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Give blood with the American Red Cross and help maintain the summer blood supply

Submitted by Amy Geswein, Community Web Producer
Thursday, June 5th, 2014, 8:01am
Give blood with the American Red Cross and help maintain the summer blood supply

UNDATED (June 3, 2014) — The American Red Cross encourages eligible blood donors to make and keep donation appointments to maintain the summer blood supply and help prevent a shortage. Donors of all blood types are currently needed, especially those with type O negative, B negative and A negative.

While the need for blood remains constant during the summer, donations drop. Between June and August, on average, two fewer donors give blood at each Red Cross blood drive than what hospitals need. This seasonal decline could be overcome if just two additional donors – above what is expected – give blood at each Red Cross blood drive this summer.

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Whooping cough a growing concern in Arkansas

Submitted by Amy Geswein, Community Web Producer
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2014, 5:25pm
Whooping cough a growing concern in Arkansas

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KTHV) - Colds and coughs aren't typically what parents think of in the summertime. But keeping the kids safe this summer also means looking out for lingering diseases. The state has already seen 112 cases of whooping cough or pertussis this year.

"Pertussis is a very contagious respiratory disease caused by a bacterium called Bordetella Pertussis," said Dr. Dirk Haselow, Arkansas State Epidemiologist.

Symptoms like sneezing and a runny nose can mimic allergies and the common cold, making it harder to diagnose. Severe cases cause a cough so bad, you could break a rib or vomit blood.

Watch full report: http://on.kthv.com/1oUcast

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ADH: Baby boomers should get tested for Hepatitis C

Submitted by Amy Geswein, Community Web Producer
Tuesday, June 3rd, 2014, 4:23pm
ADH: Baby boomers should get tested for Hepatitis C

JONESBORO, Ark. (KAIT) - If you were born between 1945 and 1965, you could have Hepatitis C; the Arkansas Department of Health urges this demographic to get tested.

The department calls it a "silent killer" because the virus could infect someone and not show symptoms for more than 20 years. Early detection and treatment of Hepatitis C are the only ways to avoid permanent liver damage and possible death.

Doctors say if you have symptoms like nausea, abdominal pain and jaundice, you should get tested. Hepatitis C contributed to more than 1,500 deaths in Arkansas between 1999 and 2012. There are currently no vaccinations for the virus.

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The Longest Day 2014: Helping those with Alzheimer's

Submitted by Alzheimer's Association/Arkansas Chapter, Alzheimer's Association/Arkansas Chapter
Tuesday, May 27th, 2014, 10:44am
The Longest Day 2014: Helping those with Alzheimer's

On The Longest Day, teams around the world come together to honor the strenght, passion, and endurance of those facing Alzheimer's with a day of activity.

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My Town Hero: 7-year-old raising funds to help ease friend's pain

Submitted by Amy Geswein, Community Web Producer
Tuesday, May 6th, 2014, 10:49pm
My Town Hero: 7-year-old raising funds to help ease friend's pain

Bethany and Anne Marie are two little girls with bubbly personalities and a bond like none other.

Anne Marie is a 9-year-old who suffers from a rare skin disorder called Epidermolysis Bullosa or ED, which causes her skin to blister in response to heat, movement, or friction. Bethany, 7, is trying to raise funds for a saltwater pool in an effort to ease Anne Marie’s pain.

Bethany has been making and selling rainbow loom bracelets to raise the $25,000 needed for the pool to be installed in Anne Marie’s back yard. So far, she has already brought in $14,000 in just nine weeks, with donations coming in from as far away as California.

"I felt a little sad, I was trying to figure out what to do for her,” explained Bethany. "I get happier and happier because we're getting closer to the pool."

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First baby born at St. Vincent Hot Springs

Submitted by Lindsey Tugman, Online Producer for THV11
Thursday, April 3rd, 2014, 12:15pm
First baby born at St. Vincent Hot Springs


HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (St. Vincent) – It didn't take long for the first baby to be born at the newly-named St. Vincent Hot Springs.

Brylee Jo Bates entered the world at 2:39 a.m. on Tuesday, April 1, just 159 minutes after the hospital's name changed from Mercy Hospital Hot Springs. Brylee weighed 6 pounds, 2 ounces, and was 19 inches in length. Brylee was delivered by St. Vincent Hot Springs physician Mary Thaxton, M.D.

She is the daughter of Brittney and Brad Bates of Hot Springs. Brittney has been a co-worker in the St. Vincent Hot Springs Human Resources department for the past five years.

"It's very exciting having the first baby at St. Vincent," Brittney said. "Being an employee for five years, it's very cool to stay in the facility and be that first privileged person to bring a baby into the world in our new St. Vincent hospital.

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Mobility van could give woman independence for first time in 16 years

Submitted by Amy Geswein, Community Web Producer
Thursday, March 13th, 2014, 3:31pm
Mobility van could give woman independence for first time in 16 years

CABOT, Ark. (KTHV) - The National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association (NMEDA) is giving local heroes from across the country a chance to win a custom Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle. One of the local heroes nominated for the competition is from right here in central Arkansas.

Becky Justice, a 38-year-old from Cabot, has been proving people wrong most of her life. Affected with Spina Bifida*, Justice said she fought her school in the early 1990s to make the campus wheelchair accessible rather than giving in and finding a different school. Now, she’s trying to once again to gain her independence through a contest made possible by NMEDA.

 “I was told that I helped to start the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) because of my part in helping to make the school wheelchair accessible,” Justice wrote on her NMEDA entry.

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