have two daughters who are CNAs and one daughter who’s going to be a veterinarian.”

Hawkins has been a licensed CNA for eight years.

“I used to work in a nursing home,” she said. “A lot of them had loved ones who had passed away. You have to have a heart to be a CNA.”

Hawkins’ busy schedule includes spending time with her family, which includes five daughters, working 48 hours a week and going to school two days a week. She has finished her prerequisites for nursing school and has applied to programs at Bowling Green Technical College and Lindsey Wilson College. Hawkins and her youngest daughter are both waiting to find out if they have been accepted into nursing school.

“It’s great!” Hawkins said. “She’s a good study partner. What I don’t know, she does know.”

Even though she has a full schedule, she says it is all worth her time and has support from her family, patients and nursing staff.

“We’re like a family,” she said. “I never feel like I’m struggling because they’re there with me.”

Copyright 2010 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)

‘A Day Just for Women’: Medical Center event’s speaker focuses on influential book

by Alyssa Harvey, The Daily News, originally published on 10/1/2010

As motivational speaker and author Donna Tyson prepared to talk to the audience at The Medical Center’s “A Day Just for Women” conference Thursday, she urged attendants to “sit up straight, smile and nod” their heads from time to time – at least to make her think they were listening.

The audience laughed, but it wasn’t long before many were wiping away tears as Tyson talked about self-esteem with the help of her children’s book, “The Red Bow.”

“Most children’s books have beautiful messages on life if we just take time to read them,” she said.

About 405 women listened to Tyson and Dr. Kerri Remmel, neurologist and Stroke Center director for the University of Louisville Hospital, talk about issues related to women’s health. Attendees also took advantage of booth exhibits, free health screenings and health information at the 13th annual conference.

“It went really well. The speakers did such a good job,” said community wellness director Linda Rush. “We have women of all ages, professionals from the job force, stay-at-home moms and retired women.”

The conference focuses not only on physical health, but emotional health as well, Rush said.

“We want to make a difference in the quality of life people will have in the future,” she said. “The conference allows women to take time away to focus on laughing and learning things they can do to improve their emotional health.”

Referencing “The Red Bow,” Tyson told of a young girl who doesn’t feel good about herself and visits her grandmother, who gives her a red bow and tells her how pretty she looks to help boost her confidence. As the child walks home, she notices people are noticing her more, and she believes the bow is magic. When she gets home, she receives a call from her grandmother telling her that she dropped her bow right outside her house.

“It was the way she carried herself. She had walked as if she was the most beautiful girl in the world,” Tyson said. “Hold your head high and greet the world with a smile. One of the saddest things I’ve seen in this country is when I see so many women who have lost their joy. It’s your responsibility to remember you are special.”

Tyson told the women to realize that each of them is unique and has purpose, to surround themselves with positive energy, to decide to make a difference, to believe in their dreams, to help others and to walk with their heads held high and greet the world with a smile.

“You were given beautiful gifts so you could make a difference in this world,” she said.

At the same time, she cautioned them to remember that happiness is not connected to material things. She spoke of a time when she left her hectic world behind to move into a small, one-room condo on a beach.

“I realized I didn’t have to be in control. I was never happier in my life because I had everything I needed. I had filled my life with material things,” she said. “I had lost that sense of what life was. I had to go back to the basics. Sometimes getting your energy back means getting out of your own way.”

Remmel talked about strokes in women. Men tend to have typical symptoms – including sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body; sudden confusion; trouble speaking or understanding; difficulty seeing in one or both eyes; sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination; or sudden, severe headaches with no known cause. Women might experience those as well as other kinds symptoms, such as face and limb pain at the onset, odd sensations that might feel like water under the skin, lowered level of consciousness and confusion.

“We see this more in women than in men,” she said. “Forty percent of women don’t know the symptoms of a stroke.”

Women take longer to get to a hospital for help and are less likely to have evidence-based care, Remmel said.

“I think we’re the caregivers, and we put up with so much and ignore our own symptoms. We’ve heard women say, ‘I thought it would get better. I had so much to do. It got better the last six times it happened,’ ” she said. “We’ve got to get aggressive and take care of ourselves.”

Angela Sledge of Rockfield and Laura Williams of Bowling Green said they have attended all the conferences except the first two. They said this year’s event was great, and that they learned information that surprised and motivated them.

“I was shocked at (the stroke information),” Sledge said. “The motivational speaker was excellent.”

Williams said the conference speakers are always excellent.

“It’s a great day to be a woman,” she said. “We enjoy it.”

Copyright 2010 News Publishing LLC (Bowling Green, KY)