by Altn Nye Oxendlne A/> 7//KEE CHILDREN Whenc\ cr I meet someone new. and they ask me how many children I have, instead of answering "ONE" 1 sa>. "I only have one child left But I had three." Twice, in columns by each of the twin sisters and advice columnists. Ann Landers" and "Dear Abby, I've read about this subject The question scents to be "Should uc still count those who used to be with us. but arc no longer here''" Of course it's up to the individual parent But I don't see how you could spend time and effort loving and mothering a child, and then just forget that he/she was once a vital part of your family In fact. I met a mother in Montana who still had two children but whose three-year-old little boy had died She liad also had a baby who did not make it through the process of childbirth How many children did she have? All these children, including the two who had'left at an early age. were still a part of her family, the way she felt about it Now. I don't believe in allow ing the family members we have "lost" (through death, drug addiction, or in some other way) to keep us stuck in a state of despair, unable to get on with our lives. In fact, one of the best things I was told in 1980 (after the accident that took the lives of our three as well as Junior Locklcar) was that Leon vvotild want me to go on living. I thought a moment, realized that was true, and decided to do just that Unfortunately, not every one receives this kind of pragmatic advice This is one of so very MANY ways 1 was blessed back then, and have been blessed during the intervening 21 years' FIRST BABY My Flag Day boy. my first baby, will always have a special place in the back of my mind Even though i do not feci the need to keep constantly focused on him. his baby brother, or his daddy. 1 often think of them w hen 1 attend "our" church. First Methodist But when I go the Branch Street, I am with my current, living-in-this-world. family of three, including their sister who has continued to be a part of both my past and present families Since I usually think of Donny as just having turned 20 ( and have dreamed of him as a young boy ) 1 have a hard time realizing that he would be turning 41 this week if he had stayed with us here in this world. The night before the funeral, when I suddenly decided I just could NOT give up my first baby (mush as I had felt about my last baby, "Gordon, two years before) I'm so thankful that God reminded me "that our children really belong to Him. and do not come to us with a guarantee of a certain number of years on this earth THAT'S when I began feeling thankful for all those years 1 was permitted to have with the child who began amazing us by his unique, precocious ways when he was just a few weeks old. I will always have a lot of regrets that we did not do a bcttbr job of parenting him. But (with help form God, family and friends, as well as counselors) as time goes on. the good memories have tended to come to the forefront so that 1 can feel free to go on living a positive life GOD BLESS YOU! I realize many readers arc sick and tired of reading the same thing over and over, for 2 i years. But. for those who are going through some stage of grief. I want to share the Good News that we CAN get through the pain and depression and live a normal life again. GOD BLESS each of y u who arc going through such a struggle!! I Pediatric Pointers I by Dr. Joey Bell, Pembroke Pediatrics / HAND WASHING- AN IMPORTANT STEP LN PREVENTING SALMONELLA INFECTION Salmonella belongs to a class of microorganisms that arc called bacteria These tiny organisms can cause major problems in individuals with a weak immune sy stem such as the young, the elderly and those with an underlying disease It is most common among those younger than five and older than seventy Symptoms of Salmonella infection include diarrhea. fever and abdominal cramping The principal carriers of Salmonella arc animals These include poultry. livestock, reptiles, and pets The most common mode of transmission is the consumption of contaminated foods of animal origin These include chicken, red meat, eggs and unpasicuri/.cd milk Other modes of transmission include drinking contaminated water; contact with infected animals (reptiles, i.e. tunics), contact by the fecal-oral route, and contact with contaminated medications, dyes, and medical instruments Ingestion of raw or improperly cooked eggs or mild can produce severe disease Once an individual becomes infected, the risk of passing it on la another person exists throughout the duration of the diarrhea. For this reason. contact precautions should be used with Salmonella infected children wearing diapers The excretion period vanes among individuals It is longer in younger children than in older children or adults. There are ways to prev ent Salmonella infection. Hand washing is very important. It is important when processing and preparing foods that may be contaminated with the bacteria. For example, when prcpanng chicken to be cooked, one should cleanse both the bands and the area where the meal was prepared using an antibacterial cleanser such as clorox. This should be done before any other objects/humans arc touched Another important tip is to cook eggs and other foods of animal origin thoroughly. Raw eggs and foods containing raw eggs should not be eaten. Other preventive measures include having sanitary water supplies and sanitary sewage disposal Also the sale ofjurtlcs for pets should be prohibited by Dinah Hunt, Physician Assistant Student-East Carolina University A Callfor Soiritual Poems From Pembroke Area Poets a f innrt rvr\ nA u.. t\ j iv/vv.w ?i